Saints look to flip the script in final preseason test against the Cowboys

The New Orleans Saints are trying to correct course as they close out the preseason with a matchup against the Dallas Cowboys after a difficult start that left them searching for answers rather than building them. New Orleans is 0-2 in the preseason so far, and the team did not look sharp in a 34-0 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

For a preseason opener it is often about installation and evaluation, but a winless first two weeks tends to put extra pressure on every decision that follows. The Saints now have a narrow window to demonstrate that the issues seen in the Rams game were fixable before the calendar turns to the regular season.

The premise of the matchup, as it is being framed going into the final preseason encounter, is about taking advantage of specific in-game situations and matchups rather than expecting the entire problem to disappear at once. In that context, the Saints need productive sequences that show the coaching staff and players are moving in the right direction.

Against the Rams, the 34-point margin made the task feel more urgent, because preseason games often serve as a dress rehearsal for how a team wants to control tempo and win situational football. When a team is shut out, it also raises questions about execution, consistency, and how quickly the offense can adjust when plans do not work on the first drive.

Dallas provides its own measuring stick, since the Cowboys, like every NFL team, use late preseason games to sort out roles, finalize depth charts, and get its higher-impact players on the field in a way that best prepares them for the regular season. For New Orleans, the value of the final preseason game is less about one result and more about confirming that the team can respond under game-like conditions.

What to watch is whether New Orleans can generate points and sustain drives, especially in the stretches where preseason opponents commonly test second units, third-down packages, and red-zone execution. Just as important will be how the Saints handle answers when the early plan does not translate, a theme that becomes harder to ignore after a lopsided defeat.

If the Saints can show improvement in these specific areas, the last preseason game could reshape how the roster discussions and regular-season preparations feel inside the building. If not, the team may carry those concerns into the first meaningful weeks of the season with less margin for error than it would prefer.