National Football League

Cowboys prove doubters wrong in key win over Saints

Published Sep. 29, 2014 3:02 a.m. ET

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ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys made the most important statement of the Jason Garrett era Sunday night. They dismantled one of the NFL's marquee teams in such a methodical way that it's hard to see this 3-1 start as a fluke.

It was hard to even conceive of such a thing in the aftermath of a 28-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the opener three weeks ago. Now, the Saints' season is already on the ropes. And it feels like the Cowboys are just getting started after a stunning 38-17 win over New Orleans at AT&T Stadium. The man who loves rubbing his pal Jerry Jones' face in the dirt, Sean Payton, didn't have any answers in front of a national television audience Sunday.

Even when the Saints briefly found a foothold in this game, Payton made the curious decision to have his punter try to deliver a pass instead of future Hall of Famer, Drew Brees. Rod Marinelli's spare-part defense kept the Saints out of the end zone for three quarters. This was the team that amassed a league-record 40 first downs (625 yards) against the Cowboys in the Superdome last season. Even for the worst defense in the NFL, it was a humbling experience.

"This is really an important victory for us," said Jerry Jones, who admitted to thinking about last year's game throughout the offseason. "We knocked the ghostly cobwebs out of our minds."

With the Eagles losing to the 49ers, the Cowboys are now the co-leaders of the NFC East. This is a team with some serious momentum. Road wins over the Titans and Rams were fine, but it was hard to know what it meant. On Sunday, the Cowboys bludgeoned the Saints with their running game. DeMarco Murray became only the sixth back in NFL history to open the season with four consecutive 100-yard games. Troy Aikman questioned the Cowboys' lack of identity during Super Bowl week last February. But with one of the most talented offensive lines in the league, the Cowboys have finally found the balance that Garrett used to only give lip service to. Drafting interior linemen in the first round might not be sexy, but it's looking like a sound philosophy.

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"We believe in what we do," Garrett said. "We're convicted about how we put this team together, how we build this team, the kind of guys we want on this team, the physical nature we want to play with. We have strong convictions about that. You just have to keep going about it the right way."

This ball-control offense is a nice complement to a defense that is starting to find its footing. The Cowboys had three takeaways in Sunday's win. The Saints ended up with 438 yards, but much of it came in a desperate attempt to erase a large deficit. The return of veteran defensive end Anthony Spencer seemed to have an inspirational effect. It was also nice to see veteran defensive tackle Henry Melton record a sack.

The Cowboys seemed to revel in the fact no one was picking them to beat the Saints. Dez Bryant walked into the locker room shouting "We Dat" to mock the Saints' famous "Who Dat" cry. Bryant explained that a Saints fan from Louisiana had been disrespectful to him at a local seafood chain Friday night, and this was his response.

Jones attempted to explain to me how new playcaller Scott Linehan, Jason Garrett and Tony Romo have formed the "perfect triangle." It was a bit confusing, so I'll just tell you Jerry believes Romo is hanging on Linehan's every word. After last year's dysfunctional arrangement with Bill Callahan, Garrett now has someone he trusts calling plays. Jones believes it's helped him become a better "game manager." More important, it's allowed him to be more engaged with the rest of his team. Romo has a solid relationship with Garrett, but right now he's completely buying into Linehan.

"Scott is as good as I've ever seen adjusting after a series," Romo said. "He deserves a lot of credit for the in-game adjustments that he does. He took a play and ran the same protections, but just changed the routes based simply on a drive. We did that multiple times today and it worked out wonderful."

Romo no longer has the burden of putting this offense on his shoulders. He managed the game well Sunday, finishing 22-of-29 for 262 yards and three touchdowns. For the second consecutive week, he made a big play with his feet in a third-down situation. With the Cowboys up 24-3, Romo scrambled for 21 yards. DeMarco Murray ran the ball in from 28 yards on the next play to give his team a commanding lead.

"We are just a complete unit," Romo said. "In my time in the NFL, this is as complete a unit as I have been a part of."

After that loss to San Francisco, no one would've been surprised to see the Cowboys sitting here 1-3. Instead, that's where the Saints are. They are not as relevant as the Cowboys four games into the season, and that in itself is pretty remarkable.

If the Cowboys don't watch it, they could end up overshooting 8-8.