Cowboys vs. Saints: Can Dallas shock the world Thursday night?
By Tyrone Starr
Learn from the past
This is not the first time head coach Jason Garrett has been on the sideline for the Cowboys when they were facing a juggernaut.
In 2009, the Dallas Cowboys went to New Orleans to face a Drew Brees/Sean Payton led Saints team.
That version of the Saints was 13-0 at the time. They would go on to lead the league in yards and points scored, eventually besting Indianapolis in the Super Bowl for their only Lombardi Trophy.
The Cowboys pulled off a miracle, holding New Orleans to just 17 points and 336 yards in a 24-17 victory. Garrett, at the time, was the offensive coordinator for Dallas.
The 2009 Saints and 2018 Saints are eerily similar. In 2009, New Orleans had seven wins by two touchdowns or more. The current team has five. The 2009 team had two wins by 24 or more. This year’s version has three with five games left to play.
How did the Cowboys do it?
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They held the ball for 36:26 and ran the ball on 36 of their 70 offensive snaps. Dallas also did not have a turnover and was able to sack Brees four times.
Can this 2018 Dallas Cowboys team replicate the success of their 2009 brethren?