The high-powered Saints trailed, 24-3, going into the fourth quarter, then scored two quick touchdowns. After Dallas’s Nick Folk watched his 24-yard field goal try clang off the right upright shortly before the two-minute warning, the Saints got a final chance to tie it.
Brees quickly moved the Saints into Dallas territory. But on second down, Ware sacked Brees and forced a fumble that was recovered by the Cowboys with six seconds left.
“As poorly as we played, we were fortunate just to have that chance on the final drive,’’ Payton said. “But we couldn’t get anything going, really.’’
Romo passed for 312 yards, including a 49-yard touchdown to Miles Austin. Ware returned from a neck injury that left his status in doubt and was part of a pass rush that pressured Brees all night.
Marion Barber had two short touchdown runs for the Cowboys (9-5), who ended a two-game skid and proved they were good enough to beat the top team in the NFC in front of a charged-up, hostile crowd.
The Cowboys’ troubles in December had been well documented - they are 4-8 in the month in three seasons under coach Wade Phillips - but this win provided a dramatic boost to their playoff chances. They’ll hold on to a wild-card spot for at least another week.
The Saints did not score a touchdown until Mike Bell’s 1-yard run with 12:35 to go in the game. Brees followed by capping a seven-play, 70-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Lance Moore with eight minutes left, making it 24-17.
That left it up to the Saints’ defense to hold once more. Dallas faced third and 7 at its 23 and the crowd was going so wild Romo had to call a timeout a moment before the play clock expired.
The noise was still deafening when Romo returned to the line of scrimmage, but that didn’t stop him from finding Austin on a short crossing route for a 32-yard gain. On the next play, Romo spun away from the rush and hit tight end John Phillips for a 23-yard gain to the Saints’ 22. From there, Dallas went conservative and set up what looked to be a sealing field goal from nearly the same distance as Shaun Suisham’s miss two weeks ago, which allowed the Saints to come back and beat Washington in overtime.
When Folk’s kick bounced off the upright, the crowd erupted, sensing the Saints were destined not to lose. And it looked that way after Brees converted a frantic fourth down on a pass over the middle to Marques Colston, who made a one-handed catch.
The Saints marched to midfield in the final minute, but the Cowboys held firm. Ware stripped Brees for the second time in the game and lineman Jay Ratliff recovered, silencing the packed Superdome while the Cowboys lept in the air and embraced one another.
The Cowboys outgained the Saints, 439 yards to 336, holding the Saints 90 yards and nearly 19 points below their averages.
