ARLINGTON, TEXAS — A 44-19 loss to the New Orleans Saints (2-0) is the Dallas Cowboys’ first loss at home in the regular season since Week 1 in 2022.
That was also the last time Dallas scored fewer than 20 points at home.
The Saints put up two touchdowns in the first quarter. Running back Alvin Kamara scored a rushing touchdown on the first drive, and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed hauled in a deep one from quarterback Derek Carr for a 70-yard TD reception. Both of Blake Grupe’s points after the touchdowns were good.
Dallas only scored three in the first quarter, thanks to a Brandon Aubrey 52-yard field goal, making it 3-14.
Aubrey scored a 38-yarder after Saints’ defensive end Carl Granderson’s sack to make it 6-14 at the top of the second quarter, but then Carr found Kamara short, who then ran for 57-yards to score his second of the day; Grupe’s PAT was good.
The Saints had scored 21 points, having less than 7 minutes of possession up until that point.
Then, the two big contract extensions connected for a 65-yard touchdown to make it 13-21: QB Dak Prescott found WR CeeDee Lamb who broke free for the first touchdown inside AT&T Stadium this season, making fans wait until the middle of the second quarter before doing so. Aubrey’s PAT was good, but it would be Dallas’ only touchdown on the day.
Shortly after, Kamara scored his third touchdown, second receiving, from 13 yards out to make it 13-28, Saints.
To rub more salt in the wound, defensive back Paulson Adebo picked off Prescott’s pass to WR Jalen Brooks. Carr ended up scoring a 1-yard touchdown later; Grupe’s PAT was good, making it 13-35.
Aubrey put up another three points in Dallas’ favor before heading into the half, with a 48-yard field goal.
The 35 points put up by the Saints in the first half ties for most points allowed in a first half in Cowboys history.
Opening up the third quarter, a 39-yard pass to Jalen Tolbert got the crowd excited. But a couple plays later, Prescott fumbled it—Tolbert hustled back for the fumble recovery to help save a field goal for the Cowboys; Aubrey made it from 40 yards out, bringing Dallas to a 19-35 scoreline.
Kamara ran in his fourth touchdown with a minute to go in the third quarter, but Grupe’s PAT was no good.
You had to have been happy with Kamara’s performance if you’ve got him in fantasy: he led the Saints on the ground with 20 carries for 115 yards and 3 TDs, and also had 2 receptions for 65 yards and a TD.
The Saints had scored on every possession with Derek Carr as their QB this season, going 15-for-15, until Carr’s pass got intercepted by safety Donavan Wilson with 12:04 left in the 4th.
The very next play ended in Prescott throwing another pick, this time to Tyrann Matthieu.
Another Grupe field goal sealed the deal to beat the Cowboys by 25 points.
The Saints improved to 10-1 since 2023 when allowing fewer than 20 points in a game.
New Orleans had scored 47 or more points in back-to-back games, dating back to last season: 48 in Week 18 against the Atlanta Falcons, and 47 on the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 of this season. The only two teams in NFL history to score 47 or more points in three-straight games were the 1941 Chicago Bears and 2007 New England Patriots.
Lamb led the Cowboys with 90 receiving yards on just 4 receptions, but Luke Schoonmaker and Tolbert led the team with 6 receptions each. The Cowboys only rushed for 68 yards, Rico Dowdle with 7 carries for 30 of them.
Carr takes a 2-1 lead in head-to-head career matchups with Prescott; both rank top three in wins among QBs to wear the No. 4, only behind Brett Favre.
Both QBs won in Week 1 by 16 or more points, although neither passed for more than 200 yards. Today, Prescott threw for 293, while Carr threw for 243.
The Cowboys are now 1-1, looking ahead to Week 3 which will bring the Baltimore Ravens to AT&T Stadium next Sunday at 3:25 p.m.
