Cowboys Bully Saints In Statement Victory
DeMarcus Lawrence wasn’t intimidated by the New Orleans Saints high-powered offense, and looked at Thursday night’s showdown in Big ‘D’ with the streaking Saints as a litmus test.
From the first play from scrimmage for the New Orleans Saints in the game, the Dallas Cowboys had Drew Brees and his offense on the run. And it didn’t stop.
Behind their dominant, smash mouth defense, which passaged the way to a 13-10 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night, the Dallas Cowboys have arrived as a serious contender in the NFC.
The New Orleans Saints came in riding a 10-game winning streak, averaging an NFL-best 37.2 PPG while averaging the fifth most yards in the NFL at 416.6.
Drew Brees couldn’t be slowed, leading the NFL with a 127.3 Passer Rating and 29 touchdowns to two interceptions.
His weapons which ranged from Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram, and Michael Thomas, made up this offense that over the past four games was averaging 43.7 PPG.
All of that went out of the window at AT&T Stadium from the moment Drew Brees dropped back to pass on a 3rd and 10, being forced off his spot due to the Cowboys pass rush and hurrying a throw incomplete to Alvin Kamara on the Saints first offensive possession to go three and out.
Going three and out was a theme for the Saints offense early, as they didn’t pick up a first down until the final play of the first quarter.
Screen passes, designed end arounds, play-action plays, and inside zone rushes were easily disrupted and snuffed out in ways that would leave viewers to think they had Saints’ coach Sean Payton’s offensive playbook leading up to this game.
Not even Randy Gregory’s two ill-timed and boneheaded penalties — one leading directly to Saints scoring their first touchdown of the game — in the second half could thwart the Cowboys defensive perfection against the Saints, who had a beat on the Saints offensive attack all night long.
DeMarcus Lawrence backed up his big talk earlier this week with a huge game for the ‘Boys. Lawrence finished with four tackles, a sack and a forced fumble.
The Pro-Bowl outside linebacker consistently got pressure off the edge all night and came up with one of the biggest plays of the game with a tackle on 4th and goal at the one-yard line in the second quarter after New Orleans’ defense forced a turnover to give the offense the ball with great field position.
If not for Gregory lining up incorrectly on a neutral zone infraction penalty, DeMarcus Lawrence would have ended the game with two sacks and two forced fumbles against a offense and quarterback setting the bar higher in a offensive minded league.
To put the Cowboys dominant performance in perspective, Michael Gallup’s 67 first half yards were more than the Saints entire offense at the half. They had only one of many shocks on Thursday night.
Overall, the Cowboys defense held the Saints to a season-low 176 yards. Drew Brees finished the game with only 118 passing yards and one touchdown with an interception.
The interception came before the two minute warning in the fourth quarter as Jourdan Lewis laid out to make a impressive play on throw intended to be thrown intentionally into the turf for an incompletion on 2nd and 5.
Defense has been the Cowboys calling card all season long. They came into the game third in points allowed (19.4), seventh in yards allowed (331.1), and fourth in rushing yards allowed (93.6).
The one negative about the Cowboys defense this season was their defense on third down. Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli’s unit was fourth worst in the NFL coming into Thursday night as they allowed a 44 percent conversion rate.
New Orleans’ offense, which was converting 46.8 percent of their third down conversions this season, went 3-for-11 on third down vs the Dallas Cowboys.
Dallas’ offense gave its defense a 10-0 lead in the first quarter after a touchdown pass by Dak Prescott to Ezekiel Elliot, and the defense took care of the rest.
In addition to DeMarcus Lawrence, Leighton Vander Esch, Jaylon Smith, Chidobe Awuzie and Anthony Brown all played lights out on this night as they sent a loud statement to the rest of the NFC.
At 3-5, the Dallas Cowboys could’ve quit on their season, but instead, Dallas has rallied around Jason Garrett in a way that shows this team behind closed doors believed in their coach’s message, even in hard times.
The Dallas Cowboys (7-5) in just four games since then, have changed the complexion of their season in a way that something more than a short stay in the postseason should be an expectation.
In a league where offenses are putting up video game numbers, Dallas’ defense says, “Not here” when it comes down to taking the field against them.
That old adage defense wins championships still means something. At this point in time for the NFC East-leading Cowboys, it means dreaming big.
What are your thoughts on the Dallas Cowboys victory on Thursday night? Leave your comments below!