The most dominant team through the first two weeks of the 2024 NFL season? The New Orleans Saints, as everyone definitely expected.
The Saints kicked off the season with a 47-10 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, taking a 30-3 lead at the half before closing out the game in the second. The win was sound but did not necessarily make a statement against the Panthers.
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New Orleans instead earned their statement win in Week 2, taking down the Dallas Cowboys 44-19. A normally explosive offense led by quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys simply could not keep up with how fast the Saints scored.
The effort was even more impressive considering the Saints had to send their players home early from practice during the week as Hurricane Francine made landfall in Louisiana.
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The Saints scored touchdowns on each of their first six offensive possessions of the game against the Cowboys. Running back Alvin Kamara kicked off the scoring with a five-yard touchdown, followed up by a 70-yard touchdown pass to the speedy Rashid Shaheed.
Kamara would go on to score three more touchdowns and finished the day with 20 carries for 118 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, and two catches for 65 yards and one touchdown.
In the passing game, wide receivers Shaheed and Chris Olave each averaged over 20 yards per reception. Shaheed finished with four receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown, and Olave also caught four passes for 81 yards.
Quarterback Derek Carr finished 11-16 for 243 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Carr previously faced doubts, especially after a rocky 2023 campaign, but Kamara has had nothing but confidence in his quarterback.
“I’ll give him his flowers every day. I don’t wanna sit up here and make it seem like he’s a charity case. He’s a great quarterback. I’m happy that he’s getting the opportunity to showcase that,” Kamara told reporters after the game.
Carr and the Saints offense has transformed under first-year Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Kubiak, the son of former Super Bowl-winning head coach Gary Kubiak, joined the Saints coaching staff after spending the 2023 season as the San Francisco 49ers’ passing game coordinator.
The Saints are now the only team that has scored at least 40 points in each of their first two games this season and have averaged 45.5 points through two weeks.
New Orleans will look to extend their winning streak to three with a tough matchup next Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field against the Philadelphia Eagles.
