In review of my column on Friday regarding the Cowboys’ four quarters to success, the four key points were as follows:

1. Close out the game…
- This is the toughest point to critique. Do you say that Dallas did in fact do this given that they were down 14 points with under five minutes to go and pushed the game to overtime? Do you say they failed because they had a chance to win in overtime and did not do so? Ultimately, I lean towards the latter because Dallas had all the momentum and could not even get into field goal range. Beyond that, when they had an opportunity to stop the Saints, they failed on that as well.

2. Frustrate Drew Brees…
- Remarkably, this wasn’t even the most obvious failure. Drew Brees was never challenged by Rob Ryan’s defensive schemes. He was never confused by what Dallas had planned. He was never pressured and rarely were his targets even covered. Brees finished with almost 450 yards passing with three touchdowns and more importantly, no turnovers. He was never sacked, let alone rarely, if ever pressured. When you are incapable of getting any turnovers off the league leader in interceptions, that’s not a good sign for your defense.

3. Control the clock…
- Epic. Failure. Any way you look at it, this is what ultimately did the Cowboys in. As I mentioned in the preview, Dallas came in ranked third in third down conversion percentage. Today, they went 2 for 10. I said that DeMarco Murray needed to be utilized to control the clock and that if he got more than twenty carries or over 100 yards, the Cowboys would win. He carried the ball 11 times for 40 yards. Meanwhile, New Orleans extended drives like it was a scrimmage, converting 58% of their third downs and possessing the ball for forty-two minutes.

4. Dueling number nines…
- Even though Drew Brees comes away with the day as the winner, I think this is one we can say went the Cowboys way. As predicted, Tony Romo was not responsible for any negative plays or turnovers. He also had more touchdown throws and a higher passer rating. Especially when considering he had 10 less attempts and twenty less minutes of time with the ball, I think we can throw the Cowboys a bone and say Romo at minimum held his own in the one-on-one matchup versus his positional counterpart.

As for the three up/three down. I bet you can guess what side of the ball will be representing each category.

UP

1. Tony Romo
- Honestly, probably would’ve been the number two selection here if it wasn’t for his effort late in the fourth quarter, including the game-tying drive. Going 26/43 with over 400 yards, four touchdowns and zero turnovers, Romo has shut up all of those left who consider him a late season flop.

Dec 23, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) throws in the pocket against the New Orleans Saints at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

2. Dez Bryant
- What a day for the ever maturing new #88. Dez matched his career best in touchdowns in a game and set a new personal best for yards in a game with 224. Bryant was the big play threat Dallas needed since they rarely had the ball to do any damage, yet were still able to score 31 points and get the game to overtime. The only thing keeping him from the top spot was his quiet first and third quarters.

3. Dan Bailey / Brian Moorman
- Bailey was perfect on his lone field goal attempt, a 47-yard effort which tied the game at 17. He also had two touchbacks and had the Saints start their drives, on average, at their own 15 yard line. Moorman had six punts that averaged over 50 yards net per punt, including two inside the 20 yard line.

DOWN

3. The defensive line
- Zero sacks, minimal pressures or knockdowns, Drew Brees’ jersey would have been clean even if this game was played on a muddy field. The secondary was exposed in large part because Brees literally had all day to complete his pass attempts. I know that DeMarcus Ware was playing hurt but he cannot be the only guy responsible for creating pressure and negative plays for opposing offenses.

2. The secondary
- Aside from a play or two from Morris Claiborne and Sterling Moore and a few other brief positive efforts from Gerald Sensabaugh, the unit was clowned. Whenever you get no interceptions on the league leader in that category, that’s not good. When you allow 11 third down conversions, almost all of them exclusively through the air, that’s just embarrassing. The lack of quarterback pressure hurt them, but that was an excuse last week and this unit held up then.

1. Mike Jenkins
- Jenkins was responsible for multiple missed tackles on key third down situations. Other times, the man he was covering was completely uncovered. For the second straight week, when Dallas needed him most to step up, he failed. Last year at this time, Cowboys fans as well as the organization had seen enough of Terence Newman. This year’s Newman is clearly Jenkins. For a guy who wants to get paid, he surely isn’t playing like he deserves it when the lights are on the brightest.

Dec 23, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; New Orleans Saints tackle Jermon Bushrod (74) celebrates a victory in overtime with kicker Garrett Hartley (5) against the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium. The Saints beat the Cowboys 34-31 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Instead, this team likes to leave things in the hands of the Fates, and today the Fates were Saints fans. With 10:46 left in overtime, Marques Colston fumbled a 9-yard slant to the Dallas 2 yard line where tight end Jimmy Graham made his biggest possession of the day. Walt Coleman, whose accent makes Jed Clampet sound like he speaks the King’s English, ruled it a fumble recovered by New Orleans and upheld the ruling after assistance from instant replay. Garrett Hartley nailed the 20-yard field goal, which was quite a big kick for a guy who hooked left from 37 yards in the first quarter.
Now, the Cowboys are at the mercy of the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles to beat the New York Giants either today or next week to keep the Giants from earning a share of the NFC East crown. Even if the Cowboys win next week, if the Giants win out, they win the NFC East and earn their second straight NFC East title.

It was all so simple for Dallas: beat New Orleans. Beat Washington.

Stopping Drew Brees wasn’t so simple. The Austin Westlake product went 37/53 for 446 yards and 3 touchdowns. Pierre Thomas and Darren Sproles knifed the Cowboys with 7 receptions each and yards totaling over 150. Marques Colston had 10 grabs for 153 yards, and Jimmy Graham had 7 grabs for 88 yards.

The Cowboys offense lost the time of possession by double. The Saints had the ball for 41:59 while Dallas had it for 22:28. Still, Romo found a way to have his third 400-yard passing game of the season with 4 touchdowns and no turnovers whatsoever. Dez Bryant caught 9 balls for 224 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jason Witten had 6 receptions, which put him at 103 for the year and set a league record for most receptions by a tight end in a season. Take that, Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski.

The Dallas defense didn’t have one sack on Drew Brees at all, but the Saints defense had 2 sacks on Romo. Demarco Murray had a costly fumble inside the Cowboys own 5 yard line near the end of the 3rd quarter that led to a 5-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees to Pierre Thomas to put the Saints up 24-17.

Tony Romo led the Cowboys’ offense on two spectacular drives to even put this game into an extra period. With 4:45 left, he led Dallas on a 5-play, 80-yard drive that resulted in a 16-yard touchdown pass to Dwayne Harris. When the Cowboys defense got the ball back with 1:29 left after a 28-yard Dwayne Harris punt return, Romo led them on a 64-yard touchdown drive punctuated by Miles Austin making a secure, sliding catch in the corner of the end zone.

Dec 23, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) throws a pass in the pocket during the game against the New Orleans Saints at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

And with winning the toss, it was all there for the Cowboys’ taking. Instead, like the Marques Colston fumble, they just let it roll away from them, kind of like their playoff hopes.

In order to get in, they have to beat the Redskins. 8-8 cannot cut it this season. Then, upon beating the Redskins, the Giants had better drop a game to either the Ravens right now or the Eagles next week in New York. If the Giants win out, they win the East and Cowboys fans will be like the kid at Christmas who got socks and underwear instead of a playoff berth.

There’s only 60 minutes left of Cowboys football in 2012. Enjoy it, because it may be the last we see for another eight months.

FIRST QUARTER
– Close the door…

Unlike the recent years, this team is proving itself to be able to seal the deal. The 2012 Cowboys are undefeated when they are tied or have a lead going into the fourth quarter (5-0). The Saints on the other hand are all or nothing. They are 6-0 when they have a lead going into the fourth quarter and 0-8 when they have trailed. Simply put, if the Cowboys are leading at the end of three quarters, they have a very solid chance of getting to 9-6.

SECOND QUARTER
– Cool Brees?

The 2012 version of Drew Brees is not the same guy we are used to seeing. He leads the league in interceptions and has already tied his second highest career mark for most in a season with two games left. His passer rating is the second worst it has been in the last five years, while his completion percentage is the worst it has been in almost ten years. On the flip side of that coin, the Saints are first in passing touchdowns, second in passing yards and third in pass attempts. For Dallas to triumph, they will need to expose the flaws and not succumb to the always dangerous Drew Brees.

THIRD QUARTER
– Control the clock…

Both the Saints and the Cowboys are in the top six teams in the league in third down conversion percentage. Dallas (third at 44.4%) will need to keep this pace up to not only have an opportunity to score the points necessary to keep up with high-powered Saints’ offense but also make Drew Brees impatient by keeping him on the sideline. Enter DeMarco Murray. Getting the running game going should not be too much trouble as the Saints have the second to worst ranked rush defense.  If Murray gets 20+ carries or eclipses the 100-yard mark, the Cowboys will most likely be victorious.

Dec 16, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray (29) runs with the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

FOURTH QUARTER
– Air conditioning…

This game will likely come down to a duel between Brees and Romo. This is where the Cowboys become the conundrum to solve. The Cowboys would seem to have an advantage when you look at pass defense, however looks may be deceiving. Dallas is ranked 14th in yards and 13th in touchdowns allowed, yet they also see the third least amount of pass attempts per game. Dallas also is tied for last in interceptions which poses another issue.  Fourteen of Brees’ eighteen interceptions have come in losses. Bottom line, I don’t forsee Tony Romo putting Dallas in negative situations, so if the Cowboys can get Brees to give up the ball, New Orleans is very likely to lose.

My prediction: Saints 31, Cowboys 37.

As for the picks for the week, I am now back at even with two weeks left. Although today is the first day of winter, it’s time to get hot to ensure that I finish above .500 for the year. As always, the picks are in caps and bold.

LAST WEEK 9-7 (.563)
SEASON TOTAL 112-112 (.500)
THIS WEEK 0-0 (.000)

-4 ATLANTA at Detroit
Tennessee at GREEN BAY -12.5
+8.5 OAKLAND at Carolina
Buffalo at MIAMI -4.5
+3.5 CINCINNATI at Pittsburgh
-14.5 NEW ENGLAND at Jacksonville
-6.5 INDIANAPOLIS at Kansas City
New Orleans at DALLAS -3
Washington at PHILADELPHIA +6
St. Louis at TAMPA BAY -3
N.Y. Giants at BALTIMORE +2.5
+8.5 MINNESOTA at Houston
Cleveland at DENVER -13
-5.5 CHICAGO at Arizona
-1 SAN FRANCISCO at Seattle
+2.5 SAN DIEGO at N.Y. Jets