mexicanjunior
11-10-2009, 05:28 PM
The Good:
* For the 4th straight game (and win), Tony Romo had a solid outing. Through this streak, he has made great decisions with the ball and seems to have mastered the concept of taking the sack as opposed to forcing a pass into coverage. With his turnover numbers dropping, it is giving the Cowboys defense a chance to shine and win the field position battle. It is so much nicer to see our team punting instead of the defense having to stave off the opponent from inside their own 50. Romo is doing a great job of spreading the ball around and firing to who is open instead of using radar vision on one guy to make him happy (see 2008).
* Eventhough the numbers don't really show it, I thought the O-line did just enough to give Romo the time to make plays against that relentless Philly pass rush. 4 sacks and 3.3 yards a rush is usually not something to be happy about but they helped give the QB that extra few seconds to make the huge plays to Austin and Crayton. I also thought they did a good job blocking the Razorback (Wildcat) formation for Choice.
* After so many weeks of being a non-factor, Roy Williams finally stepped up and had a good (not great) game. 5 for 75 is not mind blowing Austin-esque numbers but, at this point, I will take what I can from our supposed number 1 receiver. It looked like the extra work him and Romo have been doing is finally paying dividends. His route running looked alot crisper and I liked the short pass he extended to 22 yards, although I didn't like that he ran out of bounds instead of finishing the run hard.
* Jason Witten continues to be a rock for Romo to depend on. His 3rd down catch at the end of the game was clutch. I just wish he could do more with the ball than fall forward after he catches it.
* Miles Austin only had 1 catch but it was the biggest offensive play of the night. I have no doubt also that his presence really opened things up for Williams to have success against 1 on 1 coverage.
* The defense as a whole deserves major props and I thought this was their most complete game. The front 7 did a great job of pressuring Mcnabb, which I believe led to some of his errant throws. Ratliff was especially great pushing the pocket back and forcing Mcnabb out of it. Victor Butler's shoe string tackle in the 4th may have been the play of the game, as it probably saved them from an Eagles eventual touchdown.
* With the Dallas pass rush being so honed in, it made the secondary's job much easier but we should still praise them for making the plays they did. Mike Jenkins is turning into a very solid corner and I think the "Cowboy Chicken" label can officially come off. When I see him coming up to the line in run support, I don't fear a matador attempt, he brings the wood. Same goes for Gerald Sensabaugh, who has been a god send for us from free agency. If it was not for his broken hand, I think he would have 2 or 3 more INT's.
* Nick Folk and McBriar continue to shine on special teams and the coverage units made Desean Jackson a non-factor in the return game. DeCamillas has turned a horrendous unit in 2008 into one of the biggest reasons they are atop the NFC East. Crayton had an off game with his punt returns but I will give him a pass considering the 2 prior weeks.
The Bad:
* There is really not much to complain about after an emotional win like this but this team definitely still has flaws. The most glaring one at the moment is still the same one haunting them all year...EFFING PENALTIES!! 11 for 70 is just unacceptable, especially in a game where the entire team should be completely focused like this week was. At certain points of the game, it seemed like they couldn't go a single drive (offense or defense) without having a penalty go against them. They got away with it this week but it won't fly forever.
* It's hard to say if it is the injury or just hesitation but Felix Jones does not look like the same guy out there from the one that started the season. He looks like he is jogging on kickoff returns and is not doing alot with the touches he is getting on offense. Of the 3 RB's, he had the lowest YPC, which is surprising considering he has one of the best yards per carry averages in the league. Maybe he should get a few shots at running the Razorback with Choice to get him into a groove.
* I'm not sure what it was but Buehler seemed to have an off game this week and his kickoffs were very Folk-esque. Maybe it was the nerves of being in Philly on prime time but let's hope it isn't anything physical and just a mental lapse he can overcome next week.
Overall...the best and most complete game this team has had since 2007. If people were waiting on Romo to win a big game, notch this one on his belt. With the division lead on the line, he proved he can play a smart and almost error free game. Wade also needs to be given props for having the defense ready to step up and shut down a red hot Eagles offense. His scheme to help on Jackson while still bringing the heat on Mcnabb worked to near perfection. Even Garrett, who I have been highly critical of, deserves congrats for calling a great offensive game. On to Green Bay!
* For the 4th straight game (and win), Tony Romo had a solid outing. Through this streak, he has made great decisions with the ball and seems to have mastered the concept of taking the sack as opposed to forcing a pass into coverage. With his turnover numbers dropping, it is giving the Cowboys defense a chance to shine and win the field position battle. It is so much nicer to see our team punting instead of the defense having to stave off the opponent from inside their own 50. Romo is doing a great job of spreading the ball around and firing to who is open instead of using radar vision on one guy to make him happy (see 2008).
* Eventhough the numbers don't really show it, I thought the O-line did just enough to give Romo the time to make plays against that relentless Philly pass rush. 4 sacks and 3.3 yards a rush is usually not something to be happy about but they helped give the QB that extra few seconds to make the huge plays to Austin and Crayton. I also thought they did a good job blocking the Razorback (Wildcat) formation for Choice.
* After so many weeks of being a non-factor, Roy Williams finally stepped up and had a good (not great) game. 5 for 75 is not mind blowing Austin-esque numbers but, at this point, I will take what I can from our supposed number 1 receiver. It looked like the extra work him and Romo have been doing is finally paying dividends. His route running looked alot crisper and I liked the short pass he extended to 22 yards, although I didn't like that he ran out of bounds instead of finishing the run hard.
* Jason Witten continues to be a rock for Romo to depend on. His 3rd down catch at the end of the game was clutch. I just wish he could do more with the ball than fall forward after he catches it.
* Miles Austin only had 1 catch but it was the biggest offensive play of the night. I have no doubt also that his presence really opened things up for Williams to have success against 1 on 1 coverage.
* The defense as a whole deserves major props and I thought this was their most complete game. The front 7 did a great job of pressuring Mcnabb, which I believe led to some of his errant throws. Ratliff was especially great pushing the pocket back and forcing Mcnabb out of it. Victor Butler's shoe string tackle in the 4th may have been the play of the game, as it probably saved them from an Eagles eventual touchdown.
* With the Dallas pass rush being so honed in, it made the secondary's job much easier but we should still praise them for making the plays they did. Mike Jenkins is turning into a very solid corner and I think the "Cowboy Chicken" label can officially come off. When I see him coming up to the line in run support, I don't fear a matador attempt, he brings the wood. Same goes for Gerald Sensabaugh, who has been a god send for us from free agency. If it was not for his broken hand, I think he would have 2 or 3 more INT's.
* Nick Folk and McBriar continue to shine on special teams and the coverage units made Desean Jackson a non-factor in the return game. DeCamillas has turned a horrendous unit in 2008 into one of the biggest reasons they are atop the NFC East. Crayton had an off game with his punt returns but I will give him a pass considering the 2 prior weeks.
The Bad:
* There is really not much to complain about after an emotional win like this but this team definitely still has flaws. The most glaring one at the moment is still the same one haunting them all year...EFFING PENALTIES!! 11 for 70 is just unacceptable, especially in a game where the entire team should be completely focused like this week was. At certain points of the game, it seemed like they couldn't go a single drive (offense or defense) without having a penalty go against them. They got away with it this week but it won't fly forever.
* It's hard to say if it is the injury or just hesitation but Felix Jones does not look like the same guy out there from the one that started the season. He looks like he is jogging on kickoff returns and is not doing alot with the touches he is getting on offense. Of the 3 RB's, he had the lowest YPC, which is surprising considering he has one of the best yards per carry averages in the league. Maybe he should get a few shots at running the Razorback with Choice to get him into a groove.
* I'm not sure what it was but Buehler seemed to have an off game this week and his kickoffs were very Folk-esque. Maybe it was the nerves of being in Philly on prime time but let's hope it isn't anything physical and just a mental lapse he can overcome next week.
Overall...the best and most complete game this team has had since 2007. If people were waiting on Romo to win a big game, notch this one on his belt. With the division lead on the line, he proved he can play a smart and almost error free game. Wade also needs to be given props for having the defense ready to step up and shut down a red hot Eagles offense. His scheme to help on Jackson while still bringing the heat on Mcnabb worked to near perfection. Even Garrett, who I have been highly critical of, deserves congrats for calling a great offensive game. On to Green Bay!