5 things to watch vs. Saints as Cowboys look to start 4-0 for first time since 2007
The Dallas Cowboys (3-0) have heard the narrative.
Yes, they are undefeated, but they have played teams with a combined one win on their schedule.
So now Sunday’s showdown at the New Orleans Saints (2-1) is supposed to be a measuring stick game.
Now everyone will find out how good the Cowboys really are.
“I don’t know how you dictate that,” an annoyed quarterback Dak Prescott said. “Every game is a measuring stick. Every game these NFL teams, these are guys that get paid; coaches, they get paid, too. You can — everybody — look back at these last few weeks and say, ‘Look at this record,’ or this and that, and say, ‘Going into this week, it’s this.’ But I guarantee if we get this win, it’s going to be some reason of why this wasn’t that special.”
Well, there is the little fact that the Saints will be without quarterback Drew Brees; though backup Teddy Bridgewater proved more than capable in leading them to a victory last Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.
But Prescott’s point was made. They can’t worry about proving anything to anyone. They are simply focused on playing up to their own standards.
“Exactly. So y’all have already wrote that,” Prescott said. “But for us it’s coming in and we have to measure ourselves, and it’s always about measuring where we are and how we need to take that next step to get better, and that’s on offense, defense and the kicking game. So yeah, sure, it’s always going to be a measuring stick.”
Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence was a little more colorful when told the Saints would be the Cowboys’ toughest competition so far.
“To be honest, bro, I don’t know who is 3-0,” Lawrence said. “I don’t know who is winning. I don’t know none of that. All I know is we’ve got a job to do and (expletive), well, we’re going to do our job. Period.”
For the record, it’s coach Jason Garrett who has instilled an IDM attitude into the Cowboys when it comes to whether they are playing the hapless and tanking Dolphins, as they did last week, or the Saints, with or without Brees.
IDM means “it doesn’t matter” to Garrett or “it don’t matter” to the players. Garrett even made up t-shirts with the slogan on it.
Regardless of the opponent, do your job and play to your standards. IDM.
“We wear this three-letter word on our shirts and it’s ‘IDM’,” Lawrence said. “It means it doesn’t matter. We played Brees last year. We came out with a win. Now we’ve got Teddy Bridgewater. So we’ve got to come out with a win. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing; it’s all about going to do our job.
“It’s a good saying because they know I don’t give two ... I ain’t going to finish it. It doesn’t matter to me. You give me a job, you come and get me and say, ‘Achilles, I want this man dead.’ I’m going to go kill him. Just make sure you have my money. I’m out.”
Here are five things to watch against the Saints for a Cowboys team looking to go 4-0 for the first time since 2007:
Lawrence setting the tone on the Superdome crowd: ‘We Dat’
Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and the Cowboys know part of the Saints’ mystique is their home-field advantage at the Superdome where the crowd can be loud, crazy and intimidating.
The Cowboys have been practicing with extra loud noise piped in. The offense has worked on its silent counts and hand signals.
Lawrence said the team has one goal Sunday.
“Go to New Orleans and hear the whole crowd talk about some ‘Who Dat’ or whatever,’‘ Lawrence said. “It’s a great opportunity to show them ‘We Dat.’’’
Dak Prescott looking to stay hot in New Orleans
Quarterback Dak Prescott is turning heads with his passing game. He has played as well as any quarterback in the NFL through the first three games. He leads the league in QBR. He is second in quarterback rating, touchdowns and completion percentage.
Prescott grew up a Cowboys fan in Haughton, Louisiana, but this is his first game at the Superdome. It’s important to him to stay hot to help the Cowboys win and show the little kids all over Louisiana they can make it like he did.
“I hope those kids back home use that and see that, see somebody that they can aspire after and try to go be better than and one day being playing in the stadium for those guys, for us or any other NFL team,” Prescott said. “Yeah, just a small-town guy who’s worked his ass off and ended up making it to the Superdome.”
Prescott could feast on Sunday.
New Orleans is 30th in passing yards allowed (301.7 per game) and has allowed the second-most plays of 20 or more yards (19).
Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard must keep the offense balanced
Ezekiel Elliott and the running game will be an area of focus for the Cowboys, no matter how well the passing game is going.
Pass to score, run to win is the philosophy.
Elliott has more rushing yards through three games than any time in his career, and that’s with backup Tony Pollard also having a 100-yard game last week against the Dolphins.
Pollard will get to watch from across the field the man he gets most compared to in Saints running back Alvin Kamara because of their versatility as runner, receivers and potential game breakers.
“I feel like we’re pretty much, our game is pretty similar,” Pollard said. “It’s pretty similar to how I play. They do a good job of using him all around and the field.
“Just being a playmaker. Being able to help create mismatches out of the backfield, running routes, running in between the tackles, on special teams, just being all over the field.”
Xavier Woods returning to action; Amari Cooper, Zack Martin playing injured
Safety Xavier Woods will return to action against the Saints after missing the Dolphins game with an acute high ankle sprain. Woods practiced all week and declared himself good to go.
Receiver Amari Cooper and guard Zack Martin were limited in practice for much of the week with ankle and back injuries, respectively.
But both will be on the field against the Saints. Cooper’s presence is imperative because Michael Gallup remains sidelined following arthroscopic knee surgery. Cooper leads the Cowboys in targets, catches, yards and touchdowns.
Martin has been slowed by back issues since training camp. It flared up again Wednesday, and he was held out of practice Thursday before returning Friday. Xavier Su’a-Filo is ready to fill in for Martin if he is forced out of the game against the Saints.
Cowboys must contain Kamara
Running back Alvin Kamara is the focal point of the Saints offense as a runner and a receiver, especially with Drew Brees out.
Kamara is currently fourth in the NFL in total scrimmage yards with 390. Consider last week’s game against the Seahawks when he rushed for 69 yards on 16 carries and caught nine passes for 92 yards. He touched the ball on 25 of 58 offensive plays.
Linebacker Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch will be charged with stopping Kamara in the regular defense. And the key is playing physical, tackling well and getting him on the ground. On passing downs, look for the Cowboys use cornerback Jourdan Lewis on Kamara as they did with tremendous success in a win last season.
“Obviously Kamara is one of the best offensive players in the NFL,” vice president Stephen Jones said. “And we have to account for him, and if we play well against him, then that means we’re probably going to play overall pretty well and giving ourselves an opportunity to win the game. But Jourdan has had a great offseason, a great training camp, a great start to the season. He’ll play a major role in that again.”