(SportsNetwork.com) - New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan will cap an interesting past eight days when the Dallas Cowboys pay a visit to the Superdome Sunday night in a matchup between division leaders. You can watch all the action on TSN beginning with Football Night in America at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. In his first season running the Saints defense, Ryan has implemented a 3-4 scheme in the Crescent City and the players have adjusted nicely save their effort against the run (25th, 121.2 ypg). The Cowboys have struggled moving the chains on the ground and Ryan hopes to take advantage of his former employer. Ryan, of course, ran Dallas defense from 2011-12 and parted ways this past offseason. He eventually signed a deal to spearhead the Saints defense, which is fifth against the pass (211.9), eighth in points allowed (19.4) and ninth in yards allowed (333.1). Ryan is coming off an emotional 26-20 loss at the Meadowlands last Sunday against twin brother, Rex, who is the head coach of the New York Jets. The Saints trailed 20-14 at halftime and limited the Jets to six points in the second half. The only problem was that the Saints also scored six points over the final two quarters. New Orleans allowed 338 total yards and once again struggled to stop the run, as New York running back and former Saint Chris Ivory ran for 139 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Ryans defense did not force any turnovers and registered just two sacks. Saints veteran linebacker Jonathan Vilma is one of Ryans best players and wasnt pleased with Sundays loss, saying the defense has "to get better" and his knee issue is nothing to worry about. "I wish we could have won the game. I wish I could have made more plays to help the team. Outside of that I feel good," Vilma said. "I think tomorrow will be a good test, and then coming back Wednesday for practice will be a good test to see how the knee feels." Guess what? The knee doesnt appear to be strong enough to last the season and Vilma was reportedly placed on injured reserve Wednesday. Vilma played just 12 snaps in his first time back on the active roster Sunday. He was one of the four players suspended by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell last year for his alleged role in the Saints bounty scandal. New Orleans has lost two of three games since opening 5-0 and leads the NFC South by a game ahead of Carolina. The Saints upcoming schedule is not a forgiving one, as they are scheduled to play Dallas, San Francisco, Atlanta, Seattle and Carolina. But first the Saints have to take care of business with the Cowboys. Theyre hoping the defense shows up in this one. New Orleans recorded just 30 sacks last season, but already has 26 through eight games. Defensive end Cameron Jordan and outside linebacker Junior Galette have six and five sacks, respectively, and cornerback Keenan Lewis has three interceptions. Inside linebacker Curtis Lofton leads the Saints defense with 75 tackles. Lofton was asked about the mindset in the locker room and how the Panthers are creeping up in the NFC South because the Saints have lost two of three. "Well we dont care what any other team does. We dont care where Carolina is at or what theyre doing. We care about what we can control, and thats how we play," Lofton said. "If we go out and take care of business, we dont have to worry about any other team. November and December is the time where the real teams start to separate themselves. The great teams separate themselves from the good teams. We know that, and thats what were going to do." The Saints are 4-0 at home this season and 14-3 in the last 17 November games. Meanwhile, the Cowboys lead the NFC East by a game ahead Philadelphia and kept it that way by squeezing out a 27-23 victory over the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday in Big D. Dwayne Harris 7-yard touchdown catch with 35 seconds to play lifted the Cowboys, winners in three of their last four games. Tony Romo passed for 337 yards with two touchdowns and an interception while going 34-for-51, while Jason Witten caught eight passes for 102 yards and a score for the Cowboys, who bounced back from a one-point loss in Detroit. "All wins are big," Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said. "Every one is big. You only play 16 games and you count the wins up at the end. You have to bring your best every Sunday in this league. Weve got to learn from this one, move forward and get ready for New Orleans." One week after blowing up on the sidelines, Dallas mercurial wide receiver Dez Bryant caught six passes for 64 yards and was flagged for taking off his helmet to argue a penalty. Still, Bryant has emerged as one of the best young receivers in the game and is one of the reasons why Dallas is ninth in passing yards (267.1) and fourth in scoring (28.6). Bryant leads the Cowboys in receiving yards (705) and TD receptions (8). Terrell Owens had a team-record 15 TD catches back in 2007, so Bryant is getting close. You cannot count out Romo either for Dallas success. Romo is on pace for his fifth 4,000-yard passing season and already has 20 touchdown passes in 2013. His 100.0 QB rating is one of the best and he will look to exploit a tough New Orleans defense. Since the Cowboys have struggled to run the football, Romo will most likely attempt 45 to 50 passes Sunday. Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray returned after missing two games with a knee injury Sunday and had just 31 yards on four carries. He has 11 total carries in his last two games played. The Cowboys will enter the bye week after visiting the Saints, who trail the all-time series with Dallas by a 10-15 count. The Saints recorded a 34-31 overtime win in the last meeting on Dec. 23, 2012, as New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees threw for 446 yards and three TDs with no interceptions. Romo passed for 416 yards with four touchdown strikes and no picks. New Orleans has a 19-8 record on primetime television since 2006. Dodgers Jerseys 2019 . The match, billed as a "next-gen" encounter between two of the sports rising stars, lasted two and a half hours. The loss kept Raonic, from Thornhill, Ont., from reaching a third fourth-round spot in Melbourne over the past four years. Maury Wills Dodgers Jersey . The Tournament of Champions, which starts Friday, is his first event since a freak accident in Shanghai two months ago. 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Summers has seen scant playing time with the Coyotes since being selected 29th overall by the club in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, having played in 47 career NHL games.SAN DIEGO -- The Kansas City Royals had to work overtime to end a season-high, five-game losing streak and get their first win at Petco Park. Alex Gordon singled in the go-ahead run with one out in the 11th inning and pinch-hitter Billy Butler followed with an RBI double to give the Royals a 3-1 victory against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night. The Royals also got great pitching from starter Jeremy Guthrie and relievers Wade Davis and Greg Holland, who held San Diego to one run on six hits. "We knew that we were 0-7 in this place and we needed to change that," manager Ned Yost said. "Our pitching allowed us to do that tonight. Guthrie, Wade Davis, Holland, were all fantastic. They kept us in position, right there in the ballgame, until we could break it open. It took us 11 innings to do it, but the pitching was tremendous." Eric Hosmer started the winning rally when he hit a leadoff double to centre off Nick Vincent (0-1). Gordon singled to right with one out and Hosmer beat the throw home with a headfirst slide, touching the plate with his left hand. "A long losing streak it seems like, so we just needed something positive to happen there," Gordon said. "I was able to find a hole. It works." Butler then doubled in Gordon. "I think the frustration was kicking in a little bit but hopefully this can motivate us a little bit," Gordon said. Davis (2-1) pitched two innings of one-hit ball for the victory, striking out four. Greg Holland, who blew the save Monday night, pitched the 11th for his eighth save in nine chances. Guthrie went a season-high eight innings, allowing one run and four hits, with two strikeouts and one walk. "He threw strikes, changed speeds and kept the ball down," Yost said. "The air was thick tonight and the ball didnt really carry so that really benefited me and helped me to get deep in the game," Guthrie said. "Overall I dont think I had my best stuff, but thee park played to my advantage tonight.dddddddddddd" The Padres were denied their first three-game winning streak of the season. The teams played extra innings for the second straight night. San Diego won 6-5 in 12 innings Monday night. The Royals had a scoring chance in the ninth against Huston Street. Alcides Escobar singled to centre and stole second and third, all with one out. He tried to score on Lorenzo Cains pop foul down the first-base line but was thrown out by Kyle Blanks to end the inning. "I was surprised the runner was going," catcher Yasmani Grandal said. "Kyle has a very good arm. For him that was an easy catch and throw." Each starter gave up a home run. San Diegos Yasmani Grandal homered for the second straight game, a solo shot to right field off Guthrie with one out in the fourth for a 1-0 lead. It was his fourth, moving him into the team lead. Grandal hit a tying three-run shot in the sixth inning Monday night. Salvador Perez tied it with a homer leading off the sixth off San Diegos Robbie Erlin. It was Perezs third. "I wanted to get it on his hands. But I left it out over the middle of the plate," Erlin said. Erlin got a no-decision after losing his previous four starts. He allowed one run and three hits in seven innings, struck out five and walked four. "My curve felt good," he said. "It felt like my offspeed pitches were what I was on with. I was trying to get a feel for my fastball." NOTES: Vincent gave up three hits in the 11th. He had given up only three hits combined in his last 11 outings. ... Manager Bud Black said the Padres will call up a pitcher on Wednesday because the bullpen has been taxed. ... Black said 3B Chase Headley could be activated from the 15-day disabled list on Saturday. Hes been out with a strained right calf. ... The series concludes Wednesday when Kansas City RHP James Shields (3-3, 3.11) opposes RHP Andrew Cashner (2-4, 2.72). ' ' '