After Drew Brees went down with a thumb injury, many claimed the Saints were no longer contenders. That thought might have dissipated a bit after Week 3. The Saints went into hostile territory and came out with a 33-27 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Although the Seahawks are a very solid team and a playoff contender, the Saints’ Week 4 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys will definitely be a tougher test. Let’s take a look at some of the keys to victory for the Saints.
Offense
Offensively, the Saints played very conservatively against Seattle. Their gameplan was simple, yet effective: get the ball in the hands of Alvin Kamara. He had 25 touches in the game, 16 carries and nine receptions, and accounted for 161 of the Saints’ 265 total yards. Although this was very effective against Seattle, the Saints may have to change things up a little, as the Cowboys will surely key in on Kamara in Week 4.
Teddy Bridgewater was conservative, yet effective in Week 3. He was 19-for-27 with 177 yards and two touchdowns. Bridgewater’s passes averaged 5.1 yards through the air, while 68% of his yardage was picked up after the catch. These numbers show the Saints’ willingness to settle for short, underneath coverage completions to avoid big turnovers. Although it worked well against the Seahawks, the Saints must do more against the Cowboys.
In November of 2018, the Saints and Cowboys faced off and the Cowboys walked away with a 13-10 victory. In this game, the Saints went with a conservative game plan that looked very similar to the one deployed in Seattle. Although the Saints only lost by a field goal, the Cowboys dominated the Saints’ offense all game, taking away the underneath pass for the most part. As displayed in 2018, the Cowboys have plenty of speed in their linebacking corps, led by Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander-Esch. The speed that they possess allows them to take away the short, high percentage throws that the Saints lived off of against Seattle. This means that they will have to take some riskier shots downfield and get their superstar receiver, Michael Thomas, more involved. We will see if Bridgewater is up to the challenge in Week 4.
Defense
You never know what you will get on any given night from the Saints’ defense. In Seattle, we saw a mixture of the good and the bad.
The secondary looked atrocious throughout the game, as has been the case all season. Russell Wilson carved them up for 406 yards and two touchdowns through the air, and he routinely found Tyler Lockett downfield for big plays. It will not get any easier for the Saints in Week 4, as Dak Prescott has a solid receiving corps as well, led by Amari Cooper. If they don’t want to let this game get out of hand, they will need to limit blown coverages, which has led to teams beating the Saints’ secondary with huge plays throughout the season.
The Saints’ pass rush was very effective in Week 3. All game Wilson was scrambling away from defenders, although he was able to escape the pressure most of the time. Cam Jordan recorded a career-high 11 quarterback pressures, all coming in the form of quarterback hurries. Despite all the pressure the Saints put on Wilson, they did not register a single sack all game. Wilson has been known as an escape artist throughout his career, so sacking him has always been a very difficult task. If the Saints can put the same pressure on Dak Prescott all game, they will surely come away with a few sacks, as Prescott is not as mobile as Wilson.
The run defense was so-so. They locked down Chris Carson, only allowing him to rush for 52 yards on 15 carries. The bad part came when Wilson escaped the pressure and got into open space. The Saints will have to have a more effective quarterback spy ready to go against the Cowboys. Stopping the run will be much more difficult, as the Cowboys have one of the best offensive lines in the game. Not to mention, Ezekiel Elliott is one of the best backs in the game.
Game Info
Date: Sunday, September 29, 2019
Start Time: 8:20 pm EST
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Stadium: Mercedez-Benz Superdome
TV Info: NBC
Prediction
Facing the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night will be a big test for Teddy Bridgewater and company. They must be able to work the ball down the field, convert on some big yardage plays, and help Alvin Kamara out a little bit. The Cowboys may focus on stopping Kamara to see if Bridgewater can beat them elsewhere.
A big challenge for the Saints’ defense will be to defend both the efficient passing game and exceptional run game of the Cowboys. Unfortunately, this may prove to be too big of a task for the Saints.
Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 31, New Orleans Saints 24
