Early take on how we match up next week vs. Dallas?

If Penning doesn’t get help and gets whipped routinely, the game won’t be close.

If we can reasonably contain the run and we can run the ball reasonably well, it’ll be close. No matter how good our defense is, Dak will be able to make some plays. Our best hope is for a low scoring, running affair with a lot of Taysom and Alvin.

We are 6.5 point dogs for a reason. To win this, we will have to show something we didn’t even show against Carolina yesterday.

Looking at their fan board, this take seems to be the general consensus out here in Cowboys land:

The Saints have some players, but I don't love their team at all. I didn't watch any of their game yesterday, the score looked impressive, but it was also to the worst team in the league so I wont put much into it either way. Coming into the year I thought Cleveland was a dangerous 1st game, but NO would be a pretty safe game for the Cowboys.

My thoughts are the Cowboys should control the trenches on both sides of the ball. Their DT group is pretty weak and the Cowboys are likely able to get those 4 yard Zeke runs all day long on 1st down. Carr is probably underappreciated as a QB, but still far from elite.

Yesterday against Carolina they had a DB with 3 sacks. That tells me they needed to bring extra guys often to get pressure, and while they got there Dak is known to be very good against the blitz and is going to pick it up better than it seems Bryce Young did yesterday.

Across the board this just feel like a mismatch in the Cowboys favor.

On offense they have Kamara and Olave. I wouldn't be surprised at all if they moved Olave around quite a bit and tried to get him matched up on Carson and Brown often. Kamara is going to be used a lot for screens/draws to try and slow down the pass rush. For these reasons I can see some chunk gains for the Saints but I dont see a ton of consistent sustainable yards unless the Cowboys just dont show up.

Defensively they have a nice secondary and that is probably the one area the Saints may have an advantage. They are one of the few teams in the league who might have the ability to double Lamb all game and still have the depth to match up with the rest of the Cowboys receivers, especially assuming Ferg is out.

Their pass rush on paper is solid with Cam Jordan, Chase Young, and Granderson who is probably underappreciated around the league, but I think all of those guys are in the category of good not great.

Both teams probably go into this game looking at how they can run the football. In the end Ill say the Cowboys win by 14.

Yeah, they think that. Daks's #'s vs Dennis Allen are average

72/101 | 2 TD's |2 INTs| 9 sacks| 71% completion |7.2 Avg yards per pass

The last time they faced us they won 27-17 and it was because Taysom threw 4int's (they were at home) The other two meetings were split and the winners won by 2 and 3 points respectively. History says it'll be a close game, and I wouldn't be surprised if we steal a win. They aren't nearly as talented offensively as they were 3 years ago.