By Tom Osborne
IRVING — Kudos to the Cowboys for their dramatic, come-from-behind 27-23 win over the Vikings.
Tony Romo was superb directing a season-saving 90-yard march he capped with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Dwayne Harris with 35 seconds left. Had Dallas lost, one week after the 31-30 meltdown in Detroit, the mood at Valley Ranch would have been as gloomy as the gray, wet weather that settled over North Texas on Monday.
“There's no question (we) didn't want back-to-back losses to go to 4-5,” tight end Jason Witten said. “I think everyone knew that.”
But the Cowboys proved only so much by barely slipping by lowly Minnesota, which fell to 1-7 and is off to its worst start since its inaugural 1961 season.
With that said, it's time for Dallas to make a statement. To author a signature win over a playoff-worthy foe. To prove it is worthy of being called a division leader. To defeat the 6-2 New Orleans Saints on Sunday in a primetime game at the Superdome.
But can they? Recent history says beating a winner is a tall order for the Jason Garrett era Cowboys.
Since 2011, Dallas is 17-1 versus teams under .500 but only 4-19 against teams .500 or better, including 0-4 this season.
So will the Cowboys travel to the Big Easy determined to make a statement?
“We don't take those kinds of global views on things,” Garrett said Monday. “Our approach is to build on some of the good things (they did against Minnesota) and clean up some of the things we don't really like, and then get our eyes focused on New Orleans.”
But will all the players be focused on the Saints when practice resumes Wednesday? That's a concern after linebacker Bruce Carter and running back DeMarco Murray expressed displeasure with their reduced roles Monday.
The Cowboys started Ernie Sims over Carter against the Vikings. But the coaches turned back to Carter in the second half after Sims struggled. Asked why he was benched in the first place, Carter admitted he was “mad” about the demotion and said the reason given to him by the coaches “really wasn't legit.”
To his credit, though, Carter also admitted he “overanalyzes things” too much on the field, which results in him “slowing down” and that he needs to play better.
Murray also received plenty of media attention Monday after the Cowboys recorded a franchise-low nine runs against Minnesota. In his first game back after missing two weeks with a knee sprain, Murray gained 31 yards on four carries.
While saying “all that matters” is they got the win and “Romo did well when we passed the ball,” Murray made it clear he would like to be more involved. But he also said he has no plans to gripe to the coaches.
“That's out of my control,” Murray said about the game planning. “(The coaches) are making the decisions. They know what's best for the team.”
Fortunately for Murray, Garrett conceded that, “We have to be more balanced. We have to be more patient (with the running game).”
What they really need to do is just play better. And beat a winning team for a change.
“You never minimize a win, but somewhere deep down, you know you've got to play a lot better,” Witten said. “You can be first place in the division and all that, but you've got to play better. We all have to realize that.”
Succinctly speaking: Garrett kept it short when asked for his reaction to defensive lineman Jay Ratliff signing a one-year contract with the Chicago Bears.
“Wish him nothing but the best,” Garrett told reporters in Irving before flashing a smile that indicated his comment might not have been sincere.
The Cowboys cut Ratliff last month after an acrimonious dispute over the severity of the groin and hamstring injuries that had sidelined him since training camp.
“I do feel like I have a lot left in the tank,” Ratliff told Chicago's WMVP-AM.
Ratliff denied an ESPN report that he signed with the Bears because they host the Cowboys on Dec. 9.
torsborn@express-news.net
IRVING — Kudos to the Cowboys for their dramatic, come-from-behind 27-23 win over the Vikings.
Tony Romo was superb directing a season-saving 90-yard march he capped with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Dwayne Harris with 35 seconds left. Had Dallas lost, one week after the 31-30 meltdown in Detroit, the mood at Valley Ranch would have been as gloomy as the gray, wet weather that settled over North Texas on Monday.
“There's no question (we) didn't want back-to-back losses to go to 4-5,” tight end Jason Witten said. “I think everyone knew that.”
But the Cowboys proved only so much by barely slipping by lowly Minnesota, which fell to 1-7 and is off to its worst start since its inaugural 1961 season.
With that said, it's time for Dallas to make a statement. To author a signature win over a playoff-worthy foe. To prove it is worthy of being called a division leader. To defeat the 6-2 New Orleans Saints on Sunday in a primetime game at the Superdome.
But can they? Recent history says beating a winner is a tall order for the Jason Garrett era Cowboys.
Since 2011, Dallas is 17-1 versus teams under .500 but only 4-19 against teams .500 or better, including 0-4 this season.
So will the Cowboys travel to the Big Easy determined to make a statement?
“We don't take those kinds of global views on things,” Garrett said Monday. “Our approach is to build on some of the good things (they did against Minnesota) and clean up some of the things we don't really like, and then get our eyes focused on New Orleans.”
But will all the players be focused on the Saints when practice resumes Wednesday? That's a concern after linebacker Bruce Carter and running back DeMarco Murray expressed displeasure with their reduced roles Monday.
The Cowboys started Ernie Sims over Carter against the Vikings. But the coaches turned back to Carter in the second half after Sims struggled. Asked why he was benched in the first place, Carter admitted he was “mad” about the demotion and said the reason given to him by the coaches “really wasn't legit.”
To his credit, though, Carter also admitted he “overanalyzes things” too much on the field, which results in him “slowing down” and that he needs to play better.
Murray also received plenty of media attention Monday after the Cowboys recorded a franchise-low nine runs against Minnesota. In his first game back after missing two weeks with a knee sprain, Murray gained 31 yards on four carries.
While saying “all that matters” is they got the win and “Romo did well when we passed the ball,” Murray made it clear he would like to be more involved. But he also said he has no plans to gripe to the coaches.
“That's out of my control,” Murray said about the game planning. “(The coaches) are making the decisions. They know what's best for the team.”
Fortunately for Murray, Garrett conceded that, “We have to be more balanced. We have to be more patient (with the running game).”
What they really need to do is just play better. And beat a winning team for a change.
“You never minimize a win, but somewhere deep down, you know you've got to play a lot better,” Witten said. “You can be first place in the division and all that, but you've got to play better. We all have to realize that.”
Succinctly speaking: Garrett kept it short when asked for his reaction to defensive lineman Jay Ratliff signing a one-year contract with the Chicago Bears.
“Wish him nothing but the best,” Garrett told reporters in Irving before flashing a smile that indicated his comment might not have been sincere.
The Cowboys cut Ratliff last month after an acrimonious dispute over the severity of the groin and hamstring injuries that had sidelined him since training camp.
“I do feel like I have a lot left in the tank,” Ratliff told Chicago's WMVP-AM.
Ratliff denied an ESPN report that he signed with the Bears because they host the Cowboys on Dec. 9.
torsborn@express-news.net