The Cowboys had a home opener to forget against the Saints on Sunday.
Dallas and New Orleans were both coming off dominant wins in Week 1, heading to AT&T Stadium in a matchup between two teams with something to prove. The Cowboys handled the Browns on the road 33-17 to start the season 1-0, while the Saints destroyed the Panthers 47-10 to open the season with a loud statement.
New Orleans was in search of a validating win and it got that in a big way, marching into Dallas and coming out with a wire-to-wire 44-19 victory.
MORE: Meet the OC behind the Saints' historic offensive start
Quarterback Derek Carr is off to an immaculate start to the season, while running back Alvin Kamara threatened his own NFL single-game touchdown record in the win.
As a result, the Saints handed the Cowboys their second-worst loss in a home opener in franchise history.
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Cowboys suffer second-worst home-opener loss in franchise history vs. Saints
The Cowboys' defense had no answer for the Saints' offense all game. New Orleans scored a touchdown on its first six drives — a streak that carried into the second half.
Kamara scored an easy five-yard touchdown to give the Saints a 7-0 lead, then Carr connected with Rashid Shaheed on a 70-yard bomb to open the floodgates.
MORE: Dak Prescott struggles in blowout loss vs. Saints | Alvin Kamara threatens own TD record vs. Cowboys
CARR TO SHAHEED 70 YARDS 🔥
— NFL (@NFL) September 15, 2024
📺: #NOvsDAL on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/GV0MW5cduw
The Saints defense held the Cowboys to field goals on each of their first two possessions, then Carr dumped off a screen pass to Kamara who broke free for a 57-yard touchdown to give New Orleans a 21-6 lead.
There goes Alvin Kamara for 57 yards!
— NFL (@NFL) September 15, 2024
📺: #NOvsDAL on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/F0NOkTSZ7g
Dallas showed its only sign of life for the day when CeeDee Lamb responded with a 65-yard touchdown but it was all Kamara and the Saints from there.
Kamara punched in another rushing touchdown, then Dak Prescott threw a costly interception in the final minutes of the first half to tee up another New Orleans score. Carr had a one-yard QB sneak with under a minute to go in the second quarter, giving the Saints a sizeable 35-16 lead at the half.
The Cowboys were held to another field goal on their drive to open the second half, missing an opportunity to mount a comeback. The Saints responded with a 13-play, 70-yard drive, capped off by a fourth touchdown from Kamara to put the game away early.
New Orleans held on for a 44-19 win behind four total touchdowns and 180 all-purpose yards from Kamara and 243 yards and two passing touchdowns from Carr.
MORE: Who is Cowboys defensive coordinator?
Cowboys worst home losses in franchise history
The 25-point blowout marked the second-worst loss in Cowboys franchise history in a home opener.
You'd have to go back to 1963 to find Dallas' worst loss in a home opener, falling 34-7 to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Sunday's result wasn't close to the overall worst home loss in Cowboys franchise history, though. That lowlight belongs to the 1985 Cowboys, who were dismantled 44-0 by Walter Payton's Bears.
| Rank | Opponent | Result | Point difference | Year |
| 1 | vs. Bears | L, 44-0 | 44 | 1985 |
| 2 | vs. Browns | L, 48-7 | 41 | 1960 |
| 3 | vs. Vikings | L, 43-3 | 40 | 1988 |
| T-4 | vs. Colts | L, 45-7 | 38 | 1960 |
| vs. Cardinals | L, 38-0 | 38 | 1970 |
