COWBOYS SCORE: HOW SAINTS BLEW OUT DALLAS IN SECOND-WORST HOME-OPENER LOSS IN FRANCHISE HISTORY

The Cowboys had a home opener to forget against the Saints on Sunday.

Dallas and New Orleans were both coming off dominant wins in Week 1, heading to AT&T Stadium in a matchup between two teams with something to prove. The Cowboys handled the Browns on the road 33-17 to start the season 1-0, while the Saints destroyed the Panthers 47-10 to open the season with a loud statement.

New Orleans was in search of a validating win and it got that in a big way, marching into Dallas and coming out with a wire-to-wire 44-19 victory.

Quarterback Derek Carr is off to an immaculate start to the season, while running back Alvin Kamara threatened his own NFL single-game touchdown record in the win.

As a result, the Saints handed the Cowboys their second-worst loss in a home opener in franchise history.

MORE: Alvin Kamara challenges own NFL TD record vs. Cowboys

Cowboys suffer second-worst home-opener loss in franchise history vs. Saints

The Cowboys' defense had no answer for the Saints' offense all game. New Orleans scored a touchdown on its first six drives — a streak that carried into the second half.

Kamara scored an easy five-yard touchdown to give the Saints a 7-0 lead, then Carr connected with Rashid Shaheed on a 70-yard bomb to open the floodgates.

The Saints defense held the Cowboys to field goals on each of their first two possessions, then Carr dumped off a screen pass to Kamara who broke free for a 57-yard touchdown to give New Orleans a 21-6 lead.

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Dallas showed its only sign of life for the day when CeeDee Lamb responded with a 65-yard touchdown but it was all Kamara and the Saints from there.

Kamara punched in another rushing touchdown, then Dak Prescott threw a costly interception in the final minutes of the first half to tee up another New Orleans score. Carr had a one-yard QB sneak with under a minute to go in the second quarter, giving the Saints a sizeable 35-16 lead at the half.

The Cowboys were held to another field goal on their drive to open the second half, missing an opportunity to mount a comeback. The Saints responded with a 13-play, 70-yard drive, capped off by a fourth touchdown from Kamara to put the game away early.

New Orleans held on for a 44-19 win behind four total touchdowns and 180 all-purpose yards from Kamara and 243 yards and two passing touchdowns from Carr.

Cowboys worst home losses in franchise history

The 25-point blowout marked the second-worst loss in Cowboys franchise history in a home opener.

You'd have to go back to 1963 to find Dallas' worst loss in a home opener, falling 34-7 to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Sunday's result wasn't close to the overall worst home loss in Cowboys franchise history, though. That lowlight belongs to the 1985 Cowboys, who were dismantled 44-0 by Walter Payton's Bears.

 
RankOpponentResultPoint differenceYear
1vs. BearsL, 44-0441985
2vs. BrownsL, 48-7411960
3vs. VikingsL, 43-3401988
T-4vs. ColtsL, 45-7381960
vs. CardinalsL, 38-0381970

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