New Orleans
Saints
0-4
22
FINAL
25
Dallas
Cowboys
2-2
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 5 matchup, the Dallas Cowboys narrowly defeated the New Orleans Saints with a final score of 25-22, keeping their playoff hopes alive in the 2027 season. Both teams battled fiercely, but the Cowboys managed to hold off the Saints in the closing moments, securing a crucial victory on their home turf.
Offensively, Brashard Smith was the star for Dallas, racking up an impressive 130 rushing yards, which played a pivotal role in controlling the game's tempo. Tyler Shough led the Saints with 220 passing yards and a touchdown, while Devaughn Vele showcased his receiving skills by notching 119 yards through the air, keeping New Orleans competitive throughout the contest.
Defensively, Nick Bolton anchored the Cowboys' efforts with a team-high seven tackles, contributing significantly to the team's overall performance. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Chase Young recorded a critical sack for the Saints, but it wasn't enough to shift momentum back in New Orleans' favor as they fell just short of a comeback. The Cowboys' defense, stepping up when it mattered most, ultimately sealed the win.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Shough | QB | 36 | 22 | 61% | 220 | 1 | 0 | 87.7 |
| Byrum Brown | QB | 33 | 19 | 58% | 184 | 0 | 0 | 73.2 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brashard Smith | HB | 16 | 130 | 8.1 | 62 | 0 | 47 | 0 |
| Javonte Williams | HB | 16 | 77 | 4.8 | 41 | 2 | 44 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 15 | 76 | 5.1 | 35 | 1 | 21 | 1 |
| Byrum Brown | QB | 2 | 23 | 11.5 | 11 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Trey Benson | HB | 4 | 21 | 5.3 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 6 | 21 | 3.5 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Hunter Luepke | FB | 3 | 8 | 2.7 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Devaughn Vele | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rocky Bers | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devaughn Vele | WR | 9 | 119 | 13.2 | 20 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Caleb Douglas | WR | 5 | 84 | 16.8 | 14 | 1 | 27 | 1 |
| Drake London | WR | 6 | 66 | 11.0 | 10 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Cam Coleman | WR | 5 | 43 | 8.6 | 10 | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| Rocky Bers | TE | 4 | 35 | 8.8 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| Brashard Smith | HB | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Evan Stewart | WR | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 5 | 10 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Noah Fant | TE | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Young | LEDG | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Bolton | SAM | 7 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christen Miller | DT | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Elijah Green | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaden Elliss | SAM | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Malachi Lawrence | REDG | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Reid | FS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maxwell Hairston | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Simeon Harris | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Pete Werner | MIKE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonas Sanker | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jake Golday | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Pearce Jr | REDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quinnen Williams | DT | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Bresee | DT | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaishawn Barham | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Caleb Downs | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Alex Anzalone | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Myles Murphy | LEDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lorenzo Styles Jr | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jordan Hancock | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vernon Broughton | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Sainristil | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Kenny Clark | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carl Granderson | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shavon Revel Jr | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Shemar James | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Martel Hight | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Amare Campbell | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Thompson | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Carlson | K | 2 | 2 | 2 | 50 |
| Brandon Aubrey | K | 4 | 4 | 1 | 52 |

