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The Dallas Cowboys welcomed the New Orleans Saints for their Week 2 matchup on Sunday. The game at AT&T Stadium got underway at noon ET, amid hot and dry conditions that reached 85°F at kickoff.
The Saints lost the toss and the Cowboys chose to defer to the second half. Shawn Smith was appointed head referee for the contest, which the Saints emphatically won 44-19.
Dallas Cowboys vs. New Orleans Saints box score
Dallas Cowboys players' stats
Quarterback:
Rushing and receiving:
Defense:
Kicking:
New Orleans Saints players' stats
Quarterback:
Rushing and receiving:
Defense:
Kicking:
Dallas Cowboys vs. New Orleans Saints summary
New Orleans got off to the perfect start, scoring on its first possession with 80 yards on a seven-play drive. Running back Alvin Kamara completed the move with a five-yard touchdown and Blake Grupe converted the extra point to put the Saints up 7-0.
The Cowboys got on the scoresheet when Brandon Aubrey drilled a 52-yard field goal. However, the Saints responded with a one-play touchdown drive when Carr threw a 70-yard dime to Rashid Shaheed to give New Orleans a 14-3 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Dallas looked to get back into the game when Aubrey converted a 38-yard field goal to begin the scoring in the second quarter. However, the Saints were ruthless in possession and Kamara diced through the Cowboys' defense for a 57-yard touchdown to swell New Orleans' lead.
The Cowboys struck back when quarterback Dak Prescott combined with CeeDee Lamb for a 65-yard touchdown. The Saints, however, regained their 15-point advantage when Kamara got his third score of the game on a 12-yard run, followed by Grupe converting the extra point.
Carr then rushed for a 1-yard touchdown with less than 40 seconds remaining in the second quarter. The Saints quarterback completed the move after he threw a 19-yard pass to Chris Olave to put the team on the one. Grupe converted the extra point.
Aubrey made a 48-yard field goal in the dying seconds of the second quarter, but the clinical Saints led 35-16 at halftime.
Aubrey opened the scoring for Dallas in the third quarter with a 40-yard field goal. However, Kamara put some more distance between New Orleans and Dallas with a 7-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter to put the Saints up 41-19.
Grupe didn't convert the extra point from Kamara's touchdown, but he made a 26-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to seal the 44-19 win for New Orleans.
The Saints’ effort summed up the Cowboys’ performance on the night. Dallas failed to get things going after being stifled by the Saints defense. A lack of urgency in free agency also reared its head once again as the Cowboys struggled to get others involved when CeeDee Lamb was doubled.
Heading into the game, the Cowboys’ defense was tagged as a game-changer. However, the Saints game-planned around Micah Parsons with OC Klint Kubiak scheming around the Dallas Cowboys rusher to get his offense going. The Cowboys will have more than a few questions to answer as they brace themselves to face a stop-start Baltimore Ravens offense in Week 3.
