Roy Williams fumble opens door for New Orleans Saints victory over the Dallas Cowboys
The New Orleans Saints blew a 20-6 lead going into the second half and were forced to mount a fourth quarter comeback, after capitalizing on a Roy Williams fumble, in order to get the win over the Dallas
Cowboys on Thanksgiving Thursday 25 November.
How it happened
The Saints got things started early scoring on the game's opening drive. Quarterback Drew Brees marched the Saints down the field 80 yards on just four plays as Chris Ivory ran the ball into the end zone
on a three-yard run.
Ivory would get his second touchdown of the game two possessions later on a six-yard run as the Saints put up points on all of their first quarter possessions to take an early 17-0 lead.
The Dallas Cowboys stole some momentum back in the second half when wide receiver Miles Austin, in eerily similar fashion to Brad Smith in the New York Jets game against the Cincinnati Bengals, ran an
end around 60 yards for a touchdown on the second play of the second half.
Marion Barber and Tashard Choice also ran in touchdowns – each of only one yard – to eventually put the Cowboys into a 27-23 lead.
But Brees led the Saints 89 yards on five plays hooking up with Lance Moore on an 18-yard pass play for a touchdown, and his only touchdown pass of the game, to get the win. The Cowboys did line up a 59-yard
field goal attempt with one last possession but kicker David Buehler hit the ball wide.
What they're saying
The turning point for the Saints came when the Cowboys had a chance to extend their lead in the fourth. Quarterback Jon Kitna hit Roy Williams with a 47-yard pass, but Williams fumbled the ball on the
play giving the Saints the ball back to eventually score and win the game.
"I lost the ballgame," Williams told reporters after the game. "I let my teammates down. I need to fall down. We run the clock down and win the game. I was trying to make a play, and they did a good job.
It's late in the game. That's the nail in the coffin. We had the momentum going our way. We were there. That was a W. I get tackled, we get in the end zone, and we win. I fall down, and we win."
What it all means
The Saints improved their record to 8-3 and have now won four in a row. They take on the lowly Cincinnati Bengals, losers of their last eight, next Sunday 5 December.
The Cowboys lost their first game under interim head coach Jason Garrett and now fall to 3-8 on the season. They must head to Indianapolis to take on the Colts next Sunday.
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