NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott desperately scrambled for a first down in a game of fourth-quarter keepaway, then took three knees starting from the New Orleans one-yard line to run out the clock by the narrowest possible margin.

Anything to keep Drew Brees and the NFL’s highest-scoring offence on the sideline.

Ezekiel Elliott scored the only Dallas touchdown on a 16-yard screen pass and the Cowboys stifled Brees and the Saints — ending New Orleans’ 10-game winning streak with a 13-10 victory on Thursday night.

The Cowboys (7-5) won their fourth consecutive game and assured they will at least remain tied for the NFC East lead.

The Saints (10-2) were shut out in the first half, had their fewest points in three years and finished with a season-low 176 yards. They missed a chance to match Dallas from two years ago, when then-rookie sensations Elliott and Prescott won 11 straight after dropping the opener.

“Everybody knew it. We had to keep the ball away from Brees,” Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said. “We needed to play this kind of game. I must tell you, the defence played beyond my expectations. They played like a championship defence.”

Brees had his fewest yards passing in a first half since joining the Saints in 2006 with 39, and couldn’t get a potential winning drive going in the final minutes.

Instead, Jourdan Lewis’ interception gave the Cowboys a chance to run out the clock and hang on for the key victory.