It’s a tale of two backups as the Dallas Cowboys head over to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for a showdown against the winless New Orleans Saints.
The Cowboys will be without two stars, with wide receiver Dez Bryant tending a fractured foot, and quarterback Tony Romo on the injured reserve list with a broken collarbone. Meanwhile, the Saints are without franchise quarterback themselves in Drew Brees, who’s out with a shoulder bruise. Which team manages to dig deep to add a much needed win?
There’s plenty of football to keep you entertained. Check out the complete previews for the Jets vs. Dolphins and Steelers vs. Ravens.
[sc:Football ]Dallas Cowboys vs. New Orleans Saints Preview
Where: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans
When: Sunday, October 4, 8:30 PM ET
Line: Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: NBC
Betting on the Dallas Cowboys
Well, that was a fast start. The Dallas Cowboys quickly took a 14-0 lead in a Week 3 showdown against the Atlanta Falcons, while stars Dez Bryant and Tony Romo were on the sideline in street clothes. Quarterback Brandon Weeden went 9 for 9 for 98 yards in a hot start, but that was before he threw an interception in the second quarter. In the end Weeden finished rather decently, going 22 of 26 for 232 yards with no touchdowns and the lone pick.
[sc:NFL240banner ]Running back Joseph Randle was also off to a roaring start, rushing for 85 yards on his first three carries, including a long 37-yard scoring run. But he quickly fizzled, as he totaled just two yards on his final 11 runs. Still, rushing for 87 yards and three touchdowns in a game says a lot about Randle and the Cowboys’ excellent offensive line. They’ll just have to figure out how to get going late into games.
The Cowboys as a whole had just three first downs in the second half after getting 20 in the first. Dallas could get going against a leaky Saints defense that allowed 431 total yards last week against the Carolina Panthers. The Saints are 28th in the league in total defense, allowing a staggering 397 yards per game.
Weeden has the tools necessary to get his passing game going; Lance Dunbar caught all 10 of his targets for 100 yards against Atlanta, while tight end Jason Witten and wide receiver Cole Beasley both averaged over 10 yards per catch on Sunday.
The Cowboys could do with more of a pass rush on the other side of the ball, though. They only had one sack in Week 3 care of linebacker Sean Lee. The Cowboys only have three sacks this season, bad enough for 28th in the league. However, they could put on a solid pass rush against New Orleans’ disappointing offensive line. The Saints have allowed the eighth-most sacks this season (seven).
Dallas is 9-1 SU/ATS in its last 10 games on the road.
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Betting on the New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees may be out for more than Week 3’s showdown due to a bruised shoulder. The Saints quarterback seems to be dealing with some degree of structural damage, which could lead to more starts for backup Luke McCown. Laugh if you must, but New Orleans seemed to be well-taken care of with McCown at the helm of the offense so far.
McCown gave the Saints a shot to win on Sunday, passing 31 of 38 for 310 yards with no touchdowns and an interception, and he seemed to have good chemistry with New Orleans’ top receivers. Brandin Cooks caught 7 of 8 targets for 79 yards, Marques Colston caught 4 of 6 for 47 yards and running back Mark Ingram caught all five passes that came his way for 49 more yards.
Ingram boosted his production as well with his 50 rushing yards and a score. But New Orleans’ passing may suffer against a tight Dallas defense that has allowed just 230 yards passing per game. The Cowboys have also allowed just three passing touchdowns through three weeks, the fifth-least among all NFL teams.
While the Saints offense can get itself going, the same can’t be said for their defense. New Orleans has allowed the fifth-most offensive yards per game (397), the third-most total passing touchdowns (six) and ninth-most total rushing touchdowns (three) this season.
Cornerback Brandon Browner embodied the team’s struggles in Week 3. He was burned twice by deep balls from Panthers quarterback Cam Newton—a 52-yarder to Greg Olsen and a 55-yarder to Ted Ginn Jr. It doesn’t help that Browner can’t get some help from New Orleans’ front seven. The Saints can’t put together a consistent pass rush with just four sacks this season (19th in the league).
The Saints have lost six straight at home, going 0-6 against the spread.
Writer’s Prediction
The Cowboys once again start hot, but don’t fizzle this time around. Dallas extends the Saints’ home losing streak with a double-digit victory.
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