Drew Brees, Saints rout Cowboys

Dave Halprin at Cowboys blog Blogging The Boys was not optimistic when he broke down the potential impact of Lee’s absence.

The Cowboys secured Lee with a six-year extension in August, and he has paid the team back handsomely this season. Through 10 games, he has 93 tackles and four interceptions. The former second-round pick fits the mold of a versatile 4-3 middle linebacker, and has made the transition to Monte Kiffin’s preferred defensive scheme much more bearable.

Unsurprisingly, quarterback Drew Brees was the catalyst for the Saints’ offense, as he has been for several years now. While the entire offense graded out well at Saints blog Canal Street Chronicles, Andrew Juge saved top marks for the veteran signal caller.

The blowout loss, meanwhile, puts the Cowboys’ season in serious jeopardy. Over the first half of the season, Dallas was clearly the NFC East’s strongest team. Now the rest of the division is hitting its stride just as the Cowboys are entering a down slope. KD Drummond at Cowboys blog Blogging The Boys is worried.

Jones let Ryan walk after the 2012 season in which the Cowboys finished 8-8 and ranked 19th on defense. This season, Dallas is 5-5 through 10 games under new defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin. The defense is coming off one of the worst performances in NFL history, giving up 40 first downs to set a new league record.

Overall, the Cowboys’ defense ranks dead last, allowing 439.8 yards per game including an astounding 313 through the air. Already this year, Dallas has allowed four games of 400+ passing yards, tying the NFL record for an entire season.

What does the Silver Fox do after his Saints stomp all over America’s Team? He gets down in there in the dirt and the mud with the PEOPLE and gives them what they wants. THE PEOPLE DEMAND ADULT BEVERAGES.

Thank you, Silver Fox, for understanding us so well. And also for dressing significantly more nicely for going out to a bar than for coaching a football game on national television.

Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee left in the first quarter with a hamstring injury and was unable to return. DeMarcus Ware was also hurt, but played through his injury. There is no update on either’s status at this time.

Drew Brees was fantastic with 392 yards and four touchdowns.

The second half will come down to whether the Cowboys can weather the storm on defense without Lee while finding a way to make vertical passes. If those things can’t happen, it will be a long second half for Dallas.

• Complete coverage of every NFL Week 10 game

• Complete coverage of every NFL Week 10 game

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Rob Ryan is a man who knows what he wants when he sees it. And he sees the team that fired him standing on the other side of the field.

However, this is also the look Ryan gets before meals, with indigestion and right before ducking into a porno theatre.

The NFL is honoring the service of men and women in the Armed Forces on Veterans Day weekend as end zones around the league carried messages of gratitude and teams wore camouflage-colored patches and towels.

Sunday Night Football went one step further as the color guard was on the field for a flag ceremony while the national anthem was sung.

Hatcher’s absence will be mitigated somewhat by the return of defensive end DeMarcus Ware from a thigh injury. Hatcher has arguably been the Cowboys’ best defensive lineman this season, however. He suffered a stinger during the Cowboys’ win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 9. On the year, he has 29 tackles, seven sacks and a forced fumble.

The Cowboys need all the help they can get against an offensive line that ranks eighth in the NFL in adjusted sack rate, according to Football Outsiders.

Bryant did not practice on Wednesday and was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday leading up to Sunday’s game, and reportedly took an epidural injection in his back in order to get onto the practice field. The fourth-year receiver had a successful practice on Friday and looked good going through drills. He was listed as probable for the game against the Saints.

Bryant has 51 catches for 705 yards and eight touchdowns on the season, but has just nine catches total the past two weeks combined.

One of the hottest teams in the league, the Saints ran into a speed bump in last week’s 26-20 loss to the Jets. Drew Brees was humming as usual, but threw two costly interceptions. On the defensive side, the Saints were worn down by New York’s running game, surrendering 198 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Week 9 was another roller coaster ride for Cowboys fans, but this time their team came out on top. Tony Romo led a touchdown drive with just two minutes to give Dallas a narrow 27-23 win over the lowly Vikings. Once again the Cowboys put the offense on Romo’s back, running the ball just nine times.

Game Date/Time and Location: Sunday, Nov. 10, 8:30 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, La.

TV schedule and distribution map: NBC; The506.com