The Dallas Cowboys are preparing for their 2024 home opener this Sunday at AT&T Stadium. Derek Carr and the New Orleans Saints are coming to town after securing a resounding 47-10 victory in their own home opener against the Carolina Panthers.
A one-game sample isn’t enough to determine if the Saints are that talented or if the Panthers are already vying for the #1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. No matter, all teams have NFL caliber players, and any time a team puts 47 points on the board, you pay attention.
New Orleans has a solid core of players on a roster that also features some superstar level talent. They have a slightly above average quarterback in Derek Carr, who will dice up your defense if given time.
Carr has weapons like RB Alvin Kamara, WR Chris Olave, and a do-it-all utility player, Taysom Hill, at his disposal, and it will be imperative that the Cowboys key on these players if they hope to have a successful day on defense.
On the defensive side of the ball for the Saints, they have some impact veterans like DE Cam Jordan and LB Demario Davis that will wreak havoc on your offense when given the opportunity.
The Cowboys are looking to secure their first home victory of the season, and bold performances by key players can lead to dominance over the Saints.
Dak Prescott Will Throw 4 Touchdown Passes
A week 1 victory over the Cleveland Browns was actually a subpar performance by QB Dak Prescott based on the production we have seen from him so many times before. Prescott threw for just 179 yards and one touchdown while completing 59% of his passes.
One can argue that a bigger performance by Prescott wasn’t needed because the Cowboys’ defense and special teams both contributed in a major way. The flow of the game with a large lead meant the Cowboys were essentially using the 2nd half to run out the clock.
This week, Prescott is going to want to make a bold statement to show that he will be just as good, or even better than what he was before signing his record new contract last week.
Dak will throw four touchdown passes this Sunday, a feat he accomplished four times during the 2023 season. New Orleans has a solid front seven, but their secondary has been dealing with injuries, and Prescott will take advantage through the air.
CeeDee Lamb Goes for 150 Yards Receiving
If Dak Prescott has a big day, it also means someone in his arsenal also has to have a big day. That weapon this week is CeeDee Lamb.
Lamb had a highlight reel one-handed catch last week versus Cleveland, but was relatively quiet for the rest of the game. It was due to game flow and working back into game shape, but this week he will be fully up to speed.
It helps that Saints’ star CB Marshon Lattimore has already been ruled out of the game with an injury, leaving Paulson Adebo and rookie Koolaid McKinstry to deal with one of the most explosive wide receivers in the league.
Lamb will take advantage of this to catch 10+ passes and record over 150 yards receiving for the sixth time in his young career.
Jourdan Lewis Records 2 Sacks
One of the crazier stats from week 1 of the NFL season is Saints’ slot CB Alontae Taylor recording three sacks of Panthers’ QB Bryce Young as a blitzer from the secondary. The Cowboys have a player capable of doing the same.
Jourdan Lewis has recorded 8.5 sacks as a blitzing defensive back since he was drafted in 2017, but has not recorded a sack since the 2022 season. Lewis will get his chance to add to that total by sacking Derek Carr twice this Sunday.
Someone on Twitter/X took a deep dive into film to see that back in 2018, Lewis was used as a spy on Alvin Kamara, limiting him to 72 total yards on 19 touches. It seems like a solid stat line, but it was actually not the standard for Kamara at the time.
If Zimmer chooses to use Lewis as a spy, it will make it easier to disguise the fact that he is blitzing from the secondary, and Derek Carr will be forced to take two sacks.
