It’s clear Drew Brees is still dealing with a shoulder that’s not 100% (he said after the game it felt “good enough”), relegating him to mostly underneath throws. With 1:58 left in the game, the Cowboys fate was in the hands of the Cowboys defense to stop Brees and Company. Of course, being without Greg Hardy and losing Sean Lee early in this game hurts.
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“The first half, a lot of it was the pressure”, Payton said. They struggled getting aligned, and (Brees) was smart enough to snap it quickly.
“We fought really hard and had a few different adversities that happened in the ballgame with different guys playing”, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “So it will be good to build off of that”.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees had a memorable Sunday night, recording the 400th touchdown pass of his career on an 80-yard strike to running back C.J. If the Cowboys only expect the 31-year old quarterback to manage or “not to lose” games, than I believe that Weeden has done his job.
Once the game went into overtime though Brees did what he does best and connected with Spiller 20-yards down the sideline thus cementing his place in the record books.
In related news: Better late than never, C.J. Spiller!
In return, Spiller made sure his first touchdown as a member of the Saints got to its rightful owner.
The Cowboys and their fans had to be dreaming of what their superstars could have accomplished Sunday night, but that’s football.
NBC reported during its telecast that Evans, a four-time All-Pro who’s earned six consecutive Pro Bowl invites, had an arthroscopic procedure on his knee.
Saints coach Sean Payton attributed the winning play to Brees’ arm and craftiness. Senio Kelemete has started for Evans in the past two games.
-PASSING OFFENSE: A. All things considered, it was a pretty good night for the Saints. One problem was protection as he was sacked twice. He lost a yard and the Cowboys were forced to punt. The Cowboys for only 25 yards in the second half.
The Cowboys played it safe for most of the first half with the longest completion going for only 14 yards, although Dunbar broke free for a 45-yard gain on the ground. Two of his throws should have been easily intercepted (one was nullified by a defensive penalty and the other was dropped). The game went into overtime tied at 20-20. We got a great break that they missed the field goal. Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan called two unsuccessful fade routes to Terrance Williams in the end zone before quarterback Brandon Weeden was sacked for an 11-yard loss on third down, forcing Dallas to settle for a field goal.
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Then Brees went to work, completing seven straight passes to six receivers, including 19- and 21-yard connections with wide receiver Willie Snead and tight end Benjamin Watson. The Dallas backfield is a mess, but with Lance Dunbar going down with a leg injury at least there are just three guys – Darren McFadden, Joe Randle and Christine Michael – left to split carries. “We played a more complimentary and balanced game'”. Instead, video review ruled that running back Mark Ingram was already down before losing the football. The team has seen plenty of success on the road this season though, and with Jake Arrieta on the mound, you have to like their chances. Considering only three teams have reached the playoffs after beginning the season 0-3 since 1990, even 2009 Brees probably couldn’t salvage things.
