<span style="">                 <span style="">SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2009</span>                 
            <span style="">DALLAS COWBOYS (8-5) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (13-0) </span>                  

            <span style="text-decoration: underline;">SERIES</span>                   
    </span>         

• SERIES LEADER: The Dallas Cowboys lead the all-time series, 14-8. The two teams have never met in the postseason.
• STREAKS: The New Orleans Saints have won the past five contests between the two franchises.
• COACHES VS. OPPONENT: New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton owns a 1-0 record against the Cowboys, while Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Wade Phillips owns a 1-1 lifetime record coaching against the Saints.
• LAST WEEK: The Saints defeated the Atlanta Falcons, 26-23, in the Georgia Dome to improve to 13-0 for the first time in club history. The Saints also clinched a first round bye in the NFC Playoffs with the victory. The Dallas Cowboys lost to the San Diego Chargers in Dallas, 20-17.
• LAST GAME: 12/10/06: Saints 42 at Cowboys 17. New Orleans QB Drew Brees passes for 384 yards & 5 TDs as Saints tally 536 yards of offense in road win vs. Cowboys.
• LAST GAME AT THE LOUISIANA SUPERDOME: 12/28/03: Saints 13, Cowboys 7. New Orleans WR Donte' Stallworth catches 76-yard TD pass & K John Carney adds 2 FGs as New Orleans defeats Dallas in 2003 season finale.
• BROADCAST INFORMATION: NFLN (7:20 PM CT): Bob Papa, Matt Millen. Game can also be seen regionally on WGNO) (Ch. 26). Westwood One Radio: Howard David, Randy Cross, Kevin Kiley (Field reporter). SIRIUS: 124 (WW1), 126 (Dal.), 125 (NO). XM: 124 (WW1), 103 (Dal.), 102 (NO). The game can heard regionally on the Saints Radio Network (WWL 870 AM and 105.3 FM locally) with Jim Henderson handling play-by-play, Hokie Gajan serving as color analyst and Kristian Garic reporting from the Saints sidelines. A Spanish language broadcast can be heard on WFNO 830 AM with Emilio Peralta handling play-by-play and Marco Garcia serving as color analyst.
  STATS

            <span style="text-decoration: underline;">PASSING</span>                  
    </span>         

• SAINTS Drew Brees: 302-432-3,832 (1C)-32 (1L)-10-112.3 (1L)
• COWBOYS Tony Romo: 276-444-3,574 (3C)-22-7-97.4 RUSHING
  

• SAINTS Pierre Thomas: 135-713-5.3-5
• COWBOYS Marion Barber: 166-716-4.3-4 RECEIVING
  

• SAINTS Marques Colston: 56-908-16.2-9
• COWBOYS Jason Witten (TE): 77 (3C)-793-10.3-1 OFFENSE
  

• SAINTS 426.1 yards per game (1st in NFL)
• COWBOYS 391.1 yards per game (3rd in NFL) TAKE/GIVE
  

• SAINTS 16 (2nd in the NFL)
• COWBOYS -1 DEFENSE
  

• SAINTS 347.6 yards allowed per game
• COWBOYS 329.4 yards allowed per game SACKS
  

• SAINTS Will Smith: 10
• COWBOYS DeMarcus Ware: 9 INTS
  

• SAINTS Darren Sharper: 8 (T1C)
• COWBOYS Mike Jenkins: 4 PUNTING
  

• SAINTS Thomas Morstead (R): 42.7
• COWBOYS Mat McBriar: 44.9 KICKING
  

• SAINTS John Carney: 89 (50/52 PAT; 13/17 FG)
• COWBOYS Nick Folk: 84 (33/33 PAT: 17/26 FG) NOTES
  SAINTS: Are 13-0 for 1st time in team history. Lead NFL with 35.8 scoring avg. Head coach SEAN PAYTON was asst. with Dal. from 2003-05…QB DREW BREES completed 26 of 38 (68.4 pct.) for 384 yards with 5 TDs vs. 0 INTs for 140.8 rating in last meeting. Is 6-0 at home with 131 rating, completing 136 of 187 (72.7 pct.) for 1,926 yards (321 per game) with 18 TDs vs. 3 INTs. Needs 168 yards for 4th consecutive 4,000-yard season…RB REGGIE BUSH had 6 catches for 125 yards (20.8 avg.) & TD in last meeting. Had 2 rec. TDs last week. RB PIERRE THOMAS has 4 TDs (2 rush, 2 rec.) in past 3 at home…WR MARQUES COLSTON has 11 rec. TDs in past 10 Dec. games. WR ROBERT MEACHEM has TD in 5 of past 6 (7 TDs). In last meeting, WR DEVERY HENDERSON had catches of 50 & 42 (TD) yards…DE WILL SMITH has 3 sacks & FF in 2 meetings. Aims for 3rd in row vs. Dal. with sack. Has 7.5 sacks in past 7. S DARREN SHARPER has 57 INTs, 1,309 yards & 9 INT-TDs since 2000, most in NFL.

COWBOYS: QB TONY ROMO aims for 4th in row with 100 rating. Has 7 TDs, 0 INTs & 114.3 rating in past 3. Team is 24-5 (.828) when he starts & has 100 rating…RB MARION BARBER has 35 rush TDs since 2006, 2nd most in NFC. RB-KR FELIX JONES averages 42.5 yards per TD in career…WR MILES AUSTIN ties for NFL lead with 7 rec. TDs of 20 yards. Has 999 yards, 17.2 avg. & 10 rec. TDs & can become 1st Cowboy since 1979 (TONY HILL) with 1,000 yards, 17 avg. & 10 rec. TDs. TE JASON WITTEN has 254 receptions & 2,890 yards since 2007, both 2nd most among NFL TEs. WR ROY WILLIAMS had 4 catches for 111 yards (27.8 avg.) in only meeting (12/24/05 with Det.)…LB DE MARCUS WARE has 43 sacks since 2007, most in NFL. Has 9 sacks in past 9. Had sack in last meeting. CB TERENCE NEWMAN had INT last week.