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John DeShazier | Senior Writer - NewOrleansSaints.com
Part of the reason the New Orleans Saints (10-1) have been locked in during their 10-game winning streak? For the sixth time in their last eight games, they’ll be facing an opponent that either leads its division on that day, or is in second place. The two teams that didn’t fall into that category, Philadelphia and Atlanta, were the defending Super Bowl champs and a NFC South Division rival, which pretty much assured full attention on those dates, too.
So there’ll be no mental dips for New Orleans, despite the fact that the Saints will be playing their third game in 12 days, and fourth in 19. They’ve played their best football during the three-game sprint, beating opponents by an average score of 43-13, and they’ve been up to the task in prime time, which will be the setting on Thursday night against the Cowboys (6-5) in AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
Here are a few things the Saints will need to do well in order to stretch their winning streak to 11:
No team in the NFL has been better against the run than the Saints. As much as the league-low 73.2 rushing yards per game they allow headlines the numbers, they also hold opponents to just 3.6 yards per carry. Linebackers Demario Davis, A.J. Klein, Alex Anzalone and their teammates will need their “A” games against Dallas. Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott leads the league in rushing – 1,074 yards, with six touchdowns on 217 carries – and he has been on a roll during Dallas’ three-game winning streak, with 394 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 68 carries. The Saints like to make teams one-dimensional; this may be their toughest test yet. ...
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