The Dallas Cowboys experienced a crushing end to their previous season when they were overwhelmed by the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium in the wild-card round.

After starting their 2024 season with a dominating victory over the Cleveland Browns, the Cowboys faced a setback on Sunday in a manner they had hoped to avoid.

The Cowboys’ impressive 16-game regular-season home winning streak was halted as the New Orleans Saints triumphed with a score of 44-19. This loss not only ended the longest active home win streak in the NFL but also tied for the fourth-longest in the league since 2000.

“It’s still early in the season,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said to reporters after the game, per ESPN. “We didn’t anticipate this outcome. Clearly, there’s a lot we need to improve on.”

The Saints scored touchdowns on all five of their first-half possessions, equaling the record for the most points scored in the first half against Dallas. Alvin Kamara was spectacular, finishing with four touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving) and 180 total yards.

In a game following their impressive defense against Deshaun Watson that resulted in six sacks, the Cowboys were unable to maintain that same pressure on Saints quarterback Derek Carr. Carr, in his 11th season, threw for 243 yards with two touchdowns and was only taken down once.

It wasn’t until Carr threw a fourth-quarter interception to Donovan Wilson that the Cowboys managed to get a stop. Carr had already orchestrated scoring drives on his first 15 drives of the season, continuing the momentum from the Saints’ 47-10 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 before that turnover occurred.

Aside from a 65-yard touchdown catch-and-run by CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys had difficulty matching the Saints’ energy after falling behind early. Dak Prescott threw two interceptions, and the rushing attack only totaled 68 yards on 21 attempts.

“The headlines may have raised expectations for us, and now we need to reset,” Prescott said after the game. “We have to bounce back.”