Cowboys grab 17-3 lead over unbeaten Saints at the half

Cowboys lead Saints 17-3 at halftime

NEW ORLEANS — The Dallas Cowboys appeared intent on ending their recent history of December swoons, taking a 17-3 lead into halftime against the unbeaten New Orleans Saints.

Tony Romo threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Miles Austin, and Marion Barber scored from 3 yards as the Cowboys took a quick 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Nick Folk then added a 44-yard field goal three seconds before halftime.

Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware, who did not practice all week after suffering a neck sprain that sent him to the hospital six days earlier against the San Diego Chargers, forced a Drew Brees fumble on a sack late in the first half, leading to Folk’s field goal.

The Saints lost running back Reggie Bush to an apparent right leg injury in the second quarter. Bush caught a pass in the middle of the field, pulled up, hobbled to the sideline and headed straight to the bench. His status for the second half was unclear.

Dallas had a chance to add to its advantage early in the second quarter, getting a first down at the Saints 32 after an illegal contact penalty on cornerback Mike McKenzie on a fourth-down play.

Instead, the Saints sacked Romo twice in the next three plays, forcing a punt before their offense mustered its only sustained possession of the half. Drew Brees led a 12-play 75-yard drive, completing a 35-yard pass to Marques Colston to the Cowboys 17. The Saints stalled from there, setting up Garrett Hartley’s 34-yard field goal.

After holding the Saints to a three-and-out on the opening possession, the Cowboys struck first when Romo hit Austin deep down the sideline. Austin beat rookie cornerback Malcolm Jenkins on a stop and go pattern, and safety Roman Harper could not get over in time to prevent the touchdown.

With the catch, Austin went over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career. He had 999 yards entering the game. The play capped a five-play, 79-yard drive in which Dallas gained at least 9 yards on all but one snap.

The Saints went three-and-out again, and Patrick Crayton returned a punt 28 yards to set up an eight-play, 60-yard touchdown drive. The big strike was a 26-yard Austin catch-and-run to the New Orleans 15. Tashard Choice converted a third down with a 4-yard run out of the wildcat formation before Barber dove across the goal line for a 3-yard score.

The Cowboys have lost their past two games and are 3-7 in December under coach Wade Phillips, but everything went right in the first quarter against the Saints. After throwing an incomplete pass on his first attempt, Romo completed his next seven and ended the quarter 7 of 9 for 135 yards.

Romo was 10 for 18 for 169 yards with a touchdown pass.

Brees was 12 for 19 for 127 yards, getting sacked twice, throwing an interception and losing a fumble. The Saints trailed for only the second time at home at the half this season.