NFL Matchups: The New Orleans Saints Vs. Dallas Cowboys All-Time Series History

Looking back at the all-time series history between the New Orleans Saints and their Week 2 opponent, the Dallas Cowboys.

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The New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys face off in Week 2 of the 2024-25 NFL season. Dallas will host this matchup, the first between these teams since a 27-17 Cowboys victory during the 2021 season. It'll be the first game between the two in Dallas since 2018, a 13-10 Cowboys win.

New Orleans is coming off a 9-8 finish in 2023. They tied for the division lead, but missed the playoffs entirely because of tiebreakers. It was the third consecutive year that the Saints have missed out on a postseason berth.

Dallas finished 12-5 last season, winning the NFC East but ending their season with a drubbing at home to the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the playoffs. It was their third straight 12-5 finish and third straight playoff appearance, with two of those resulting in a division title.

With five of their first six games against NFC opponents, it's vital that the Saints get off to a strong start. New Orleans is 11-13 in conference games over two years with Dennis Allen as head coach, including 5-7 outside the division. They are a putrid 1-6 on the road under Allen against NFC foes outside their division.

Interestingly, the Saints have lost four of their last five Week 2 contests. A win at Carolina last year broke a four-game Week 2 losing streak. Three of those four losses were on the road.

Proximity of the two cities have created a rivalry between the fans of each team. However, these squads have met on the field only 31 times since the Saints entered the NFL in 1967.

Saints at Cowboys Series History

Nov 29, 2018; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) runs with the ball against the Dallas Cowboys / Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

• 13-18 (All-time Record)
• 4-11 (Away)

New Orleans and Dallas first met during the Saints inaugural season of 1967. The Cowboys hosted that matchup and took a 14-10 victory. It was the fifth of seven consecutive losses for New Orleans to start their existence.

These teams were actually divisional opponents in 1967 and 1969 as part of the four-team Capitol Division of the NFL. The Saints lost their first five meetings against Dallas from 1967 to 1969, with two of those losses coming on the road.

New Orleans wouldn't beat the Cowboys until a year after the AFL-NFL merger. In 1971, the Saints managed a 24-14 victory against defending NFC Champion Dallas at home in Tulane Stadium. It was one of only three losses that season for the Cowboys, who went on to win Super Bowl VI.

Nov 29, 2018; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) is pressured by New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) / Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

That was also the only win for the Saints versus Dallas against 11 losses between 1967 and 1984. Seven of those defeats were on the road in Dallas, with four of those by at least 14 points. New Orleans would finally defeat the Cowboys again in 1988, taking back-to-back matchups against them in 1988 and 1989. Both of those victories were at home in the Superdome.

New Orleans would lose the first nine times they played the Cowboys in Dallas between 1967 and 1991. They actually wouldn't get their first road win in Dallas until the 2004 season. A touchdown pass from QB Aaron Brooks to WR Joe Horn was part of a 13-0 run from the midway part of the third quarter to help the Saints turn a 13-10 deficit into a 27-13 win.

The Saints would win four consecutive games on the road against Dallas between 2004 and 2012. Dallas has rebounded to beat the Saints the last two times they hosted these matchups, in 2018 and 2014. New Orleans has won 10 of their last 14 overall matchups against the Cowboys since 1998.

These two teams have alternated victories against each other since 2013, with both squads each taking three wins. Dallas won the last matchup by a 27-17 score in New Orleans in 2021. The previous three games between the Saints and Cowboys were decided by six points or less.