The New Orleans Saints (7-2) set an NFL record for first downs in a game with 40. But that wasn’t even half of what the Saints poured on the Dallas Cowboys (5-5) defense in their 49-17 blowout win at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
Quarterback Drew Brees (34 of 41 for 392 yards, 4 touchdowns, and no interceptions) had another efficient night and third-year running back Mark Ingram broke out of his mental and physical funk to rush for 145 yards on 14 carries and 1 score. Furthermore, the Saints bludgeoned the Cowboy defense for 625 yards and 7 touchdowns, which included the Saints having the lead on the scoreboard for 35:15 seconds of the game.
As evidenced by their performance this weekend and in their eight other games, the Saints have the goods to make a run at Super Bowl XLVIII. The Saints have the offense (second in the NFL in total yards per game at 422.7) and they are second in the league in points scored (29.4). They also have a formidable defense which ranks seventh in total yards allowed per game (317.6) which includes one of the top pass rushing outfits in the league which includes the likes of defensive ends Junior Galette (6 sacks) and Cameron Jordan (5 sacks).
Armed with a 28-10 lead near the middle of the third quarter, the Saints were kept out of the end zone (partly due to a holding penalty that backed the ball up to the Dallas 24 yard line) when a 3rd and 15 completion to running back Pierre Thomas (17 carries for 87 yards and 1 score) netted only 5 yards to the DAL 19 yard line. But that drive was one of the few instances that the Cowboys were able to keep the Saints out of the end zone. Garrett Hartley (7 for 7 on extra points on the night) came in to kick a 37 yard field goal on 4th and 10 but his kick sailed slightly to the left of the goal post.
But two drives later, the Saints helped to show the nation why the Saints under head coach Sean Payton have been one of the more prolific offenses in seven out of the last eight NFL seasons. Starting from the NO 8 yard line, the Saints began a drive that the Cowboys just couldn’t stop and moreover a drive in which the Cowboy defense couldn’t get out of their own way in the form of penalties (holding, face mask by linebacker Ernie Sims, and a horse collar tackle by linebacker Bruce Carter). The Saints great tight end Jimmy Graham (5 catches for 59 yards) took a near middle reception from the NO 8 to the NO 34 yard line where he was ushered out of bounds by a Cowboy defender.
Then Ingram carried down the left sideline for 15 yards to the NO 49 where Sims committed his infraction, which took the ball from the NO 49 to the DAL 36. Then on the sixth play of the drive, Ingram scored his first touchdown of the year when he ran untouched into the end zone from 4 yards out. His scoring run gave the Saints an insurmountable 35-10 lead with 2:12 left in the 3rd quarter.
But the Cowboys kept fighting. With around 1:20 left in the third quarter, receiver Dez Bryant caught his only pass of the night when he juggled a few times then retained Tony Romo’s (10 of 24 for 128 yards, 1 touchdown, and no interceptions) downfield aerial, which was good for a 44 yard gain to the NO 21 where Saints cornerback Keenan Lewis dragged him down. That play led to a 21 yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver Terrance Williams, who caught the pass while never breaking stride down the left sideline. Now it looked like Dallas had a pulse with the score 35-17 with just 48 seconds left in the third quarter.
But the Cowboys supposed comeback wasn’t meant to be, as the Saints further put their foot on the gas pedal and scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Those two scores took place 7:02 seconds between each other.
The last score of the game for New Orleans was on a Thomas 1 yard run, in which the dual-threat back burrowed into the end zone through the attempted tackles of Dallas defenders Jairus Wynn and Sims. Thomas’ scoring run and the successful extra point by Hartley made the score 49-17 New Orleans with 5:44 left in the game.
