Scoring is fun. Winning is fun. Thus, Alvin Kamara is having a lot of fun.
“We’re just having fun,” Kamara said Sunday.
Klint Kubiak might be the best thing that has happened to the Saints running back, who has never had a 1,000-yard rushing season. Kamara thanked his offensive coordinator during the game and then said, “Let’s go score some more.”
The Saints hammered the Cowboys 44-19 as Kamara rushed for 115 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries and caught two passes for 65 yards and a touchdown.
“I think it’s just the belief that we have right now, not only in ourselves but with Klint and [other offensive coaches], these guys installing it. They’re putting us in position, and we’re just going and bringing it to life,” Kamara said. “Just say ‘hut,’ and we’re going. We’ve got great ball players, . . and I think the sky’s the limit.”
The Saints beat the Panthers 47-10 in Week 1 as Kamara had 15 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown and caught five passes for 27 yards.
The 29-year-old has a pep in his step. In two games, Kamara now has 35 carries for 198 yards and four touchdowns and seven receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown.
“It’s no surprise to me,” Kamara said. “I don’t look at a lot of news and stuff like that. I usually got to get [information] from my brother or my mom mad that somebody’s said something about me. I feel good. I said and I mean this: I feel like I can play until I feel like I don’t want to play. As long as it’s fun, I feel like we’re winning; I like being here; I like being around my teammates; I love the city, [then] I’ll just keep going.
“I’m 29. I guess I’m old in football years, but I don’t feel old.”
The Saints scored on 16 consecutive drives with their starting offense before Carr threw an interception in the fourth quarter. Their 91 points in the first two games are the second-most in franchise history and tied for sixth-most in NFL history.
The 2009 Saints scored 93 points in their first two games on their way to winning Super Bowl XLIV.
Saints Clips
Tom Brady was at AT&T Stadium broadcasting the Cowboys-Saints game. He and the Buccaneers were the last visiting team to win in Arlington in the regular season, leaving with a 19-3 win in the 2022 season opener.
Until Sunday.
The Saints came into town and put a whipping on the Cowboys, scoring touchdowns on their first six possessions, and beating Dallas 44-19. By the end of the game, a big contingent of Saints fans had taken over with the “Who Dat” chant.
Running back Alvin Kamara scored four touchdowns on runs of 5, 12 and 7 yards and on a 57-yard reception. He finished with 115 rushing yards on 20 carries and two catches for 65 yards.
Derek Carr completed 11 of 16 passes for 243 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Rashid Shaheed had four catches for 96 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown.
The Saints led 35-16 at halftime, tying the most points the Cowboys have ever allowed in the first half of a game.
Dak Prescott was 27-of-39 for 293 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, and CeeDee Lamb caught four passes for 90 yards and a touchdown.
The Saints are 2-0 and the Cowboys 1-1.
Dallas now has dropped two consecutive games at home, counting the 48-32 postseason loss to the Packers in January.
The Cowboys’ halftime adjustments didn’t help.
The Saints now are 6-for-6 on their drives today, getting six touchdowns, and have a 41-19 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Alvin Kamara scored his fourth touchdown of the day, with a 7-yard run. He also has 57-yard touchdown reception and touchdown runs of 5 and 12 yards. He has 87 yards on 15 carries and two catches for 65 yards.
The Saints have 379 yards.
Derek Carr has a 1-yard touchdown run and is 11-of-13 for 243 yards and two touchdowns.
Taysom Hill has a chest injury and his return is doubtful.
The Cowboys cannot stop Alvin Kamara and the Saints. Or they haven’t so far.
Dallas will need some big adjustments on defense at halftime, having allowed 310 yards and five touchdowns on five Saints possessions in the first half. The Cowboys headed into the locker room trailing 35-16, having tied the team record for most points allowed in the first half of a game.
Kamara has three touchdowns, rushing for scores of 5 and 12 yards and catching a 57-yard pass for a score. He has nine carries for 60 yards and his one catch.
Rashid Shaheed caught a 70-yard touchdown pass from Derek Carr, who is 9-of-11 for 222 yards and three touchdowns. He also has a 1-yard touchdown run.
Shaheed has four catches for 96 yards and a touchdown, and Chris Olave has three catches for 68 yards.
The Cowboys have scored on all but one possession — a Paulson Adebo pick of Dak Prescott — and have 226 yards, but they have only one touchdown. CeeDee Lamb caught a 65-yard touchdown from Prescott.
Prescott is 17-of-23 for 184 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while Lamb has four catches for 90 yards and the score.
For new Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, it’s another auld lang syne with Saints running back Alvin Kamara.
On Christmas Day in 2020, Kamara shredded Zimmer’s Vikings for six touchdowns. After the game, Zimmer shredded his defense.
“This is a bad defense,” Zimmer said at the time. “Worst one I’ve ever had.”
Today, Kamara has three touchdowns in the first half against the Cowboys. As of this posting, he also has 117 yards from scrimmage.
The Dallas defense isn’t quite at doomsday-in-a-good-way level, but it should be doing more against the Saints. And the Saints should be doing less.
And if anyone knows what Kamara can do, it’s Zimmer.
One of the biggest surprises of the young season is happening at AT&T Stadium as the Saints are dominating the Cowboys in a place the Cowboys have a 16-game home winning streak in the regular season.
The Saints have 220 yards, and Derek Carr has 192 passing yards and two touchdowns.
New Orleans leads 21-6, with scoring plays of 5, 70 and 57 yards.
Rashid Shaheed caught a 70-yard touchdown pass from Carr, and Alvin Kamara has the other two touchdowns. He scored on a 5-yard run and caught a 70-yard pass from Carr.
The Cowboys have scored on both of their possessions, but only Brandon Aubrey field goals of 52 and 38 yards.
The Saints had a perfect opening drive, going 80 yards in seven plays to take a 7-0 lead on the Cowboys.
Alvin Kamara scored on a 5-yard touchdown run with 4:10 gone in the game.
The Saints faced only one third down, and Derek Carr completed a 17-yard pass to Rashid Shaheed on third-and-two.
Carr was 3-for-3 for 65 yards on the drive. The big play came from the Dallas 44 when he hit Chris Olave over the middle for a 39-yard gain to set up Kamara’s 5-yard score.
The Cowboys now get their chance to answer.
Every week we bring you all the inactives from the 1 p.m. ET games in one post, constantly updated with the latest information.
There never seemed to be a chance that quarterback Jordan Love would play for the Packers this week, but the team declined to rule him out ahead of Sunday’s game against the Colts. They did downgrade him to doubtful on Saturday, however, and he is officially out after being placed on the inactive list 90 minutes ahead of kickoff.
Malik Willis will start for the Packers and he will have wide receiver Jayden Reed available to catch passes. Reed was listed as questionable due to calf and shin injuries.
The Colts will be without wide receiver Josh Downs again this week because of an ankle injury, but defensive tackle DeForest Buckner will play despite a back injury.
Colts at Packers
Colts: WR Josh Downs, QB Sam Ehlinger, DB Julian Blackmon, OL Tanor Bortolini, OL Blake Freeland, TE Will Mallory, DL Genard Avery
Packers: QB Jordan Love, S Kitan Oladapo, DL Brenton Cox Jr., T Andre Dillard, T Travis Glover, DL Colby Wooden
Jets at Titans
Jets: CB D.J. Reed, T Max Mitchell, T Carter Warren, DL Leonard Taylor, DL Eric Watts, RB Israel Abanikanda
Titans: DB Julius Wood, LB Caleb Murphy, LB James Williams, OL John Ojukwu, TE David Martin-Robinson, TE Thomas Odukoya
Raiders at Ravens
Raiders: DE Tyree Wilson, CB Decamerion Richardson, RB Dylan Laube, OL Jackson Powers-Johnson, WR Tyreik McAllister, WR Ramel Keyton, S Thomas Harper
Ravens: WR Devontez Walker, OL Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, OL Nick Samac, LB Adisa Isaac, CB Nate Wiggins, CB T.J. Tampa, S Beau Brade
Browns at Jaguars
Browns: QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, CB Kahlef Hailassie, G Javion Cohen, T Jedrick Wills, T Jack Conklin, WR Jamari Thrash, TE David Njoku
Jaguars: S Darnell Savage, OL Javon Foster, OL Cole Van Lanen, DL Tyler Lacy, DL Maason Smith, DL Jordan Jefferson
49ers at Vikings
49ers: QB Josh Dobbs, S Talanoa Hufanga, CB Darrell Luter, G Ben Bartch, LB Dee Winters
Vikings: QB Brett Rypien, WR Jordan Addison, T Walter Rouse, DL Levi Drake Rodriguez, DL Jalen Redmond, CB Fabian Moreau, CB Dwight McGlothern
Chargers at Panthers
Chargers: S Alohi Gilman, WR Brenden Rice, RB Kimani Vidal, DL Justin Eboigbe, OL Jordan McFadden, QB Taylor Heinicke, CB Tarheeb Still
Panthers: CB Chau Smith-Wade, CB Shemar Bartholomew, RB Mike Boone, C Andrew Raym, G Jarrett Kingston, TE Messiah Swinson
Seahawks at Patriots
Seahawks: RB Kenneth Walker, T George Fant, LB Uchenna Nwosu, OL Olu Oluwatimi, TE Pharaoh Brown, OL Michael Jerrell, OL Sataoa Laumea
Patriots: G Sidy Sow, WR Kayshon Boutte, OL Demontrey Jacobs, LB Curtis Jacobs, QB Joe Milton
Saints at Cowboys
Saints: WR A.T. Perry, QB Spencer Rattler, CB Marshon Lattimore, DT Khalen Saunders, LB D’Marco Jackson, LB Jaylan Ford, TE Dallin Holker
Cowboys: TE Jake Ferguson, QB Trey Lance, CB Andrew Booth, LB Buddy Johnson, WR Ryan Flournoy, TE John Stephens Jr., OT Matt Waletzko
Giants at Commanders
Giants: S Anthony Johnson, CB Nick McCloud, LB Darius Muasau, LB Boogie Basham, G Jake Kubas, QB Tommy DeVito
Commanders: CB Emmanuel Forbes, DE Jamin Davis, G Chris Paul, LB Dominique Hampton, WR Jamison Crowder, S Darrick Forrest, QB Sam Hartman
Buccaneers at Lions
Buccaneers: TE Devin Culp, T Luke Goedeke, CB Josh Hayes, DL Calijah Kancey, LB Jose Ramirez, DL Ben Stille, S Antoine Winfield
Lions: DL Marcus Davenport, S Ifeatu Melifonwu, CB Ennis Rakestraw, LB Trevor Nowaske, OL Giovanni Manu, WR Isaiah Williams
The Cowboys needed a third tight end with Jake Ferguson (knee) doubtful and John Stephens (hamstring) ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Saints.
They promoted Princeton Fant from the practice squad as expected.
Luke Schoonmaker, a second-round pick in 2023, is expected to make his first career start in place of Ferguson. He played 368 snaps last season as a rookie and made eight receptions for 65 yards and two touchdowns.
Brevyn Spann-Ford also is on the active roster at the position.
The Cowboys also moved up linebacker Nick Vigil from the practice squad for the second consecutive game.
Vigil played one game for the Cowboys last season and made two tackles.
Steve Gleason is currently recovering in the hospital after undergoing a medical event in the midst of Hurricane Francine hitting Louisiana.
Gleason, whose blocked punt in the team’s first game back in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina was one of the signature plays in Saints franchise history, experienced a high fever and low blood pressure on Wednesday, according to Katherine Terrell of ESPN. Gleason, who has been battling ALS for years, was advised by his doctors to get to the hospital.
Unfortunately, with Hurricane Francine making landfall, there were concerns about whether first responders would be able to get to Gleason and get him to the hospital. However, Gleason’s publicist, Clare Durrett, said they were able to reach him amid the storm and get him to the hospital.
“They immediately stabilized him and transported him to Ochsner [Medical Center in Jefferson, Louisiana],” Durrett said. “He remains there and stable. He’s continuing to be treated and we are hopeful Steve will do what Steve does and warrior through to get home as quickly as possible.”
Gleason played for the Saints from 2000 to 2006. He was diagnosed with ALS in 2011.
