Football fans will be treated to a possible playoff preview this Thursday as the 10-1 Saints invade Dallas to take on the 6-5 Cowboys. While New Orleans has secured a playoff spot and is the projected first seed in the NFC, the Cowboys are just barely on the inside of the playoff bubble. Thus, if Dallas makes it out of the wild-card round, we could be seeing these two teams take each other on in the NFL's second season.
Both teams are riding a winning streak; New Orleans is undefeated in their last ten, while Dallas has won their previous three. Can the Cowboys continue their late-season push, or are Drew Breese and the Saints too much to handle? You know where you stand on the matter, so head over to our football betting sportsbook and wager the night away!
The Saints are widely considered one of, if not the best, teams in the NFL this season. They are the proud owners of the longest current win streak in 2018, having rattled off ten in a row after losing their season opener. Their offense has an array of weapons that have had opposing defenses on their heels all season long. Altogether, they average 417 yards per game with Breese having thrown for a total of 3,100 yards and RB Alvin Kamara having totaled 706 rushing yards, which puts him at 12th overall in the league. Combined with RB Mark Ingram, the two have run for a total of 1146 on the year. Breese also has an astonishing 29-2 touchdown to interception ratio. All in all, there have been 15 different Saints this year who scored offensive touchdowns.
Dallas meanwhile will try to contain the Saints with their top-ten defense that has held opponents to an average of 331 yards per game this year. They are 4th in the league against the rush, holding opponents to an average of 93.6 yards per game. Rookie OLB Leighton Vander Esch is sixth in the league in combined tackles with 93.
Dallas Defensive Coordinator Rod Marinelli said that facing the Saints will require a next-level effort from his team.
“We’ve got to make the complex simple for them,” Marinelli said of his defensive players. “The irregular regular, and once that happens they can play with speed. Because that’s our weapon -- our speed and our athleticism.”
For offense, Dallas will continue to look to Ezekiel Elliot to rack up yards and points. Elliot leads the league in rushing with 1,074 yards. Meanwhile, trade deadline pickup Amari Cooper has been paying early dividends, capturing 180 yards in the Thanksgiving day game and has helped Dallas reach the top of their division since the trade.
Neither team is facing any significant injuries coming into this game so that both sides will have a full squad. WR Tayvon Austin is out for the Cowboys, as is DT David Irving, LB Sean Lee, C Adam Redmond, and TE Geoff Swaim. For the Saints, T Terron Armstead is out, and WR Tre'Quan Smith is questionable after re-injuring his foot.
The last time these teams met was in 2015 during the regular season. The Saints came away with a 26-20 victory in that game. They have also won 9 of the last 11 matches dating back to 1994. However, the Cowboys own the all-time series, edging the Saints 16-12.
