NEW ORLEANS — No offense? No problem. The Saints used a stifling defense against one of the league's top-rated offenses and throttled the previously-unbeaten Dallas Cowboys 12-10 Sunday night.
The win gives the Saints two straight victories against teams that are a combined 6-0 against teams not named New Orleans. Seattle and Dallas are both 3-1 with their only losses being to the Saints.
"I thought the type of team we were playing, I didn't expect it to be a high-scoring game," said head coach Sean Payton. "It unfolded that way."
The Saints held the highest-paid running back in the NFL, Ezekiel Elliott, to 35 yards rushing on 18 carries and they limited red-hot Dak Prescott to 223 yards passing and forced an interception.
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The defense also forced a fumble and sacked Prescott only once, but hurried him several times.
On offense, the Saints weren't exactly stellar, but they did control the clock with methodical drives that mostly ended in field goals. That was good enough for the win though.
Up 12-10 late in the fourth quarter, the Saints were angling for a fifth field goal when Teddy Bridgewater (23 of 30 for 193 yards and one INT) was sacked for a huge loss.
For Bridgewater, who was under constant pressure, it was another outing where he had trouble getting the ball down the field to wide receivers.
"I think he could play better," said Payton. "I thin he would tell you the same thing. I don't think it has to be aesthetically pleasing to be effective."
However Thomas Morstead punted the Cowboys deep and on first down Prescott was sacked, setting up a long field.
Starting quarterback Drew Brees is still expected to be out another 4-5 weeks but the Saints, now 3-1 on the season, lead the division by a game and are at home against Tampa next weekend.