Rapid Reaction: Cowboys 30, Dolphins 13

Rapid Reaction: Cowboys 30, Dolphins 13
August, 29, 2012
By Calvin Watkins | ESPNDallas.com

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys wrapped up the preseason with a 30-13 win over the Miami Dolphins at Cowboys Stadium on Wednesday night. Unlike last season, when wide receiver Raymond Radway was injured in the closing seconds of the preseason at Miami, there were no such major health issues coming from this game. This was the last chance for several players to make an impact on the coaches and scouts, and join the 53-man roster.

What it means: The Cowboys finish the preseason 3-1 and have to make some hard decisions regarding the No. 3 quarterback spot, whether to keep a fourth running back or which running back to keep, whether Orie Lemon and Mario Butler make the team, and whether Danny Coale and Matt Johnson should earn paychecks in September.

McGee vs. Carpenter: There is this battle for the No. 3 quarterback position. Stephen McGee played the first half, led one touchdown drive and converted 13 first downs. He completed nine of 18 passes for 124 yards. The Cowboys led 20-6 at the break. Rudy Carpenter also led the Cowboys on a touchdown drive -- capped by a 58-yard run by Lance Dunbar -- and finished 4-of-10 for 48 yards. In addition, Carpenter had a 21-yard scramble. But it would appear neither quarterback did enough to secure a spot on the roster.

Only one starter plays: Between both units, only center Phil Costa played. Costa missed the first three preseason games with a strained lower back, and the Cowboys wanted to give him some snaps before putting him in a regular-season game. Costa didn't have any bad snaps, and it's unknown whether he had any blown assignments. David Arkin replaced Costa.

The running game is strong: There are no questions regarding the status of DeMarco Murray as the starter. Felix Jones has been guaranteed a roster spot by owner/general manager Jerry Jones. We thought the No. 3 running back gig was going to Phillip Tanner, but Dunbar came on strong Wednesday night. Dunbar ran with a burst, scoring on a 58-yard run. Let's not forget about Tanner, who burst up the middle for a 1-yard score. Dunbar rushed 15 times for 105 yards, and Tanner rushed for 48 yards on nine carries.

Lemon made his case: If linebacker Lemon was a bubble player, he should make the roster. He returned an interception 26 yards to give the Cowboys a 10-6 lead in the second quarter. Lemon was active on defense and, given what he does on special teams, should make the 53-man roster. Adrian Hamilton also was fighting for a roster spot, but he hasn't shown his pass-rush abilities on a consistent basis with the Cowboys.

Cowboys lose three players: Guard Derrick Dockery left the game for personal reasons, and fellow guard Daniel Loper suffered a hamstring injury. Cornerback Lionel Smith departed the game with a concussion. None of the three returned.

Who played well: Tyrone Crawford, Orie Lemon, Phillip Tanner, Lance Dunbar and Dan Bailey.

Who didn't: Teddy Williams, David Arkin, Stephen McGee.

Bailey is perfect: Kicker Dan Bailey finished the preseason 8-for-8 on field goal attempts. Bailey made kicks of 25, 30 and 26 yards Wednesday night. The Cowboys didn't have any concerns about him heading into the preseason, but unlike last season when the team had a kicking competition, nothing was going on here. It was all Bailey. The longest kick of the preseason by Bailey was 49 yards.

Ryan Tannehill makes the start: The eighth pick of the NFL draft, quarterback Ryan Tannehill made the start for the Dolphins and completed 5-of-7 passes for 35 yards. The former Aggie played with a presence and threw some strong passes, but he still has a ways to go to help the Dolphins.

What's next? The Cowboys must cut their roster to 53 players by Friday night and then finalize their practice squad roster with as many as eight players. The team will practice over the weekend at Valley Ranch and prepare for the regular season opener at the New York Giants.

Cowboys win, but McGee's lackluster night may be his farewell
Posted Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012
By CHAREAN WILLIAMS

ARLINGTON — Rookie Lance Dunbar rushed for 105 yards, including a 58-yard touchdown, and Dan Bailey made three field goals in a 30-13 win over Miami in the preseason finale Wednesday night at Cowboys Stadium.

The final roster cutdown is Friday. Dallas opens the regular season at the New York Giants next Wednesday.

"A lot of guys got a chance to play in the early part of the ballgame," Dallas coach Jason Garrett said. "I think for most part they did a good job. Dunbar ran the ball really well. He showed his lateral quickness and burst through a hole and obviously make big runs. He's a tough guy, not afraid to stick it up in there.

"There were a lot of good things. Those are just initial impression from the sidelines. I feel good about how those guys played. We have a lot of cleanup. The execution, we've got to get better and clean up obviously. They're playing with the right spirit and mentality."

In the battle for a backup running back job, Dunbar, second-year man Phillip Tanner and rookie fullback Jamize Olawale had strong games. Dunbar and Olawale played at North Texas.

Dunbar had a 27-yard punt return to go along with his 105 yards. Tanner had nine carries for 48 yards and a touchdown. Olawale had seven carries for 53 yards with a long of 24 yards.

Stephen McGee completed nine of 18 passes for 124 yards.

"He did a good job once we got going a little big on offense. We were trying to be balanced early on. Once we started throwing, he started making some plays. You could see him getting a little rhythm," Garrett said. "He can make some plays with his feet. That's a good trait for a quarterback to have. He had a pretty solid first half."

The Dolphins opened the scoring when Dan Carpenter made a 21-yard field goal after a flag-filled 73-yard drive for a 3-0 lead.

Teddy Williams fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Dolphins recovered at the Cowboys’ 33.

Four plays later, Carpenter made a 53-yard field goal to make it 6-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Dallas countered with Dan Bailey’s 30-yard field goal and followed with a 25-yard interception return for a touchdown by linebacker Orie Lemon to take a 10-6 lead with 11:27 left in the half.

"Orie Lemon made a huge play in the game," Garrett said.

After forcing a Miami punt, the Cowboys marched 80 yards for a touchdown. Phillip Tanner scored on a 1-yard run to make it 17-6 with 4:43 left.

On the final play of the half, Bailey made a 30-yard field goal to extend the lead to 20-6.

The scoring continued in the third period with rookie Lance Dunbar scored on a 58 yard run to push the lead to 27-6.

Miami rookie Lamar Miller scored on a 1-yard run.

Dallas closed out the scoring in the fourth quarter with another Bailey field goal, this from 27 yards, to make it 30-13.

"We'll go back and watch the tape as quickly as we can tomorrow and continue to make those evaluations," Garrett said. "We'll see how all this plays out."

Cowboys rookie Lance Dunbar makes bid to become third back
Posted Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012
BY JIMMY BURCH

ARLINGTON -- Dallas Cowboys running back Lance Dunbar, a rookie free agent from North Texas and Haltom High School, made his final audition for a roster spot a memorable one Wednesday night in Cowboys Stadium.

Dunbar rushed for a team-high 105 yards, including a 58-yard touchdown burst in the third quarter of a 30-13 victory over the Miami Dolphins. Dunbar (5-foot-8, 191 pounds), who missed the team's first two preseason games with a hamstring injury, also mixed in a 27-yard punt return and a tackle in kickoff coverage. He averaged 7.0 yards per rush (15 carries, 105 yards).

Dunbar's touchdown marked the longest run from scrimmage by a Cowboys back during the preseason. But it remains unclear whether Dunbar turned up any heat on incumbent Phillip Tanner, the pre-camp favorite to become the team's third running back.

Tanner rushed nine times for 48 yards and a touchdown in the first half in his most extended action of the preseason.

Fellow UNT rookie Jamize Olawale, who led the team in rushing in the Cowboys' first two preseason games, had seven carries for 53 yards against Miami.

As a fullback, Olawale threw the clearing block on Tanner's 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

Witten update
Tight end Jason Witten (lacerated spleen) will get some on-field work soon but has yet to be cleared for contact drills. That makes it unclear if the seven-time Pro Bowler can return in time to play in the team's Sept. 5 opener at the New York Giants.

Stephen Jones, the team's executive vice-president, told KRLD-FM (105.3) before Wednesday's game that Witten had a "good" doctor's appointment Tuesday and that it is "certainly starting to look (like surgery will not be needed)."

Costa makes debut

Center Phil Costa, who missed the team's first three games because of a back injury, started and played the first two series. He took 11 snaps.

Lemon's big play
Cowboys linebacker Orie Lemon, who spent last season on the practice squad, scored a second-quarter touchdown on a 26-yard interception return.

Lemon, an Oklahoma State product, read the eyes of Miami quarterback Matt Moore, undercut the route of running back Marcus Thigpen and jogged into the end zone for the score.

Injury update
Cowboys cornerback Lionel Smith, a rookie from Texas A&M, sustained a concussion when he was run over in the second quarter by Miami fullback Jorvorskie Lane (5-foot-11, 258 pounds), another former A&M player. Offensive lineman Daniel Loper, a Texas Tech product, departed with a hamstring injury.

Guard Derrick Dockery had a death in his family and left the game early to fly to Washington D.C.

Stephen McGee makes his case – again – for Cowboys’ No. 3 QB job
By Brandon George / Reporter
11:47 pm on August 29, 2012

ARLINGTON – Cowboys quarterback Stephen McGee had his typical performance Wednesday night in the preseason finale against Miami: steady but not stellar.

McGee started and played the entire first half. He led back-to-back scoring drives late in the second quarter to help the Cowboys defeat the Dolphins, 30-13, at Cowboys Stadium. McGee finished 9-for-18 passing for 124 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.

Now McGee will play the waiting game, hoping that he showed enough against the Dolphins to convince the Cowboys that they need to keep him on the 53-man roster with final cuts looming Friday.

McGee wasn’t available for comment after the game.

“I thought [McGee] did a good job once we got going a little bit on offense,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “When we started throwing some more, he started making some plays and you could see him get a little more comfortable and get a little rhythm. He can get himself out of trouble and he did that a couple of times tonight.”

The last preseason matchup is always a throw-away game for the regulars, most of whom watched from the sideline in front of a sparse crowd. But for several young players, it was one more chance to impress coaches and earn a spot on the final roster going into the regular-season opener next Wednesday at the Giants.

The only starter who played for the Cowboys was center Phil Costa, who was returning from a back injury and was in for only two series.

But the final preseason game was all about the competition for the third quarterback spot. The Cowboys have to decide whether they want to keep three quarterbacks on the final roster or go with two to add depth at another position. If they keep three, it will come down to McGee – entering the final year of his contract – or Rudy Carpenter.

Carpenter played the entire second half and wasn’t overwhelming either. He finished 4-for-10 passing for 48 yards, not moving the offense as efficiently as McGee did.

“I don’t feel like I played the best I possibly could play,” Carpenter said.

Cowboys center Phil Costa returns to action in preseason finale
By Rainer Sabin / Reporter
12:02 am on August 30, 2012

ARLINGTON — Phil Costa never did deliver a snap to Tony Romo this preseason. But the third-year center at least received some playing time. In fact, he had the unique distinction of being the only Cowboys starter to appear in the team’s final exhibition game Wednesday against Miami.

Costa, who had returned to practice this week for the first time since injuring his back Aug. 10, was on the field for Dallas’ first 12 offensive plays. He is expected to start the season opener against the New York Giants.

Last season, Costa was rated the sixth-worst center in the NFL by ProFootballFocus.com. According to the website, he surrendered three sacks during the 2011 season, his first as a starter.

Cowboys LB Orie Lemon: ‘I think I opened up a couple of eyes’; ‘I want to stay here’
By Jon Machota / Special Contributor
1:27 am on August 30, 2012

ARLINGTON – Inside linebacker Orie Lemon made arguably the most important play of his Cowboys career Wednesday night when he intercepted Miami Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter.

The former Oklahoma State standout, who added five tackles, was on the Cowboys’ practice squad last year and has a legitimate chance at making the 53-man roster this season.

“I’ve just got to get better at a lot of things on the defensive side of the field,” Lemon said. “I’ve got to get better on special teams also. I know if I do, I’ll be on somebody’s team. I’ll be on special teams mostly. I think I opened up a couple of eyes.”

Certainly an interception return for a touchdown is some pretty good tape to show possible employers. But Lemon would rather not worry about trying to impress other teams and focus on a future with the Cowboys.

“I think I’ve put some good film out,” he said. “I want to stay here. I don’t want to go anywhere else. It’s like family to me. I would love to stay here.”

The interception caused quite the celebration on the Cowboys sideline as the majority of the starters were strictly spectators in the team’s 30-13 win. Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant was so excited that he sprinted about 40 yards to meet his former college teammate for a chest bump near the end zone.

Fellow inside linebacker Sean Lee said he was excited to see Lemon play well.

“Orie Lemon is a real physical football player,” Lee said. “He’s a guy from Day 1 that has worked extremely hard. He improved a lot through the year last year and he worked hard this off-season and you can see him improving.

“There’s one thing you can’t teach and that’s to find a way to make plays and get to the football and that’s an ability he has. He works hard. He’s a smart guy and he’s a great teammate.”

Cowboys Conclude Preseason With 30-13 Victory Over Dolphins
by KD Drummond

And now, on to the regular season.

The Dallas Cowboys concluded their offseason field work tonight, with a dominating 30-13 victory over the Miami Dolphins in front of a sparse Cowboys Stadium crowd. The announced attendance was 73,000+ which is laughable to anyone within 200 yards of a television or computer screen. While the fans might not have shown up, there were several Cowboys players who needed to make noticeable appearances in order to continue their Cowboys careers.

There was plenty of talk early in the offseason about Rob Ryan's defense for 2012. It's supposed to be streamlined from the '11 version and better absorbed by players who had a full offseason to learn the nuances. For what it's worth, and it may not be much, the Cowboys D did not allow a single first half touchdown during the entire preseason.

And while that might be fine and dandy, the preseason finale is pretty much only for judging individual players. The only starter who suited up for Dallas was center Phil Costa, who was getting his first preseason action. He logged 11 snaps on the Cowboys first two drives and then sat out.

Costa played reasonably well. There were no bumbled snaps and he was reasonably able to play his role. There weren't any dominating plays, but he also didn't make any egregious ones. On downs where he wasn't superior, the he made enough of a play that his man didn't end it. He did get thrown to the ground on a couple plays, but again, none that affected the play. Not a resounding game, but not a facepalm experience either.

Everyone else of importance was playing for a roster spot. Follow the jump for a brief run down of some of the more noteworthy performances.

Lance Dunbar: On two different plays, Dunbar took a solid shot and spun off for additional yardage. One of them was a dynamic 58 yard run a play after a big 27 yard punt return. Dunbar may not have made the club, but he at least forced the coaching staff to have a conversation or two.

Baraka Atkins: A player on the way outside looking in. Atkins simply made play after play tonight. Five tackles.

Mana Silva: Mana Silva is making the 53 man roster. I don't know what they'll do with Matt Johnson (although I'd imagine he makes it as well) Silva simply makes plays every game. You don't cut consistently productive players.

Phillip Tanner: The other of the two-headed rushing monsters. Tanner himself had a touchdown and several nice runs. With two running backs gouging Miami, credit must go to the offensive line in general.

Orie Lemon: Lemon made a couple nice tackles, but his highlight was a beautiful read and react interception of Matt Moore. On a pass across the middle Lemon cut under the receiver and plucked the ball, racing to the end zone for a pick six. It was a pure instinct play and combined with his strong preseason to this point probably forced another lengthy conversation for the coaching staff about a player that was probably on the outside looking in.

Alex Albright: Continued his stellar preseason as a jack-of-all-trades linebacker. Eight solo tackles, three assists and a sack.

Dan Connor: Woah. Connor seems to be getting progressively worse in games; especially in coverage. While I don't blame him for a big run by the Dolphins that many did (he was engaged by a guard and couldn't get off the block but appeared to be just bumbling) in space is a different story. He looked lost in a zone coverage that pushed Dallas back to within it's own five. Last two games we've seen him embarassed in pass coverage. I can't see him getting cut as some wondered; Jerry gave that man a $2.7 million signing bonus.

Victor Butler: If this man only logs 233 snaps in this season it's a tragedy. His speed is so apparent on pass rushing downs, though he is still a concern in stuffing the run.

James Hanna: What happened to Mr. Dropsies? Whatever he was doing in OTAs is long forgotten. He makes every catch, can get open and plays very smooth. I'm extremely excited about what he could become in the very near future.

Stephen McGee: It's been nice Stephen. Missed several opportunities for plays with jitter feet and ball pats.

Danny Coale made a diving grab and Andre Holmes hauled in a 32 yard fade that makes one remember the potential; but it might not have been enough to put either on the 53 depending on the numbers crunch. Holmes left the game with a knee injury after his catch.

Teddy Williams made eight tackles and still didn't stand out.

There's plenty more to discuss, but the final preseason game isn't getting more than 800 words from me. Let's discuss what I failed to bring up in the comments section.

Guard Derrick Dockery had a death in his family and left the game early to fly to Washington D.C.

Keep reading...

Understandable, of course.

I've been following the Cowboys for a long time and do not recall this ever happening before ... a player playing in a game, but leaving the game early due to a death in the family.

Anybody remember anything similar?

No need to keep a #3 QB when your starter and back up are both quality early 30 year olds.

Just stash a young guy with upside on the practice squad.

I mean, if your down to your #3 because of injury... your season is over anyway.