By Ross Jackson
After a thrilling opener, the New Orleans Saints head to Dallas, bracing for a much more challenging opponent. The Saints started their season with a bang, thumping the Carolina Panthers in a decisive 37-point victory. Now, against the Dallas Cowboys, many are anticipating a very different contest.
Here are the five biggest storylines that are shaping this Week 2 tilt.
- The Saints are out to prove that their opening win was about their improvements, not the Panthers’ shortcomings
New Orleans went to work on its offensive coaching staff this offseason and the moves look to have quickly paid off. All eyes have been on new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak who proved to be prolific in his first game with the team. But the team also made impactful moves by hiring influential and proven position coaches.
While the team did not do much to revamp its roster outside of the wide receivers room and a few new additions in the offensive line, coaching changes have proven to bring upon rapid improvement. The concern, however, is that the improvement shown against the Panthers to open the season actually has more to do with Carolina than the Saints themselves. Can they prove that narrative false?
2. Injuries at two key positions could cause the Saints a lot of trouble
Every NFL team deals with injury, so this storyline could likely be applied to any game this week. But for New Orleans, it may be less about the number of injuries and more about the positions affected relative to their opponent’s strengths.
Dallas has one of the league’s best pass rushing groups. The Saints may be without their rookie starting left tackle, Taliese Fuaga, while their left guard, Lucas Patrick, is on the mend from a toe injury.
Dallas has a fantastic duo of wide receivers in CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks. The Saints may be without their top cover corner in Marshon Lattimore.
Neither situation is ideal. It sounds like they will both be true game-time decisions. But with Lattimore missing all three practices this week and Fuaga missing the last two, things don’t look promising.
3. Derek Carr vs. Dak Prescott: a battle of oft-criticized quarterbacks
While this story may not be one that impacts on-the-field play, it does help to outline where both of these teams are. Both are trying to remain competitive within their divisions and the NFC and feel they have the right passers to lead the way despite public criticism that is after directed at them.
Carr and Prescott are both trying to prove themselves to their fan bases and now get a chance to do so head-to-head.
4. Familiarity could be at the Saints’ advantage on both sides of the ball
The game will come down to execution and big moments, make no mistake about it. But having a little familiarity with your opponent can never hurt.
The Saints’ defense may be aided by defensive end Chase Young’s experience with the Cowboys’ offense. Young faced Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy and his offense almost every year since he entered the league in 2020. 2023 being the only exception as he was traded to San Francisco before the Washington Commanders and Cowboys faced off. Young’s familiarity with the offense in Dallas could end up helping the Saints defense.
Similarly, Kubiak may be very familiar with Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer’s system. He and Zimmer worked together with the Minnesota Vikings back in 2021. If Kubiak has some ways to use Zimmer’s aggression on defense against him, it could play a unique role in the flow of this game.
5. No moral victories
There is most certainly a world in which the Saints drop this game against the Cowboys and fans still feel good about their performance. Assuming they do not fall flat on their faces or have an abysmal performance, (which no one really expects at this time) the team could still provide additional optimism in a loss by going toe-to-toe with Dallas.
However, make no mistake about it. New Orleans will only be pleased with a win. And even that would be short lived as they turn their attention to another tough opponent in Week 3, the Philadelphia Eagles.
