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Saints vs Cowboys Game Preview | 2021 NFL Week 13

Dallas leads the all-time series 17-13, but New Orleans has won nine of the last 13 meetings dating back to the 1998 season

saints-cowboys-week-13-game-preview-2021

THE MATCHUP: SAINTS VS COWBOYS 2021 WEEK 13

After a 31-6 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving night, the New Orleans Saints (5-6), remain at home for the second straight week, returning to play against teams in the rugged NFC East and host the Dallas Cowboys (7-4) on Thursday Night Football at the Caesars Superdome. The Saints have lost four consecutive games and a victory is essential this week to climb back to .500 and remain in the hunt for a playoff berth.

Dallas leads the all-time series 17-13, but New Orleans has won nine of the last 13 meetings dating back to the 1998 season. Also given the attractiveness of the matchup, since Sean Payton, a former member of the Cowboys coaching staff under Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells, arrived in New Orleans in 2006, eight of the nine meetings have been played in prime time or before a nationally televised audience. Payton has posted a 5-3 record against his former team, the most recent meeting being a 12-10 home win on Sunday Night Football on September 29, 2019, when New Orleans won their first contest since the 1998 season without scoring a touchdown, backed by an efficient run game, stingy defense and four field goals.

Both teams will be looking to reverse a trend in the wrong direction on Sunday night. The Saints will be looking to break their first four-game losing streak since the start of the 2015 season. That skid was broken by a 26-20 win over Dallas on Sunday Night Football in the Superdome. The 7-4 Cowboys have a two-game lead over Philadelphia in the NFC East, but have dropped three of their past four games in losing ground in the race for the top seed in the conference.

SAINTS-COWBOYS SERIES HISTORY

Dallas leads the series, 17-13, though New Orleans has won nine of the last 13 meetings. The Cowboys won 8 of 10 from 1973-1994 and 13 of the first 16 between the clubs. 12 games have been decided by a touchdown or less, seven contests by three or less. The Saints have an 8-3 record in series contests played at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome:

Date | Result | Site | Attendance

  • 10/15/67 | Loss, 10-14 | Cotton Bowl | 64,128
  • 11/12/67 | Loss, 10-27 | Tulane Stadium | 83,437
  • 11/3/68 | Loss, 3-17 | Tulane Stadium | 84,728
  • 9/28/69 | Loss, 17-21 | Tulane Stadium | 79,567
  • 11/9/69 | Loss, 17-33 | Cotton Bowl | 68,282
  • 10/17/71 | Won, 24-14 | Tulane Stadium | 83,088
  • 9/24/73 | Loss, 3-40 | Texas Stadium | 52,715
  • 9/19/76 | Loss, 6-24 | Superdome | 61,413
  • 11/19/78 | Loss, 7-27 | Texas Stadium | 57,920
  • 12/19/82 | Loss, 7-21 | Texas Stadium | 64,506
  • 9/25/83 | Loss, 20-21 | Texas Stadium | 62,136
  • 10/21/84 | Loss, 27-30 OT | Texas Stadium | 50,966
  • 10/3/88 | Won, 20-17 | Superdome | 68,474
  • 9/10/89 | Won, 28-0 | Superdome | 66,977
  • 12/2/90 | Loss, 13-17 | Texas Stadium | 60,087
  • 12/8/91 | Loss, 14-23 | Texas Stadium | 64,530
  • 12/19/94 | Loss,16-24 | Superdome | 67,323
  • 12/6/98 | Won, 22-3 | Superdome | 65,065
  • 12/24/99 | Won, 31-24 | Superdome | 47,835
  • 12/28/03 | Won, 13-7 | Superdome | 68,451
  • 12/12/04 | Won, 27-13 | Texas Stadium | 64,056
  • 12/10/06 | Won, 42-17 | Texas Stadium | 63,722
  • 12/19/09 | Loss,17-24 | Superdome | 70,213
  • 11/25/10 | Won, 30-27 | Cowboys Stadium | 93,985
  • 12/23/12 | Won, 34-31 OT | Cowboys Stadium | 92,570
  • 11/10/13 | Won, 49-17 | Superdome | 73,018
  • 9/28/14 | Loss, 17-38 | AT&T Stadium | 91,176
  • 10/4/15 | Won, 26-20 | Superdome | 73,009
  • 11/29/18 | Loss, 10-13 | AT&T Stadium | 93,004
  • 9/29/19 | Won, 12-10 | Superdome | 73,086

THE LAST MEETING

Saints 12, Dallas Cowboys 10; September 29, 2019 @ Mercedes-Benz Superdome – The Saints won their second consecutive game, defeating Dallas at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in a contest dominated by defense and special teams. It marked the first time New Orleans won a game without scoring a touchdown since an Oct. 25, 1998 9-3 victory over Tampa Bay. 

Dallas jumped out to a 3-0 lead compliments of a 28-yard field goal by K Brett Maher. New Orleans started pushing back when WR/RS Deonte Harris returned a kickoff 29 yards in a drive that spanned the first and second quarters and went nine plays and 52 yards, K Wil Lutz drilled a 40-yard field goal. New Orleans then forced a quick three-and-out, Harris returned the punt to the Saints 49 and Lutz hit a 42-yard field goal to give New Orleans the edge.

Check out the best action shots from the Saints in Week 4 as they host the Dallas Cowboys at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Midway through the third quarter, Prescott completed a pass for a 35-yard gain to TE Blake Jarwin, that set up a one-yard rushing touchdown by Elliott to give the Dallas a 10-9 lead.

 Between the third and fourth quarters, QB Teddy Bridgewater drove the offense 67 yards in 15 plays on a drive that lasted 9:06 and Lutz drilled a 26-yard field goal for the lead. New Orleans held on for the win with DT David Onyemata dropping Prescott for a 11-yard loss and S Marcus Williams picking him off on the final play of the contest to seal the victory.

Bridgewater threw for 193 yards and WR Michael Thomas had nine receptions for 95 yards to move into a tie for the NFL receiving lead with 34 grabs and tied Odel Beckham Jr. by reaching 350 career catches in the fewest games in NFL history (52 games). Defensively, Vonn Bell led the team with ten tackles.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS-DALLAS COWBOYS SERIES FAST FACTS

Saints' Largest Margin of Victory vs Cowboys:

32 (Saints 49, Cowboys 17, November 10, 2013 at Mercedes-Benz Superdome)

Cowboys' Largest Margin of Victory vs Saints:

37 (Cowboys 40, Saints 3, September 24, 1973 at Texas Stadium)

Current Series Streak:

Saints 1 (Sept. 29, 2019-present)

Saints' Longest Win Streak vs Cowboys:

 6 (December 6, 1998- December 10, 2006)

Cowboys' Longest Win Streak vs Saints:

6 (September 24, 1973- October 21, 1984)

Most Points by Saints in a Game vs Cowboys:

 49, (Saints 49, Cowboys 17, November 10, 2013 at Mercedes-Benz Superdome)

Most Points by Cowboys in a Game vs Saints:

40, Saints 3 (September 24, 1973 at Texas Stadium) 

Most Combined Points (Both Teams):

65 (Saints 34, Cowboys 28 OT, December 23, 2012 at Cowboys Stadium)

Fewest Points by Saints in a Game vs Cowboys:

Three points (Twice), Cowboys won 17-3 on November 3, 1968 at Tulane Stadium (First). Cowboys won 40-3 on September 24, 1973 at Texas Stadium (Most Recent). 

Fewest Points by Cowboys in a Game vs Saints:

0, (September 10, 1989 at Texas Stadium) 

Fewest Combined Points (Both Teams):

20 points (Twice), Cowboys won 17-3 on November 3, 1968 at Tulane Stadium (First Time). Saints won 13-7 on December 28, 2003 at the Louisiana Superdome (Most Recent).

DALLAS COWBOYS WEEK 12 RECAP

With the Dallas Cowboys' 36-33 overtime loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in the 54th edition of the annual Thanksgiving game, three of the team's four defeats this year have now come against that particular division.

And not that a loss should be blamed on the officials, but Shawn Hochuli's crew took center stage in much of this one. They came into the game having called the fourth-most penalties in the NFL while the Cowboys entered the day as the most penalized team in the league. The trends continued as the officials tossed a combined 28 flags for a staggering 276 yards, both teams having reason to complain on some questionable calls.

Still, despite their frustrations, Dak Prescott led his troops on a valiant comeback in the fourth quarter, twice tying the score to send the game into extra time. The quarterback threw for 375 yards and two touchdowns for a 106.3 passer rating. Both Michael Gallup (106) and Cedrick Wilson (104) topped 100 receiving yards with six players catching at least three passes.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS WEEK 12 RECAP

On the night that legendary New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees said goodbye to Saints fans, the New Orleans offense had one of its least effective games as the Buffalo Bills cruised to a 31-6 victory on Thanksgiving night at the Caesars Superdome.

Quarterback Trevor Siemian, making his fourth start in place of an injured Jameis Winston, couldn't get anything working early as the Saints lost their fourth consecutive game to drop to 5-6. New Orleans had 64 yards of offense at halftime and just 190 for the game. The Saints didn't get on the scoreboard until 14:54 remained when Siemian hit tight end Nick Vannett with an 11-yard touchdown pass.

The New Orleans Saints take on the Buffalo Bills at the Caesars Superdome in Week 12 of the 2021 NFL season.

The New Orleans offense was decimated by injuries. The Saints played without their two top running backs (Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram II), their starting quarterback (Winston), their star receiver (Michael Thomas), their All-Pro right tackle (Ryan Ramczyk), their Pro Bowl left guard (Andrus Peat) and their top tight end (Adam Trautman). Taysom Hill was the team's backup quarterback and took no snaps.

The defense was missing three of its top four defensive ends but held tough through a 10-0 first half, coming up with two interceptions (Bradley Roby & Kwon Alexander) and two sacks ( Carl Granderson and Kaden Elliss). But Bills quarterback Josh Allen and his offense eventually broke the game open in the second half, scoring on a 5-yard pass to Stefon Diggs, a 24-yard pass to Dawson Knox, his second touchdown of the game, and a 23-yard pass to Matt Breida.

Week 13 In the NFC South

The Atlanta Falcons travel to Raymond James Stadium to play at the division-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers at noon on Sunday and the Carolina Panthers have a Week 13 bye.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS-DALLAS COWBOYS 2021 STATISTICAL COMPARISON

League Rankings

Table inside Article
Saints Cowboys
Record 5-6 7-4
Scoring Avg. (NFL Rank) 23.4 (17) 29.6 (27)
Opp. Scoring Avg. (NFL Rank) 22.6 (13) 22.7 (15t)
Total Off. (NFL Rank) 309.4 (27) 419.8 (1)
Rushing Off. (NFL Rank) 111.2 (18) 127.5 (6)
Passing Off. (NFL Rank) 198.2 (29) 292.4 (3)
Total Def. (NFL Rank) 343.7 (11) 369.5 (24)
Rushing Def. (NFL Rank) 91.9 (3) 107.3 (12)
Passing Def. (NFL Rank) 251.8 (20) 262.3 (27)
Kickoff Return Avg. (NFL Rank) 22.8 (14) 29.2 (1)
Punt Return Avg. (NFL Rank) 10.9 (6) 5.2 (32)
Turnover Margin (NFL Rank) +4 (8t) +4 (8t)
Penalties 65 91
Penalty Yards 534 816
Opp. Penalties 63 90
Opp. Penalty Yards 535 727

Photos of New Orleans Saints vs Dallas Cowboys games during the Sean Payton tenure. Photos by Michael C. Hebert (New Orleans Saints photos)

SAINTS-COWBOYS CONNECTIONS

  • Saints Head Coach Sean Payton served on the Cowboys coaching staff from 2003-05, serving under then head coach Bill Parcells
  • New Orleans Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen prepped at L.D. Bell (Hurst, Texas) HS, played at Texas A&M and then served as a graduate assistant at his alma mater for four seasons
  • Saints DB Jeff Heath played for the Cowboys from 2013-19
  • New Orleans Secondary Coach Kris Richard served as passing game coordinator/secondary in Dallas from 2018-19. Richard and Dallas Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn served on the same Seattle staff in 2010 and from 2013-14
  • Saints K Brett Maher played for Dallas from 2018-19
  • New Orleans CB Paulson Adebo prepped at Mansfield (Texas) HS
  • Dallas Head Coach Mike McCarthy served as offensive coordinator in New Orleans from 2000-04
  • WR Ty Montgomery played for McCarthy when he was head coach of the Packers from 2015-18. Montgomery prepped at St. Mark's School of Texas in Dallas, where he was a five-sport star
  • Dallas Offensive Quality Control Coach Chase Haslett's father, Jim, served an assistant with the Saints from 1995-96 and as head coach from 2000-05
  • Dallas Wide Receivers Coach Adam Henry played at McNeese State from 1990-93, served on their staff from 1997-2006 and was offensive pass game coordinator/wide receivers at LSU from 2012-14
  • New Orleans Linebackers Coach Michael Hodges is a San Antonio native who played at Texas A&M from 2007-10
  • Saints Senior Offensive Assistant/Wide Receivers Curtis Johnson coached wide receivers at SMU in 1995
  • Dallas Asst. Def. Line Coach Leon Lett is a Mobile, Al. native, who played at Hinds (Miss.) Community College and also served as an assistant on the staff at Louisiana-Monroe from 2009-10. Lett played with Saints LB Kaden Ellis' father Luther Elliss in Denver in 2001
  • New Orleans C Erik McCoy prepped at Lufkin (Texas) HS and played at Texas A&M, where he played with Aggies S Donovan Wilson
  • Dallas Tight Ends Coach Lunda Wells is a Baker native who played at Southern from 2002-05 and served as an assistant at LSU from 2008-11
  • Wells and Saints Senior Defensive Assistant Peter Giunta served on the same Giants staff from 2012-14
  • Dallas Director of College Scouting Lionel Vital prepped at Loreauville HS and played running back at Nicholls State
  • Dallas Quarterbacks Coach Doug Nussmeier played quarterback for the Saints from 1994-97 and his son Garrett is a signal-caller at LSU.
  • Nussmeier and Saints Offensive Analyst Jim Chaney served on the same staff with the Rams from 2006-07
  • Dallas Strength and Conditioning Coordinator Harold Nash Jr. is a New Orleans native who played defensive back at Louisiana-Lafayette
  • New Orleans VP/Assistant GM/College Personnel Jeff Ireland had a seven-year stint (2001-07) with the Cowboys, his last three seasons as the team's VP/College and Pro Scouting after originally being hired as the club's national scout
  • New Orleans Pass Rush Specialist Brian Young is an El Paso native who starred at UTAP from 1996-99 and was the WAC Player of the Year as a senior
  • Dallas T La'el Collins played at LSU
  • New Orleans P Blake Gillikin and TE Juwan Johnson played with Dallas LB Micah Parsons and G Connor McGovern at Penn State
  • Saints DE Marcus Davenport prepped at John Paul Stevens (San Antonio, Texas) HS and played at Texas-San Antonio
  • New Orleans Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi served on Dallas Offensive Line Coach Joe Philbin's staff in Miami when he served as head coach from 2012-15.
  • New Orleans WR Kenny Stills played for Philbin in 2015. Philbin served as a Tulane assistant from 1984-85
  • New Orleans LS Zach Wood played at SMU. Wood prepped at Rowlett (Texas) HS and was on the 2016 and 2017 Cowboys offseason rosters
  • New Orleans WR Tre'Quan Smith and Dallas DT Trysten Hill were teammates at UCF
  • New Orleans DT Christian Ringo and Dallas DT Justin Hamilton played on the same Louisiana-Lafayette defensive line. Hamilton prepped at Natchez (Miss.) HS. Ringo played in one game for Dallas in 2018.
  • Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins and Hamilton were teammates in Philadelphia in 2017
  • Dallas Director of Pro Scouting Alex Loomis is the son of Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis
  • New Orleans WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey prepped at Southlake Carroll (Texas) HS and played at the University of Texas with Cowboys G Connor Williams
  • Dallas T Ty Nsekhe went to training camp with New Orleans in 2014
  • New Orleans CBs Marshon Lattimore and Bradley Roby played with Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott at Ohio State
  • Dallas QB Dak Prescott prepped at Haughton HS and was a teammate at Mississippi State of New Orleans DB J.T. Gray

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