The Dallas Cowboys traveled to New Orleans to face the Saints on Sept. 29 in Week Four of the 2019 NFL season. Here are highlights from the game.
The Dallas Cowboys traveled to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans to face the Saints in the Week 4 Sunday Night Football matchup. Dallas entered the game undefeated, leading the all-time series between the two teams, 17-12.
The last time they met in New Orleans, the Saints won in overtime.
Dallas had the slight upper hand in the probability of winning this game, according to the ESPN Football Points Index. However, Dallas was not victorious on the road, as the Saints handed them their first loss of the season.
The game started with Dallas receiving the ball, but they were not able to convert their first possession into any points. New Orleans’ first possession ended with an interception by Chidobe Awuzie, giving Dallas the ball at their own 46-yard line. Elliott rushed for eight yards in the first two plays and Prescott scrambled for seven yards on the third down when an unnecessary roughness penalty was called on Vonn Bell. Elliott then rushed for one yard before Prescott connected with Jason Witten for 12 yard. Soon, Brett Maher headed out on the field to kick a 28-yard field goal to put Dallas on the board first, 3-0, with 5:13 left in the first quarter.
During the second play of New Orleans’ next possession, Teddy Bridgewater was sacked by defensive end Robert Quinn, but a facemask penalty was also called on Awuzie with 15 yards enforced and an automatic first down. Alvin Kamara then rushed the ball for 13 yards, Taysom Hill carried the ball for 18 yards, and then Kamara rushed again for an additional two yards. Next, Bridgewater connected with Josh Hill for 18 yards. The New Orleans possession ended three plays later following a penalty on Michael Thomas for 15 yards enforced and another sack on Bridgewater by Quinn. Bridgewater was able to make one more connection with Jared Cook before the end of the first quarter.
Dallas had the 3-0 lead entering the second quarter.
Will Lutz opened the second quarter by kicking a 40-yard field goal for the Saints, tying the game at 3-3 with 15 minutes to go in the first half. The Cowboys went three-and-out on their next possession and Lutz kicked another field goal, this time from 42 yards out, and the Saints took their first lead of the game with just under nine minutes left in the half, 6-3.
Dallas ended their next possession on a Jason Witten fumble that was recovered by Vonn Bell. New Orleans wasn’t able to convert this possession into any points.
Dallas got the ball back and Elliott rushed for one yard before Prescott drove down the field. Following the two-minute warning timeout, the Cowboys had a third down with eight yards to go when Prescott connected with Blake Jarwin for seven yards. But on fourth-and-one, Elliott fumbled the ball and Bell had yet another fumble recovery. The Saints did convert the next possession into points when Lutz kicked a 19-yard field goal, ending the first half and taking the 9-3 lead into halftime.
New Orleans started the second half of the game receiving the ball but went three-and-out on their opening possession. The Cowboys were able to convert their first possession of the third quarter into a touchdown on the 11th play of the drive, taking the 10-9 lead over the Saints. Prescott completed passes to Amari Cooper, Elliott, Tony Pollard, Witten, and Jarwin during the almost-six-minute-long possession.
The Saints had six first downs in their next possession and completed 12 plays in almost eight minutes before the third quarter came to an end. The ball was placed at Dallas 11-yard line and, following three more plays, Will Lutz kicked his fourth field goal of the night, giving the Saints a 12-10 lead with 13:41 left in the game.
Neither team was able to turn their next two possessions into any points, and on what would turn out to be the Cowboys’ last possession of the game, Saints safety Marcus Williams picked off Prescott’s hail mary attempt with two seconds on the clock to end the game.
The Saints managed to hold on to the lead for the entire fourth quarter and won the game without scoring a single touchdown. New Orleans beat Dallas by two points, 12-10, as Will Lutz put all twelve of the Saints’ points on the board.
The two teams both go into Week 5 with three wins and one loss. Next up for the Cowboys are the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Oct. 6. Meanwhile, the Saints will host the Bucs in a divisional battle.
"I just can’t let the team down like that."
Zeke and the #DallasCowboys offense share their postgame thoughts. #DALvsNO
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) September 30, 2019
