When the New Orleans Saints meet the Dallas Cowboys at the Superdome on Monday (Australia time), it will be for more than team standings.

It will be to prove that they are back -- in a big way.

The Saints, which missed the NFL playoffs in 2012, just three seasons after winning the Super Bowl, are on the verge of tying their won-game total. At 6-2, they are in much better shape at this point of the 2013 season than they were in 2012. After starting the season 5-0, they stumbled twice, against the New England Patriots on Oct 13 and the New York Jets on Nov 3. Both losses were by just three and six points, respectively. Contrast that with the 2012 season, when they started out 0-4 and went 7-5 the rest of the way.

Quarterback Drew Brees is on track for a career year, completing 213 of 322 attempted passes in just eight games and gaining 2,672 yards while he's at it. Under his leadership, the Saints have catapulted themselves to the lead in the NFC-South and second overall in the NFC, just behind the 8-1 Seattle Seahawks.

The Cowboys, though, have not been so lucky. After winning their season opener against the New York Giants at home, they went 1-3 in their next four games, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos. Although they recovered in time against the Washington Redskins, they dropped a heartbreaking 30-31 loss to the Detroit Lions, where they were outscored 17-24 in the fourth quarter, including a last-play field goal conversion by David Akers off a Matthew Stafford touchdown.

If quarterback Tony Romo is to justify his six-year, $108-million contract extension, the right time is on Monday evening. Romo has been called out for his inconsistent play, especially late in the season.

It's important to note that the Cowboys are 1-4 away from home, the only road win coming versus the 4-5 Philadelphia Eagles. The Saints are 4-0 at home and are raring to go back to their winning ways.