The New Orleans Saints laid the beat down on the Carolina Panthers last week. The Dallas Cowboys did their work on the road against the Cleveland Browns. Now, two teams that look formidable clash on Sunday in Big D. Both teams will face a more formidable challenge than they did in Week One. Klint Kubiak, Derek Carr, and the rest of the Saints will try to get the offense rolling. They scored the most points in Week One. The Cowboys weren't too shabby either, putting up 33, the fourth-most in the NFL last week.
Date: Sunday, September 15
Start Time: 1:00 EST
Location: Arlington, TX
Stadium: AT&T Stadium
TV Info: Fox (Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady)
Uniform Info: Saints will be in black with gold helmets
Cowboys will be in white jerseys and light blue pants
Cowboys Statistical Rankings (2023)
Pts/Gm: 29.9 (1)
Pts Allowed/Gm: 18.5 (5)
Yards/Gm: 371.6 (5th Overall, 3rd Pass, 14th Rush)
Opp Yards/Gm: 299.7 (5th Overall, 5th Pass, 16th Rush)
3rd Down Conv: Offense 48.3% (2)/ Defense 37.4% (14)
Red Zone Conv: Offense 56.3% (14)/ Defense 56.3 % (19)
Saints Statistical Rankings (2023)
Pts/Gm: 23.6 (9)
Pts Allowed/Gm: 19.2 (8)
Yards/Gm: 337.2 (14th Overall, 11th Pass, 21st Rush)
Opp Yards/Gm: 227.2 (13th Overall, 10th Pass, 22nd Rush)
3rd Down Conv: Offense 38.7% (15)/ Defense 34.5% (4)
Red Zone Conv: Offense 53.3% (18)/ Defense 50.0% (8)
Cowboys Injury Report
John Stephens (WR) Out
Jake Ferguson (TE) Doubtful
Saints Injury Report
D'Marco Jackson (LB) Out
Khalen Saunders (DL) Out
Bryan Bresee (DL) Questionable
Marshon Lattimore (DB) Questionable
Taliese Fuaga (OL) Questionable
Jaylan Ford (LB) Questionable
Isaiah Foskey (DL) Questionable
Dallas Cowboys
While the Cowboys put up 33 points last week, their offense only scored two touchdowns. Kicker Brandon Aubrey and return man KaVonte Turpin accounted for the rest of the scoring. They will have a tougher time lighting up the scoreboard against the Saints. However, the last time these teams met, Dak Prescott was 26-for-40 for 238 yards and a touchdown. He was only sacked once in that game back in 2021, and it will be important for the Cowboys' offensive line to keep Dak clean. Last week, the Browns got to him three times.
On defense, Dallas sacked DeShaun Watson six times and picked him off twice while also causing a fumble. They allowed only 230 yards of offense, which was the fifth-fewest in the NFL last week. They will definitely keep the pressure on Carr this week, especially if Fuaga is not active. The key will be if the Dallas defense can achieve that pressure without blitzing. DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons were in the backfield often against the Browns.
New Orleans Saints
The last time the Saints faced the Cowboys, Taysom Hill was the quarterback and threw four interceptions. New Orleans still only lost by 10, 27-17. This time, they come in with a new-look offense that put up 47 in Week One. Carr was efficient, going 19-for-23 for 199 yards and three scores, and got taken down just once. Don't expect Carr to have as much time in the pocket against Dallas. However, count on Kubiak to have a game plan of quick passes and plenty of play action to counter the Cowboys' pass rush. Alvin Kamara could be in for a big game, as well as slot man Rashid Shaheed.
The Saints' defense harassed Bryce Young in the first game of the season, holding him to a horrible 13-for-30 with two interceptions and four sacks. Needless to say, Prescott is a much better quarterback than Young, and the Cowboys' offensive line is worlds ahead of their Panther counterpart.
Nevertheless, the Saints disguised blitzes well enough to have Alontae Taylor get three sacks. Expect more of the same, as the Saints' front four will have a tough time getting to Prescott on their own.
Prediction
This game should be closer than the teams' battles in Week One. The Saints will have an answer for Dallas's pass rush with plenty of quick passes and dump-offs. The Cowboys' weakness is that they can't run the ball. If New Orleans can make Dak and his offense one-dimensional, the Saints could force some mistakes and come out with the win.
Final Score: New Orleans Saints 31, Dallas Cowboys 23
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