Cowboys, Saints meet in Thursday Night Football on FOX

NEW ORLEANS - Playing in back-to-back Thursday night games ranks among the rarest NFL schedules, but that’s exactly where the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints find themselves this week.

The Cowboys (7-4) visit the Caesar’s Superdome Thursday to take on the Saints (5-6) in Thursday Night Football on FOX.

Dallas played its traditional Thanksgiving game last week, falling to the Las Vegas Raiders in time. The New Orleans played in the prime-time game last Thursday, getting blown out by the Buffalo Bills.

Both teams have struggled in recent weeks — the Cowboys dropping three of their last four games and the Saints losing four in a row. But both teams get the benefit of trying to turn the season around against another faltering squad.

Dallas has a high-powered offense that ranks top of the league overall, seventh in rushing, third in passing and is tied for second in scoring.

New Orleans’ offense ranks just 27th overall, but the Cowboys’ defense has fallen to 26th best in the NFL — leveling the matchup a bit.

The Saints have a much better defense than its offense. New Orleans’ defenders rank 12th-best in the NFL, including the 3rd-best rush defense.

The Cowboys will take the field without head coach Mike McCarthy and at least five other coaches and two players who tested positive for COVID-19 this week. The Saints faced a similar scenario in Week 2 when eight assistant coaches missed the game against the Carolina Panthers.

Playing without its full coaching staff resulted in a 26-7 loss for the Saints. Time will tell how it affects the Cowboys.

Thursday Night Football on FOX coverage begins with the Thursday Night Football Pregame Show at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the Cowboys and the Saints.

This station is owned by the FOX Corporation. This story was reported from Atlanta.