ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys gave the New Orleans Saints a warm welcome in their home opener, becoming only the fifth team since 2000 to allow their opponent to score touchdowns on each of their first six drives in a deflating 44-19 defeat.
Saints running back Alvin Kamara ripped Dallas’ defense to pieces with 115 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries, a 5.8 yards per carry average, and 65 receiving yards on two catches, 57 of which came on the catch-and run score. On that play, he was untouched all the way into the end zone. Kamara totaled 180 yards from scrimmage to go along with the four scores, which now ranks as the most scrimmage touchdowns ever in a Saints road game.
Naturally, the football world — including the Cowboys themselves — have plenty of components of this game to overreact to. Which sentiments are worth the overreaction? Here are the top storylines.
Cowboys won’t contend in the playoffs without a more stout run defense
Overreaction or Reality: Reality
“Unacceptable,” Cowboys Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs said postgame when talking about the defensive performance.
Last week versus the Browns, Dallas led the NFL with six sacks, co-led the league with two interceptions and ranked third in team quarterback pressure rate (42.9%). The Cowboys’ production Sunday in those same areas included one sack, one interception — on a tipped pass off Saints wide receiver Chris Olave’s hands that was picked off by Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson — and a 23.5% quarterback pressure rate.
Why did this happen? One of the main reasons is they got gashed on the ground (see above).
“We have to use our hands and feet,” Cowboys three-time All-Pro Micah Parsons said. “We got a guy like Kamara. We’re not tackling well. We’re arm-tackling. We’re trying to pull a guy down. We got to be aggressive, we have to create penetration and do a much better job tackling. I’m trying to ride the guys, get everyone to calm down. ‘Let’s focus. ‘We’re here. This is adversity. We need to hit this wall.’ We need to get better. … There’s a lot of things that I believe that need to get fixed.”
Dallas needs more from defensive tackles Mazi Smith, Linval Joseph, Jordan Phillips and the like. If they don’t get more gap penetration up front, it’s going to be a long year.
“Everyone is going to say they did their job and everything was perfect right now, but the film tells all,” Parsons said. “I can’t wait to see the film. I don’t know who was out of what gap [in the run game]. I know for the guys when I turn the film on, I want to say ‘No. 11 was giving his all.’ That’s all that matters. Then, we’re going to continue that standard. I got a job. I owe these guys. I owe my family a certain level of ball. I don’t think I helped to the best of my abilities today.”
CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott will struggle to connect all year because of Lamb’s holdout
Overreaction or Reality: Overreaction
When the Dak Prescott to CeeDee Lamb connection is on, it’s borderline on stoppable. Prescott even threw a 65-yard catch-and-run touchdown to Lamb on Sunday while he was being double-covered.
“They were doubling me, and I kind of told Dak a double team don’t really intimidate me at all. I’m expecting that all year, and I still can win. Great execution by us. We need more of that,” Lamb said when discussing his 65-yard receiving touchdown.
Problem is that Dallas hasn’t the two connect at a comfortable rate just yet. They have hit on nine of Lamb’s 17 targets for 151 yards and a touchdown. That rate likely needs to be closer to 70% than 50% to overcome the lack of a weapons that truly scare opposing defenses outside of Lamb himself. Given the duo’s banked reps over the years plus Prescott’s burning desire to extensively talk things over with his targets after practice to make sure things are just right, Lamb and his quarterback will likely be clicking again soon.
“Simply just trying to communicate. Maybe those misses, maybe what he saw, what he thought versus what I did and then, honestly, just finding a solution,” Prescott said of his timing with Lamb. “Great communicator CeeDee [Lamb] is. As I’ve mentioned before his expectations and standard for our connection and this offense are just as high as mine. No matter what the route is, neither of us are happy unless it’s a perfect play. It’s just about being more clean. As I said we missed some time. Everybody knows that but we have to have those communications to substitute for the time missed.”
LB DeMarvion Overshown needs to be in Dallas’ base defense
Overreaction or Reality: Reality
A week ago, Parsons was calling second-year linebacker DeMarvion Overshown “one of the most exciting players I have ever seen” and a future All-Pro. That came after he recorded a team-high nine tackles and one sack on a play that broke Parsons’ brain: when Overshown beat him in a race to sack Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson for a turnover on downs.
In Week 1, Overshown played 39 defensive snaps, but he played fewer than half of that number in Week 2 against the Saints, 17 to be exact. The Cowboys defense could’ve used Overshown’s juice to slow down Kamara. Hopefully for Dallas’ sake, defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer comes to that conclusion too.
TE Jake Ferguson is even more important to the Cowboys’ offense than previously imagined
Overreaction or Reality: Reality
Pro Bowl tight end Jake Ferguson is the Cowboys’ true No. 2 option in the passing game. Wide receiver Brandin Cooks may have that title in name, but Ferguson has it come game time. The 25-year-old tight end ranked second on the team in both catches (71) and receiving yards (761) in 2023 with Cooks have the edge in receiving touchdowns (eight to five). However, Ferguson also plays a key role as a blocker in the run game, something Prescott highlighted postgame. Backup tight end Luke Schoonmaker, a 2023 second-round pick, caught all six of his targets for 43 receiving yards, but in the Dallas quarterback’s words, it wasn’t the same as Ferguson.
“Everywhere,” Prescott said when asked where Dallas missed its Pro Bowl tight end the most. “I guess you can say that those young tight ends did a good job. Simply, they did a good job. As I’ve said throughout the week, Jake’s more than just a tight end on Sunday. He’s an aggressor. He brings a physical nature to this group. He’s got a mentality that other guys feed off of, that’s very contagious, but those other guys did play well. They did their job and stepped up. The made some plays, but [the game] just got away from us.”
Dallas needs to trade for a new running back
Overreaction or Reality: Reality
The Cowboys’ 85 rushing yards per game through two weeks, is the eighth-worst in the NFL while their 3.7 yards per carry is the seventh-worst in the league. A committee of late stage Ezekiel Elliott, undrafted veteran Rico Dowdle and 2023 sixth-round pick Deuce Vaughn isn’t cutting it. Elevating late stage Dalvin Cook off the practice squad likely isn’t the answer. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones needs to get aggressive in upgrading this spot. It doesn’t have to be the price of first-round pick for Pro Bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper like the deal he made with the Raiders back in 2018, but Jones needs to find someone who is legit, 2024 starting caliber running back with some juice and acquire them fast. Dallas needs offensive balance ASAP.
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Author: Garrett Podell
September 16, 2024 | 8:10 am
