Hill attempted to impose his will yet again though, by way of an unforgettable hurdle over safety Damontae Kazee, but Parsons introduced himself yet again - a critical third-down sack giving him 10 on the season.

It was running back Tony Pollard exploding for a 58-yard touchdown run that shell shocked Payton's bunch and was the haymaker the Saints never truly recovered from. But, just like that, electricity found its way onto the field, but not for the Saints. Things didn't start off much better for either team's offense early in the third quarter, with the Cowboys going three-and-out on their first possession of the second half before Hill found himself having his way on the subsequent drive for the Saints, but it ended with a field goal by kicker Brett Maher. A two-game losing streak is now ended for Dallas, and it can thank Dan Quinn (who also had duties as interim head coach) and his defense for stealing the gumbo out of Sean Payton's kitchen. Parsons dropped back in coverage on second-and-10 from Dallas' 26-yard line to deliver a pass break up that nearly landed harmlessly onto the turf, if not for safety Jayron Kearse diving while simultaneously dragging both feet to secure an eye-popping interception at Dallas' 5-yard line, grabbing a takeaway that served as a gut punch to Hill.įrom there, it was an all-out onslaught by the Cowboys' defense that ruled the day - landing four interceptions on the evening and, in doing so, tying a franchise mark set in December 2010 - which even included a pick-six from defensive lineman Carlos Watkins. Hill and the Saints threatened to hit pay dirt for the second time in the first half but rookie sensation Micah Parsons and the Cowboys' defense would have none of it. Not to be outdone, Taysom Hill went back to work with the goal of making a case for himself as permanent starter for the Saints, and he got help from wideout Lil'Jordan Humphrey on a 24-yard touchdown to open the second quarter.īut just when you thought it would become a barn burner, things cooled down offensively once again, and the Cowboys were nursing a six-point lead the Saints hoped they could prevent from becoming anything more - especially considering Dallas had the first offensive possession of the second half. who drew first blood, on a drive in the first quarter that looked a lot like the usually prolific group the NFL has become accustomed to seeing from Dallas - big plays coming from both Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb (who both returned in Week 13) and capped off by a twisting touchdown catch by Michael Gallup.

Something had to give for one of these clubs, and it did, with the Cowboys using their defense to pummel Taysom Hill into submission and delete another uneven performance by their offensive counterparts. But going into their prime-time battle in Week 13, the Cowboys dropped three of their last four games and the Saints lost four straight. The Saints were 5-2 and hot off of a victory over Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - ready to make waves in the NFC South and possibly more. The Cowboys were winners of six straight and not only in complete control of the NFC East, but in commanding fashion that also put them in position to try and secure the No. As recently as early November, these two teams were on wildly different trajectories than they were entering this matchup. Things didn't start out on an ideal note for either offense, with both teams stumbling due to a mix of good defense and poor execution en route to the Dallas Cowboys handing the New Orleans Saints a 27-17 loss at Caesars Superdome on Thursday night, and despite the absence of head coach Mike McCarthy, who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week.

Dallas cowboys game score breakdown