New Orleans
Saints
3-12
17
FINAL
31
Dallas
Cowboys
7-8
AI Recap
AI RECAPThe Dallas Cowboys topped the New Orleans Saints with a final score of 31-17, securing a crucial victory in Week 17 of the 2027 season. With playoff implications hanging in the balance, the Cowboys delivered a strong performance to solidify their postseason hopes.
Joe Milton led the charge for Dallas, throwing for two touchdowns and keeping the Saints' defense on their heels. Emmitt Smith was a workhorse in the backfield, racking up 130 rushing yards and consistently moving the chains. Tyler Shough of the Saints put up 228 passing yards, showcasing his ability to stretch the field, but it wasn't enough to keep pace with the Cowboys' offensive onslaught.
Defensively, the Cowboys made their presence felt, with Malachi Lawrence contributing a key sack that disrupted New Orleans' rhythm. The turning point of the game came late in the second quarter when Dallas capitalized on a turnover, leading to a quick touchdown that shifted momentum firmly in their favor. Despite a strong effort from SirVocea Dennis, who recorded 11 tackles for the Saints, the Cowboys' balanced attack proved too much to handle.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Shough | QB | 40 | 23 | 57% | 228 | 0 | 0 | 73.7 |
| Joe Milton | QB | 41 | 25 | 61% | 216 | 2 | 1 | 80.9 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EMMITT SMITH | HB | 16 | 130 | 8.1 | 56 | 2 | 29 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 15 | 41 | 2.7 | — | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| Javonte Williams | HB | 8 | 30 | 3.8 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Kendre Miller | HB | 2 | 24 | 12.0 | 18 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Joe Milton | QB | 3 | 7 | 2.3 | — | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| CeeDee Lamb | WR | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Jaydon Blue | HB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| MARQUES COLSTON | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jake Ferguson | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| KaVontae Turpin | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oscar Delp | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Olave | WR | 5 | 68 | 13.6 | 17 | 0 | 18 | 3 |
| MARQUES COLSTON | WR | 6 | 63 | 10.5 | 18 | 0 | 23 | 2 |
| CeeDee Lamb | WR | 6 | 60 | 10.0 | 17 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| KaVontae Turpin | WR | 4 | 53 | 13.3 | 20 | 1 | 16 | 0 |
| Jake Ferguson | TE | 5 | 44 | 8.8 | 16 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| George Pickens | WR | 5 | 38 | 7.6 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Oscar Delp | TE | 4 | 30 | 7.5 | 8 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 3 | 30 | 10.0 | 24 | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 3 | 23 | 7.7 | 11 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| EMMITT SMITH | HB | 4 | 14 | 3.5 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Jaydon Blue | HB | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Bryce Lance | WR | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SirVocea Dennis | MIKE | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lorenzo Styles Jr. | CB | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Dee Winters | WILL | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carl Granderson | REDG | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 6 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jonas Sanker | SS | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Caleb Downs | SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| De'Antre Prince | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| MEL RENFRO | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| MARSHON LATTIMORE | SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malachi Lawrence | REDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DaRon Bland | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Alijah Clark | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Curtis Jacobs | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Reid | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shavon Revel Jr | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christen Miller | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devin Moore | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kenny Clark | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quinnen Williams | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rashan Gary | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alfred Collins | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Epenesa | REDG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Aubrey | K | 1 | 1 | 4 | 24 |
| Charlie Smyth | K | 1 | 1 | 2 | 50 |

