Were the Dallas Cowboys like the team that had six straight wins earlier in the season? Certainly not.
Will they take a 27-17 win over the New Orleans Saints in their third game in 12 days and in one of the toughest places to play? You can bet they will.
Desperately needing a confidence boost after losing their last two games, the Cowboys earned the victory in New Orleans. And they did it without head coach Mike McCarthy, who was unable to travel after entering the COVID-19 protocol. So defensive coordinator Dan Quinn took over the role at the field level.
Despite McCarthy’s absence, some needed reinforcements returned for this primetime showdown: defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, who had been out since Week 1 with a broken foot, and wide receivers Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb. Cooper missed the previous two games after being placed on the COVID reserve list, while Lamb had to sit down last week while recovering from a concussion.
But even with its two best wide receivers, the Cowboys offense struggled to find a steady rhythm, especially in the first half. Dak Prescott finished with 238 passing yards and a touchdown and interception for a 79.0 passer rating.
And once again, the running game was hit or miss. Tony Pollard had a 58-yard dash and Lamb a 33-yard dash. But if you eliminate those two runs, Dallas only managed to accumulate 55 yards on 22 attempts, an average of 2.3 yards per carry.
Fortunately, the Cowboys defense did what it took. Saints quarterback Taysom Hill threw for 264 yards and rushed for another 100, but the Dallas secondary had four interceptions on the night to keep damage to a minimum. As a result, the Cowboys held an opponent below 20 points for the fifth time this season.
Neither team could do much on offense in the first quarter. After former Cowboys kicker Brett Maher missed a 56-yard field goal attempt, Dallas braced himself with decent field position at his own 46-yard line.
However, the Cowboys didn’t get any points. Prescott was unable to connect with Lamb who was open in the middle.
Cooper took it upon himself to get Dallas moving. Being used sparingly after being activated from Covid’s reserve list the day before, the star catcher gave the Cowboys a boost after a 41-yard reception to 36 from New Orleans. Three plays later, Prescott threw a side pass to Lamb, who cut through the Saints defense for a 33-yard gain.
That left Michael Gallup to top things off as he made a sensational catch in the back right corner of the end zone, putting both feet on the ground for the touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
The Saints wasted no time to tie the score, marching 75 yards on seven plays on their subsequent possession. Hill completed 27 and 9 yards and rushed for another 9. He then connected with Lil’Jordan Humphrey on a cross route, and the receiver reached the end zone for the 24-yard touchdown.
However, Dallas provided the highlight for the rest of the quarter. The team responded with a 55-yard field goal to regain the lead after Prescott completed four passes with four different receivers to get into the range of kicker Greg Zuerlein. Then Jayron Kearse made an outstanding interception at the Cowboys 5-yard line to stop a Saints drive.
The remaining 2:13 at the half was, of course, a long time for Dallas’ hasty offense. A pair of penalties from the Saints helped the cause, leading the Cowboys to score a 34-yard field goal, giving the team a 13-7 lead at halftime.
Unfortunately, Dallas couldn’t carry that momentum into the second half. Getting the ball to open the third quarter, the Cowboys rushed off the field, giving the Saints control at their own 21-yard line.
Behind Hill’s four runs for 42 yards, New Orleans moved to Dallas’ 24-yard line. But there the home team stalled and Maher went out for a 42-yard field goal, his kick was good to cut the Cowboys’ lead to three.
However, a running game that had done little or nothing so far finally got the spark it needed. With the Cowboys facing a second-and-10 at their own 42-yard line, Pollard received the ball and exploded around the left side, rushing down the sideline for a 58-yard touchdown.
Center stage in the fourth quarter was the Dallas defense, as two consecutive punts by New Orleans were followed by three interceptions by the Cowboys. Safety Damontae Kazee had his second interception of the year. Cornerback Trevon Diggs then jumped for his league-leading ninth interception of the season.
The Cowboys offense couldn’t do anything with the first two interceptions, so the defense decided to take matters into their own hands. And the points came from the most unlikely person when defensive tackle Carlos Watkins caught a pass from Hill at the scrimmage line and then ran 29 yards to the end zone for the first touchdown of his five-year career.
With a 17-point lead, the game was well controlled, although the Saints tried to make things a bit interesting. On his next possession, Hill connected with receiver Deonte Harris, who then freed for a 70-yard touchdown.
But the side kick was recovered by Dallas, and after a first attempt by Ezekiel Elliott, the Cowboys were able to run the clock, ready for a much-needed break before playing back-to-back road games against NFC East rivals Washington and the Giants.
