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Dallas Cowboys Find Themselves in Unfamiliar Territory After Week 1
Posted on September 8, 2012
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All right, so it’s Week 1 of the NFL season. But still, for the Dallas Cowboys and all of their fans, things feel a little different than usual.
The Dallas Cowboys have the best record in the league. They have the top rusher in Demarco Murray (131 yards), top passer in the league in Tony Romo (307 yard, 3 touchdowns), and the leading receiver in the form of Kevin Ogletree (8 catches, 114 yards, 2 touchdowns). Of course it helps that only two teams in the league have played a game yet, but still, just enjoy that for a second.
Done enjoying? Okay, great. While those stats are nice, they are not what make this season already feel different. The reasons for that are much more tangible than silly stat lines.
For starters, it looks like the Cowboys have a defensive unit we can believe in. Brandon Carr, save for one poorly timed jump, looks like a man worthy of 50 million dollars worth of Jerry’s money. Morris Claiborne showed the lights of primetime in the NFL are not too bright for him, and fought admirably against one of the league’s premier receivers in Hakeem Nicks. The front 7 looked stout against the run, and Ahmad Bradshaw struggled to find lanes the entire game. Sean Lee is primed to be a pro-bowler, and comparisons to Tedy Bruschi are becoming more and more legit. Oh, and the Cowboys held the high-flying New York Giants offense to a more-than-respectable 269 yards. All of this accomplished without two pro-bowlers in Jay Ratliff and Mike Jenkins.
Yet, even more telling than the performance of one unit in one game was the team’s ability to fight through adversity. In recent years, the Dallas Cowboys have been pegged as a team that wilts under pressure. They can’t finish. They can’t win the big one. The same has also been said about Tony Romo and Jason Garrett. Well, at least for one week, the naysayers have been quieted.
The goal-line stand in the 2nd Quarter set the tone for the entire team. The players would not just lie down and do what they’re supposedly supposed to do. The all-out effort by Tyron Smith to save a touchdown is a play that will likely get lost in the shuffle over the course of the season, but could prove to be one of the most pivotal plays we will see the entire year. Plays like that win games, and the Dallas Cowboys of recent years haven’t made them. This time, they did.
The offense was able to close out a game, never relinquishing the ball after the Giants cut it to a one score game. They converted a 3rd down (twice actually) to keep Eli Manning on the sidelines with the game on the line. And that is exactly where we want him to be.
Finally, it was Romo and Garrett who were able to win the game in a pressure situation. Garrett, after a devastating holding penalty against Jason Witten that reversed a 3rd down conversion, showed faith in Romo to protect the ball. Romo, scrutinized so heavily for not being able to finish games, came through in the clutch with a perfect pass to Ogletree on the game-winning slant. Not a fumble, or an interception, or a sack. No, instead it was a reception, a 3rd down conversion, and a win.
Of course, we can’t drink the entire pitcher of Kool-Aid just yet. We must remember that it is a long season, and for all we know, the Dallas Cowboys could finish 1-15. But the air feels different around this team. There is a palpable confidence within the players, which shows both on and off the field. The franchise feels energized. Let’s hope it’s a sign of things to come. As Jason Garrett said in his post-game speech to the team,
“Long way to go, guys, a hell of a start, though.”
Posted on September 8, 2012
Syndicated Feeds
All right, so it’s Week 1 of the NFL season. But still, for the Dallas Cowboys and all of their fans, things feel a little different than usual.
The Dallas Cowboys have the best record in the league. They have the top rusher in Demarco Murray (131 yards), top passer in the league in Tony Romo (307 yard, 3 touchdowns), and the leading receiver in the form of Kevin Ogletree (8 catches, 114 yards, 2 touchdowns). Of course it helps that only two teams in the league have played a game yet, but still, just enjoy that for a second.
Done enjoying? Okay, great. While those stats are nice, they are not what make this season already feel different. The reasons for that are much more tangible than silly stat lines.
For starters, it looks like the Cowboys have a defensive unit we can believe in. Brandon Carr, save for one poorly timed jump, looks like a man worthy of 50 million dollars worth of Jerry’s money. Morris Claiborne showed the lights of primetime in the NFL are not too bright for him, and fought admirably against one of the league’s premier receivers in Hakeem Nicks. The front 7 looked stout against the run, and Ahmad Bradshaw struggled to find lanes the entire game. Sean Lee is primed to be a pro-bowler, and comparisons to Tedy Bruschi are becoming more and more legit. Oh, and the Cowboys held the high-flying New York Giants offense to a more-than-respectable 269 yards. All of this accomplished without two pro-bowlers in Jay Ratliff and Mike Jenkins.
Yet, even more telling than the performance of one unit in one game was the team’s ability to fight through adversity. In recent years, the Dallas Cowboys have been pegged as a team that wilts under pressure. They can’t finish. They can’t win the big one. The same has also been said about Tony Romo and Jason Garrett. Well, at least for one week, the naysayers have been quieted.
The goal-line stand in the 2nd Quarter set the tone for the entire team. The players would not just lie down and do what they’re supposedly supposed to do. The all-out effort by Tyron Smith to save a touchdown is a play that will likely get lost in the shuffle over the course of the season, but could prove to be one of the most pivotal plays we will see the entire year. Plays like that win games, and the Dallas Cowboys of recent years haven’t made them. This time, they did.
The offense was able to close out a game, never relinquishing the ball after the Giants cut it to a one score game. They converted a 3rd down (twice actually) to keep Eli Manning on the sidelines with the game on the line. And that is exactly where we want him to be.
Finally, it was Romo and Garrett who were able to win the game in a pressure situation. Garrett, after a devastating holding penalty against Jason Witten that reversed a 3rd down conversion, showed faith in Romo to protect the ball. Romo, scrutinized so heavily for not being able to finish games, came through in the clutch with a perfect pass to Ogletree on the game-winning slant. Not a fumble, or an interception, or a sack. No, instead it was a reception, a 3rd down conversion, and a win.
Of course, we can’t drink the entire pitcher of Kool-Aid just yet. We must remember that it is a long season, and for all we know, the Dallas Cowboys could finish 1-15. But the air feels different around this team. There is a palpable confidence within the players, which shows both on and off the field. The franchise feels energized. Let’s hope it’s a sign of things to come. As Jason Garrett said in his post-game speech to the team,
“Long way to go, guys, a hell of a start, though.”