You don’t win many games in the NFL when you don’t score a touchdown, but the New Orleans Saints did just that, dealing a 12-10 loss to the visiting Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. Backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater filled in admirably for starter Drew Brees, but there’s no mistaking them given how each player conducts the offense. And the issues surrounding Bridgewater and the offense — dropped passes, constant holding penalties and frequent pressure from the Cowboys pass rush — only made it harder for New Orleans to capitalize on its opportunities.
But the Saints did win, and they did do it without scoring a touchdown through the air or on the ground. It’s just the fourth time they’ve done so in team history, and the first time since 1998, per Pro Football Reference. There’s something to be said for such a team effort, with the defense and special teams units stepping up to shut down a Cowboys squad many thought to be the hottest team in the NFL.
As Saints coach Sean Payton noted in his postgame press conference, “It doesn’t have to be aesthetically pleasing to be effective.”
The offense did come alive in the second half with some electric running by Alvin Kamara, but at the end of the day, Saints kicker Wil Lutz is the only one who will walk away having put points on the board. This style of play may be dramatic and entertaining, but it probably isn’t sustainable.
