8:20 PM EST, NFL Network – Line: Saints -7.5, Over/Under: 52.5
Brees has been masterful in what should be the twilight of his career, leading the league in Completion Percentage (76.4%), Passer Rating (127.3), and QBR (89.0), while tossing 29 Touchdowns to 2 Interceptions.
The final quarter of the Regular Season begins with a potential Playoff Preview as the suddenly surging Dallas Cowboys play host to the white-hot New Orleans Saints in a matchup loaded with postseason implications from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. You would be hard-pressed to find a team hotter than the Saints (10-1, 1st in NFC South), who since dropping their Season Opener have strung together ten consecutive victories in route to holding the Top Seed in the NFC. Needless to say, New Orleans has been downright unstoppable during this particular stretch, overpowering teams with what continues to be arguably the most prolific Offense in the league (which is really saying something this season), and a Defense which continues to improve on a weekly basis. Through twelve weeks, Sean Payton’s charges lead the league in scoring at 37.2 Points per Game on a staggering 423.9 Total Yards (5th Overall), thanks to a very balanced attack led by the ageless wonder that is Drew Brees (76.4%, 3,135 YDS, 8.36 NY/A, 29 TD, 2 INT, 89.0 QBR). Even at the age of Thirty-Nine, the veteran Quarterback has never looked better, benefitting from a juggernaut-like Running Game (133.1 Y/G, 7th Overall), and an Offensive Line that has permitted a mere Eleven Sacks (1st Overall). Brees currently leads the league in a slew of categories, including Completion Percentage (76.4%), along with both Passer Rating (127.3) and QBR (89.0) by a wide margin. Interestingly enough, his success is tied into the fact that Payton has asked less of him than in previous years; averaging 32.4 Passing Attempts per Game, he’s on pace for his fewest passes thrown since 2009, which was coincidentally when he and the Saints delivered their first and only Lombardi Trophy in Franchise History. As we touched upon earlier, the success and versatility of the Rushing Attack has made this all possible, with the dynamic duo of Alvin Kamara (150 CAR, 706 YDS, 4.7 Y/C, 11 TD) and Mark Ingram (90 CAR, 440 YDS, 4.9 Y/C, 4 TD) wrecking Defensive Gameplans each week. It certainly helps that both Tailbacks are extremely versatile, oftentimes operating as Receivers out of the Backfield, with Kamara in particular proving extremely deadly, hauling in Fifty-Seven Receptions on Seventy-Three Targets for 519 Yards and Four Touchdowns thus far. The Receiving Corps as a whole is about as deep as it gets, with a number of blossoming young players making plays, though none more so than their third-year stud, Michael Thomas. The 25-Year Old has become Brees’ preferred target downfield, on pace to shatter his career-highs, reeling in Eighty-Six Receptions for 1,080 Yards on 12.8 Yards per Catch and Eight Touchdowns. However, with the Offense being consistently great throughout Payton’s tenure in New Orleans, it’s about high time the Defense earned some plaudits for their continued development this season. The Saints improved greatly on this side of the football a year ago, but after a slow start, it’s been rewarding to this oft-beleaguered unit finally carry their own weight for a change. On the season, Dennis Allen’s Defense has performed well enough to get the job done, ranking Fifteenth Overall in both Points Allowed (23.3 P/G) and Total Defense (358.9 Y/G), while getting after the Quarterback with Thirty Sacks (13th Overall), and stuffing the Run at 73.2 Yards per Game (1st Overall). Granted, they certainly benefit from the fact that they get to play with a lead for long stretches of games, allowing them to pin their ears back and attack, but when the time has come to make plays, they’ve made their fair share. Just look back at their recent showing against the Atlanta Falcons on Thanksgiving for proof of their growth. When these teams met earlier in the campaign, the Falcons racked up Thirty-Seven Points and 407 Total Yards, including 374 Passing Yards with Five Touchdowns. Last weekend, the Saints learned from their previous experience, relegating their Division Rival to just Seventeen Points and 366 Total Yards, while forcing a quartet of Turnovers, including a pair of Fumble Recoveries in the Red Zone. With that said, it doesn’t get any easier this week, as that stout Run Defense will be tested by the Cowboys, who own one of the most potent Rushing Attacks in the league. New Orleans is yielding just 3.6 Yards per Carry (2nd Overall), though Dallas averages a robust 4.9 Yards per Rush (5th Overall). This matchup also marks the beginning of a particularly important run for this team, who will take their show on the road for three consecutive contests, while facing NFC Rival twice in the final five weeks, which will not only decide the division, but likely Home Field Advantage as well heading into the Playoffs. We don’t need to tell you what means to the Saints, but it’s a rather big deal…
Elliott has once again becoe the focal point of the Cowboys’ resurgent Offense, leading the league in rushing with 1,047 Yards and 6 Touchdowns thus far.
Meanwhile, it seems that we were all a bit premature when pronouncing the Cowboys (6-5, 1st in NFC East) down and out, for while there is still plenty to be decided between now and the end of the Regular Season, this team has placed themselves firmly in the Driver’s Seat of the NFC East. Jason Garrett’s charges look primed to take advantage of the prevalent chaos in their division, with the reigning Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles suffering through a year-long identity crisis, the Washington Redskins losing their starting Quarterback, Alex Smith, for the season with a broken leg, and the New York Giants, well, the less said about them the better. With all of that in mind, there is no better time for a three-game winning streak, which is precisely what Dallas has managed to put together, as the Offense has finally found it’s rhythm behind a punishing Ground Game, while the young Defense continues to impress. That Defense has been damn good this season, who under the watchful eye of both venerable minds Rod Marinelli and Kris Richard has quietly become one of the best in the league, allowing just 19.4 Points (3rd Overall) on 331.1 Total Yards (7th Overall), including 237.5 Yards against the Pass (12th Overall) on 6.6 Net Yards per Attempt (17th Overall), and another 93.6 Yards versus the Run (4th Overall) on 3.7 Yards per Carry (3rd Overall). The Defensive Front has been very aggressive, accumulating Thirty-One Sacks (12th Overall), while the unit as a whole has been particularly stout in the Red Zone, yielding a Touchdown on a scant 48.4% of opportunities (4th Overall). Furthermore, no team has managed to score more than Twenty-Eight Points against them thus far, though the Saints’ Offense represents a considerable task, having topped Thirty Points in all but two outings this year. With that said, while the Defense has been consistently solid throughout the term, it’s been the Offense that has been the point of conversation with this team. Whether it’s been the stunted development of Quarterback Dak Prescott (65.2%, 2,427 YDS, 5.87 NY/A, 13 TD, 5 INT, 50.6 QBR), an injury-riddled Offensive Line, unimaginative playcalling, or a seriously uninspiring Receiving Corps, there have been no shortage of issues on this side of the football for the vultures to pick at, but thanks to the midseason acquisition of a former Pro Bowl Receiver, and a return to the run-heavy, play-action attack that worked so well for them in the past, this unit once again looks to be on the up and up. First and foremost, adding former Oakland Raider Amari Cooper (44 REC, 629 YDS, 14.3 Y/R, 4 TD) to the Receiving Corps has opened up the Passing Attack, allowing the other Receivers space to operate, and granting Prescott a target that can make plays. And that’s precisely what he did in the Cowboys’ 31-23 victory over the Redskins on Thanksgiving, with the third-year Quarterback completing 22-of-31 Passes for 289 Yards and Tow Touchdowns, while rushing for another Eighteen Yards and a Score. Cooper was electric, hauling in Eight Receptions on Nine Targets for 180 Yards ad a pair of Touchdowns, including a 40-Yard strike followed by a 90-Yard bomb in the Third Quarter that broke the game wide open. Since arriving in Dallas, Cooper has acquainted himself quite well, totaling Twenty-Two Receptions for 349 Yards on 15.9 Yards per Reception and Three Touchdowns, which are all more than he mustered in the first six games of the year in his previous stay with the Raiders. Garrett and Offensive Coordinator Scott Linehan have also stabilized things during this stretch by getting back to basics, leaning on a Rushing Attack that have pummeled opposing Defenses to the tune of 134.5 Yards per Game (6th Overall) on 4.9 Yards per Carry (5th Overall), on the strength of the league’s leading rusher Ezekiel Elliott (217 CAR, 1,074 YDS, 4.9 Y/C, 6 TD, 47 REC, 363 YDS, 7.7 Y/R, 3 TD), who has churned out an impressive 97.6 Yards per Game, while racking up at least 120 Rushing Yards in each of their last three wins. Of course, this has benefitted Prescott, who has been on fire during this win streak, completing 70.7% of his Attempts for an average of 255.7 Yards on 7.0 Net Yards per Attempt, with Three Passing Touchdowns and another Three Rushing Touchdowns to boot. Play-action and bootlegs have been a boon for this kid, who is far more effective in this style of Offense, then when sitting in the Pocket like a target. As is the case for New Orleans, this is a very important stretch for Dallas, who can enact a stranglehold on the NFC East, with a looming matchup with the Eagles next weekend, further solidifying their position in the NFC Playoff Picture.