Cowboys-Saints: Five things to watch
The Dallas Cowboys have won 10 consecutive road games dating to the 2013 game at Washington.
A win Sunday in New Orleans will establish a team-record road streak and tie for the third-longest in NFL history. The 1968-69 and 2006-07 teams share the team record with 11 consecutive road wins.
Milestones aside, the Cowboys lead the series with New Orleans 16-11. However, they’re facing a hungry and winless team at the Superdome.
Dallas is trying to find a sense of order after a second-half collapse and loss at home against Atlanta last week.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who missed last week’s game with a shoulder injury, and Brandon Weeden, in his encore start this season, are the wild cards in this matchup.
Weeden’s encore
Brandon Weeden and the Cowboys threw around the word “efficient” in describing the backup quarterback’s first start in Tony Romo’s place last week against Atlanta. He threw one interception but completed 22 of 26 passes. He threw mostly underneath to tight ends and running backs, so it’ll be interesting to see whether the offense opens up.
Running game
Joseph Randle looked like an electrifying back early on with three quick scores against Atlanta, and Darren McFadden also found the end zone for the first time as a Cowboy. But then the running game disappeared. The Cowboys have to establish the running game against the Saints, who rank 26th against the run.
Where’s the rush?
The Cowboys sacked Matt Ryan once last week, as Sean Lee picked up his first career sack on the Falcons’ third play of the game. Ryan then threw the ball 36 more times without being sacked. Cowboys coach Jason Garrett acknowledged that the pass rush must improve this week.
Containing Ingram
The Cowboys’ run defense let a backup roll up 141 yards on 30 carries last week. Mark Ingram has a more proven track record in the NFL, including four 100-yard games a year ago. Stopping the running game remains a priority, as it is every week.
This story was originally published October 3, 2015 at 6:41 PM with the headline " Cowboys-Saints: Five things to watch."