Thursday’s NFL Matchup
DALLAS (7-4) AT NEW ORLEANS (5-6)
KICKOFF: 8:20 p.m. FOX, NFL
BETTING LINE: Cowboys by 4½, according to FanDuel SportsBook.
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Cowboys 8-3; Saints 5-6.
SERIES RECORD: Cowboys lead 17-13.
LAST MEETING: Saints beat Cowboys 12-10 on Sept. 29, 2019, at New Orleans.
LAST WEEK: Cowboys lost to Raiders 36-33, OT; Saints lost to Bills 31-6.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence appears set to play for the first time since breaking a foot in practice the week after the opener . ... Saints’ Taysom Hill could start or at least see more snaps at quarterback after working his way back from a plantar fascia injury.
KEY INJURIES: Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb should be back after missing a game with a concussion. … Coach Mike McCarthy, who will miss the game due to COVID-19 protocols, hinted the Cowboys might rest Ezekiel Elliott, who has been battling a sore right knee for weeks. But owner/general manager Jerry Jones indicated Elliott would play. … WR Cedrick Wilson (ankle) didn’t practice all week. … Saints running back and top overall offensive player Alvin Kamara practiced on a limited basis all week after missing the previous three games with a knee injury. … Fellow RB Mark Ingram is ready to return from his knee injury.
STATS AND STUFF: A COVID-19 outbreak has sidelined two players and six coaches for the Cowboys. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is handling head-coaching responsibilities. RT Terence Steele and rookie CB Nahshon Wright are the latest Dallas players to miss games because of the coronavirus. WR
Amari Cooper was activated Wednesday from the COVID-19 list after missing two games and could play. The unvaccinated Cooper still wasn’t feeling well after being cleared to return to the facility, McCarthy said. The club also was concerned about conditioning. … The Saints are trying to avoid their first fivegame skid since 2005 under previous coach Jim Haslett.… Kamara needs one catch to surpass Roger Craig for most receptions (358) by a running back in his first five seasons … Ingram is the Saints’ all-time rushing leader with 7,823 yards and has 100 scrimmage yards in each of his last two games.