Cowboys Slip Past Redskins

The Dallas Cowboys welcomed the Washington Redskins into their new home in Arlington. The Redskins were eager to spoil the party before 85,277 paid spectators. The Cowboys gave everyone a scare, rallying in the final minutes of the game to score their only touchdown and take a 7-6 victory. Let’s look at this game in our traditional Good, Bad and Ugly segment.

 

The Good

The Defense. The Cowboy’s did not give up a touchdown, which is the mark of a great defense.  They did allow the Redskins to get close enough for several field goal attempts, fortunately two missed.  The Dallas pass defense was the weak link, allowing Washington to convert on 7 of 15 third downs.  This game was a perfect example of “bend, but don’t break.” In the end, it was good enough to get the win.

The Bad

The Offense. Plain and simple, the Cowboys were stopped again and again by an inferior team.  This offense has gone nowhere lately, primarily due to errors at critical moments.  Time after time, Dallas would move the ball, only to have a drive stalled by mistakes. A Marion Barber fumble, a Flozell Adams penalty, a poorly thrown pass. This offense if full of firepower, but something is keeping it from clicking.

The Ugly

Tony Romo. The quarterback of America’s Team had better find his identity.  Many times he looks like he is trying to play a style he for which he is not fit. Romo is not Tom Brady. He is a gunslinger.  Both he and the Cowboys seem to be making an effort to limit his improvisation.  Maybe we should just accept him for what he is and let him play in the style that made him a star. He has success when his back is against the wall.  When the game is on the line, he plays freely and the Cowboys score.  At other times, though, it appears he is forcing himself to stay in the pocket, even when the field is open for him to run for a first down.  I can’t blame it all on Romo, the Cowboys have made it clear they want him to study Tom Brady. He just doesn’t seem to excel at being a robot.  The Cowboys also seemed to be trying for force passes to Roy Williams.  For whatever reason, this was not working.  Romo overthrew Williams multiple times. This was the same type of throw that got Williams injured earlier in the year. One time, Romo even threw to Williams in triple coverage. It is almost as if the Cowboys are trying to answer the media criticism about the lack of a connection between them. Dallas has got to improve both utilization and execution at this position.

The Cowboys pulled a victory out of their hat this week. It was a poor game, a boring game, but a victory. And that means something.