Friend Becomes Foe When Cowboys Host Saints
(Sports Network) - Will familiarity breed contempt when the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys square off at Texas Stadium on Sunday night?
Perhaps, though Saints head coach Sean Payton will be less concerned with beating his former mentor Bill Parcells than with improving his own team's standing in the NFC playoff hunt.
Payton was on Parcells' staff for three years in Dallas (2003-05), serving as assistant head coach and having a great deal of input into the team's offensive plan of attack. Since landing in New Orleans, Payton has been at the helm of one of the great turnarounds in NFL history, leading the formerly 3-13 Saints to an 8-4 mark and into first-place in the rugged NFC South. New Orleans, which took down the 49ers by a 34-10 count last Sunday, currently occupies the No. 2 position in the NFC playoff bracket, just ahead of similarly 8-4 Dallas and Seattle.
The team the Saints will be facing is among the hottest in the NFL at the moment. Dallas is 5-1 since Parcells replaced struggling quarterback Drew Bledsoe with the then-unknown Tony Romo, and last week's 23-20 road win over the Giants gave the Cowboys firm control of the top spot in the NFC East. Dallas' current four-game win streak is its longest since 2003, Parcells' first year on the job in Big D.
In addition to Payton and Saints defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs (formerly the linebackers coach in Dallas), the Cowboys will be facing off with recent team members such as linebackers Scott Fujita, Scott Shanle, and wide receiver Terrance Copper, all of whom are regulars for New Orleans after wearing Dallas uniforms in 2005.
SERIES HISTORY
Dallas holds a 14-7 lead in its all-time series with New Orleans, but has dropped four straight games to the Saints since last beating them in 1994. New Orleans was a 27-13 road winner when the teams last met, in 2004, and also defeated Dallas at home in 1998, 1999, and 2003. The Cowboys last defeated the Saints in 1994 at the Superdome, and last downed New Orleans at Texas Stadium in 1991. Dallas is 9-1 all-time against New Orleans at home.
Parcells is 3-5 all-time against the Saints, including 0-2 since coming to Dallas. Payton, who as mentioned was an assistant under Parcells with Dallas from 2003 to 2005, will be meeting both Parcells and the Cowboys for the first time head-to-head.
SAINTS OFFENSE VS. COWBOYS DEFENSE
Even on his least productive passing day in nearly two months, Saints quarterback Drew Brees (3649 passing yards, 20 TD, 10 INT) still put forth an efficient and commendable performance against the 49ers last week. With wideout Marques Colston (ankle) out of the lineup and Joe Horn (groin) falling prey to injury early in the game, Brees still managed to complete 17-of-28 passes for 186 yards in the contest. Much of the receiving damage was done by running back Reggie Bush (73 receptions, 1 TD), who caught nine passes for a season-high 131 receiving yards and a touchdown through the air. With Colston and Horn sidelined, Devery Henderson (26 receptions, 4 TD) and Terrance Copper (17 receptions, 3 TD) ran at receiver for much of the game, with Henderson hauling in a couple of passes totaling 18 yards. Henderson and Copper will start if Colston (54 receptions, 7 TD) and Horn (37 receptions, 4 TD), who are both listed as questionable, are unable to go on Sunday night. Copper was a member of the Cowboys in 2004-05. The Saints line has allowed just 14 sacks on the year, including one last Sunday.
One of Dallas' main directives in the final quarter of the season will be to generate some type of pass rush, with Sunday night's game marking a good time to get started in that regard. The Cowboys have just 22 sacks on the year, which is tied for 27th in the 32-team NFL, and pass rushers such as Demarcus Ware (49 tackles, 6 sacks) and Al Singleton (13 tackles) have been inconsistent at best. Ware has been held out of the sack category in each of his last two games, and Singleton has not broken through to the quarterback since replacing the injured Greg Ellis (Achilles) in the starting lineup three games ago. Dallas failed to log a sack against the Giants' Eli Manning last Sunday. Yardage-wise, the Cowboys are a healthy 12th in the league against the pass (198.4), with the generally solid work of cornerbacks Anthony Henry (61 tackles, 1 INT) and Terence Newman (46 tackles, 1 INT) along with safeties Roy Williams (45 tackles, 5 INT) and Keith Davis (24 tackles) having much to do with that showing. Williams ranked among team leaders with seven tackles against the Giants.
The Saints enter Sunday's game ranked just 21st in NFL rushing offense (102.8 yards per game), but that doesn't mean their ground game is not to be feared. With the two-headed monster of Bush (368 rushing yards, 4 TD) and Deuce McAllister (790 rushing yards, 8 TD, 24 receptions) coming out of the backfield, opposing defenses have been kept honest all season. Bush provided the lightning last week, carrying 10 times for just 37 yards but also finding the end zone three times on the ground and having a huge day through the air (see above). McAllister, meanwhile, brought the thunder, piling up a 26-carry, 136-yard performance that was his most prolific since Week 17 of the 2004 season. McAllister, who is 210 yards shy of the fourth 1,000-yard season of his NFL career, is averaging 4.4 yards per carry one year removed from major knee surgery.
New Orleans will be going up against a Dallas defense that ranks fourth in the league against the rush (90.3 yards per game), but could be undergoing some changes up front. Parcells has reportedly been unhappy with the inconsistent work of 3-4 ends Chris Canty (23 tackles, 1 sack) and Marcus Spears (35 tackles), and is considering using backups Jason Hatcher (8 tackles, 1.5 sack) and Kenyon Coleman (18 tackles, 2 sacks) in a more prominent role flanking nose tackle Jason Ferguson (30 tackles). Ferguson, who had two tackles against the Giants last week and helped limit Tiki Barber to 90 yards on 23 carries, has quietly done a good job all year. Inside linebackers Akin Ayodele (67 tackles, 2 INT, 1 sack) and Bradie James (73 tackles, 1 INT) have also been steady. Both players had eight stops in last Sunday's win in the swamps of Jersey.
COWBOYS OFFENSE VS. SAINTS DEFENSE
Romo (1913 passing yards, 13 TD, 7 INT) is owed much of the credit for the Cowboys' resurgence, as the former undrafted free agent has fashioned a league-best 102.4 passer rating despite never taking a meaningful snap in an NFL game before Oct. 23rd. Romo was 20-of-34 for 257 yards at the Giants last week, throwing a pair of picks without a touchdown but also leading a clutch game-winning drive in the waning seconds. Wideouts Terrell Owens (69 receptions, 8 TD) and Terry Glenn (50 receptions, 6 TD) have thrived with Romo at the controls, as has tight end Jason Witten (45 receptions, 1 TD). Owens had a game-high eight catches for 84 yards last Sunday; Glenn chipped in with four grabs for 52 yards; and Witten made his three receptions count for 73 yards, including a pivotal 42-yard catch on the team's game-winning field goal drive. Romo has made his offensive line look good due to his mobility and quick decision-making, as he has been sacked just nine times in his eight appearances.
Romo and his receivers will be in search of the big play against a Saints defense that ranks fourth in passing yardage allowed (180.3 yards per game) but is also near the bottom of the NFL chart in both passing TDs surrendered (21) and interceptions (8). The best feature of the team's aerial defense is a pass rush that has generated 33 sacks, with ends Will Smith (39 tackles, 8.5 sacks) and Charles Grant (51 receptions, 6 TD) leading the way there. With Smith unavailable last week due to a knee injury, Grant recorded his sixth sack of the year and replacement starter Willie Whitehead (8 tackles, 1 sack) came up with a pair of tackles. Smith is listed as questionable for Sunday. In the secondary, cornerback Mike McKenzie (32 tackles, 2 INT) had his biggest day of the year with a pair of interceptions off of Alex Smith, while safety Josh Bullocks (58 tackles, 2 INT) logged a pick of his own in the game. McKenzie is likely to be matched up with Owens this week, with fellow corner Fred Thomas (48 tackles) watching Glenn.
The Cowboys' running game took on a different look in the win against the Giants, as usual backup Marion Barber III (568 rushing yards, 14 receptions, 13 TD) received a majority of the carries ahead of starter Julius Jones (877 rushing yards, 3 TD). Barber carried 12 times for 76 yards and scored his 12th and 13th touchdowns of the season, while Jones was quieter with 11 rushes for 24 yards. Barber has now scored a pair of touchdowns in each of his past three games, and entered Week 13 third in the league in TDs behind only the Chargers' LaDainian Tomlinson and Chiefs' Larry Johnson (the Steelers' Willie Parker pulled into a tie with Barber on Thursday night). Jones hasn't averaged four yards per carry in a game since Week 6 against Houston, which was also the last time he or any other member of the Cowboys had a 100-yard rushing game. Dallas is eighth in the league in rushing offense (132.1 yards per game).
All eyes will be on the New Orleans run defense this week, as the Saints begin a four-game stretch without suspended defensive tackle Hollis Thomas (43 tackles, 3.5 sacks). Thomas was suspended for violating the league's steroid policy, though the player has claimed that his positive test came as a result of medication he takes to treat asthma. Either way, his absence will literally be a big one for a team that already ranks 25th in the league against the run (133.1 yards per game) and 30th in yards per carry allowed (5.0) even with Thomas' 300-plus pound body clogging up the middle. Tackle Brian Young (38 tackles, 4.5 sacks) and linebackers Fujita (77 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 2 INT), Shanle (80 tackles, 3 sacks), and Mark Simoneau (48 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) are the remaining principles for a run-stopping unit that helped limit the 49ers' Frank Gore to a season-low 40 yards on 13 carries last week. Shanle had a team-high seven tackles in the win, and Simoneau logged four stops and his first sack of the season.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
Expecting either of these offenses to be held in check for four quarters requires a giant leap of faith, since both the Saints and Cowboys have a score of valuable offensive weapons to go along with a couple of defensive deficiencies. Though both will try to establish the run, do not be surprised if this game has a flag-football-styled pass-happy look by the fourth quarter. In that event, quarterback play is going to be important. While the more experienced Brees will likely be a slightly cooler customer than Romo late in the going, it makes a little more sense to side with the guy that has three former Pro Bowlers as his primary targets. That guy would be Romo, who will be at the controls of another thrilling Dallas victory.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Cowboys 34, Saints 31
Perhaps, though Saints head coach Sean Payton will be less concerned with beating his former mentor Bill Parcells than with improving his own team's standing in the NFC playoff hunt.
Payton was on Parcells' staff for three years in Dallas (2003-05), serving as assistant head coach and having a great deal of input into the team's offensive plan of attack. Since landing in New Orleans, Payton has been at the helm of one of the great turnarounds in NFL history, leading the formerly 3-13 Saints to an 8-4 mark and into first-place in the rugged NFC South. New Orleans, which took down the 49ers by a 34-10 count last Sunday, currently occupies the No. 2 position in the NFC playoff bracket, just ahead of similarly 8-4 Dallas and Seattle.
The team the Saints will be facing is among the hottest in the NFL at the moment. Dallas is 5-1 since Parcells replaced struggling quarterback Drew Bledsoe with the then-unknown Tony Romo, and last week's 23-20 road win over the Giants gave the Cowboys firm control of the top spot in the NFC East. Dallas' current four-game win streak is its longest since 2003, Parcells' first year on the job in Big D.
In addition to Payton and Saints defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs (formerly the linebackers coach in Dallas), the Cowboys will be facing off with recent team members such as linebackers Scott Fujita, Scott Shanle, and wide receiver Terrance Copper, all of whom are regulars for New Orleans after wearing Dallas uniforms in 2005.
SERIES HISTORY
Dallas holds a 14-7 lead in its all-time series with New Orleans, but has dropped four straight games to the Saints since last beating them in 1994. New Orleans was a 27-13 road winner when the teams last met, in 2004, and also defeated Dallas at home in 1998, 1999, and 2003. The Cowboys last defeated the Saints in 1994 at the Superdome, and last downed New Orleans at Texas Stadium in 1991. Dallas is 9-1 all-time against New Orleans at home.
Parcells is 3-5 all-time against the Saints, including 0-2 since coming to Dallas. Payton, who as mentioned was an assistant under Parcells with Dallas from 2003 to 2005, will be meeting both Parcells and the Cowboys for the first time head-to-head.
SAINTS OFFENSE VS. COWBOYS DEFENSE
Even on his least productive passing day in nearly two months, Saints quarterback Drew Brees (3649 passing yards, 20 TD, 10 INT) still put forth an efficient and commendable performance against the 49ers last week. With wideout Marques Colston (ankle) out of the lineup and Joe Horn (groin) falling prey to injury early in the game, Brees still managed to complete 17-of-28 passes for 186 yards in the contest. Much of the receiving damage was done by running back Reggie Bush (73 receptions, 1 TD), who caught nine passes for a season-high 131 receiving yards and a touchdown through the air. With Colston and Horn sidelined, Devery Henderson (26 receptions, 4 TD) and Terrance Copper (17 receptions, 3 TD) ran at receiver for much of the game, with Henderson hauling in a couple of passes totaling 18 yards. Henderson and Copper will start if Colston (54 receptions, 7 TD) and Horn (37 receptions, 4 TD), who are both listed as questionable, are unable to go on Sunday night. Copper was a member of the Cowboys in 2004-05. The Saints line has allowed just 14 sacks on the year, including one last Sunday.
One of Dallas' main directives in the final quarter of the season will be to generate some type of pass rush, with Sunday night's game marking a good time to get started in that regard. The Cowboys have just 22 sacks on the year, which is tied for 27th in the 32-team NFL, and pass rushers such as Demarcus Ware (49 tackles, 6 sacks) and Al Singleton (13 tackles) have been inconsistent at best. Ware has been held out of the sack category in each of his last two games, and Singleton has not broken through to the quarterback since replacing the injured Greg Ellis (Achilles) in the starting lineup three games ago. Dallas failed to log a sack against the Giants' Eli Manning last Sunday. Yardage-wise, the Cowboys are a healthy 12th in the league against the pass (198.4), with the generally solid work of cornerbacks Anthony Henry (61 tackles, 1 INT) and Terence Newman (46 tackles, 1 INT) along with safeties Roy Williams (45 tackles, 5 INT) and Keith Davis (24 tackles) having much to do with that showing. Williams ranked among team leaders with seven tackles against the Giants.
The Saints enter Sunday's game ranked just 21st in NFL rushing offense (102.8 yards per game), but that doesn't mean their ground game is not to be feared. With the two-headed monster of Bush (368 rushing yards, 4 TD) and Deuce McAllister (790 rushing yards, 8 TD, 24 receptions) coming out of the backfield, opposing defenses have been kept honest all season. Bush provided the lightning last week, carrying 10 times for just 37 yards but also finding the end zone three times on the ground and having a huge day through the air (see above). McAllister, meanwhile, brought the thunder, piling up a 26-carry, 136-yard performance that was his most prolific since Week 17 of the 2004 season. McAllister, who is 210 yards shy of the fourth 1,000-yard season of his NFL career, is averaging 4.4 yards per carry one year removed from major knee surgery.
New Orleans will be going up against a Dallas defense that ranks fourth in the league against the rush (90.3 yards per game), but could be undergoing some changes up front. Parcells has reportedly been unhappy with the inconsistent work of 3-4 ends Chris Canty (23 tackles, 1 sack) and Marcus Spears (35 tackles), and is considering using backups Jason Hatcher (8 tackles, 1.5 sack) and Kenyon Coleman (18 tackles, 2 sacks) in a more prominent role flanking nose tackle Jason Ferguson (30 tackles). Ferguson, who had two tackles against the Giants last week and helped limit Tiki Barber to 90 yards on 23 carries, has quietly done a good job all year. Inside linebackers Akin Ayodele (67 tackles, 2 INT, 1 sack) and Bradie James (73 tackles, 1 INT) have also been steady. Both players had eight stops in last Sunday's win in the swamps of Jersey.
COWBOYS OFFENSE VS. SAINTS DEFENSE
Romo (1913 passing yards, 13 TD, 7 INT) is owed much of the credit for the Cowboys' resurgence, as the former undrafted free agent has fashioned a league-best 102.4 passer rating despite never taking a meaningful snap in an NFL game before Oct. 23rd. Romo was 20-of-34 for 257 yards at the Giants last week, throwing a pair of picks without a touchdown but also leading a clutch game-winning drive in the waning seconds. Wideouts Terrell Owens (69 receptions, 8 TD) and Terry Glenn (50 receptions, 6 TD) have thrived with Romo at the controls, as has tight end Jason Witten (45 receptions, 1 TD). Owens had a game-high eight catches for 84 yards last Sunday; Glenn chipped in with four grabs for 52 yards; and Witten made his three receptions count for 73 yards, including a pivotal 42-yard catch on the team's game-winning field goal drive. Romo has made his offensive line look good due to his mobility and quick decision-making, as he has been sacked just nine times in his eight appearances.
Romo and his receivers will be in search of the big play against a Saints defense that ranks fourth in passing yardage allowed (180.3 yards per game) but is also near the bottom of the NFL chart in both passing TDs surrendered (21) and interceptions (8). The best feature of the team's aerial defense is a pass rush that has generated 33 sacks, with ends Will Smith (39 tackles, 8.5 sacks) and Charles Grant (51 receptions, 6 TD) leading the way there. With Smith unavailable last week due to a knee injury, Grant recorded his sixth sack of the year and replacement starter Willie Whitehead (8 tackles, 1 sack) came up with a pair of tackles. Smith is listed as questionable for Sunday. In the secondary, cornerback Mike McKenzie (32 tackles, 2 INT) had his biggest day of the year with a pair of interceptions off of Alex Smith, while safety Josh Bullocks (58 tackles, 2 INT) logged a pick of his own in the game. McKenzie is likely to be matched up with Owens this week, with fellow corner Fred Thomas (48 tackles) watching Glenn.
The Cowboys' running game took on a different look in the win against the Giants, as usual backup Marion Barber III (568 rushing yards, 14 receptions, 13 TD) received a majority of the carries ahead of starter Julius Jones (877 rushing yards, 3 TD). Barber carried 12 times for 76 yards and scored his 12th and 13th touchdowns of the season, while Jones was quieter with 11 rushes for 24 yards. Barber has now scored a pair of touchdowns in each of his past three games, and entered Week 13 third in the league in TDs behind only the Chargers' LaDainian Tomlinson and Chiefs' Larry Johnson (the Steelers' Willie Parker pulled into a tie with Barber on Thursday night). Jones hasn't averaged four yards per carry in a game since Week 6 against Houston, which was also the last time he or any other member of the Cowboys had a 100-yard rushing game. Dallas is eighth in the league in rushing offense (132.1 yards per game).
All eyes will be on the New Orleans run defense this week, as the Saints begin a four-game stretch without suspended defensive tackle Hollis Thomas (43 tackles, 3.5 sacks). Thomas was suspended for violating the league's steroid policy, though the player has claimed that his positive test came as a result of medication he takes to treat asthma. Either way, his absence will literally be a big one for a team that already ranks 25th in the league against the run (133.1 yards per game) and 30th in yards per carry allowed (5.0) even with Thomas' 300-plus pound body clogging up the middle. Tackle Brian Young (38 tackles, 4.5 sacks) and linebackers Fujita (77 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 2 INT), Shanle (80 tackles, 3 sacks), and Mark Simoneau (48 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) are the remaining principles for a run-stopping unit that helped limit the 49ers' Frank Gore to a season-low 40 yards on 13 carries last week. Shanle had a team-high seven tackles in the win, and Simoneau logged four stops and his first sack of the season.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
Expecting either of these offenses to be held in check for four quarters requires a giant leap of faith, since both the Saints and Cowboys have a score of valuable offensive weapons to go along with a couple of defensive deficiencies. Though both will try to establish the run, do not be surprised if this game has a flag-football-styled pass-happy look by the fourth quarter. In that event, quarterback play is going to be important. While the more experienced Brees will likely be a slightly cooler customer than Romo late in the going, it makes a little more sense to side with the guy that has three former Pro Bowlers as his primary targets. That guy would be Romo, who will be at the controls of another thrilling Dallas victory.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Cowboys 34, Saints 31
posted by The Gryphon at 9:34 PM
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