NEWSLETTER
Turkey Day has come and gone, and we’re into the “25 days of Christmas” season, which means it’s time for the playoff picture to begin to come into focus across the NFL. Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys should be running away with the NFC East, but here we are in Week 13, and the Cowboys have lost back-to-back games, and the Washington Football Team is trying to make something of this division race afterall on the heels of three consecutive wins.
Enter the New Orleans Saints, who have nothing to play for at this point but pride and the satisfaction in playing stickler in the sides of playoff hopefuls just like these Dallas Cowboys. Do we have an upset brewing in New Orleans on Thursday Night Football tonight? Ron Rivera sure hopes so, I’m sure. Just for kicks and giggles, let’s play the hypothetical game for a moment here. A Dallas loss to New Orleans tonight and a Washington win over the Raiders on Sunday (the Bears beat the Raiders, anyone can) moves the Cowboys to 7-5 and the Football Team to 6-6.
That would set up a Week 14 meeting between the Cowboys (losers of three straight) and Washington (winners of four straight). A matchup between a skidding Cowboys team against a streaking Washington Football Team, that if it went Washington’s way, would create a tie atop the NFC East between the 7-7 Cowboys and 7-7 Football Team. Alright, let’s get back to today. But, seriously, I can see the next two weeks playing out just like that. Being Bears fans, we don’t have much to root for outside of league-wide chaos, so what the hell? Let’s do it!
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1466408058540552198?s=20
Game Info
Dallas Cowboys (7-4, 1st NFC East) at New Orleans Saints (5-6, 3rd NFC South) – FOX, NFL Network (Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews, Kristina Pink), Westwood One (Ian Eagle, Tony Boselli)
Kickoff Time: 7:20 p.m. CT
Site: Caesers Superdome, New Orleans, La.
Referee: Brad Rodgers
Odds: DAL -5, O/U 47.5 (via DraftKings Sports Book)
Game Thread
Your game thread is down in the comments, so let’s have some good, clean (safe-for-work) fun!
Coaches
Cowboys: Mike McCarthy (138-91; 13-14 w/ DAL, 125-77 w/GB) vs. Saints: Sean Payton (148-87)
Starting QBs and Projected Game Stats
Cowboys: Dak Prescott: 26/38, 305 passing yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 3 carries, 9 rushing yards
versus
Saints: Taysom Hill: 19/30, 220 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 8 carries, 45 rushing yards
Week 13 projected stats via ESPN projections
Cowboys Projected Starters
Offense
• QB Dak Prescott
• RB Ezekiel Elliott
• WRs Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup
• TE Dalton Schultz
• LT Tyron Smith, LG Connor Williams, C Tyler Biadasz, RG Zack Martin, RT Terence Steele
Defense
• DEs Tarell Basham, Dorance Armstrong, DTs Osa Odighizuwa, Carlos Watkins
• MLB Keanu Neal, SLB Micah Parsons, WLB Leighton Vander Esch
• CBs Anthony Brown, Trevon Diggs, NB Jourdan Lewis
• FS Damonte Kazee, SS Jayron Kearse
Specialists
• Greg Zuerlein (kicker), Bryan Anger (punter, holder), Jake McQuaide (long snapper), Tony Pollard, CeeDee Lamb (kick and punt returns)
Saints Projected Starters
Offense
• QB Taysom Hill
• RB Alvin Kamara
• WRs Marquez Callaway, Tre’Quan Smith
• TE Garrett Griffin
• LT Terron Armstead, LG James Hurst, C Erik McCoy, RG Cesar Ruiz, RT Ryan Ramczyk
Defense
• RDE Carl Granderson, LDE Cameron Jordan, DTs Shy Tuttle, David Onyemata
• WILL Kwon Alexander, MLB Demario Davis, SAM Kaden Elliss
• LCB Paulson Adebo, RCB Marshon Lattimore
• FS Marcus Williams, SS Malcolm Jenkins
Specialists
• Brett Maher (kicker), Blake Gillikin (punter, holder), Zach Wood (long snapper), Deonte Harris (kick and punt returns)
Inactives
Saints inactives vs. Cowboys:
– Alvin Kamara (knee)
– Marcus Davenport (shoulder)
– Terron Armstead (knee)
– Ryan Ramczyk (knee)
– Kaden Elliss (hamstring)
– Ian Book
– Tony Jones Jr.— Amie Just (@Amie_Just) December 2, 2021
No surprises with the Cowboys inactives tonight against the Saints: WR Cedrick Wilson, QB Will Grier, DE Azur Kamara.
As expected, DE DeMarcus Lawrence and WR Amari Cooper are playing tonight.
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) December 3, 2021
