Cowboys shut down Brees’ high-flying Saints in 13-10 win
Ezekiel Elliott scored the only Dallas touchdown, and the Cowboys stifled Drew Brees and the Saints, ending New Orleans’ 10game winning streak with a 1310 victory Thursday night in Arlington, Texas.
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 and had a season low in points.
Brees had his fewest yards passing in a 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 — just the third of the season for Brees — gave the Cowboys a chance to run out the clock from the New Orleans 1 after an interference penalty in the end zone.
The Cowboys tried to play keepaway from the NFL’s highestscoring offense late in the fourth quarter, with quarterback Dak Prescott desperately scrambling 11 yards for a first down on thirdand-10 and Cole Beasley catching a third- down pass and diving for 5 yards on third-and-5.
But Prescott fumbled on a sack with Dallas in position for a field goal, giving Brees another chance from his 15 with more than two minutes remaining.
On the second play, though, Brees threw where he expected a receiver to be but Lewis was the only one there. He dove forward, just keeping the ball off the ground.
Marshon Lattimore was called for interference against Amari Cooper in the end zone, giving Dallas a first down at the 1 with 1:58 remaining. The Cowboys had just enough time to end the game, with the play clock matching the game clock after Prescott took a knee for the third time.
Brees was 18 of 28 for 127 yards, actually the second straight game and third overall under 200 yards for the MVP contender.
The only touchdown drive for the Saints was aided by three first downs on Dallas penalties. The biggest was Randy Gregory’s roughing-the-punt penalty on Thomas Morstead.
Two plays later, Brees dropped a deep throw to a backpedaling Keith Kirkwood in the end zone for a 30-yard score to get New Orleans within 13-10.
Prescott had 194 of his 248 yards passing while helping the Cowboys to a 13- 0 halftime lead
— the first scoreless first half for the Saints since 2014. MAYFIELD FACES BIG TEST WITH
HOUSTON’S PASS RUSH » The Cleveland Browns have done a great job of protecting Baker Mayfield recently, and have the longest active streak in the NFL by not allowing a sack in 125 snaps.
Things will get more difficult for the Browns (4- 6-1) on Sunday when they visit the Houston Texans (8-3) and their defense led by pass-rushing stars J. J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney. Watt is tied for second in the NFL with 11 ½ sacks and has 19 quarterback hits, and Clowney has seven sacks and 15 quarterback hits.
“I have a job to do and that’s my job to go out there and hopefully end that streak,” Watt said. “They’ve obviously been doing a good job. It’s going to be a good battle.”
Mayfield, who hasn’t been sacked in two games, said he’s watched Watt play since the quarterback was in high school and knows he’ll have to account for him and Clowney on every play.
“The emphasis has to be on getting the ball out, which we have been trying to do these past weeks,” said Mayfield. “We have to keep doing it.” QUARTERBACK UP IN AIR FOR JETS » Sam Darnold and Josh McCown were both limited at practice for the second straight day, leaving it uncertain who will be under center at Tennessee. Coach Todd Bowles said that Darnold, McCown and former Cal QB Davis Webb each had snaps and ran the offense during drills. TRUBISKY WORKS ON SLIDE » Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky found a flaw in his game while trying to be patient and sit out with an injured right shoulder. Trubisky discovered he needs to slide better.
It was while sliding late in a 25-20 win Nov. 18 over the Minnesota Vikings that Trubisky suffered the injury threatening to cost him a second straight start Sunday against the New York Giants. Trubisky slid awkwardly and was hit by Minnesota’s Harrison Smith on the left side, resulting in the shoulder injury to his right side that led to Chase Daniel’s start against the Detroit Lions in a 23-16 Bears win on Thanksgiving.
Trubisky practiced Thursday for the second straight day but only on a limited basis. FLACCO BACK AT PRACTICE FOLLOWING HIP INJURY » Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has returned to the practice field for the first time since injuring his right hip on Nov. 4. Lamar Jackson, a 2018 first-round pick, led Baltimore to wins in each of the past two games while filling in for the injured Flacco. Although coach John Harbaugh has not named a starting quarterback for Sunday’s game in Atlanta, it appears likely Jackson will get the call.