New Orleans Saints vs. Dallas Cowboys: Complete Week 4 Preview for New Orleans
After tasting victory in their home opener a week ago, the New Orleans Saints take to the road yet again for a Sunday night matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.
The Saints enter the contest with a 1-2 mark, and Sean Payton’s club will be looking to earn its first road victory of the 2014 season.
In its first two contests, New Orleans struggled defensively, particularly in the passing game. The Saints yielded 448 yards through the air to Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1, and they gave up too many crucial third- and fourth-down conversions before leaving Cleveland with a loss in Week 2.
The Saints made some defensive improvements last week, however, and they never allowed the Minnesota Vikings to reach the end zone.
Offensively, New Orleans ranks third in the league in yards per game, and the group got off to a red-hot start last week against the Vikings. Quarterback Drew Brees and Co. sputtered throughout the middle portion of the contest, however, and the unit will be looking to deliver a complete four-quarter performance on Sunday.
On the other side, Dallas enters the contest with a 2-1 mark after having reeled off consecutive wins on the road. A dreadful start ultimately cost the Cowboys their season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, but they bounced back with impressive offensive performances against the Tennessee Titans and the St. Louis Rams.
In last week’s win at St. Louis, Dallas overcame a 21-0 deficit, with quarterback Tony Romo leading the comeback. With the victory, the Cowboys announced themselves as a contender in the NFC East, and a win on Sunday against the high-flying Saints would serve as a huge confidence-booster going forward.
Continue reading for a preview of this weekend’s important matchup at AT&T Stadium.
Week 3 Recap
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Although it wasn’t pretty, New Orleans broke into the “Win” column last week with a 20-9 defeat of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings were without star running back Adrian Peterson in the contest—and it showed. Minnesota managed just 59 yards on the ground, while averaging just 2.7 yards per carry.
Part of the credit for these low numbers, however, goes to the New Orleans front seven, which turned in its best performance of the young season.
The Saints received big contributions from Cam Jordan and Junior Galette, who were seldom heard from during the first two games. The pass-rushing tandem finally got on track last Sunday, as both players recorded a sack and two tackles for loss.
New Orleans linebacker Curtis Lofton was also highly active on the defensive side of the ball, as was safety Kenny Vaccaro.
At the much-maligned cornerback position, former starter Patrick Robinson was demoted, and Corey White started in his place on the outside. White was hardly spectacular, but he brought a noticeable improvement over Robinson. Safety Rafael Bush filled in for White at the nickelback spot, while rookie corner Brian Dixon also saw extensive action.
The Saints faced two different quarterbacks in the game, as rookie Teddy Bridgewater came on in relief of an injured Matt Cassel. The former Louisville standout enjoyed some success on the ground in the first half, but he was, for the most part, bottled up in the second half by Lofton and Co.
Offensively, the Saints reached paydirt on their first two possessions, but their production slowed to a lull in the middle stages of the contest.
With New Orleans leading 13-9 in the final quarter, the Saints received a boost from an unlikely source. Vikings cornerback Captain Munnerlyn got to Brees on a blitz off the edge, and he proceeded to bodyslam the Saints signal-caller to the turf. Brees took exception to the play and angrily started to shove Minnesota defenders, thus igniting the previously listless Superdome crowd.
New Orleans went on to clinch the game a few plays later with a Brees-to-Marques Colston scoring strike.
News and Notes
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Saints-Cowboys Series
These two clubs have faced off 26 times, with Dallas holding a 15-11 overall lead in the series.
New Orleans has dominated in recent years, however, and has won eight of its last nine meetings against the Cowboys. In fact, the Saints’ only loss to Dallas since 1994 occurred during the 2009 Super Bowl season, when they fell at home to the Cowboys, 24-17.
The two squads met on Sunday night a year ago in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, as the Saints embarrassed the Cowboys, 49-17, while setting an NFL record for first downs in a game with 40.
The Return of the Rob
Sunday’s game marks the return of New Orleans defensive coordinator Rob Ryan to Dallas, which was his last stop before joining the Saints in 2013.
Ryan served as defensive coordinator under current Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett in 2011 and 2012, but was relieved of his duties following the 2012 season.
That same year, the Saints fielded the worst defense in league history under then-coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. When Spagnuolo was fired following the season, he was replaced with Ryan, who orchestrated a remarkable defensive turnaround in New Orleans last season.
The 2013 Cowboys defense, meanwhile, regressed under Monte Kiffin and finished the season ranked last in the NFL.
After working together for two years, it’s safe to assume that Ryan and Garrett know each other’s tendencies from a game-planning standpoint, and that will almost assuredly have an effect on how the Saints defense and Cowboys offense prepare to face one another.
Injury Report
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The Saints have quite a few key players nursing injuries this week, and two starters are listed as questionable for Sunday's game, according to NewOrleansSaints.com.
Starting linebacker David Hawthorne (ankle/knee) and starting center Jonathan Goodwin (ankle) were limited in workouts on Friday after both missed practice on Thursday. Both players are questionable for Sunday.
Meanwhile, linebacker Curtis Lofton (shoulder) is listed as probable, and he fully participated in Friday's practice.
Reserve cornerback Patrick Robinson (hamstring) is also questionable, as is backup tight end Benjamin Watson (groin), while running back Mark Ingram (hand) has been ruled out against Dallas.
Fullback Erik Lorig (ankle) and safety Marcus Ball (hamstring) continue to miss workouts, and neither will suit up on Sunday.
Injury reports obtained via NewOrleansSaints.com.
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X-Factors and Matchups to Watch
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Saints Cornerbacks vs. Dez Bryant
The Saints’ cornerback play improved last game against Minnesota, but Keenan Lewis and Corey White didn’t have to face a receiver the caliber of Cowboys standout Dez Bryant.
At 6’2” and 222 pounds, the fleet-footed Bryant is a touchdown waiting to happen, and his superb ball skills and upper-echelon athleticism give opposing defenses fits.
Bryant isn’t likely to be completely shut down by anyone, but if Lewis and White can keep from giving up the big play on the deep ball, New Orleans’ chances for victory on Sunday will increase significantly.
DeMarco Murray vs. Curtis Lofton
Another major challenge for the New Orleans defense will be slowing down Dallas running back DeMarco Murray. The Cowboys’ primary ball-carrier has been on a tear this season, and he leads the NFL in rushing with 385 yards in just three games.
The Saints defender most responsible for keeping an eye on Murray will be inside linebacker Curtis Lofton, who’s coming off his best game of the season. If the New Orleans defensive front holds its ground, Lofton should have numerous opportunities to snuff out running plays.
And Lofton shutting down Murray would be particularly helpful to New Orleans' secondary, as safety Jairus Byrd will then be able to focus more on helping Saints corners corral the explosive Bryant.
Saints X-Factor of the Week: The Offensive Line
The New Orleans offensive front has performed at a high level at times this season, particularly in the run-blocking department. At other times, however, the group has been subpar, especially with regard to pass-blocking.
The Saints will again be without Mark Ingram in the backfield on Sunday, but Pierre Thomas and Khiry Robinson are capable between-the-tackles runners, and both did a nice job shouldering the load last week.
If Jahri Evans and Co. can provide a consistent push against a middle-of-the-pack Dallas run defense (ranked 15th in the league), things will open up in a big way for Brees against a Cowboys secondary that gives up just over 250 yards per game through the air.
Prediction
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This contest will mark the end of the first quarter of the 2014 season. As such, it’s a crucial game for both New Orleans and Dallas, and both teams will be desperate for a win come Sunday night.
For the Saints, a victory would give them their first winning streak of the season, and it would serve as a nice set-up for them to obtain a winning record when they return home next week to face woeful Tampa Bay.
A loss, meanwhile, would place Payton’s club in a 1-3 hole, which would put a significant kink in the team’s lofty goals coming into the 2014 campaign.
This one could very well turn into a shootout, as both squads possess a full arsenal of offensive weapons.
Look for the New Orleans offense to come out firing on all cylinders, as the Saints often do against Dallas, and for Ryan's defense to get its first interception of the season in the game’s final moments.
Prediction: Saints 31, Cowboys 28.
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