Last meeting
On Oct. 3, 2004, Cardinals running back Emmitt Smith ran for 127 yards and threw his first career touchdown pass in a **34-10 drubbing of the Saints**.
Streaks
Historically, these two teams have not had much success, and against each other, the results have been predictably even, with Arizona holding a 13-11 edge in the overall series. Get the full **head-to-head matchup**.
Last week
Arizona blew a golden opportunity to enhance its playoff position after getting blown out by division rival Seattle, 42-21. New Orleans, on the other hand, put itself in much better playoff position with a convincing 34-14 shellacking of Atlanta.
At stake
At 6-7, both teams are one game out of the NFC postseason chase. The Saints have a better conference record, though, so they are in better tiebreaking position than the Cardinals. Either way, the stakes are obvious: Both teams need a victory to remain alive in the playoff hunt and a loss would likely drop them from contention.
Key matchup
Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett vs. Saints interior linemen. Defensive tackle is usually a position that clogs up space, enabling others to make the big play. Dockett has become one of the rare players at the position to rise above that distinction. He is perhaps the best playmaker the Cardinals have on their 15th-ranked defense. He has eight sacks and 51 tackles this season and has made a living in opposing backfields. The task of slowing down Dockett falls to Saints center Jeff Faine and right guard Jahri Evans. So far, the duo has done a great job as part of a line that has surrendered an NFL-low 11 sacks. If Faine and Evans can neutralize Dockett, look for New Orleans QB Drew Brees to stay upright and continue his tear through the second half of the season.
Did you know?
Brees has thrown for at least two touchdowns in four consecutive games. His teams are 27-7 when he has a QB rating of at least 95.
