Running back Alvin Kamara is coming off his 50th game with more than 100 yards from scrimmage in Week 1 (83 rushing, 27 receiving). He also scored his first touchdown of the season on a running play. Afterward, Kamara praised the system of new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, and also complimented Kubiak on his receptiveness to listening to offensive players on the sideline about what they thought worked well and would like to see him call. It was an ideal start for an eighth-year pro who’s never had fewer than 1,000 yards from scrimmage in a season, but who has expressed dissatisfaction with his contract situation.
Cowboys player to watch
QB Dak Prescott plays for the first time since signing the richest guaranteed contract in NFL history, a $240 million, four-year deal that will pay at least $231 million. Prescott, the first to average $60 million per year, agreed to the deal hours before going 19 of 32 for 179 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions against Cleveland. The Cowboys just needed the efficient version of Prescott with the defense manhandling Deshaun Watson and the Browns. They might need the more prolific Prescott after the Saints opened with an NFL-best 47 points.
Key matchup
Kamara vs. Cowboys defense. Kamara’s 83 yards rushing against Carolina were his most since the end of the 2022 season. He also had five catches, so his 20 touches were by far the most for either team in the openers. Dallas has put plenty of focus on stopping the run, and held Cleveland’s primary back, Jerome Ford, to 3.7 yards per carry while the Browns finished with 93 yards. But the Cowboys didn’t have to face Nick Chubb, who is recovering from knee surgery. Now Dallas sees a team’s top back.
Key injuries
The Saints had two starters who left last Sunday’s game and were unable to rejoin practice by midweek: CB Marshon Lattimore (hip/hamstring) and LG Lucas Patrick (toe). TE Foster Moreau, who was taken out of New Orleans’ victory over Carolina with concussion symptoms, returned to practice Wednesday on a limited basis. LT Taleise Fuaga (back) and LB Jaylan Ford (hamstring) also have been limited. ... Dallas tight end Jake Ferguson likely will be a game-time decision after spraining a knee in the opener. Initial fears of a torn ACL proved premature, so Ferguson will wait to see how his left knee feels as game day approaches. ... Rookie DE Marshawn Kneeland missed the first practice of the week with a calf injury.
Series notes
The Cowboys are 11-4 at home against the Saints, tied with Detroit for the most victories for Dallas against a non-NFC East opponent. While the Cowboys have won the past two at AT&T Stadium, New Orleans beat Dallas 24-17 in 2009, the year the retractable roof venue opened. ... The teams have split the past six meetings. Before that, the Saints won seven of eight.
Stats and stuff
The Cowboys have a 16-game home winning streak in the regular season, two shy of the franchise record. That run comes with an asterisk these days because of the 48-32 home wild-card loss to Green Bay in January. ... The Saints enter their road opener, having gone 4-5 outside the Superdome last season. ... Saints QB Derek Carr completed 19 of 23 passes (82.6%) for 200 yards and 3 TDs without an interception for 142.5 rating in Week 1, his ninth-career game with 80% or better completion rate. ... Carr can become the first player since Aaron Rodgers in 2011 with 140-plus rating in three straight games. ... Carr has 17 TDs vs. two INTs in his past six starts. ... RB Jamaal Williams had a TD rushing last week, matching his 2023 season total. ... WR Rashid Shaheed had 73 yards receiving on three catches last week, including a 59-yard TD catch. ... WR Chris Olave, the Saints’ receiving leader the past two seasons, had two catches for 11 yards in Week 1. ... Moreau had his 14th TD catch in Week 1. ... CB Alontae Taylor had career-high three sacks last week, the second DB since 1982 with three sacks in a Week 1 game (Rodney Harrison was the other in 1998). Taylor had only one sack in his first two NFL seasons. ... S Tyrann Mathieu had a forced fumble in Week 1, which he also recovered. ... Prescott needs 342 yards to join Tony Romo and Troy Aikman as the club’s 30,000-yard passers. He would be the sixth to reach that mark in 115 games, joining Matthew Stafford, Dan Marino, Kurt Warner, Kirk Cousins and Peyton Manning. ... Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott needs 56 yards for 9,000 in his career, including his lone season with New England in 2023. He was a two-time rushing champ with the Cowboys and scored 12 rushing touchdowns in 2022 before Dallas released him in a cost-cutting move. Elliott scored again in his return to the Cowboys against the Browns. ... WR Brandin Cooks had a touchdown catch in four consecutive games going back to last season. The Saints drafted him 20th overall in 2014. Cooks is on his fifth team, and had at least one 1,000-yard season with each of the previous four, including two in New Orleans. ... LB Eric Kendricks had two sacks and an interception against Cleveland. He is the third player in the past 30 years to have multiple sacks and an interception in his debut with a team. The others were T.J. Watt with Pittsburgh in 2017 and Jerry Hughes for Houston in 2022. ... CB Trevon Diggs had an interception against Cleveland in his return after missing all but two games last season with a torn knee ligament. Diggs has 19 picks in 48 games. He has a chance to be the fourth player since 1990 with at least 20 interceptions in his first 50 games. The others are Pro Football Hall of Famer Ed Reed (21 interceptions), Marcus Peters (20) and Richard Sherman (20).
Fantasy tip
Prescott averaged 309 yards and almost three touchdowns passing per game while going 8-0 at home last season. He had just three interceptions at home all season, and tacked on a rushing TD as well.
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This capsule corrects a previous version to list 2009 as the year AT&T Stadium opened, not 2019.
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