Cowboys hand Saints 5th straight loss
Hill throws 4 INTS as skid continues
NEW ORLEANS — Ceedee Lamb had 122 yards from scrimmage, Tony Pollard had a 58-yard touchdown run, and the Dallas defense produced timely sacks and turnovers in the Cowboys’ 27-17 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night.
The Cowboys intercepted Saints quarterback Taysom Hill three times in the fourth quarter, including defensive tackle Carlos Watkins’ pick-six that made it 27-10 with 2:52 left.
The Saints gave the dual threat Hill his first start this season in hopes he could help New Orleans end a fourgame skid. He was effective in spurts, passing for 264 yards and two touchdowns — and running for 101 yards — but threw four interceptions.
Dak Prescott passed for 238 yards with a 1-yard TD to wide receiver Michael Gallup as Dallas (8-4) won without coach Mike Mccarthy and five assistants because of positive COVID-19 tests. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn was the Cowboys’ acting coach.
Prescott was intercepted by Marshon Lattimore in the middle of the fourth quarter, but the Cowboys canceled that turnover out when Damontae Kazee intercepted Hill.
That was the first of Dallas’ three late interceptions. The Saints’ next drive stalled on a pick by Trevon Diggs, his league-leading ninth. Watkins’ interception came on the drive after that.
Deonte Harris turned a short pass into a late 70-yard TD for New Orleans (5-7), but the Saints did not recover an onside kick, and the Cowboys ran out the clock.
The Saints have started slowly throughout their skid, and this game was no exception as they failed to score in the first quarter for the fifth game in a row.
Dallas broke through on its third possession, highlighted by Prescott’s 41-yard pass over the middle to Amari Cooper and a lateral pass to Lamb that went for 33 yards to the New Orleans 1. Prescott then tossed a fade to the right corner, where Gallup made a leaping, twisting catch over cornerback Bradley Roby and narrowly touched both feet in bounds.
The Saints tied it on Lil’jordan Humphrey’s 24-yard TD catch early in the second quarter but never led.