ARLINGTON, Texas — Drew Brees was a young Dallas Cowboys fan cheering on Jason Garrett during his amazing comeback victory on Thanksgiving 1994. With Garrett and the Cowboys on the verge of another holiday stunner, Brees and the New Orleans Saints took it away.
Brees and the Saints went from leading by 17 to trailing midway through the fourth quarter. The Cowboys were about to seal the victory with a long pass play when safety Malcolm Jenkins swiped the ball back and Brees drove 89 yards for a go-ahead touchdown with 1:55 left. Dallas’ David Buehler narrowly missed a 59-yard field goal with 25 seconds left that would have tied it, and the Saints held on for a 30-27 victory Thursday.
“It was kind of a gut-check win,” Saints coach Sean Payton said.
Payton appeared to be trying to call a timeout as the ball was snapped for Buehler’s kick, which would have given the Cowboys another chance. But the officials didn’t give it to him, so the play stood.
“Fortunately, I did not,” Payton said.
The Saints, playing on the holiday for the first time, won their fourth straight and fifth in six games to improve to 8-3. Dallas (3-8) lost for the first time in three games since Garrett became interim coach.
“I think we demonstrated again what we’ve done the last few weeks — battle and fight,” Garrett said. “There were a lot of things to be proud of. Guys played with a lot of passion, energy and enthusiasm. . . . But you’ve got to get the bottom line right.”
Sixteen years ago, Garrett was a third-string quarterback making a rare start in place of Troy Aikman when the Cowboys fell behind Brett Favre and the Packers 17-3. Garrett rallied them a 42-31 victory. This one would’ve been up there too. Instead, it may go down with Leon Lett’s snowy gaffe in 1993 as one that got away.
“This is a game that, if you let it, it will rip your heart out,” Dallas quarterback Jon Kitna said.
The Cowboys trailed 17-0 after the first three times the Saints had the ball, but Dallas took the lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Tashard Choice to go ahead 27-23 with 5:51 left.
The Cowboys were on their way to stretching the lead or killing the clock when Roy Williams broke free with a catch and raced 47 yards toward the end zone, following a block by Miles Austin. He switched the ball from one hand to another to avoid a defender. But he didn’t see Jenkins and got the ball stolen from him at the 11.
“I lost the ball game,” Williams said. “I let my teammates down. . . . That’s the nail in the coffin.”
Brees then drove the Saints 89 yards in five plays. He hit Robert Meachem for 55 yards and Lance Moore on a 12-yard touchdown strike.
The Cowboys had one try, but Buehler’s kick fluttered left before reaching the uprights.
