Dallas Cowboys vs. New Orleans Saints - Game Preview

The Dallas Cowboys take on the New Orleans Saints in a last ditch battle to make the playoffs Sunday Dec. 23 at 1 p.m. EST at Cowboys Stadium and we're live streaming the game from kick off right here. (See video below)

Who would have thought it would all come down to the final two games of the regular season for teams as stacked with talent as the Cowboys and Saints? And yet, here we are. Both teams struggled early on in the season and have had their fair share of injuries, but the Cowboys and Saints approach the final stretch as transformed football clubs, looking less and less like their earlier selves, and that's definitely for the best.

Currently tied for first-place in the NFC East, the Cowboys control their own fate to enter the playoffs. A win against the Saints means everything to the boys in blue at this point, and could mean the entirety of the team's playoff hopes would rest on its final game of the regular season against the Washington Redskins. That's the ideal scenario for Dallas. It would take a miracle of almost supernatural proportions for New Orleans to make the playoffs now. Of course, that's only going to enliven the already fiercely hungry Saints offense, anchored by quarterback Drew Brees and running back Darren Sproles.

Dallas certainly counts more injured players at the moment, another aspect the Saints could seize upon Sunday. Morris Claiborne, a crucial lynchpin corner back for the Cowboys' mediocre defense, is out for the season, forcing the team to reach deep into its roster. Brees, one of the most dangerous QBs in the league, who leads the NFL in passing yards (4,335) and touchdowns (36), could easily exploit that weakened coverage and complicate the Cowboys' hopes for a smooth victory.

One of Dallas' star receivers, wide receiver Dez Bryant, is also playing with a broken finger through the remainder of the season.

"This finger -- it's just mental toughness, that's all," Bryant said in an interview with ESPN. "If I felt like it was going to bring me down, I probably couldn't be out here doing what I'm doing. But I don't think about it as much. I don't feel the pain after. I just go out there and play football," ESPN reported.

The finger hasn't slowed Bryant down too much, so far. An injured Bryant dodged surgery to catch four balls for 59 yards and a touchdown on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Against the Saints' 31st-ranked pass defense, he'll be in prime position to score in his seventh straight game.

Bryant has 584 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in the last six games, a span in which the Cowboys have gone 5-1.

"Each and every week, it boosts my confidence just to know that Tony believes in me," Bryant said, the Dallas Morning News reported. "I feel like I'm still working on it more, for Tony to trust me. I'm going to just keep doing what he wants me to do. I'm going to keep paying attention. I'm going to keep focused and see where it goes."

Running back Darren Sproles will the offensive player to watch for the Cowboys. Sproles is the Saints' X-factor. He's capable of giving defenses trouble on the ground and as a receiver out of the backfield on top of his punt-returning ability.

Cowboys all-time leading receiver, tight end Jason Witten could make NFL history in the game, the veteran Cowboy, playing in his 10th season, needs just five catches to tie and six to break the NFL record for most catches in a season by a tight end.

Had it not been for a spleen injury, Witten may already have the record. The injury caused Witten to get off to a modest start, as he caught just eight passes in Dallas' first three games. But since then, Witten has caught at least four passes in every game, including an 18-reception, 167-yard game against the New York Giants on Oct. 28.

"He has historical numbers this year," Saints Coach Joe Vitt said to NOLA.com. "That is the challenge when you play this football team. You have two wide receivers that are skilled, big, catch the ball, and finish passes. So if you roll up on the outside receivers you are leaving the middle of the field, your defense with Jason Witten. I think he is running and playing as well as he has played in a long time. I think he is the healthiest he has ever been."

Watch the game here live Sunday Dec. 23 at 1 p.m. EST

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