Score one for the 37-year-old son of former NFL coach Gary Kubiak in his second game over 68-year-old defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer in his second game since returning to the Cowboys.
New Orleans finished with 432 yards and scored at least 40 points in consecutive games for the first time since 2018 when coach Sean Payton was calling the plays for quarterback Drew Brees.
The Saints are the fifth team to score at least 44 points in each of the first two games. They also were the most recent — in 2009, the season in New Orleans won its only Super Bowl.
“It’s just important to get off to a fast start,” said safety Tyrann Mathieu, who had one of two interceptions of Dak Prescott. “I think the last two years, we’re like one or two games outside the playoff race. We think about a lot of those games that we played that we let slip. This is a good feeling.”
Kamara, who had 180 scrimmage yards (115 rushing), capped an opening 80-yard drive with a 5-yard run, and Carr hit Shaheed in stride between safeties Wilson and Malik Hooker on the first play after the first of Brandon Aubrey’s four field goals for Dallas. Shaheed had 96 yards receiving.
Carr was 11 of 16 but lost his perfect passer rating early in the fourth quarter when he was intercepted by Donovan Wilson with the Saints leading 41-19.
The mistake didn’t matter, unlike early in the season a year ago when criticism mounted in Carr’s slow start after he fell short of the postseason so many times with the Raiders.
“I would be lying if I stood up here and told you that it didn’t hurt him,” Kamara said. “I’m sure it hurt him. For him to come out and perform, it almost feels better for me seeing that than me getting the success.”
The long TD from Kamara, who had his career high with six TDs against Minnesota in 2020 when Zimmer was head coach of the Vikings, came after the Cowboys settled for three again.
Dallas tried to keep up when CeeDee Lamb ducked out of a tackle and ran the rest of the way on a 65-yard score, but Prescott had the first of his two interceptions on the next series.
Jalen Brooks slipped coming out of a route and Paulson Adebo weaved his way for 47 yards on the return, setting up Carr’s sneak for a 35-13 lead.
Prescott was 27 of 39 for 293 yards in his first game since signing the $240 million, four-year contract with a record $231 million guaranteed. He agreed to the deal hours before beating the Browns last weekend.
“It’s hard to say that we’re pressing, but obviously you’re trying to play complementary football and your defense is struggling to stop a group,” Prescott said. “You want to do your part and then score touchdowns and come back and we weren’t able to score touchdowns.”
Injuries
Saints CB Marshon Lattimore was out with hip and hamstring issues after leaving the victory over the Panthers. … TE Taysom Hill exited in the second half with a chest injury. … Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson was out with a left knee injury sustained against the Browns.
Up next
Saints: Philadelphia at home next Sunday.
Cowboys: Baltimore at home next Sunday.
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