Saints Seek 14th Win v. Cowboys

Here's a look at tomorrow night's Cowboys/Saints game. Indianapolis managed a 35-31 victory last night. Can New Orleans match the Colts 14-0 record?

Dallas Cowboys (8-5) @ New Orleans Saints (13-0)

Dallas: No questions the Cowboys need this win a lot more than the Saints. A lot of people already have this as a win for New Orleans. It's in the Superdome, the loudest home stadium in the NFL. The Saints offense seems to run to perfection. The more I think about it, the more sense Dallas WR Roy Williams made by channeling his inner Dennis Green.

But what must Dallas do to get that win? Run the ball on offense. Chew up the clock. I might be crazy, but with the exception of the goal line stand last week, Dallas seems to want to abandon the run way too early. That train of thought will not work against the Saints. The more your offense is on the field, the less Drew Brees and the Saints offense is on it.

It's hard to fathom, but Marion Barber (right) has managed only 4 rushing TD this season and he hasn't had one since week 8 against the Seattle Seahawks. In fact, Barber has only one 100+ yards game to date and that was the second game of the season. Sure, Dallas is giving more carries to Felix Jones and  few to Tashard Choice, but Barber is the Cowboys main threat at running back.

Come to think of it, the Cowboys aren't exactly a shabby offense (3rd overall) and despite losing the last two games, QB Tony Romo has performed well. And WR Miles Austin has evolved into a star right before our eyes. The only thing lacking is getting the ball in the endzone. At this point, we've seen that relying on K Nick Folk for three isn't a safe option.

But it's Dallas' defense that worries me. Last week against the Chargers, Dallas had virtually no pass rush and the secondary had trouble containing the Chargers big receivers. It's a similar situation this week against the Saints.

Having LB Demarcus Ware available will aid that defense greatly. Ware suffered a sprained neck last week, but he's trying to get in a position to play against the Saints. But for the Dallas defense, it's pretty easy to see. No Ware, no pass rush. No pass rush, no help for the secondary. We all know what happens after that.

Saints: Can the express known as the Saints offense be stopped? I don't think it can, but you can slow it down. Well, you better hope you can.

QB Drew Brees (left) is drawing considerable nods for the league's MVP. A major difference between this season and the others Brees has spent in New Orleans is that the Saints now have the NFL's 5th best running game to compliment the league's top offense.

Pierre Thomas, Mike Bell and Reggie Bush have all contributed to the Saints cause. Could Reggie Bush be starting to remove that tag of being a bust as a #2 overall pick? Maybe.

We all know about the explosiveness of the Saints offense, but the defense has garnered a look or two this year. If you look at their numbers, you won't be impressed. 23rd against the pass, 18th against the run, 20th overall, 18th in scoring defense.

What the Saints are doing on defense is scoring. Five scores have come via interceptions alone. Bringing in safety Darren Sharper, who just might be Defensive Player of the Year, has gelled this unit. But if you look too much at Sharper and the Saints battered and beaten secondary, you'll overlook DE Will Smith.

The former Ohio State Buckeye has been causing havoc for opposing offensive lines. Smith has 10 sacks (6th in the NFL), 1 INT, 3 forced fumbles and 4 defended passes. He is yet another Saints defender you must gameplan against.

Time of possession will be critical in this one. The Saints average 32:27 to the Cowboys 31:07. That should tell you that the team that runs the ball the best should come away with the win.

A Saints win will put them at 14-0 and they will become only the fourth team in NFL history to achieve that mark. Indy did it last night. We all know of the '72 Miami Dolphins and the "Perfect Season". The '07 New England Patriots had a perfect regular season only to be knocked down by the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.

Where's David Tyree?

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