Saints vs. Cowboys instant analysis: What went right, what went wrong

Kellen Moore secured his first preseason win as the New Orleans Saints head coach, leading his team to a 27-24 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Friday night. After a string of four consecutive losses in his previous exhibitions, Moore finally broke the losing streak. The Saints' fourth-quarter rally against the Cowboys was a crucial aspect of the game that deserves attention.

The Saints managed to reduce the penalties that plagued them in their last preseason game. They had half as many penalties as the Cowboys (three flags for 39 yards compared to six flags for 45 yards), and most importantly, they only accepted four of those penalties. The Saints demonstrated disciplinary and methodical football, which played a significant role in their success.

The run game was another area where the Saints shined, with rookie wide receiver Barion Brown adding value to the run game through effective jet sweeps. Audric Estime, Kendre Miller, and Zamir White all contributed with impressive rushing performances. The Saints' performance in the trenches seemed to indicate an improvement in their defensive line.

However, they struggled against Sam Howell's deep passes to rookie wide receiver Jordon Hudson, which nearly cost them their lead. The pass rush also fell short, with only two sacks recorded among at least 35 dropbacks by the Cowboys' quarterbacks. While the pass rush and defensive line need more development, the Saints showed promise in several key areas.

The bottom line suggests that the Saints may be better than their previous performance against the Los Angeles Rams, and could be on par with a Dallas Cowboys team that missed the playoffs last year. The upcoming season looks promising, and the Saints are likely to be an entertaining team to watch. The next step in the Saints' journey is the roster cuts that will dominate the news cycle this weekend, with teams having until 5 p.m. CT on Sunday, August 30 to trim their rosters from 90 players to 53.