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By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com
ARLINGTON, Texas -- A few thoughts on the Dallas Cowboys' 38-17 win against the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium.
What it means: Are the Cowboys for real? Maybe. After four weeks, no team in the NFL has more wins than the Cowboys, which was something nobody thought possible at the start of the season.
This was the Cowboys' most dominant performance of the Jason Garrett era, aside from a brief hiccup that had the Saints close to making things interesting in the fourth quarter.
Running back DeMarco Murray put up his fourth straight 100-yard rushing game and scored two touchdowns. Wide receiver Terrance Williams had the first two-touchdown performance of his career. Tony Romo had his first three-touchdown game of the season.
The defense did not allow a touchdown until 13:35 remained, and it forced three turnovers.
As a result, the Cowboys are 3-1 for the first time since 2008 and have their first three-game win streak in September for the first time since 2008.
The win also quieted a sizable amount of New Orleans fans and ended the Saints' recent dominance against the Cowboys. The Saints entered the game having won three straight and eight of nine against the Cowboys. They also put to rest the embarrassing 49-17 loss at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome the past season, when they allowed a franchise-record 625 yards and an NFL-record 40 first downs.
The other guy: Playing opposite Dez Bryant, Williams can often be overlooked. He entered Sunday's game with eight catches for 102 yards and two touchdowns.
With former Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan making sure Bryant was not going to have a big day, Williams was able to come up with six catches for 77 yards and two first-half touchdowns.
Williams got the Cowboys going with a 6-yard catch on their opening drive and withstood a hit from Jairus Byrd as he made the catch. He closed the first half with a 23-yard scoring pass on a back-shoulder throw from Romo with 19 seconds to play, which gave the Cowboys a 24-0 lead.
Bryant closed out the game, however, with an 18-yard catch on a back-shoulder throw from Romo with 3:34 to play.
Game ball: Maybe defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli is something of a miracle worker. The Saints gave the Cowboys a bit of a scare in the second half, but they came up with their second three-and-out when it mattered most. Leading 31-17, Marinelli dropped eight defenders in coverage with the Saints facing a third-and-15, which forced Drew Brees to throw underneath. The Cowboys rallied to the ball to force a fourth-and-9. When punter Thomas Morstead tried a fake, the Cowboys were prepared, and defensive end Jack Crawford recorded the only sack of the day, albeit on a punter.
Stock watch: Jason Garrett has his team playing smart, situational football. He deserves credit for giving this team belief when few had it. A 3-1 record guarantees little, but the Cowboys are about to enter a stretch in which they play four of their next five games at AT&T Stadium. Garrett is in the final year of his contract, and his job status has been an issue for most of the past three years. If he keeps the Cowboys playing at such a level, Jerry Jones might have no choice but to give him a contract extension.
What's next: The Cowboys will welcome their in-state rival Houston Texans to AT&T Stadium for the first time. This is just the fourth meeting between the teams. The Cowboys hold a 2-1 advantage and won the most recent matchup 27-13 on Sept. 26, 2010 in Houston. That was the last win of the Wade Phillips' era; Phillips was fired after five more games and a 1-7 start.
ARLINGTON, Texas -- A few thoughts on the Dallas Cowboys' 38-17 win against the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium.
What it means: Are the Cowboys for real? Maybe. After four weeks, no team in the NFL has more wins than the Cowboys, which was something nobody thought possible at the start of the season.
This was the Cowboys' most dominant performance of the Jason Garrett era, aside from a brief hiccup that had the Saints close to making things interesting in the fourth quarter.
Running back DeMarco Murray put up his fourth straight 100-yard rushing game and scored two touchdowns. Wide receiver Terrance Williams had the first two-touchdown performance of his career. Tony Romo had his first three-touchdown game of the season.
The defense did not allow a touchdown until 13:35 remained, and it forced three turnovers.
As a result, the Cowboys are 3-1 for the first time since 2008 and have their first three-game win streak in September for the first time since 2008.
The win also quieted a sizable amount of New Orleans fans and ended the Saints' recent dominance against the Cowboys. The Saints entered the game having won three straight and eight of nine against the Cowboys. They also put to rest the embarrassing 49-17 loss at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome the past season, when they allowed a franchise-record 625 yards and an NFL-record 40 first downs.
The other guy: Playing opposite Dez Bryant, Williams can often be overlooked. He entered Sunday's game with eight catches for 102 yards and two touchdowns.
With former Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan making sure Bryant was not going to have a big day, Williams was able to come up with six catches for 77 yards and two first-half touchdowns.
Williams got the Cowboys going with a 6-yard catch on their opening drive and withstood a hit from Jairus Byrd as he made the catch. He closed the first half with a 23-yard scoring pass on a back-shoulder throw from Romo with 19 seconds to play, which gave the Cowboys a 24-0 lead.
Bryant closed out the game, however, with an 18-yard catch on a back-shoulder throw from Romo with 3:34 to play.
Game ball: Maybe defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli is something of a miracle worker. The Saints gave the Cowboys a bit of a scare in the second half, but they came up with their second three-and-out when it mattered most. Leading 31-17, Marinelli dropped eight defenders in coverage with the Saints facing a third-and-15, which forced Drew Brees to throw underneath. The Cowboys rallied to the ball to force a fourth-and-9. When punter Thomas Morstead tried a fake, the Cowboys were prepared, and defensive end Jack Crawford recorded the only sack of the day, albeit on a punter.
Stock watch: Jason Garrett has his team playing smart, situational football. He deserves credit for giving this team belief when few had it. A 3-1 record guarantees little, but the Cowboys are about to enter a stretch in which they play four of their next five games at AT&T Stadium. Garrett is in the final year of his contract, and his job status has been an issue for most of the past three years. If he keeps the Cowboys playing at such a level, Jerry Jones might have no choice but to give him a contract extension.
What's next: The Cowboys will welcome their in-state rival Houston Texans to AT&T Stadium for the first time. This is just the fourth meeting between the teams. The Cowboys hold a 2-1 advantage and won the most recent matchup 27-13 on Sept. 26, 2010 in Houston. That was the last win of the Wade Phillips' era; Phillips was fired after five more games and a 1-7 start.