In Week 2, the Dallas Cowboys were run out of their own building by the New Orleans Saints. In an embarrassing 44-19 loss, Dallas fell to 1-1 and left the game with far more questions than answers.
With no time to sulk as Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens come to town in Week 3, we identify three things the Cowboys need to get right, or they will fall under .500 to start the season.
3 Things Cowboys Need To Correct Ahead of Next Week
The Defense Has To Win More Consistently
What a difference a week makes. Thanks to their defensive effort today, the Cowboys never had a chance in this one. The Saints opened the game, scoring 35 straight points in the first half, and never punted until midway through the fourth quarter.
Same Rashid, different day.
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/Ap2RXdPhew
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) September 15, 2024
It was an unacceptable effort and new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer will surely make this clear in practice this week. Dallas went down and was never able to get off the canvas, and a majority of that defeated and deflated feeling falls at the feet of a defense that looks broken right now.
With far more questions than answers right now, it’s time to get back to the drawing board, figure out what works, and hammer that home for Week 3 and beyond. If not, the Cowboys may be figured out across the league as teams simply will attempt to be aggressive early on and force them to try to dig out of the early game hole.
More Offensive Weapons Need To Emerge
While everyone knew it would be a struggle with star tight end Jake Ferguson out, no one could have imagined how bad the Cowboys offense looked without him. Dak Prescott finished the day with two interceptions and a fumble and found himself hoping to find help outside of just the customary CeeDee Lamb connection.
Brandin Cooks was a relative no-show, as were Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin, and Jalen Brooks. The running game wasn’t much better, but more than anything, the team was unable to even get started because of the pace of the game.
However, if Dallas wants to be a legitimate contender, more people are going to need to step up on the offensive side of the ball that isn’t just Lamb and Ferguson. Is that person on the roster, or will Dallas need to outsource? That question isn’t clear right now, but one thing is clear–it can’t stay this way and expect to be enough.
Find A Way To Overcome When It Gets Tough
Perhaps nobody is better with a lead than the Dallas Cowboys. Conversely, no one may be worse when they’re down than the Dallas Cowboys. The latter was the issue on Sunday, as the Cowboys got down and were unable to find a way to overcome, which has been much of the same for this franchise as of late.
The ‘Front-Runner’ label has been firmly stuck on the Cowboys since 2023, and two games into 2024, that doesn’t look to be going anywhere any time soon. It’s probably far easier said than done, but it’s clear that Dallas needs to find a way to stop the bleeding when they get down early.
Finding a way to weather the storm, dig themselves out of a hole, and overcome is what will take them from a good team with potential to a legit contender. That ability is the mark of a good team that is truly confident in its ability and what it is being coached to do. Right now, it’s tough to say Dallas looks like that at all.