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Dallas Cowboys fight the Saints: 5 things to ponder

By Michael H. Vu

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 22: The trees show their fall colors before the football game between the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on November 22, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 22: The trees show their fall colors before the football game between the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on November 22, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images /

The 10-1 New Orleans Saints come to Big D on Thursday night football. Can the Dallas Cowboys fight off the supreme team? Here are five things to ponder.

Let’s get one thing straight: The Dallas Cowboys‘ path to the playoffs is there for the taking. That statement alone should bring joy to Dallas’ hearts considering the squad was drowning a few weeks ago. y oh my, how things change so quickly!

Oh, before we smash our wine glasses in for a toast, the 10-1 New Orleans Saints is marching into town. Yes, the team is a juggernaut. A Super Bowl contender. A team with a Hall of Fame quarterback playing at Hall of Fame speeds at the young age of 39.

So, can the Cowboys hang with the very best? Welcome to the real 2018 test. Will the real Dallas Cowboys please, please stand up?

Here are five things to ponder before the match kicks off on Thursday night. And, stick around to the end to see my score prediction.

The offense meets the defense

Here we go. The Saints own the third best offense in the NFC, which also good for fifth in the NFL. Nobody in the league is averaging more points per game than this NFC supreme team. They are averaging 37.2 points a game.

To compare, the Cowboys have the third worst offense in the NFC in terms of yardage. Averaging 21.3 points per game, Dallas ranks 13th out of 16 teams in the NFC. Of course, things have changed since Mr. Amari Cooper joined the gang, so keep that in mind.

Now, for the defense in Big D. The Cowboys own the third-best defense in the NFC, allowing 331.1 yards a game. The defense is allowing 19.4 points per game, which is second in the NFC behind the Bears who are allowing 19.2 points per game.

Here is where things get interesting. The Saints have the best rush defense in the NFC, allowing 73.2 yards per game. But the pass defense? Dead last in the NFC and second to last in the NFL. They are allowing 285.7 yards per game in the air.

Obviously, the Saints are getting ahead fast and forcing their opponents to abandon the run in order to pass. Can the Cowboys remain calm, stay in the game and keep it close?

So, if the Dallas Cowboys want to topple the Saints, will Dak Prescott have to aim, fire and hit? I think so, guys. I think this is his game and how he plays will determine where the chips fall. No matter what you think, the season, the team, the outcome of 2018 will fall down to his right hand.

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