The tale told on Sunday's showdown between the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints was one of confounded expectations. Dallas is doing much better this year, prompting many Texans to pray that this is the year Tony Romo and company turn things around. But while Dallas is exceeding expectations (particularly on defense), New Orleans is sliding in the opposite direction. Drew Brees is still performing well, but it seems that he and the Saints are short on offensive weapons, as evidenced by their 38-17 loss on Sunday, and Sean Payton's inexplicable decision to try that awful fake punt in the fourth quarter.
Dallas probably had the game sewn up by this point, but that didn't stop Saints coach Sean Payton from trying a bit of the old razzle dazzle when the chips were down (via USA Today):
"There seemed to be only two options: Go for it (the preferable choice, given the Saints' porous defense) or punt and hope to force Tony Romo into another three-and-out. Neither were ideal scenarios, but that's what happens when you're down 14 points with under eight minutes remaining."
Even more embarrassing for New Orleans, Dallas only had ten men on the field.
As the Saints drop to 1-3, one has to ask if there is any upside to this season for New Orleans (via CBS Sports):
"The Saints defense has been much worse than expected, and New Orleans' offense doesn't look the same. It's not as explosive and not as creative as usual when Sean Payton leads it."
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