SAINTS & COWBOYS "FLEX" INTO 'NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL' ON DEC. 10

High-Flying Saints Brees into Dallas to Tackle Romo and Cowboys

NEW YORK � November 27, 2006 � The National Football League today announced the New Orleans Saints at the Dallas Cowboys game on December 10, previously listed for 1 p.m. ET, was selected to be moved to Sunday Night, an 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff on NBC as part of the NFL's new Flexible Schedule.

The Saints are in first place in the NFC South (7-4) and the Cowboys lead the NFC East (7-4). The Cowboys are making their second "NBC Sunday Night Football" appearance, having defeated the Redskins 27-10 in the second week of the season. The Saints are making their 2006 network primetime debut.

The Cowboys have won four of their last five games since installing backup Tony Romo as the starting quarterback. Romo has an NFL-best 110.8 quarterback rating, throwing 13 touchdown passes against five interceptions, while compiling an impressive 69.4 completion percentage. In his last outing on Thanksgiving Day, Romo tied a Cowboys record with five touchdown passes in a 38-10 rout of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Saints are the feel good story of the NFL, returning to the New Orleans Superdome after a year's absence in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and leading the NFC South division. QB Drew Brees, acquired in the off-season from the San Diego Chargers, leads the NFL in passing yards with 3,463 and has eclipsed 300 yards passing in five straight games. Yesterday, Brees threw for 349 yards in a 31-13 thrashing of the Atlanta Falcons. The Saints are seeking their first playoff berth since the 2000 season when they captured the NFC Western Division title.

ABOUT FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING:

The NFL this season is implementing for the first time in its history a primetime "flexible scheduling" element on Sundays in Weeks 10-15 and in Week 17 to ensure quality matchups with playoff implications in those weeks and give surprise teams a chance to play their way onto Sunday Night. The NFL will announce the flex game no later than 12 days prior, except for Week 17, which will be announced no later than six days before, to ensure that the final regular season Sunday Night game has playoff implications.