The New Orleans Saints have been the team to exceed expectations by the widest margin to start the 2024 season. After blowing out the Panthers 47-10 in the opening game, the Saints proved it was no fluke by putting forth an impressive effort against the Cowboys once again.
Dallas entered the game as 6.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Saints were considered +230 underdogs on the Moneyline and the over/under was set at 47 points leading up to the matchup.
You can not talk about this game without bringing up Alvin Kamara ($7000, $47.00 FPTS). The veteran running back tallied 115 rushing yards, 65 receiving yards, and four total touchdowns. Kamara outscored the Cowboys by himself in the first half, tallying three of his touchdowns during the half. Kamare cleared the 83.5 combined rushing and receiving yards total that was suggested by DK Network’s Nick Friar.
Derek Carr ($5,300, 22.82 FPTS) also shined in the matchup. He completed 11 of his 16 passes for 243 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Rashid Shaheed ($4,600, 20.90 FPTS) led the team in receiving with four receptions for 96 yards. Most of this production came in a 70-yard touchdown that occurred in the 1st quarter.
This has become commonplace for Shadeed as he has established himself as one of the better big-play threats across the entire NFL. The 26-year-old has scored 11 touchdowns in his career to this point. The average distance of these scores is a ridiculous 51.4 yards per ESPN Stats & Info.
Chris Olave ($6,400, 12.80 FPTS) also added 81 receiving yards on four catches in the victory.
The Cowboys’ offense woke up slightly in the second quarter. After a pair of field goals from Brandon Aubrey, the Cowboys tallied their first touchdown in the second quarter on a 65-yard pass from Dak Prescott ($6,700, 14.92 FPTS) to CeeDee Lamb ($8,800, 19.00 FPTS). Prescott struggled during the matchup completing 27 of his 39 pass attempts for 293 yards, one touchdown, and a pair of interceptions.
It was a better day for Lamb who led the team in receiving with four receptions for 90 yards. Third-year wide receiver Jalen Tolbert ($3,500, 14.20 FPTS) also added 82 receiving yards on six receptions. Luke Schoonmaker ($2,900, 10.30 FPTS) caught six passes for 43 yards.
The Cowboys had more difficulty finding success running the ball. Rico Dowdle ($4,800, 9.90 FPTS) led the team in rushing with just seven carries for 30 yards. Ezekiel Elliott ($5,700, 5.20 FPTS) was even less successful tallying six carries for 16 yards.
Dallas was held to just three points in the second half as New Orleans poured on the scoring. New Orleans went 4-5 in the red zone on the game and, when including last week’s victory, scored on 15 straight possessions. Its back-to-back 40-point performances mark only the second time in franchise history that the team has tallied this level of offense.
New Orleans is now off to a 2-0 start and has played itself into the conversation for being a true playoff threat. The Saints will face another NFC East team next week –– the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Cowboys now drop to 1-1 and will be looking to rebound next week in a tough matchup with the Baltimore Ravens.
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