NEW ORLEANS SAINTS VS DALLAS COWBOYS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2019 ●
MERCEDES-BENZ SUPERDOME SAINTS POSTGAME NOTES
- With the win, New Orleans improves its record to 3-1 and remains in first place in the NFC South. New Orleans returns to action on Sunday, Oct. 6 when it faces the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Kickoff is scheduled for noon.
-The win improves the Saints all-time record against Dallas to 13-17 and gives them a three-game winning streak at home against the Cowboys. The win also improves New Orleans' record against the Cowboys to 8-3 in games played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
- With the win, New Orleans improves its home record to 2-0, marking the first time since 2014 the Saints open their home slate 2-0.
-With the victory, New Orleans' record on Sunday nights improves to 19-15 and its record improves to 12-2 on "Sunday Night Football" since NBC adopted the package in 2006. The Saints' overall record on prime-time games improves to 46-45 and 32-17 since 2006.
- The Saints finished the game with 266 yards, including 149 yards passing and 117 rushing yards. New Orleans' 27 rushing attempts is highest total of the season and its 36:04 is the team's highest since Week 11 of 2018 against Philadelphia (37:34).
-The win is the Saints' first victory without scoring a touchdown since Oct. 25, 1998 when New Orleans defeated Tampa Bay, 9-3.
- New Orleans had five players record at least three receptions for the first time in 2019.
- Defensively, New Orleans held Dallas to 10 points, 257 total yards, and 45 rushing yards – the lowest rushing output of any New Orleans' opponent since holding Tampa Bay to 43 rushing yards on Sept. 7, 2018. New Orleans held Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott to 35 yards on 18 carries and have yet to allow a 100-yard rusher in 2019. New Orleans' defense also forced three turnovers, its first multi-turnover game of 2019.
- In his second start in place of an injured Drew Brees, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater led the Saints on a fourth quarter come-from-behind scoring drive and finished with 193 yards on 23-of-30 passing. The 23 completions marks Bridgewater's highest completion total since Dec. 10, 2015 when he completed 25 passes against Arizona as a member of the Minnesota Vikings.
- Running back Alvin Kamara finished with 69 rushing yards on 17 carries and added three receptions for 20 yards. Kamara has now recorded at least 10 carries in every game this season and at least 17 carries four times in his career.
- Receiver Michael Thomas finished with nine receptions for 95 yards. Thomas now has 355 career receptions, becoming only the fifth player in Saints history with 350 receptions and also tying Odell Beckham Jr. for reaching 350 catches quickest in NFL history (52 games).
- Kicker Wil Lutz converted four field goals for the first time since Sept. 30, 2018 at the New York Giants and the fifth time in his career. Lutz converted field goals of 40, 42, 19, and 26 yards.
- Safety Vonn Bell recovered multiple fumbles for the first time in his career, recovering two Dallas fumbles, both in the second quarter. Bell's two fumble recoveries are the first time a Saint has recovered multiple fumbles in a game since DT Anthony Hargrove did so on Nov. 8, 2009 against Carolina.
- Bell has now also recovered a fumble in consecutive weeks for the first time in his career and is the first Saint to record three takeaways in two weeks since safety Kenny Vacarro did so in Weeks 6-7 of 2017.
- Bell led New Orleans with 10 tackles and added a pass defense and forced a fumble.
- Tight end Josh Hill finished with a season-high three receptions for 29 yards, his first game with 3+ receptions since Sept. 30, 2018 at the New York Giants.
-Safety Marcus Williams sealed the Saints' victory on the final play with his second interception of the season. Williams added two tackles and one pass defense. The New Orleans safety duo of Bell and Williams have accounted for all five of New Orleans' takeaways.
- Playing in his 132nd career game, defensive end Cameron Jordan surpassed tackle William Roaf for sole possession of 25th place on New Orleans' all-time games played list. Jordan finished with three tackles and one quarterback hit.
-Linebacker Demario Davis finished with nine tackles, marking his second game this season with at least nine stops. With two tackles next Sunday vs. Tampa Bay, Davis will reach 800 for his career.
- Linebacker A.J. Klein finished with seven tackles, moving his career total to 299 stops. Klein also forced a Jason Witten fumble in the second quarter.
-WR/RS Deonte Harris made an impact in both facets of the return game, posting a 29- yard kickoff return and a 23-yard punt return in the first half – both of which led to Saints' scoring drives. Harris also recorded 10 rushing yards on one carry.
- Tight end Jared Cook finished with three receptions for 21 yards, his first game with at least three receptions as a member of the Saints.
- Playing in his 175th career NFL game, Ted Ginn Jr. finished with three receptions for 19 yards.
-Quarterback Taysom Hill recorded the Saints longest rush, with an 18-yard first quarter run. Hill finished with two carries for 16 yards.
- Running backj Latavius Murray rushed for 14 yards on four carries.
-Defensive tackle David Onyemata recorded his first sack of the season and finished with three tackles and one quarterback hit. Four of Onyemata's career 7.5 sacks have come against the Cowboys.
