Saints-Cowboys Preseason Finale: Five things to know as New Orleans closes out Week 3 on Friday, Aug. 28

The New Orleans Saints will close their 2026 preseason slate on Friday, Aug. 28, when they face the Dallas Cowboys in a Week 3 finale. For both teams, this type of late-preseason game is less about short-term results and more about clarity. Coaches and front offices use the final dress rehearsal to sort out the depth chart, confirm who can handle pressure with limited reps, and define roles for the players who will carry the load on Sundays.

In preseason, the rhythm tends to be the same even when personnel varies. Expect New Orleans to use the game as a structured evaluation of both sides of the ball, with attention on early drive efficiency, third-down conversion patterns, and red-zone decision-making. The Saints’ priorities often show up in how quickly their units find rhythm after substitutions, because preseason games create more frequent lineup changes than the regular season.

For New Orleans, special teams can also be a deciding factor in roster fights, and the final preseason game typically brings increased opportunities for fringe players. Kick coverage, punt protection, and the execution of return assignments often reveal who has the technique to be trusted in live-game situations. Even when the play calls are conservative, special teams mistakes have a way of separating prospects fast.

Offensively, the most important theme for a Friday night preseason finale is ball security and execution under constraint. Backup quarterbacks and rotation skill players do not only need to move the offense, they need to operate cleanly within the offense’s timing windows and protection calls. Teams generally limit exposure to high-risk throws in the preseason, so evaluation frequently comes down to third-down composure, check-down judgment, and whether the offense can sustain drives across multiple personnel groupings.

Defensively, the Saints will be watching how their run defense holds up against the Cowboys’ base looks and how their secondary communicates in coverage adjustments. Preseason matchups also stress the ability to swap bodies and keep assignments consistent, because late-game units often feature players competing for similar roles. Defensive success in a game like this usually looks like disciplined leverage, fewer free runs to the backfield, and tackling that limits yards after contact.

As for what to watch next, the Saints’ Week 3 finale functions as a final data point before the regular-season process becomes less about competition and more about selection. The immediate takeaway will not be a single highlight, but a clearer picture of who can earn trust with limited margins for error. When New Orleans and Dallas meet again in meaningful games later, the preseason offers a preview of how each staff thinks about depth, matchups, and execution across the roster.