If the Cowboys were a little cocky after their big win over the Browns a week ago, they came back down to earth after their crushing home loss to the Saints. It was the complete opposite of last week’s performance, as the offense played well, but the defense looked lost. Let’s look at some grades for the different units in this game.
quarterback
Dak Prescott threw two interceptions in this game, but it was definitely a better quarterback performance than last week, despite once again having a great defense. On this day, he completed 69.2% of his passes for 293 yards, with one touchdown and the two interceptions mentioned above.
One of those mistakes, of course, was the result of his intended receiver falling, while the other came late in the fourth quarter when the game was all but over and Prescott was simply trying to create something out of nothing. For the most part, though, Prescott looked more like himself than he did in Week 1, although it still wasn’t the type of performance we’re used to seeing from him.
Grade: B
Running backs
The running backs didn’t get many chances in this game with the Cowboys trailing so far so quickly, but they played better than they did a week ago. Rico Dowdle in particular had a better game with 30 rushing yards on just seven carries. Ezekiel Elliott managed just 16 yards on six carries, but most of his attempts were short-yard runs.
Interestingly, Deuce Vaughn was used a lot in this game, although he ultimately only carried the ball four times for 11 yards. It seemed like the Cowboys were going for a three-headed running attack in this game, but they ultimately had to abandon it due to the score. It will be interesting to watch this group and see how the rotation evolves going forward.
Grade: B-
Pass catcher
With Jake Ferguson out, Luke Schoonmaker was moved to TE1 status for this game. Overall, he did well; Schoonmaker caught six passes for 43 yards, although it’s hard to imagine how much better things would have gone with Ferguson. Otherwise, CeeDee Lamb had a good game and Jalen Tolbert made several big catches on the day.
What ultimately prevented this group from getting a better grade was a general inability to create space. The Saints started double-covering Lamb early, but there were plenty of contested catches everywhere else. Additionally, Jalen Brooks threw an interception and later dropped a pass, which didn’t help the position group’s grade either.
Grade: C+
Offensive line
The offensive line struggled against the Saints’ physical defensive line. Tyler Guyton was booked for a hold that stalled a drive and later for a false start, while Cooper Beebe was booked for an ineligible man downfield. They also struggled in pass defense, with Prescott being sacked three times.
Still, there were plenty of reps where Prescott had clean pockets, and the run blocking was a little better than last week despite a smaller sample size. This group still has room for improvement, but they did quite well against a great defense.
Grade: C+
Pass Rush
No defense had a better pass rush than the Cowboys last week, but it seems like they left all of their pass rush power in Cleveland. Derek Carr was rarely under pressure in this game, and it wasn’t just because the quarterback threw the ball out quickly. The only sack Dallas recorded was on a play where Carr was chased off the field; Chauncey Golston was credited with the sack, but he never actually touched Carr.
Micah Parsons was also barely seen or heard from in this game. The Saints did a masterful job of getting around Parsons, and the star pass rusher struggled to get anything done. That’s partly because the defense barely managed a third down, let alone a third and long, but it’s still concerning how absent this entire pass rush was.
Grade: F
Run defense
After a strong performance against a run-heavy offense a week ago, Dallas reverted to its old habits and failed in the running game. Alvin Kamara averaged 5.8 yards per carry and Jamaal Williams averaged 4.9 yards per carry.
In fact, Carr was the only Saints player all game who didn’t average at least 4.3 yards per carry. His only run attempt was a QB sneak that went one yard for a touchdown. That kind of performance against the run just won’t get you anywhere, especially with Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and the Ravens coming to town next week.
Grade: F
Passport cover
Carr didn’t have to do much in this game, attempting just 16 passes in the entire game. It didn’t help that he seemingly had all day to throw, either. Still, when Carr threw the ball, he faced very little resistance from this defense.
Chris Olave had an easy catch in the wide-open middle of the field thanks to play-making, and several short passes turned into big assets thanks to pre-snap misdirection. Carr had a bad pass that got worse when Olave diverted it into Donovan Wilson’s hands, leading to an interception, but otherwise it was an easy day for Carr. That can’t happen again in this secondary.
Grade: D+
Special teams
No real comments here as Brandon Aubrey continues to be a real weapon. He was perfect on the day, hitting all four field goals with ease and sinking his only extra point attempt. Bryan Anger’s only punt of the day also landed inside the 20.
KaVontae Turpin even managed a nice 35-yard kick return, despite failing to return New Orleans’ only punt of the day. The only thing holding this group back from a perfect day is the lack of truly spectacular plays like a point or a blocked punt or kick. Maybe that’s petty, but they set the bar pretty high last week. Either way, the Cowboys’ problems don’t extend to special teams.
Class: A
