Alvin Kamara scored four touchdowns, including one of Derek Carr's two scoring passes, and the visiting New Orleans Saints defeated the Dallas Cowboys 44-19 on Sunday afternoon in Arlington, Texas.
Carr completed 11 of 16 passes for 243 yards and connected with Rashid Shaheed for a 70-yard score on the first play of New Orleans' second drive. Kamara had 115 rushing yards and 65 receiving yards as the Saints (2-0) kept rolling after a 47-10 victory against Carolina in their season opener.
Dak Prescott passed for 293 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions to lead the Cowboys (1-1), who were limited to field goals on four of their scoring drives and couldn't keep up with New Orleans.
The Saints scored touchdowns on their first six possessions and ended Dallas' 16-game home winning streak in the regular season.
On the first possession of the third quarter, the hosts drove 51 yards to set up Brandon Aubrey's 40-yard field goal that trimmed New Orleans' lead to 35-19.
Kamara's ensuing 7-yard touchdown run produced the Saints' sixth straight score. The extra point attempt was blocked, keeping it a 41-19 game entering the fourth quarter.
Carr's fourth-quarter interception ended a streak of 15 consecutive scoring possessions for the team's starting offense, but Blake Grupe added a 26-yard field goal later in the quarter to close the scoring.
New Orleans received the opening kickoff and drove 80 yards, the last five of which came on Kamara's touchdown run.
The Cowboys' first possession ended with Aubrey kicking a 52-yard field goal, but on the next play from scrimmage, Carr and Shaheed -- who teamed up for a 59-yard touchdown in the opener -- connected for a 14-3 lead that held up through the end of the first quarter.
Aubrey added a 38-yard field goal early in the second quarter, but four plays later Kamara caught a short pass from Carr and turned it into a 57-yard touchdown for a 21-6 lead.
Dallas answered with its only touchdown on a 65-yard pass from Prescott to CeeDee Lamb.
Kamara's 12-yard touchdown run increased the lead to 28-13. Paulson Adebo intercepted Prescott and returned it 47 yards, setting up Carr's 1-yard touchdown run.
Aubrey kicked a 48-yard field goal as the second quarter expired, leaving the Saints with a 35-16 halftime lead.
--Field Level Media
New Orleans | Dallas | |
Alvin Kamara | Player | Rico Dowdle |
20 | Attempts | 7 |
115 | Yards | 30 |
5.8 | Avg Yards | 4.3 |
3 | Touchdowns | 0 |
15 | Long | 7 |
New Orleans | Dallas | |
Rashid Shaheed | Player | CeeDee Lamb |
4 | Receptions | 4 |
96 | Yards | 90 |
24.0 | Avg Yards | 22.5 |
1 | Touchdowns | 1 |
70 | Long | 65 |
Yards | Scoring | Defense | ||||||
Team | Tot | Rus | Pas | TD | FG | INT | Sck | FF |
New Orleans | 432 | 190 | 242 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3.0 | 1 |
Dallas | 353 | 68 | 285 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 |