Cowboys vs. Saints Pregame Report - Week 13

The Superdome sees the Saints and Cowboys squaring off to begin Week 13 across the NFL.

Author:
John Hendrix
Publish date:
Dec 2, 2021 8:00 AM EST

The Saints (5-6) and Cowboys (7-4) square off in the Superdome to kick off Week 13 NFL action, as New Orleans desperately looks to end their four-game losing streak. On the other hand, Dallas is also struggling, losing their past two games to the Chiefs and Raiders. Both teams need this game, but only one can emerge victorious. It all goes down in front of a national television audience.

All-Time Series: Cowboys lead 17-13, Saints have won 2 out of the past 3 matchups.

Where to Watch: FOX (7:20 p.m. CT), Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews, Kristina Pink (field reporters)

Amazon: Andrea Kremer, Hannah Storm | Amazon Scout's Feed: Bucky Brooks, Daniel Jeremiah, Joy Taylor

Where to Stream: Fubo, Amazon, NFL Mobile, Saints App, Fox Sports GO

Where to Listen: WWL Radio locally (105.3FM) with Mike Hoss, Deuce McAllister, and Steve Geller (sideline reporter); National Radio: Westwood One with Kevin Kugler and Tony Boselli; SIRIUS: 81 (DAL), 83 (NO), 88 (National) | XM: 226 (DAL), 225 (NO), 88 (National) | SXM App: 808 (DAL), 822 (NO), 88 (National)

Referee: Brad Rogers

Current Lines: Bills -4.5 (O/U at 47.5)

Jersey Combo: Color Rush

Last 5 Matchups

9/29/19 - Saints 12, Cowboys 10
11/29/18 - Cowboys 13, Saints 10
10/4/15 - Saints 26, Cowboys 20 (OT)
9/28/14 - Cowboys 38, Saints 17
11/10/13 - Saints 49, Cowboys 17

Saints Storylines

Taysom Time. Taysom Hill is set to make his first start since last season when he stepped in for Drew Brees. The end result wasn't bad at 3-1, but the performance was very mixed. There's a lot of things Hill worked on in the offseason, and a lot of those improvements were on display in training camp. Although Hill didn't win the competition ultimately, he was a good sport about it and has a tremendous opportunity now. The Saints need answers on offense, and this could be the spark they're looking for.

Having Their Hands Full. The secondary figures to have their hands full with Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and Michael Gallup. It will be interesting to see who guards who as the game unfolds. Marshon Lattimore has had some mixed play as of late, and like the entire Saints defense, it has to be better. Getting after Dak Prescott may pose a challenge with a depleted defensive end group, but Carl Granderson was a lone bright spot in the loss to the Bills on Thanksgiving.

Offensive Line Shuffle. The team's starting tackles, Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramczyk, missed almost every session of practice. Ramczyk was limited on Monday, but that was it. Perhaps it's giving them extra time for their ailments, but this is also the time of year we see players play through injuries more times than none. If the Saints can at least get one of these tackles in the game, it'll be a big boost. James Hurst would presumably take the other spot, and the team would likely turn to veteran Jordan Mills for the other solution.

Carrying the Load. Speaking of health, Mark Ingram is back in the lineup, but we wait to hear about Alvin Kamara. He's dealing with a MCL sprain, and suffered a bit of a setback in the process. Even if Kamara plays, you have to think he won't be out in full force. It's been a brutal stretch for the top running backs in the league, as we've seen injuries to Christian McCaffrey, Dalvin Cook, and Derrick Henry in addition to Kamara.

Honoring a Legend. A great moment will happen at halftime for Saints fans, as Sam Mills will become inducted into the Saints Ring of Honor. He joins Tom Benson, Will Smith, Archie Manning, Morten Andersen, Willie Roaf, and fellow Dome Patrol comrade Rickey Jackson. Mills was something special, to say the least, and hopefully he sees a higher calling soon in the Pro Football Hall of Fame where he belongs.