Dallas Cowboys’ fans had high hopes going into the season, but it didn’t take long for things to unravel. Just two games in, they’re facing serious questions about whether this team is ready to compete. Sunday’s brutal 44-19 loss to the New Orleans Saints left fans wondering what went wrong and if the Cowboys are even close to being a good team.
The Shock of Early Season Struggles
Losing by a big margin this early in the season is a red flag for any team. But for Dallas? It’s even more concerning. A team with something to prove doesn’t crumble like this. A relatively healthy roster shouldn’t play in a way that makes its own fans feel physically ill. Yet, here we are, two weeks into the season, and it’s hard to make the case that the Cowboys are a team to take seriously. Sunday’s blowout loss to New Orleans leaves us with more questions than answers.
Sure, you could focus on the defense’s shortcomings during their AT&T Stadium home opener. Or maybe you could point out the offense’s failure to step up when needed. But if you want the real bottom line, Trevon Diggs summed it up in just one word: “Unacceptable.” That’s how the Cowboys' cornerback described their performance, and he’s not wrong.
Saints Run Wild
Let’s take a look at the numbers from Sunday. The Saints scored touchdowns on their first six possessions and racked up 432 yards of total offense. Running back Alvin Kamara, who some thought might be past his prime, turned back the clock with a jaw-dropping 180 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns. To put that in perspective, Kamara’s solo performance was better than what the Cowboys’ entire offense managed in their first two games combined. That stat alone is enough to make any Cowboys fan cringe.
Micah Parsons, the Cowboys’ star pass rusher, didn’t mince words when talking about the defense’s inability to stop Kamara. “We’ve got to use our hands and our feet. You got a guy like Kamara, we aren’t tackling well. We are arm tackling, trying to pull him down,” Parsons said. “We’ve got to be aggressive. We’ve got to get penetration and do a much better job tackling.”
It’s one thing to miss tackles, but when the entire defense looks lost against a player like Kamara, that’s a deeper issue. Parsons acknowledged it too: “At the end of the day, we’ve got to do better.”
A Quarterback’s Dream Game
Saints quarterback Derek Carr looked like he was having the time of his life. He only completed 11 passes, but those completions averaged 22.1 yards. Carr threw two touchdowns and, for good measure, ran for another. Yes, Derek Carr, the guy who’s not exactly known for his running game, waltzed into the end zone as if the Cowboys' defense wasn’t even there.
Remember the Cowboys' dominant pass rush that sacked Cleveland’s quarterback six times in the season opener? Well, they only managed to get to Carr once on Sunday, and it was barely worth mentioning—a single loss of 1 yard. Parsons gave credit where it was due, noting that the Saints had a smart strategy. “They did a great job schematically,” Parsons admitted. “Everything was short. Everything was quick. If it wasn’t, it was max protect and two-man routes.”
Even Parsons, known for his relentless pressure, was thrown off by the Saints’ tactics. The Saints threw a unique blocking scheme at him, using a lineman to chip him at the line and then having a running back cut him on his way to the quarterback. Parsons called it a “maze” he had to navigate, and it clearly worked. He finished the game with just three tackles and no sacks—a far cry from his usual disruptive self.
Coaching Scrutiny
You could feel the frustration not just from the players but from the coaching staff as well. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer wasn’t happy, though he did express some satisfaction with the adjustments the Cowboys made after their season opener. However, no one on that sideline could describe Sunday’s performance as anything other than disappointing. The Saints’ offense seemed to have an answer for every look the Cowboys defense threw at them. Trevon Diggs even hinted that it felt like the Saints knew exactly what was coming. “It was like their offensive coordinator knew what we were going to be in,” Diggs said.
But, as Parsons pointed out, the blame doesn’t fall solely on the coaches. “To me, it had nothing to do with the scheme. I thought Zim had a pretty good game [plan],” Parsons said. “We just got outplayed. Whoever played on that field, everyone didn’t play to 100%. We’ve all got to play better.”
A Team Without an Identity?
That’s a troubling reality for Dallas right now. Two games into the season, and they’re still struggling to find their identity. How can they reconcile their strong Week 1 performance with what happened in Week 2? Parsons believes the issue is consistency. “I think the difference is we didn’t play to our standards,” he said. “It’s easy to look good when everyone is playing at their best, right? But when trials and tribulations are going, how are guys playing? When you’re down 21-3, what are guys doing? How are we playing?”
That’s the big question. Every team faces adversity throughout the season, but how you respond defines your year. For the Cowboys, adversity has come early, and the response so far hasn’t been promising.
Head coach Mike McCarthy knows this all too well. He acknowledged the need to “take a hard look at the tape and get to work.” McCarthy did find a silver lining, though. He believes it’s better to face these challenges early in the season rather than later. But let’s be real—no coach wants to go through this kind of beatdown at home, especially not in front of an eager home crowd.
“I’m disappointed,” McCarthy said bluntly. “Very disappointed in the way we played from the top down, starting with myself. The run game battle, we didn’t win that on either side. The turnover battle, they won that. I thought they did a better job finishing plays, and they hit big plays. You never want to play that way, especially at home.”
Where Do They Go From Here?
The Cowboys are now at a crossroads. They could use this blowout loss as a wake-up call and turn their season around, or they could let this disappointment set the tone for the rest of the year. The talent is there. Players like Parsons, Diggs, and Dak Prescott have the ability to lead this team back to winning ways. But talent alone isn’t enough.
This game showed that if the Cowboys want to be taken seriously, they need more than just a few star players. They need to play as a cohesive unit, and they need to respond when things don’t go their way.
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