ARLINGTON, Texas – There is an old phrase in the game of football, “championships are won with defense, “ and if that is the case, the Dallas Cowboys are right on track. Dallas’ defense disrupted the Saints’ offense on Thursday night in all three phases: the defensive line, linebackers, and the secondary. They put pressure on Brees forcing contested throws, shut down throwing lanes, defended against the run containing Alvin Kamara, and executed in single coverage with aggression to break up pass routes, and made key tackles on critical plays. Players worked hard sideline to sideline on every snap.
“ The biggest thing we try to do is focus in on ourselves and play the way we are capable of playing, Jason Garrett stated following the victory. “ Play sound fundamental defense. Play fast. Play physical. Win the line of scrimmage. Be a great tackling team. Contest throws. We try to emphasize all those things day in and day out and had to show up in the ballgame for 60 minutes…we got out in front of this thing…they play with a tremendous spirit; A relentless nature. It’s contagious throughout the team and starts up front. We’ve got a lot of guys that love to play football. It shows up and leaps off the tape when we watch it.”
The defense was not intimidated by a team that had won 10 straight games and had averaged 37 points a game; They came out confidant and dominant from the start, forcing the Saints’ offense to punt on their first three possessions in the ballgame. New Orleans did not pick up a first down until the final play of the first quarter. Dallas’ D held the Saints to 2:59 in time of possession in the first quarter with the Cowboys’ offense controlling the clock and cashing in with a 16-yard screen TD pass from Dak Prescott to Ezekiel Elliott. They held the Saints to 10 points, the lowest scored by the team since 2015 against the Houston Texans, and to 176 total net yards; the fewest by the team all season and by a Sean Payton coached team in his tenure with the Saints.
In an NFC Showdown like Thursday night’s game and a stunning victory by the underdog team, is where impact players stand out and make a difference. Two defensive players took the cake in impact plays that led to the Cowboys’ W: DE DeMarcus Lawrence and CB Jourdan Lewis.
D-Law quickly brought down RB Alvin Kamara for no gain at the one-yard line. On fourth-and-one the Saints decided to go for it but the power edge rusher made the stop in one of the most memorable plays of the game. He crushed the Saints chance in the red zone to come away with seven points and forced the team to punt, putting the Cowboys’ offense back on the field.
Lewis sealed the win with an interception late in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys’ placed Lewis on Kamara for a portion of the game vs. having a TE or LB covering him, and that ended up being a coaching decision that decided the game. Brees threw the ball to Kamara, but Lewis was watching the QB and anticipated where the ball would land. He was able to get underneath Kamara on the route to make the interception off Brees’ pass that came up short for their star RB. The rest is history.
Lewis remarked after the play, “ Richard calls me the closer, whenever your number is called, you go out there and execute, and I’m glad I did that…I melted in on the quarterback’s eyes, saw it was great pressure from the defensive line on the play, and just saw him throw it and reacted. “
The Cowboys are now a strong contender for the playoffs and need another victory against division rival Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday at home to keep their place at number one in the NFC East. The team will have a few extra days than a normal week to prepare, and hopefully the Cowboys can keep the momentum going after a long turnaround.
