The New Orleans Saints have found themselves in an uncomfortable situation in the NFC South. New Orleans has won the division each of the last four seasons and has had seven titles since realignment created the division in 2002.
Currently, at 5-6, the Saints will need every win possible to make the playoffs in a suddenly crowded NFC.
On the other hand, the 2021 Dallas Cowboys have experienced success, the likes of which they have not seen in recent years. The Cowboys have won the division only three times in the last decade and have won only two playoff games over that stretch.
Currently sitting on a 7-4 record after losing two of their previous five games, the Cowboys seem more vulnerable now than at any time during the season.
Thursday night will be crucial as the Cowboys and Saints continue to fight for playoff opportunities. Both teams will enter the game with similar struggles missing key players and coaches. The Cowboys will be without head coach Mike McCarthy who has been sidelined due to a positive COVID test.
The Saints continue to struggle to find a replacement for the now-retired Drew Brees, whose excellence as a quarterback has only been underscored this season. On Monday, the Saints announced they will start Swiss Army Knife-turned quarterback Taysom Hill in place of struggling Trevor Siemian.
The Cowboys still hold an advantage in the NFC East, but a suddenly-emergent Philadelphia is steadily closing the gap in the division. Only a few weeks ago, the Cowboys’ offense looked like one of the best units in the NFL, but injuries to key offensive linemen, wide receivers, and the team’s star running back have led to stagnation.
The Saints are up against a tall order in the NFC South if they hope to make the playoffs this season. The division is led by the Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by Tom Brady, who seems to be getting better every year he plays.
The Saints started the season with quarterback Jameis Winston under center, but an ACL tear ended his season early. Siemian, who has yet to put together a winning season since going 8-6 as a starter his second year in Denver, was benched this week following a disastrous outing against Buffalo last week.
The status of star running back Ezekiel Elliott will factor into how the Cowboys operate. Elliott is suffering from what the team calls a “bone bruise” to his knee and has been held to only two 100+ yard games this season.
Over the last five weeks, Elliott has averaged just 3.5 yards-per-carry and has seen his share of the carries drop from a peak of 21 carries in Week 5 to only nine carries each of the last two weeks.
The Saints will enter the game with Hill under center and running back Alvin Kamara nursing a knee injury that has held him out of recent games. Kamara has not played since Week 9, and the Saints have been on a losing streak since.
Both teams will come into the game in need of a win to reestablish themselves and continue to push for playoff positioning. How the two battered teams respond to the challenges ahead will play a significant role in which team emerges with victory. The game kicks off from Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Thursday, December 2, at 5:20 CT.