'Tough People Fight Through It!' 3 Cowboys Keys in Review from Mauling

A week is a long time in football, and the Dallas Cowboys are finding that out right now after a 44-19 blowout loss to the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium.

With Mike Zimmer's defense getting run off the field, giving up over 300 total yards in the first half, and allowing Alvin Kamara to run wild (115 rush yards, 3 TDs, 2 rec, 65 yards, 1 TD), it was a poor day all around.

Dak Prescott and the offense tried to keep pace, but when Derek Carr was scoring touchdowns on six straight drives, Mike McCarthy's offense was always swimming against the tide.

Before the game, we detailed three things to look for in the game; let's see how we did.

1. Can Zimmer's defense maintain the rage? In short, no, no, they couldn't.

In what was eerily similar to the Green Bay Packers beatdown in the playoffs, Zimmer's defense was bullied in perhaps worse fashion by Alvin Kamara and Carr in a devasting offensive explosion.

The run game consistently gashed the Cowboys' defense, and when they did stop it, Carr threw it over their heads for big gains.

Dallas gave up 35 first-half points in a brutal reminder that the NFL is a week-to-week league, and Zimmer has a lot to clean up before taking on Lamar Jackson on the schedule next.

Zim's Monday review of the debacle?

"I think the biggest thing is ... don't get too high and, this week, don't get too low," said Zimmer. "We've got a lot of areas that we need to improve in. Obviously, in the NFL, it's kind of like that — a bunch of ups and downs. Tough people fight through it."

2. Is Zeke "still" Zeke? We still don't know, but if you based it on what you saw against the Saints, it's a resounding no.

Elliott had six carries for 16 yards and two receptions for 16 yards, and with Rico Dowdle getting the start and Zeke not having his first carry until late in the first quarter, perhaps the dynamic is already starting to shift.

There wasn't much to like about Dallas' run game, and Elliott simply didn't get going, and we aren't sure if he ever will.

No wonder our Mike Fisher is suggesting the Cowboys use workouts this week to explore if practice-squadder Dalvin Cook still has "splash-play ability.'' Because this offense could use it.

Related: 'Who Dak?' Cowboys Crushed by Saints in Rare Home Blowout

3. Will Luke Schoonmaker take his chance? It started out promising with a lovely one-handed catch for Schoon in the first quarter, but the second-year tight end was invisible for most of the first half.

While he did finish with 43 yards from six catches, Schoonmaker didn't do much to alleviate the fears over not having many offensive options outside of CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson.

The Cowboys went 0 for 3 here in what was a brutal display from Dennis Allen's team and left Mike McCarthy and his team with some serious soul-searching to do before facing the Baltimore Ravens.

"We have a lot of work to do,'' McCarthy said. "We looked like a young, inexperienced football team at times, and that was my first impression when I finished watching all three phases (on film). "We need to be better."