Cleveland Post-game notes

[Irving Cowboy]

The Song Remains The Same: Dallas Cowboys Offensive Line Woes Continue
by Tom Ryle

The Dallas Cowboys got back to .500 and still keep some hope alive of reaching the playoffs. But in defeating the Cleveland Browns, they may have lost their best player on the offensive line, Tyrone Smith, for an undetermined number of games.

This leaves the Cowboys facing the prospect of going into at least the Thanksgiving game against the Washington Redskins with a lineup of Jermey Parnell, Nate Livings, Mackenzy Bernadeau, Derrick Dockery and Doug Free. The players behind whom the Dallas running backs could only manage 63 yards on the ground. The protection who gave up seven sacks and ten hits on Tony Romo.

With the opponents the Cowboys face over the final six weeks, they do have a chance to sneak into the postseason. It is highly doubtful, however, that they can do so without some serious improvement in the line play. Even if Phil Costa or Ryan Cook comes back at center, which is still considered a possibility, and if Smith is not out for a significant time, this is still a troubled and ineffective unit.

Dallas has to make fixing the offensive line a priority once the season plays itself out. Unfortunately, they also have a few other needs, like safety, and depth at virtually every skill position, and the looming question of whether they need a replacement for Anthony Spencer.

The NFL is a win now or else league. If a team does not find immediate success, the coach's job is in jeopardy. In only his second full season as head coach, Jason Garrett is seeing a frenzy of rumors about Jerry Jones bringing in a replacement for him. After a wave of speculation about Sean Payton earlier this season, the media is now all agog about Jones having a few private moments with Mike Holmgren.

But an offensive line is not an easy thing to fix overnight, and it is becoming increasingly clear that the attempt to set things right in 2012 are pretty much not working out. Free agents Livings and Bernadeau have had their struggles, but the real issue on the line, outside the loss of Smith, is right tackle Doug Free. He had several bad plays again in the Browns game, and this is just a continuation of a trend going back to the 2011 season. Dallas may have to make a hard decision. Free represents a large (around $8 million) cap hit next year, but he could get Tony Romo killed out there. At some point, you have to face up to when something fails, or live with the consequences of not addressing the problem.

With one more year to go on the John Mara orchestrated cap penalty, Dallas has even more limitations in dealing with these issues than most franchises. The draft can only help so much, and as this year has clearly proven, drafting talent in no way assures that said talent will ever be able to contribute. At least a part of the problems the Cowboys are facing on the offensive line is due to the seemingly endless series of injuries that kept the planned starters form working together.

It is possible that the current starters may develop into a functional unit after another offseason of work. It is also possible that they will never be any more than they are now, or even regress. I am fairly certain this will not get fixed in 2012, and I am not at all hopeful it will be improved enough in 2013. But this is the most important problem for the team.

Cleveland showed how a solid line makes the skill players look better. Imaging what Romo could have done if he had gotten over 100 yards from the running game and only been sacked a couple of times? Most importantly, what if he had only been really pressured a half dozen times or so, the way Brandon Weeden was? With the apparent maturation of Dez Bryant, who had a career best day and was a key element in the win, Romo now has three reliable targets, and there are some hints of players like Dwayne Harris, Cole Beasley and James Hanna being ready to step up.

But even the elusive Romo has to have protection and some help from the ground game, which he is not getting. And the real problem is not the receivers or having the best running back out with injury. It is the erratic and often woeful play of his line.

I would love to give you a sweeping and arrogantly confident answer to this problem, but I will freely admit that I do not have one. As I said, I think it is going to take two more years, at least, to really get this straight, and that may be too much time as far as Jason Garrett's future is concerned. If he is replaced by Jerry Jones, at least in part because of the failure of the line to do its job, I hope everyone remembers just who gave Free his large contract. Of course, indications are that Jerry is pretty happy with Free and his linemates right now.

The Cowboys may be able to pull it together enough to sneak into the playoffs, but that will be despite the offensive line, I think, not because of it. And this has to be addressed if Dallas is to face anything other than continued mediocrity in the near future.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Cowboys Comeback, Twice, Flush The Browns In Overtime 23-20
by KD Drummond

Quick, someone get the lipstick for that pig!

In a game that needed plenty of makeup to mask several warts that appeared all over the surface, Dallas somehow dug deep enough against a seemingly inferior Browns team to win 23-20 in overtime. On the boot of a 38-yard field goal by Dan "Split'Em" Bailey, Dallas has somehow forced it's way back to .500 on the season. Although they did what they needed in order to remain viable for a playoff spot; the performance by the team in the first half says otherwise.

The fact that Dallas was taken to an extra period by the now 2-8 Browns, at home no less, speaks for itself. The team with no noticeable homefield advantage saw things get pretty comical in Cowboys Stadium in regards to their fans. When overtime kicked off, the amount of fans that had fled to beat the traffic was highly visible from the comfort of the couch for a television viewing audience. At one point in the third quarter, the public address announcer tried to get the crowd fired up for a defensive third down; something that Dallas' D had failed miserably on the day to stop. All you heard through the television was crickets.

However, for the first time all day Dallas' D did step up and DeMarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher split a sack on the play and forced a punt. The ensuing drive led to the first of three Dan Bailey field goals and finally got Dallas on the scoreboard after trailing 13-0 at halftime.

The Cowboys fell into a hole due to the inability of the offense to create anything. Already down to their third-string center, RG Mackenzy Bernadeau, Dallas also lost left tackle Tyron Smith to an ankle injury early in the game. The third and final tackle, Jermey Parnell took over for him and the line's play did nothing to instill comfort and calm. Romo was sacked a season-high seven times on the day and also had to engineer a couple nice escapes to keep things from being worse.

Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who made no secret about his disdain for the Cleveland organization that didn't give him a shot at being their head coach two years ago, wasn't doing a great job of making them regret things early on. Dallas again, due to numerous injuries on that side of the ball as well, chose to barely rush Cleveland on third downs and only rush three players. Choosing coverage instead of pressure, Dallas allowed Cleveland to consistently convert third downs of all varieties: catches over the middle, flares to wide open running backs... they were all there.

It appeared that Dallas was on the way to reliving a painful 2008 blowout to the St. Louis Rams in a game against an inferior opponent. Down 13-0, Dallas only mustered 68 yards of offense in the first half and was shutout going into the break for the first time in 2012. Something changed at halftime, however, and not a moment too soon.

This is when the Cowboys offense turned it on. Cleveland was without their top corner, Joe Haden and it was thought that Dallas would be able to feast on the remaining Browns secondary. It didn't start out that way, with the line not giving the pass patterns any chance to develop and Romo being off target. Things finally started to click, however.

Romo began the second half by completing his first 9 passes. After Dallas scored the field goal to cut the lead to 10, the Dallas defense continued it's transformation and forced a Cleveland three and out. With a mixture of passes to Dez Bryant and defensive penalties, Dallas moved down the field 87 yards through the air game. Felix Jones bullied his way into the end zone for the final two yards of the drive to cut the lead down to 13-10 a couple minutes into the fourth quarter.

Dallas' defense then turned in another three and out stop when got Dallas the ball back. This sequence included an almost fumble on a kick return where Cribbs elbow was down, and then an actual fumble when Gerald Sensabaugh laid the smack down on Trent Richardson in the open field. The Browns recovered but would have to punt.

Dallas' next possession ended successfully as well with Romo finding Bryant on a beautiful throw and catch behind the Browns secondary for a 17-13 lead with just under seven minutes remaining in the game. When the Dallas defense converged on rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden to force a strip sack courtesy of Anthony Spencer and his outstanding 2012 campaign, it appeared that Dallas had swung momentum and would cruise to the victory.

Not so fast my friend. Just as quickly, Romo was sacked for the sixth of the seven times and he coughed up the ball to the opposition. Cleveland would drive down to the Cowboys 1-yard line before being stopped on a goal line stand by a Dallas team that used two timeouts in case they needed to score again. With the ball at the one and just under two minutes left, Dallas traded three, one-yard runs for the Browns contingent of timeouts. A horrible punt by Brian Moorman was made worse when the refs blew a dreadlock tackle on Josh Cribbs by John Phillips and called it a horse collar. In the debate, the bumbling Cowboys had to race two defenders onto the field at the last second and the Browns took advantage with a 20 yard strike to Ben Watson to take the lead with just over a minute left.

Dallas would counter, driving down the field on the strength of another pair of crucial Browns defensive penalties. Cleveland gave Dallas an amazing 10 first downs via defensive penalties on the day. The first on this drive was a 15-yard personal foul for TJ Ward aiming and connecting with Kevin Ogletree's head; defenseless receiver. Two plays later, a defensive pass interference was called when Dwayne Harris had beat Sheldon Brown on a sideline route. That put Dallas at the Cleveland 15 with 23 seconds to go.

A close-call Romo scramble almost saw another fumble, but Bailey was able to hit his second field goal to force overtime.

Dallas won the toss, made some headway but eventually had to punt after a third and two pass to Dez Bryant was broken up. Dallas' defense turned in another three and out and on the ensuing drive, Dallas was able to get into field goal range. Bailey booted his third and Dallas fortunately escaped the game with the victory.

Dez Bryant clearly was the offensive star for the game. He reeled in 12 catches for 145 yards and a score. He probably earned better, but a play where he broke free from a group tackle was quickly whistled dead for the completion of forward progress. Not much else worked for Dallas except for the standard "Jason Witten for 7" plays until the final few drives where Miles Austin was featured. Again, there was very little running game to speak of whether it was Felix Jones or Lance Dunbar. Romo ended up 35 for 50 for 313 yards, 1 TD and his third straight game without an interception.

The offensive line was again, like a broken record, a problem. Doug Free let rushers free several times, and Romo was under duress for pretty much the entire first half. They were able to stem the tide for much of the second half, but leaks appeared at several times. The defensive strategy was again tested without DE Kenyon Coleman, who anchored the Cowboys run game. Trent Richardson and Montario Hardesty both had some healthy runs on their ledger for the day.

The Cowboys defense did hold Weeden under wraps for most of the game, allowing two touchdowns to the tight end but only 210 yards on the game. The biggest issue was that the pressure was non-existant. Dallas will have to do much better in their next game against Washington and Robert Griffin III.

That game is only four days away, as Dallas will prepare for their annual Thanksgiving Day game. They'll host their most hated division rival with a chance to pull within a half-game of the division leading Giants who will face a 7-3 Packers team next Sunday after the bye. Washington defeated Philadelphia today to improve to 4-6 on the year and did so convincingly. Dallas will only have a couple of days to prepare for a team that they squeaked by twice in 2011 that now appears with a legitimate player at quarterback.

For now, though, Dallas is 5-5 and has won back-to-back games for the first time this season.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Browns upset after refs flag Cleveland 12 times against Cowboys: ‘I feel like we were playing one-handed out there’
By Mike Heika / Reporter
1:00 am on November 19, 2012

Cleveland was whistled for 12 penalties for 129 yards, but Browns players said they felt that some were unwarranted.

“Maybe a couple, but not as many as they called,” said defensive back T.J. Ward. “I mean, what are you supposed to do when a receiver is pushing you? I feel like we were playing one-handed out there.”

Ward was called for unsportsmanlike conduct on a hit that sent Cowboys receiver Kevin Ogletree out of the game, but he said he felt he did not hit Ogletree in the head.

“I aimed at his chest, I hit him in his chest,” Ward said. “I may have rose a little bit, but I didn’t have any contact with his helmet. I still have to watch it, but I know what it felt like.”

Defensive back Sheldon Brown said he thought the calls were unbalanced.

“I don’t think their secondary had any calls,” Brown said. “So you’re telling me their secondary is playing clean? I think if you are going to call it both ways, you have to call it both ways.”

The Cowboys were penalized nine times for 92 yards, including an unnecessary roughness penalty on cornerback Orlando Scandrick.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Cowboys QB Tony Romo commits first turnover in November
By Rainer Sabin / Reporter
7:47 pm on November 18, 2012

ARLINGTON — With about five minutes left in regulation, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo committed his first turnover since the fourth quarter of Dallas’ 29-24 loss to the New York Giants on Oct. 18.

While being sacked by Cleveland’s Frostee Rucker at the Browns’ 38-yard line, Romo lost his grip on the ball.

Linebacker Craig Robertson pounced on it at the 35 and all of a sudden Cleveland, which trailed 17-13, had life.

“I need to hold onto the ball,” Romo said.

Lately, he has been doing a good job of that. After throwing 13 interceptions in Dallas’ first seven games, Romo hasn’t thrown any since he was picked off by the Giants’ Stevie Brown with 1:03 left in that Oct. 28 loss. That was also Romo’s last turnover until Rucker jarred the ball loose from the quarterback’s hands Sunday.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Jerry Jones: I’m reluctant to say Dez Bryant is ‘doing good’; he’s ‘doing better’
By Jon Machota / Special Contributor
7:24 pm on November 18, 2012

ARLINGTON – Dez Bryant hauled in a team-high 12 passes and finished with a career-best 145 receiving yards and a touchdown during the Cowboys’ 23-20 victory Sunday over the Cleveland Browns.

Nine of his receptions came after halftime when the Cowboys offense was battling back to take the lead after falling behind 13-0 at halftime.

Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said it was good to see Bryant have a big game, but was cautious about passing along too much praise.

“In general, I feel that Dez is maturing everywhere,” Jones said. “Now that’s not to say that he won’t go out there and run the wrong route. We don’t want him running the wrong route off the field. But the point is, without trying to be cute, Dez is improving but the risk here is that he’s in the glaring spotlight of being on the field for the Cowboys and off the field for the Cowboys, so I’m reluctant, we all are, to say, ‘Boy, he’s doing good.’ Dez is doing better.”

On Wednesday, Bryant reached a deal with the District Attorney’s office to have his misdemeanor family assault charge conditionally dismissed. Bryant, who was accused of hitting his mother in July, will have the charge dropped if he attends a year of counseling and is not arrested or charged with another crime within a year.

Jones was asked if he’s reluctant to pat Bryant on the back because the organization needs to continue keeping him in check?

“He loves (the game) so much,” Jones said. “He’s an optimist. That’s one of the good things about him, you can coach him on and off the field hard.”

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Cowboys LB DeMarcus Ware becomes fifth player in NFL history to record seven consecutive seasons with at least 10 sacks
By Brandon George / Reporter
7:05 pm on November 18, 2012

ARLINGTON – Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware became only the fifth player in NFL history to record seven consecutive seasons with at least 10 sacks Sunday against Cleveland.

Early in the third quarter, Ware and defensive end Jason Hatcher combined to sack Cleveland rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden for a seven-yard loss. The shared sack for Ware gave him 10 sacks on the season.

Reggie White has the NFL record with nine consecutive seasons with at least 10 sacks. John Randle had 10-plus sack seasons eight consecutive years and Lawrence Taylor and Bruce Smith each had seven season in a row in which they recorded at least 10 sacks.

“The thing is it’s all about being consistent every year and when you get mentioned with those names, those names are premier pass-rushers that no matter what type of pass-rush role you’ve got or what you do you’re going to look up to those guys,” Ware said. “To have the opportunity to even be in the midst of those guys, I’m really big on tradition with the Dallas Cowboys and history and legacy, and just being part of that [is] a big thing for me.”

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Cowboys LB DeMarcus Ware, WR Kevin Ogletree tested for concussions
By Brandon George / Reporter
7:04 pm on November 18, 2012

ARLINGTON – Cowboys receiver Kevin Ogletree and linebacker DeMarcus Ware were tested for concussions Sunday against Cleveland.

Ware was hurt late in the third quarter. He came out of the game but returned to play the fourth quarter and overtime.

Ogletree was hurt late in the fourth quarter when Cleveland defensive back T.J. Ward used his shoulder to hit Ogletree’s helmet as he tried to catch a pass. Ward was penalized 15 yards for a hit against a defenseless receiver. Ogletree didn’t return to the game.

Cowboys receiver Dwayne Harris was shaken up three plays after Ogletree was hurt. Harris came out of the game but returned to play the overtime.

Also, Cowboys safety Danny McCray suffered a right hip injury in the first quarter but was able to return in the second quarter and finished the game.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Cowboys RB Felix Jones tweaks his left knee in first half
By Brandon George / Reporter
7:03 pm on November 18, 2012

ARLINGTON – Cowboys running back Felix Jones tweaked his left knee in the first half, owner Jerry Jones said, but was able to return in the second half.

Felix Jones finished the game with 14 carries for 43 yards – making his fifth consecutive start in place of DeMarco Murray – but didn’t get any carries in overtime.

It was Lance Dunbar who had three runs in the Cowboys’ final drive to set up Dan Bailey’s game-winning field goal in overtime.

Felix Jones had a 2-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to cut Cleveland’s lead to 13-10.

“I saw a lot of heart,” Jerry Jones said of Felix Jones. “I saw him running hard. He actually had a little compromising situation with his left knee but came back out – and this is a good sign – and played on that, so knowing Felix, which if anybody can go when it would normally limit who can go, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him go Thursday.

“He was back out there and had a lot of snaps after it started bothering him. It didn’t look like it limited him at all.”

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Jerry Jones: Tyron Smith has high ankle sprain, ‘which bothers the daylight out of you’
By Jon Machota / Special Contributor
6:42 pm on November 18, 2012

ARLINGTON – Cowboys starting left tackle Tyron Smith exited with a left high ankle sprain late in the first quarter Sunday and did not return.

Smith went into the locker room following the injury and returned to the sideline with his left ankle heavily taped. He worked on some moves with reserve center Kevin Kowalski but never went back into the game.

While speaking in the locker room after the Cowboys’ 23-20 overtime victory over the Cleveland Browns, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said he was “a little positive” about the injury suffered by the 2011 first-round pick.

“It’s high ankle, which bothers the daylight out of you,” Jones said. “But he was in good enough shape with it to go in, but we know how those things are. But man is he a focused young man and if anybody could fight through this level – and don’t ask me what level I’m talking about – but the trainers were a little more than usual optimistic that it might not be as bad as it can be.”

Reserve tackle Jermey Parnell stepped in and played on the left side for the remainder of the game. If Smith cannot go Thursday against the Washington Redskins, Parnell would likely get the start in his absence.

“We just have to wait and see,” Jones added. “I really don’t know enough about that at all to predict anything about his availability for Thursday or against Philadelphia.”

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Jerry Jones: Adjustments by Jason Garrett and Rob Ryan ‘worked like a charm’
By Jon Machota / Special Contributor
6:27 pm on November 18, 2012

ARLINGTON – Jerry Jones says he thinks the Cowboys will benefit from Sunday’s 23-20 overtime victory against the Cleveland Browns.

The Cowboys kept postseason hopes alive by improving to 5-5 by defeating a team that has two wins in 10 games.

Some thought the Cowboys would easily dispose of the Browns, but a 13-0 halftime deficit showed that the home team might not get a victory, much less a convincing one.

“I like the way that we came back here today,” the Cowboys owner and general manager said, standing in the Cowboys locker room. “I know that Cleveland’s record didn’t indicate the kind of respect we have for them. I think to get 5-5 this way, in kind of a strange sort of way, to earn it, to have some of the mistakes we’ve made to get to 5-5, if you want to look at it negatively, I hope that’s all going to be a doctor’s degree for us on how to go forward in these next six games.”

The offense finally started getting on track during the second half after managing only 68 yards during the first two quarters. The defense adjusted and held the Browns to only 37 yards on the ground and 97 yards through the air throughout the second half and overtime.

Jones gave much of the credit to Cowboys coach Jason Garrett and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan for making the correct changes to their gameplan.

“We departed from the game plan at halftime and presented something to our players to go out there and have the second half that we had,” Jones said. “I like that. That shows me, I think that was really top coaching on, of course Jason, but Rob Ryan on the defensive side of the ball. They really made adjustments, specific adjustments, and it worked like a charm for us out there today.”

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Analysis: Cowboys pull to .500 with ugly victory over two-win Browns
By Jon Machota / Special Contributor
4:01 pm on November 18, 2012

ARLINGTON – Dan Bailey drilled a 38-yard field goal in overtime and the Cowboys escaped with a 23-20 victory over the Cleveland Browns after trailing 13-0 at halftime.

Here are my thoughts on the Cowboys pulling to 5-5 on Sunday at Cowboys Stadium.

1.) No play better symbolized the Cowboys’ day than a fourth-and-1 pass early in the fourth quarter. Tony Romo threw short to fullback Lawrence Vickers out of the backfield but it wasn’t as easy as it should’ve been. Vickers jumped and fully extended, catching the ball at its highest point before falling backwards. You could hear the collective gasp from the 81,936 inside Cowboys Stadium. Dallas moved the chains and later in the drive grabbed their first lead on a go-ahead touchdown. Nothing ever comes easy for this Cowboys team, not even against a 2-7 Cleveland squad. Enjoy the remainder of the season, folks. It’ll certainly be interesting.

2.) Robert Griffin III shouldn’t be nervous to face the Cowboys defense when the Washington Redskins come to Cowboys Stadium on Thursday. It’s not because Rob Ryan’s group isn’t good, it’s because they haven’t done much this year against rookie QBs. Seattle’s Russell Wilson and Cleveland’s Brandon Weeden looked like seasoned veterans against a pass rush that was non-existent for the majority of those games. Wilson was 15-of-20 passing and posted a 112.7 quarterback rating. Weeden was 20-of-35 with two touchdowns and a 93.7 QB rating. RGIII is better than both, so the defense will have to play much better to get a Thanksgiving Day win.

3.) The Cowboys wouldn’t have battled back to take the lead without Dez Bryant. Say what you want about him backpedaling out of bounds a yard short of a first down but he goes hard on nearly every play. Even when the team was struggling, the 24-year-old’s determination never faded. Bryant’s career day was a spark for the Cowboys Sunday. He finished with 12 catches for 145 yards and a touchdown. Browns top corner Joe Haden was held out because of injury and that certainly made things easier on Bryant. Either way, a very good day for one of the Cowboys’ biggest playmakers.

4.) The Cowboys offensive line might have played its worst game of the season. It was projected to be a weakness entering the year, and that’s with Phil Costa and Tyron Smith in the starting lineup. Against the Browns, Costa was out with an ankle injury and Smith was sidelined after injuring his left ankle in the opening quarter. The group of Doug Free, Derrick Dockery, Mackenzy Bernadeau, Nate Livings and Jermey Parnell didn’t give Romo many opportunities to survey the field Sunday as he was sacked seven times. That was also a significant factor in the offense managing only 68 yards in the first half with 17 coming on the ground. The Cowboys kept their playoff hopes alive by surviving an ugly game but they need Smith and Costa back to have a realistic shot of playing in the postseason.

5.) Despite the victory, I still don’t know how good this Cowboys team is. Sunday’s game went from being a complete disaster to a nail-biting victory. They deserve some credit for that. But this is the group Jerry Jones constantly compares to the 2011 New York Giants, a team that got healthy, caught fire and made a run to the Super Bowl. I still don’t see that from the Cowboys and I’m not sure how Jones can, either.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Report card: Special teams come through
November, 18, 2012
By Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com

D
RUSHING OFFENSE
The Cowboys' patchwork offensive line got whipped way too often by the Browns' front seven. Dallas running backs were dropped for a loss on six of their 19 carries. Felix Jones and Lance Dunbar combined for 53 yards on 19 carries, an average of 2.8 per pop. The right side of the Cowboys' offensive line was especially poor, with tackle Doug Free and fill-in guard Derrick Dockery consistently getting knocked backwards. The Browns' pass rushers were able to pin back their ears because the Cowboys couldn't run the ball with any consistency.

C-
PASSING OFFENSE
Dez Bryant dominated, catching 12 passes for a career-high 145 yards and a touchdown, but the Cowboys should have had much more success throwing the ball against an injury-ravaged Browns secondary. Tony Romo's protection was terrible, as evidenced by his career-high seven sacks. He did a poor job protecting the ball on one of those, resulting in a lost fumble while the Cowboys were protecting a late lead. Romo threw for 313 yards, but he averaged only 6.3 yards per attempt, primarily because the Cowboys couldn't block well enough to let him attack downfield.

B
RUSHING DEFENSE
The Browns pounded away with stud rookie running back Trent Richardson and the Cowboys did a decent job holding their ground. He finished with 28 carries for 95 yards, with the Dallas run defense growing stronger late in the game. Richardson gained only 18 yards on eight carries in the fourth quarter and overtime. Safeties Danny McCray and Gerald Sensabaugh were especially strong in run support. Outside linebacker Anthony Spencer, as usual, was also a force against the run, recording six tackles, including one for a loss.

C
PASSING DEFENSE
The Cowboys weren't able to rattle a rookie quarterback. Brandon Weeden completed 20 of 35 passes for 210 yards, hitting tight end Ben Watson for two touchdowns. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan didn't blitz often and the Cowboys struggled to get pressure on Weeden, who tends to commit turnovers when he has heat on him. Dallas had only two sacks, one shared by DeMarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher and one by Anthony Spencer that was a trifecta (sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery). The Cowboys had two golden opportunities for interceptions when they got pressure on Weeden, but Spencer and nose tackle Josh Brent dropped the ball.

B
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Cowboys twice made the mistake of punting to Cleveland's Josh Cribbs and paid a steep price both times. His 20- and 22-yard returns set up the Browns' two touchdown drives. Brian Moorman booted the ball out of bounds on his other five punts, including three that landed inside the 20. Dallas' Dwayne Harris made a critical big play on a punt return for the second consecutive week. After taking one to the house in Philadelphia, Harris had a 20-yard return to set up the game-winning field goal. Dan Bailey was 3-for-3 on field goals, including the winner. An onside attempt was unsuccessful, but the Browns didn't convert that field position into points.

D
COACHING
Jerry Jones gushed about the halftime adjustments made by Jason Garrett and Rob Ryan. Well, how about the preparation during the week? It's inexcusable to have dug a 13-point hole at halftime against a two-win team. The offense was especially awful in the first half, accounting for only 68 total yards. It shouldn't have taken Garrett two quarters to figure out that his offensive line wasn't good enough to allow Romo and the receivers to attack the Browns vertically. The Cowboys managed to pull out the win -- or the Browns found a way to lose -- so this won't go down as a disaster. But it certainly doesn't inspire confidence that Garrett is the right guy.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Tyron Smith's injury concerns Cowboys
November, 18, 2012
By Calvin Watkins | ESPNDallas.com

IRVING, Texas -- Cowboys starting left tackle Tyron Smith left Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns with a high ankle sprain that puts his availability for the Thanksgiving Day game with Washington in question.

Jermey Parnell replaced Smith, who didn't play in the second half, at left tackle. The Cowboys were already minus center Ryan Cook (knee) and moved starting right guard Mackenzy Bernadeau to center. Derrick Dockery replaced Bernadeau at right guard in the starting lineup.

The Cowboys' offensive line had many issues on Sunday, including a season-high seven sacks allowed and 10 hits on quarterback Tony Romo.

"It's high ankle which just bothers the daylights out of ya," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. Later he added, "The trainers were a little more than usual optimistic that it won't be as bad as it can be on high ankle."

Running back Felix Jones who finished with 43-yards and one touchdown on 14 carries, tweaked his left knee in the first half.

"Saw a lot of heart and saw him running hard," Jerry Jones said of Felix Jones. "He actually had a little compromising situation with his left knee. But came back out there, this is a good sign, and he played on that."

Wide receivers Kevin Ogletree (concussion) and Dwayne Harris were hurt late in the fourth quarter of the overtime win. Ogletree said he passed a concussion test but he didn't return after taking a hard hit under the chin on an incompleted pass. Harris was shaken up for an undetermined injury but later returned.

Defensive lineman Josh Brent (pinkie) left the locker room with a splint on his finger, running back Lance Dunbar had a minor procedure done on his knee, and safety Danny McCray (hip) left the game briefly but returned after getting a pain medication shot.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Jerry Jones: I'm really pleased with O-line
November, 18, 2012
By Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com

ARLINGTON, Texas – Maybe Jerry Jones’ son-in-law slacked on his glasses-cleaning duty Sunday.

Got a better explanation for the Cowboys’ owner/general manager gushing about the job the Cowboys’ offensive line did in the 23-20 overtime win over the two-win Browns?

“I’m really pleased with the offensive line, as it is as we sit here right now with the win,” Jones said.

This was after Tony Romo was sacked a career-high seven times, the Cowboys averaged only 3.0 yards per carry and the Dallas offensive line was whistled for four holding penalties.

Granted, Jerry was grading on a curve due to injuries. The Cowboys had to shuffle the line due to their top two centers being sidelined, moving Mackenzy Bernadeau to center and replacing him at right guard with Derrick Dockery. Then left tackle Tyron Smith suffered a high ankle sprain in the first half, which meant that Jermey Parnell got the first significant playing time at tackle of his career.

“I’m really proud of him,” Jones said. “He got his baptism under fire.”

Parnell had two holding penalties and gave up at least one sack. You could argue that Parnell was the Cowboys’ best offensive tackle, but that’s because $32 million man Doug Free’s struggles continued.

“Our offensive line early had some guys get loose on them,” Jones said. “A guy like Doug Free turned around and came back and played stellar.”

Stellar is just a bit strong, but the Cowboys’ offensive line at least played well enough to beat the Browns.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Rapid Reaction: Cowboys 23, Browns 20
November, 18, 2012
By Calvin Watkins | ESPNDallas.com

ARLINGTON, Texas -- A game that started around noon CT and ended about 9 minutes to 4 was long, bad and left you tired of hearing Ed Hochuli's explanations.

Dan Bailey's 38-yard field goal ended the game in overtime, giving the Dallas Cowboys a pre-Thanksgiving Day gift with a 23-20 victory over the two-win Cleveland Browns on Sunday afternoon.

What does it mean: The Cowboys (5-5) are now .500 thanks to their second consecutive victory, but they played poorly and don't resemble a team that is ready for the playoffs. Tony Romo had a costly fumble, his third of the season, that gave the Browns life. The pass rush was lacking against a rookie quarterback, and there are numerous health issues lingering.

Bailey's kick sends it to OT: A pass interference penalty on Sheldon Brown and a hit to the head of Kevin Ogletree kept the Cowboys' last-ditch scoring drive alive at the end of regulation. Bailey's 32-yard field goal with two seconds to play tied the score at 20.

Bryant takes over: This is what Cowboys fans have been waiting for, a game like this from Dez Bryant in which he takes over with good route running and playmaking ability. Bryant picked up his third 100-yard game of the season with 12 catches for a career-high 145 yards and one touchdown. Bryant's 28-yard touchdown reception with 6:46 remaining gave the Cowboys their first lead of the day (17-13).

Where's the pass rush? The Cowboys picked up zero sacks in the first half and applied little pressure on rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden. The Cowboys got their first sack of the game in the third quarter, with DeMarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher each getting credit for half a sack. It seemed defensive coordinator Rob Ryan was playing conservatively with his pressures, sending only three in the first half. But in the second, he revved it up slightly by sending four or five defenders at least once or twice. Ware even knocked Weeden down in the end zone on a pass, something we haven't seen a lot of in the first half. Anthony Spencer's strip sack with 5:45 left ended a Cleveland drive. But Romo's fumble kept the Browns around.

Injuries to Smith, others: The Cowboys lost left tackle Tyron Smith to an ankle injury, and he was replaced by Jermey Parnell. Smith didn't return in the second half. The Cowboys already were playing with changes to the line with center Ryan Cook out with a knee injury. Right guard Mackenzy Bernadeau moved from that spot to replace Cook. Derrick Dockery came off the bench to start at right guard. Bernadeau had just two bad snaps, in the shotgun, that were handled well by Romo. The Cowboys lost safety Danny McCray to a hip injury, but he returned. Also, outside linebacker Ware and safety Charlie Peprah were checked for concussions in the second half. Ware returned. Ogletree and Dwayne Harris also left the game with injuries late in the game. Ogletree was checked for a concussion, and Harris returned in overtime.

Shut out at halftime: The Cowboys were shut out in the first half for the first time this season. The last time the Cowboys failed to score in the first half was the last two games of the 2011 regular season. Dallas lost both -- 20-7 against Philadelphia 21-14 versus the New York Giants won 31-14.

What's next? Thanksgiving Day, when the Cowboys keep their faint playoff hopes alive and take on the Washington Redskins for the first time this season at Cowboys Stadium.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Charlie Peprah tested for concussion
November, 18, 2012
By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com

ARLINGTON, Texas – Backup safety Charlie Peprah was taken to the locker room after undergoing concussion tests on the sideline.

Peprah took a hit on a third-down pass in which he almost came away with an interception.

Danny McCray has returned to action after suffering a right hip injury in the first quarter. Peprah had been playing in passing situations. Eric Frampton is the only other healthy safety on the roster.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Cowboys 23, Browns 20 (OT): Working the Late Shift
by Rafael

In the first half today, Dallas Cowboys played like a squad which had ingested an early Thanksgiving meal.

The defensive front was a count slow in the first and second quarters, and was regularly knocked off the ball by a young and powerful Cleveland Browns front. The offensive line, hurt by the pre-game loss of center Ryan Cook and further weakened by the loss of left tackle Tyron Smith, failed to generate a run-down push, and allowed Tony Romo to be sacked four times. Consequently, Dallas absorbed waves of boos, and entered halftime down 13-0. It seemed the Cowboys would have failed any tests for high tryptophan levels. They were a sleepy football team.

Renewed energy and a faster-paced 2nd half saw the Cowboys race into a 17-13 lead. Romo had to rally the offense a second time after Cleveland regained the lead in the last 70 seconds. Romo moved Dallas from his own 20 to the Browns red zone, where Dan Bailey tied the score with six seconds left.

Bailey later won the game in overtime with his third field goal of the game. The 23-20 win pulled Dallas to 5-5, leaving them a game behind the division-leading New York Giants. Dallas can pull even in the win column it it beats Washington on Thursday.

On a day when redemption was the theme, Dez Bryant and his receivers mates can take a bow. They were invisible in the first half, when Romo was racing for his health behind a sieve-like line. In the second, Dallas began throwing shorter, faster routes against a secondary which seemed content to lay off the line. Romo began throwing regularly to Bryant, who finished the day with 12 catches and a career-best 145 yards. Bryant was his usual difficult self outside the numbers, and today showed some grit going inside on slants and crossing routes.

Bryant has the frame to dominate most cornerbacks, and can outjump and outfight them for footballs. Through much of the year, he has not shown the willingness to play all out on routes into the deep middle of the field. He dropped a critical pass in the Seahawks loss and tailed off a post route in the second Giants game, which led to an interception.

Today, Bryant was strong inside and outside and may have taken a needed step in his development as a player. Miles Austin followed Bryant's lead. He was also very slow off the mark but finished with 58 yards on six catches, and made an important snag of a low Romo slant throw in the overtime, to move the Cowboys into field goal range.

The defense held Cleveland to seven points after the break and forced three quick punts on the Browns first three second half possessions, giving the offense the time and field position to rally. The ends, Anthony Spencer and DeMarcus Ware, upped their rush. Ware had been quieted by Joe Thomas in the first half, but roared past the tackle to sack Brandon Weeden and stop Cleveland's first 2nd half drive. Spencer paired with Bruce Carter to slow Trent Richardson, who had hurt Dallas with 3rd down receptions in that sluggish first half. Spencer also forced a fumble on Cleveland's next to last possession of regulation time.

Notes

-- Get healthy and fast. Tyron Smith tweaked an ankle mid-way though the first half and did not return. His backup Jermey Parnell struggled in pass protection. Parnell did get better as the game progressed, but he looks more like a right tackle than a left one. The drop-off from Smith was significant. The Cowboys also need Ryan Cook to return. Derrick Dockery had a poor day pass protecting at right guard.

-- It's the turnovers, stupid. The Cowboys have committed just one in their last three games, and won two of them. Romo had the ball swatted from his grasp in the 4th quarter when Dallas was in position to end the game early. He's gone three straight games without a pick. Similar ball custody will give the team a fighting chance in its remaining games.

-- Just enough to drive you crazy. Just enough to keep you interested. We know the Cowboys strengths and weaknesses. Their safeties run red hot or ice cold. Gerald Sensabaugh was a touch off on several early passes into the middle of Dallas' coverage, but made a great recovers on a 3rd and 3 pitch out where Trent Richardson appeared to have an open sideline. Sensabaugh stuck Richardson and forced a fumble short of the 1st down marker.

-- Short week. Not much time to dwell on this game and I'm not sure we want to. It wasn't pretty, but there are no polls in the NFL. The standings and tie-breakers are everything, and they have Dallas one game out of first place with six left to play.

We'll start with Robert Griffith and the Redskins tomorrow.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Breaking Down the Dallas Cowboys Mess: Who's to Blame, What Must Happen Next?
by Chris Roling

Even with the win today, the Dallas Cowboys are once again a colossal disappointment, and we're approaching the part of the season when we have to begin examining what Jerry Jones can do to turn his franchise around in a hurry.

Jones' Cowboys are 5-5 and have been one of the more inconsistent and underwhelming teams yet again. Dallas is currently in second place in the competitive NFC East, but all things considered, the Cowboys don't have a great chance at making the postseason in the ultra-competitive NFC.

With the Cowboys suffering from trainwreck-like symptoms, it's time to start assigning blame to the guilty parties. It's also time to begin looking toward the future to find a game plan that will allow the franchise to turn around in the near future.

Who's to Blame?

It's easy to start at the top for Dallas. Head coach Jason Garrett has had a miserable season at the helm of things, both in terms of schemes and simply controlling his locker room.

Garrett is routinely out-coached, as evidenced by the miserable offensive rankings. The Cowboys are elite in terms of passing yards and total yardage per game, but they rank near the middle of the pack in points scored per game, which simply means Garrett is not putting his team in a position to win.

Garrett also has issues controlling his players. The Cowboys have committed 13 or more penalties in four games this season. It's a discipline issue that Garrett clearly cannot correct.

There are other serious issues on the team that deserve some blame, such as quarterback Tony Romo. He's been inconsistent at best and has cost the team games with crucial turnovers.

Injuries have also derailed the Cowboys' season. Losing running back DeMarco Murray certainly hasn't helped the offense. Defensively things have been great, but the unit has been unable to overcome the offensive inefficiencies.

While these are all problem areas, Garrett deserves the blame. It's ultimately his job to right the ship, slumping players and injuries or not, and he has failed to do so.

What's Next?

The next move for Jerry Jones is simple. He has to bring in a new head coach and put an end to the Jason Garrett experiment. It may be close to the end of the Tony Romo era as well, considering he may want to test free agency.

Jones, of course, has interest in his good friend Mike Holmgren, who is on his way out as the President of the Cleveland Browns and reportedly has interest in the head-coaching gig in Dallas.

Holmgren is a match made in heaven for the Cowboys, as he could instill a winning culture and actually control the locker room. He's not the only candidate, as options such as Sean Payton and collegiate coaches could be explored.

Jones needs to find a way to have more consistent drafts as well. The Cowboys have an extremely talented roster, but the front office cannot afford to continue to have inconsistent drafts that result in a mixed bag of talent.

On paper, the Cowboys are a great team. Jones needs to find the correct mixture in the coaching staff to turn that into an elite team on the field.

It starts and ends at the top. For the Cowboys to turn things around, Jones is going to have to make some major changes this offseason.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

DeMarcus Ware Injury: Updates on Cowboys Star's Possible Concussion
by Adam Wells

As if the Dallas Cowboys didn't have enough problems, star linebacker DeMarcus Ware is being treated for a possible concussion, according to Tim McMahon of ESPN Dallas:

Cowboys radio broadcast reports that DeMarcus Ware is getting a concussion test.

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) November 18, 2012

UPDATE: Sunday, November 18 at 3:30 p.m. ET
The Cowboys can breathe easier, as Ware returned to the game after being examined (h/t Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland Plain Dealer).

#Cowboys Demarcus Ware back in game, pressured Weeden onpass that was batted down.

— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) November 18, 2012
With the Cowboys fighting back into the game in the fourth quarter, Ware's presence on defense could serve as a mental boost for the rest of the team. They can't afford to let anymore winnable games slip through their fingers.
---END OF UPDATE---

Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News reported that Ware was being looked at on the sidelines for "a reported neck injury":

Ware on sideline with a reported neck injury. Victor Butler takes his place on the field.

— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) November 18, 2012
The Cowboys were already in a bad spot against Cleveland, trailing 13-3 heading into the fourth quarter. Ware is the team's best defensive player. He had three tackles, a half-sack and a quarterback hit in this game.

For the season, Ware had 40 total tackles, 9.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and three tackles for a loss. No other defensive player on the Cowboys has more than 3.5 sacks. Ware is the straw that stirs the drink for the front seven.

Despite their 4-5 record, the Cowboys have had a very good season defensively. They rank eighth in pass defense and 13th against the run. Ware has always been a huge part of what this team wants to do.

We will keep you updated on Ware's status as soon as more information becomes available.