Saints Triumph Over Cowboys: A Sign of Greatness to Come?

The Saints answered the question that everyone had for them following last week's victory over the Panthers.

Sep 15, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) celebrates with New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor (1) and New Orleans Saints cornerback Kool-Aid McInstry(14) after making an interception during the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

ARLINGTON -- It's time to take the Saints seriously, if you already haven't. You can't shift the goal posts again. We get it. The first week was against the Panthers. However, the Cowboys was their real test of the young season, and New Orleans passed it with flying colors.

There's no telling where New Orleans ends up this season, but you at least see that this team has the ability to do go great things. The offense won't score on nearly every possession and put up 40-plus points each week and have their punter make their first appearance very late in the game. Alvin Kamara isn't going to destroy opponents every week and have to put in little effort to get into the end zone on what felt like a practice rep.

The Saints offense (which we've been telling you about for months) set the tone early, and Klint Kubiak was certainly in his bag on the day. Derek Carr was sharp and Alvin Kamara showed everyone that he's not just another old running back. The team made a statement in the best way possible with a lot of eyes on them. Similar to last week, the locker room isn't getting too high on themselves because they know it's just Week 2.

I haven't felt the focus and locker room vibes like this since 2018, and that's not making a direct comparison to that team, but it's different. This is business, but it's also the fun that that team had in their run that got stopped short due to bogus officiating. Multiple players I talked to following the win have said as much, and the 'not getting too high' on themselves means something. When you have someone like Marshon Lattimore essentially getting pissed off at Dennis Allen for making a coaching decision to not play him out of caution is telling.

Sep 15, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) celebrates in front of Dallas Cowboys linebacker Damone Clark (18) after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

We know the early part of the Saints schedule is nothing but tests. There's the Eagles next up on the docket at home, and then there's two big road trips against the Falcons and Chiefs on Monday Night Football. Maybe, just maybe, this team can stay in a favorable situation after the first several weeks. They have everything in front of them right now, and it's completely different than the 2-0 start from a season ago.

The Saints sent a message that was loud and clear across the league, and now it's on them to keep it going. Riding a huge high after this big win over the Cowboys that ended their 16-game home winning streak will only make Sunday in the Superdome that much more electric. Two weeks in and New Orleans looks like a completely different team in every way possible.