For some ungodly reason, some in the media still call the Dallas Cowboys “America’s Team.” And these same people say this with a straight face. Regardless, the New Orleans Saints host just another team.
The New Orleans Saints Have Owned the Dallas Cowboys for Quite Some Time
Living in the Past
The Star remains on the helmet. The symbol is there, but the legacy has been long gone. The Dallas Cowboys are Blockbuster Video when it was cool to rent VHS tapes. They are your old man’s stories from the past. Better yet, the Cowboys represent a Sears Craftsman tool. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, anything bought from Sears portrayed quality and long-lasting products. That was then.
Now, Sears is a punchline and Blockbuster is bankrupt. The same old news that Cowboys fans latch onto when they put on their Cowboys jerseys.
The funny part of this year’s 2019 team is the preemptive favorite all of a sudden with a 3-0 record. One would think having a 3-0 record against a Brees-less Saints should make the Cowboys huge favorites. But there is no fooling Las Vegas. As it stands now, the Cowboys are only a 2.5 point favorite. Think about that. If the Cowboys are truly a frontrunner in the NFC, no way the Saints should only be a small underdog without Drew Brees.
So why the confidence in the Saints this week? This trend started about 20 years ago. Before that, the Cowboys dominated the series. In the first 17 meetings, the Cowboys won 14 of those contests. There was a point where Dallas won 11 of 12 meetings. This was the old Cowboys pre-1994. Ironically, the Cowboys won their last championship in the 1996 Super Bowl against the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17. The era of “America’s Team” ended after that year. There was much more losing than winning. And the Cowboys have not been to the Super Bowl since.
America’s Team Is Now a Falling Star
Meanwhile, on the other side, the Saints started a run of domination of the Dallas Cowboys starting in 1998. The Saints would dominate the Cowboys with quarterback Kerry Collins at the helm 22-3. The Cowboys had their stars too. Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin played in that game. The Saints were led by Collins at quarterback and running backs Wilmont Perry and Troy Davis. Not exactly household names but they got the job done.
The Saints won eight of nine during the stretch. Two of those victories were 42-17 and 49-17 drubbings.
That musical summation summed up the last 20 years of the Saints owning the Cowboys. And the fact of the matter is, it wasn’t just the beating on the field. The New Orleans Saints became the dominant partner in this rivalry. And here we go again. The Saints have had the Cowboys’ number. Even though the Cowboys won the last two of three, the Saints have dominated over the last two decades.
The Cowboys Haven’t Played Anyone
While the Atlanta Falcons are the more common rivalry that spans a half a decade, the Cowboys aren’t far behind. And there is a reason for that. Most of the buildup comes from pure media obsession with the Dallas Cowboys. This Cowboys team is 3-0 but the opponents have been: New York Giants, Washington Redskins, and the Miami Dolphins. Not exactly teams who are expected to sniff the playoffs.
The Saints may be the underdogs in this game, but with the game in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, all bets are off. Look for a Saints team with plenty to prove without Drew Brees. This one may be remembered for a long time after Teddy does Dallas in his own way.
