The Dallas Cowboys will face off with the New Orleans Saints on this week’s edition of Sunday Night Football. The Saints played their first full game without the services of starting quarterback last week and did not miss a beat with new starter Teddy Bridgewater en route to their 33-27 victory over the Seahawks. The Cowboys have maintained excellent health and been rather dominant in every game this season and that continued on Sunday with a 31-6 beat down of the lowly Miami Dolphins. This is the the of Prime Time game that the NFL is all about.
Brees has been the heart and soul of the Saints for well over a decade now. Replacing him is no easy task. This makes the decision Bridgewater made to resign with the Saints (despite better chances of starting for other teams) a critical component of this seasons success. He finished 19-27 for 177 yards and 2 touchdowns. Not monster numbers but enough to get the win and most importantly he showed a mastery of the Saints sophisticated offensive system. Alvin Kamara had 16 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown as well as 9 catches for 92 yards and a receiving touchdown. The Saints also received touchdowns from their defense and special teams as Deonte Harris took back a punt 53 yards for a touchdown and Von Bell picked up a fumble and ran in back 33 yards for a touchdown.
The Cowboys were more than 3 touchdown favorites against the Dolphins and they showed why as they pulled away after a slow first half for the decisive victory. Wide Receiver Amari Cooper had 6 catches for 88 yards and a touchdown. This was the third consecutive game that the Cowboys ran up more than 400 yards of total offense. Running back Ezekiel Elliot had 125 yards on 19 carries in a usual dominant performance for the star. Rookie running back Tony Pollard had his first career 100-yard day with 103 yards on only 13 carries. The defense gave up only 2 field goals and that was helped by the Cowboy debut of Robert Quinn who was traded by the Dolphins in the offseason. He had a sack to help contribute to a strong day for the defense.
The Cowboys have looked fantastic to start the season. It s tough to tell whether they are legitimate contenders or if they have greatly benefitted from the easy schedule to start the season with wins over the Giants, Redskins, and Dolphins who are a combined 1-8 on the season. Even this week they get the benefit of playing the Saints without Brees. The Saints have confidence in Bridgewater and this prime time appearance is big for him just as much as it is for the team. Both teams feature outstanding running backs. Elliot will continue to punish opposing teams on the ground and Pollard appears to be a perfect compliment to his abilities. Kamara is a dual threat who lines up all over the field. Whatever defense stops or at least contains the opposing running back will go a long way towards determining a winner.
