The Day After: Dallas @ Baltimore

[Irving Cowboy]

Broaddus: You Have To Give the O-Line Credit
Bryan Broaddus
Football Analyst/Scout

Coming into this matchup against the Ravens, there were plenty of questions about whether the Cowboys could generate any type of rushing attack to help their offense. During the week, Garrett made the decision to play with “12” personnel and mixed it up by including fullback Lawrence Vickers.

The offensive line, with Phil Costa back at center, was able to open up holes that we have not seen since the Giants game. All of the Cowboys running backs were able to rush with a purpose, and like last week against the Chiefs, the Ravens really didn’t have a good answer to slow Dallas down.

The Ravens might be struggling to stop the run, but you have to give this offensive line a lot of credit. They were much more physical than the Ravens. This line has heard for the last three games that they are not good, but today against a physical front, they played well enough to win this football game.

Defensively, Rob Ryan’s group needed one more stop, but was not able to get it done. The Ravens were able to drive the ball and put the Cowboys in a hole. Going into the game, this was going to be about how the Dallas defense handled Baltimore running back Ray Rice, but where Rice hurt the Cowboys was actually catching the ball and not running it.

I really thought for the most part that the front seven held up well against a good Ravens offensive line. This was a group that, on film, really did a nice job of creating lanes for Rice and the Baltimore running backs to get through. But for the most part, the Cowboys were able to hold Rice in check and didn’t allow him to take over the game.

Joe Flacco has come a long way for the Ravens and is no longer a bus-driver quarterback. He was able to make some quality throws when he needed them the most, and the Cowboys didn’t get that one turnover that he usually has in a game.

Special teams played a huge role in this game, both good and bad. The good was the recovery of the onside kick that gave them a chance to win the game. The bad was allowing Jacoby Jones to return a kickoff an NFL record-tying 108 yards for a touchdown.

Dan Bailey’s field-goal attempt was a tough one with the way the wind was swirling and the distance that he had to drive the ball. But, we have all grown use to Bailey getting those kicks home.

Baltimore is a difficult place to play and a difficult team to face, but in the end, the Cowboys didn’t finish the game.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

DeMarco Murray injury: Cowboys RB avoids serious injury, X-rays negative
by SB Nation NFL News

DeMarco Murray left Sunday's game shortly after the start of the second half when the Dallas Cowboys' running back tested an injured foot on one carry, then quickly left the game, unable to return.

Luckily for the Cowboys the injury isn't serious, as CBS Sports report that Murray suffered a foot strain, and does not have a fracture. While Felix Jones performed well in Murray's absence, the lack of a second running back to effectively spell him with may have been the difference in the Cowboys' close loss.

Sunday was the best game of DeMarco Murray's 2012 season as he carried the ball 14 times for 93 yards, an impressive 6.6 yards per carry. There is no word on the seriousness of his foot strain at this time. These injuries can range anywhere from a missed practice or two, or lasting several games depending on their severity. Either way, Jason Garrett's life is a lot easier with Murray on the field, and a broken foot would have derailed their year.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Disorganized Cowboys Lose Winning Script; Fall To Ravens 31-29
by KD Drummond

Welp, the Cowboys game-winning field goal kicks could probably benefit from having better travel agents. Multiple people seemed to play a part in Dallas not getting anything better than a 51-yard field goal attempt when it appeared they could have cut down on the distance with a little bit better planning. Disorganization ruled the day for the Cowboys, on that play and throughout the contest.

31-29, Cowboys lose to the Ravens. Cowboys commit an inordinate amount of penalties; some bad calls, most of them justified. Cowboys almost come back, but don't. Cowboys get new life, waste it. Cowboys dominate time of posession 40 minutes to 20. Dallas now sits at 2-3 on the young season. Them, those are the facts.

Sometimes a game wrap-up article writes itself; this isn't one of those times. After an entire afternoon of witnessing both the best and the worst that the Dallas Cowboys had to offer; the scales of justice weighed in and found this team to be wanting. After recovering an improbable onside kick that went straight through a Ravens' legs, Dallas was facing the perfect opportunity to steal a game from Baltimore.

The Cowboys were staring at the surreal with 31 seconds remaining when the Ravens were called for defensive pass interference down the right sideline on Kevin Ogletree, placing Dallas in long field goal range. 26 seconds remained. A first down short pass to Dez Bryant earned a horrible spot by the refs, and while he argued for position the rest of the club seemed completely lost in the element. 20 seconds remained, along with a timeout, but the Cowboys had nothing.

They could have spiked the ball with 15 seconds left and tried to get closer. A riskier option, but still better than doing nothing, they could have called the timeout and thrown to the sidelines. Anything would have been a better option then simply running the clock down to six seconds and calling a timeout for a 51-yard attempt.

But that's what they did, and of course, it didn't work. Dan "Split'Em" Bailey missed his first 50-yard plus attempt of the season, hooking it left.

Jason Garrett had an explanation ready in the post-game presser. He stated that Romo:

...very easily could've clocked it or could have called another play there, the biggest thing is we couldn't get guys to the line of scrimmage.

One of the most frustrating things about the loss had to be that the Cowboys were playing the roles of Jekyl and Hyde throughout the game, including their last couple drives. Dallas had closed to within 24-23 on a Dan Bailey 34-yard field goal with just over eight minutes remaining in the game.

Suddenly, Brandon Carr's coverage skills went missing and the team allowed Anquan Boldin to drive downfield, catch after catch. On 1st and goal from the 9, an apparent stop for a loss was negated by an offsides call, and two plays later Ray Rice would waltz into the end zone for his second touchdown of the game and stretch the lead to 8.

Dallas got the ball back at their 20 with under five minutes remaining. They proceeded to run one of the most maddening, exhilarating drives in recent Cowboys history. Third and one, run for first down negated by a false start on Jermey Parnell to make it third and six. 11-yard clutch completion to Jason Witten for the first is followed by holding to push them back to first and 20. Two completions overcome that, followed by three incompletions to bring up fourth down. Completion to Jason Witten brings a new set of downs.

A few plays later, Romo finds Ogletree for the apparent touchdown, except he drops the ball. To confound matters, the refs call an inexplicable personal foul-chop block on Felix Jones. Jones clearly engaged the defender low before Tyron Smith came over high to help (as in, legal play) but this still pushed Dallas back to 2nd and 22. Incompletion, then a false start on Kevin Ogletree, who has already used up every ounce of goodwill earned in the season opening Giants victory put Dallas at 3rd and 27.

No worries. Dez Bryant, who up until his next-to-last target was playing his best game ever (13 catches, 95 yards, 2 TDs), shook off a couple tackles on a short pass and made it a manageable fourth and 10. Jason Witten caught his second fourth down pass of the drive (third conversion on 3rd or 4th) and the drive was still alive.

A couple more plays and timeouts brought Dallas to 1st and 4 with 36 seconds left, when Romo found Dez for their second connection of the afternoon, a beautiful fade to the front pylon. This brought Dallas within two, waiting for the conversion attempt. They went to the well again, and Dez let the ball bounce off his chest to apparently seal the deal.

This led to the onside, missed field goal sequence from above. A game within a game; but to say "it came down to this" would be missing the point of a frustrating afternoon. An afternoon filled with individual greatness and foolishness.

- Dallas had taken a 10-3 lead early in the second quarter when they allowed the Ravens to march down the field and tie the score after a miscommunication between Sean Lee and Bruce Carter allowed Ray Rice to catch a pass and jaunt 43 yards down field. Driving to re-establish dominance, Romo threw a pick in his sixth straight game. The Ravens would race downfield and score another TD before the half to go up by seven. Momentum kicked in the 'nads.
- The Cowboys broke the huddle an amazing 23 times on their missed-2pt-conversion drive. 23. That's the kind of work you have to put in to overcome all of those penalties. They were able to do this on two touchdown drives, but couldn't overcome penalties on their three field goal makes.
- Jason Witten is all the way back. Anyone that questioned his worth to this franchise because of the start of the season should be ashamed of themselves. Especially that not-so-bright person I had to block on Twitter because he actually said that Witten was a "progress-stopper" to Martellus Bennett. After 6 for 88, now has 19 catches for 200 yards and a TD in last two games; including those three drive-alives
- The running game finally got untracked, including the de-pantsing of Ray Lewis on several occasions. I tweeted that his big shot on Tanner would allow everyone to forget this fact, but we've seen it; he is no longer that Ray Lewis. Dallas ran around, an injured Haloti Ngata and everyone else to the tune of 227 rush yards; a Ravens opponent record.
- The injury bug was everywhere, but things could have been worse. Morris Claiborne appeared to suffer a serious knee injury right before the half. On a deep pass, his back pushed Torrey Smith's hands and caused him to step akwardly. Silly Claiborne, thinking that would be pass interference on the receiver but not only did the touchdown stand, the ref called it PI on Mo'. It was the type of play you see ACLs tear on, but Claiborne bounced back and returned to the game in the second half.
- DeMarco Murray sprained his foot, but x-rays were negative. Dez Bryant left the game due to dehydration but obviously returned. Sean Lissemore went down with a right ankle injury and may be out for some time. Felix Jones also left the game for cramping. Mike Jenkins injured his shoulder but apparently was able to play on known passing downs. Look for injury updates as soon as we can give them.
- The penalty bug was everywhere, and things couldn't have been worse. The Cowboys were called for false starts, holds, and three illegal shift penalties. Three of them. What team in the moden era of passing can get called for three illegal shifts in the same game?
- If you're going to skewer Joe DeCamillis for the Cowboys allowing a kickoff return (which was disgusting, no doubt) of an NFL-record 108 yards in length, Joe D has to get equal credit for the onside kick conversion, right?
- The Cowboys weren't able to muster much of an outside pass rush. Sean Lee was by far the most effective rusher, laying a helmet on Flacco three times. DeMarcus Ware got a crucial sack on a third down late in the game, but that was it. The Cowboys clearly miss Anthony Spencer.
- Ray Rice had two scores, but Dallas did a great job containing him in the run game, even though he leaked out in the pass game. 3.9 yards a carry is a good defensive effort.
- I know we all share in the heartbreak of this loss; but this was an especially painful weekend for me. My Nationals lost in unbelievable gut-punch fashion on Friday night. I had an incredible, lucrative six-team CFB parlay go out the window when Spurrier's South Carolina Gamecocks decided to go for, and get, a fourth down TD instead of kicking the FG when down 9, and then this Cowboys game. Sometimes, being a sports nut isn't worth it.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Cowboys put up impressive numbers on offense (including a franchise record) in losing effort
By David Moore / Reporter
8:53 pm on October 14, 2012

Here is what the Cowboys accomplished from a statistical standpoint in Sunday’s loss.

The 481 yards on offense was the most since the Cowboys gained 511 yards against Tennessee on Oct. 10, 2010.

The Cowboys 227 yards rushing was the most ever allowed by Baltimore.

The Cowboys ran the ball 42 times, the most since it had 46 attempts against Indianapolis on Dec. 15, 2010.

The Cowboys ran 79 offensive plays Sunday to tie the single-game franchise record, first set against Green Bay on Nov. 12, 1978.

The 30 first downs by Dallas is the most since it had the same number against Cleveland on in 2008 and the second most in club history.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Jason Garrett discusses the Cowboys 13-penalty showing: ‘We will continue to make that an emphasis’
By David Moore / Reporter
8:51 pm on October 14, 2012

After the Cowboys suffered through another game with 13 penalties — their third of the season — head coach Jason Garrett was asked if this was a smart team.

“When you talk about the pre-snap penalties, that would be an area where we weren’t smart,” Garrett said.

The Cowboys lost 82 yards on those 13 penalties.

“We’ve had a couple of games that we’ve been pretty clean with that and we’ve had a couple of games that we haven’t been quite as clean,” Garrett said. “We will continue to make that an emphasis.”

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Dan Bailey’s first miss of the season a painful one: ‘I will learn from it and move forward’
By Rainer Sabin / Reporter
8:49 pm on October 14, 2012

Before Sunday, Dan Bailey had attempted only five field goals – the third-fewest in the NFL this season.

He nearly doubled that total against Baltimore, kicking four times.

Bailey made three tries from 42, 43, and 34 yards. But most will remember the 51-yard kick in the final seconds that veered wide left —his first miss of the season.

“The number of attempts I don’t think plays a factor into anything going forward,” he said. “It is what it is. That’s just really a non-factor. My job is to make every kick regardless if I made 20 or not had any. To me, that’s a non-factor.”

Bailey said he initially thought his last field-goal attempt would split the uprights.

“Yeah. I really thought I stuck the ball well,” he said. “But things happen with kicks. Yeah, it is what it is. It didn’t go in. I don’t want to overanalyze it and say it was the wind or anything else. It just didn’t go in this time. I will learn from it and move forward. “

Tight end Jason Witten, who gave Bailey a few words of encouragement after the game, is confident Bailey won’t dwell on the miss.

“There’s not a kicker out there, really in this league, you’d trade him for,” he said. “Training camp, practice, games, tough games, he’s been rock solid really the last two years. I told him to hang in there. He doesn’t need to hear it from me. He’s mentally tough. He understands that position. But I wanted him to know that we support him. He’ll bounce back.”

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Dez Bryant not happy with two-point conversion no-call; Ravens CB thinks Bryant needs to be a man: ‘You can’t be a baby about stuff’
By Scott Bell
7:59 pm on October 14, 2012

If you watched Sunday’s Cowboys-Ravens game, it was pretty apparent Dez Bryant felt he was interfered with on the Cowboys’ two-point conversion attempt in the final minute of their 31-29 loss to the Ravens. After failing to catch a pass from Tony Romo on the attempt, Bryant was very demonstrative with an official and made it very clear he felt there should have been a flag.

Bryant shared his thoughts about the non-call following the game.

“I felt like it was a P.I. My opinion,” said Bryant, visibly upset after a 31-29 loss which dropped Dallas to 2-3. “Not saying I couldn’t catch it, because I feel like I can make difficult catches. But I feel like he put his arm around me. I haven’t seen the play yet. But it wasn’t called.”

Ravens cornerback Cary Williams, the player defending Bryant on the play, had some pretty strong words for the Cowboys wideout following the game.

“I see it as good defense, man,” Williams told USA TODAY Sports. “Dez is a great player, but it wasn’t pass interference. It’s two players going at it. And the referees let it happen. It is what it is, man. I didn’t get my hand in there early, he just needed to catch the ball. I was able to make the play and he didn’t. Kudos to me.

“He needs to step up and be a man. You can’t be a baby about stuff. You’ve got to man up. It’s one on one. Mano-a-mano. I got you. Sometimes you’re going to win. Sometimes you’re going to lose.

“You’ve just got to be a man and accept responsibility, give credit where credit is due. If it was me I’d say, you know what, he made the play and I didn’t. Bottom line. Don’t complain and look for a flag, man.”

Prior to the drop, Bryant had what many would believe was his best game as a professional. The former first-round pick caught 13 passes for 95 yards and his first two scores of the season.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Cowboys WR Andre Holmes not sure what happened on Baltimore’s 108-yard kickoff return for a TD; Jerry Jones still supports special teams coach Joe DeCamillis
By Brandon George / Reporter
7:13 pm on October 14, 2012

BALTIMORE – Cowboys receiver Andre Holmes was a part of the Cowboys’ kickoff coverage team that gave up the 108-yard touchdown return and on the side in which Jacoby Jones ran through for the third-quarter score.

The next time the Cowboys kicked off later in the third quarter, Holmes was replaced on the coverage team.

“I don’t really know what happened,” Holmes said of Jones’ return. “I got doubled, so I couldn’t really see what was going on.”

Jones took the kickoff eight yards deep and sprinted to the right side of the field, where Holmes and Cowboys tight end James Hanna were being contained byBaltimoreblocks. Jones was able to run through a wide gap in the Cowboys’ coverage unit after running back Anthony Allen took outDallasspecial teams captain Danny McCray with a block to spring the long return.

Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey couldn’t get to Jones before he hit the right sideline and couldn’t run him down in the open field.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said after the loss that he still supports special teams coach Joe DeCamillis despite the struggles of his unit this season.

“Well I know what Joe is doing and how he’s trying to put the special teams together, so I’m a Joe DeCamillis supporter, fan,” Jones said. “I think he’s an outstanding specials teams coach. If it bears out with what I saw – what I think I saw – on the kickoff return, then again, we’ve got a couple of guys in there who need to stay in their lanes and that’s what happens to you. I know that reflects ultimately on the special teams coach, but I’m a big supporter of his.”

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Cowboys DL Sean Lissemore suffers right high ankle sprain, could miss extended time
By Brandon George / Reporter
6:49 pm on October 14, 2012

BALTIMORE – Cowboys defensive lineman Sean Lissemore suffered a right high ankle sprain on the seventh play of the game Sunday at Baltimore and could be out for an extended amount of time.

Lissemore had to be helped off the field when he was hurt on a two-yard run by Baltimore’s Ray Rice.

When asked how many games Lissemore could miss, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said, “We don’t know, but it is a high ankle [injury].”

Pro Bowl nose tackle Jay Ratliff suffered a left high ankle sprain Aug. 25 in a preseason game against St. Louis and wasn’t able to make his regular-season debut until Sunday against the Ravens.

Lissemore will undergo an MRI on Monday and be further evaluated. He was limping when he left the Cowboys’ locker room Sunday.

Lissemore was off to a great start this season, solidifying the middle of the Cowboys’ defense while Ratliff recovered from his ankle injury. Lissemore just signed a three-year contract extension a month ago.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Jerry Jones: DeMarco Murray has sprained foot, ‘no idea’ if he’ll be ready for next week
By Jon Machota / Special Contributor
5:33 pm on October 14, 2012

After rushing 13 times for 90 yards in the first half, Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray only carried once — for three yards — in the final two quarters.

Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said after the game that Murray suffered a sprained foot.

While exiting the stadium, Murray, who admitted he was trying to get back in the game, didn’t confirm an injury.

“That was their decision to pull me out,” Murray said. “It’s a long season. It’s only one game, so I have to do what’s best for the team.”

In terms of the severity of the injury, Jones said he did not know.

“We just don’t have a way to gauge it right now,” Jones said. “I wouldn’t necessarily rule him out of anything. It obviously was good enough to keep him off the field.”

Jones later said, “I have no idea whether or not he’s going to be ready next week or not.”

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Cowboys analysis: Dez Bryant has best game as a pro, but time management ‘out of control’
By Jon Machota / Special Contributor
3:39 pm on October 14, 2012

The Cowboys had a chance to steal a victory in the final seconds but Dan Bailey’s 51-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide-left.

Here are my five thoughts on the Cowboys’ 31-29 loss in Baltimore on Sunday.

1.) The pre-snap penalties throughout the game and time management on the final drive was out of control. It wasn’t just the number of penalties but it’s when they occurred. In several red zone and third-down situations, false start calls stalled drives. That shouldn’t happen in Week 6. I’m not sure a team can win in a hostile environment when they’re making so many mistakes before the ball is snapped. Most of the blame goes on the players that committed the infractions but coaching and game-planning isn’t doing them any favors. Last week, Cowboys offensive line coach/offensive coordinator Bill Callahan said there was talk of simplifying the offense so Tony Romo didn’t have to do as much adjusting at the line of scrimmage. Ha! That clearly didn’t happen, especially on Dallas’ final touchdown drive. Romo barely got two plays off because of confusion at the line of scrimmage. The way the Cowboys managed the clock on their final drive prevented Bailey from having a closer attempt to win the game.

These are four examples of costly pre-snap penalties the Cowboys committed in Baltimore.

1-Early second quarter: Third-and-4 on Baltimore’s 12. Illegal Shift, 5-yard penalty.

2-Early fourth quarter: First-and-10 on Baltimore’s 10. Illegal Shift, 5-yard penalty.

3-Late fourth quarter: Third-and-1 on Dallas’ 29. Jeremy Parnell, false start, 5-yard penalty.

4-Late fourth quarter: Third-and-22 on Baltimore’s 44. Kevin Ogletree, false start, 5-yard penalty.

2.) Yes, the running game looked outstanding, but don’t be fooled. The Ravens aren’t the defense they once were. Fresh off of allowing the Chiefs to run for 214 yards, the Cowboys amassed 227 yards on the ground. Having Phil Costa back at center obviously helped and running behind Tyron Smith and Nate Livings on the left side continued to be Dallas’ best option. DeMarco Murray was dominant early, Felix Jones looked like a first-round pick for the first time this season and Phillip Tanner and Lance Dunbar each filled in nicely. Sorry, I need to see this more often to believe it was all because of what the Cowboys were doing.

3.) Dez Bryant had a costly drop that would’ve tied the score on a two-point conversion, but he still played his best game as a Dallas Cowboy. Bryant caught all five passes thrown his way in the first half and finished with 13 catches on 15 targets. His two touchdown receptions showcased how his physical ability makes him one of the most difficult assignments for any defender. Bryant finished with 95 yards and a pair of scores after not recording a touchdown in the first four games of the year. There’s still a long way to go for Bryant to be a complete receiver, but dropping a two-point conversion pass with a defender draped on his back shouldn’t overshadow what he did before that play.

4.) This loss wasn’t only significant because there was an opportunity to steal a game in arguably the league’s toughest road venue but because of how difficult the schedule lines up over the next four weeks. The Cowboys will not be favored in three of their next four games as they host the Giants before traveling to Atlanta and Philadelphia. Losing three of their next four would put the Cowboys at 3-6, not exactly the recipe for a playoff berth. And Dallas’ current 2-3 mark is much worse historically than had they won and been 3-2. Teams that start 3-2 have a 51 percent chance of reaching the playoffs. Teams that start 2-3 have a 21 percent chance. Not good for a team with a closing window.

5.) My fifth thought is actually a combination of things. Hats off to Jason Witten. He has clearly put the dropped-passes issue in his rear-view mirror. Witten made two difficult grabs during the final touchdown-drive, including a diving catch on fourth-and-long. … How bad will the injury report look on Monday? Already without Anthony Spencer, Morris Claiborne exited with a left knee injury, DeMarco Murray barely played in the second half after sustaining a foot sprain and Sean Lissemore had his day ended with an ankle sprain in the first quarter. … Joe DeCamillis’ special teams unit isn’t the worst in the league but it’s also not very good. After the Cowboys cut Baltimore’s lead to 17-13, DeCamillis’ bunch allowed Jacoby Jones to return the ensuing kickoff untouched for 108-yard touchdown. The Cowboys get very little out of their own punt and kick returns, showcased by averages that rank among the NFL’s worst. They also allowed a punt to be blocked and returned for a touchdown in Seattle.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Magical finish eludes Tony Romo
Cowboys QB puts his team in position for win, but field goal floats to the left
Updated: October 14, 2012, 9:36 PM ET
By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com

BALTIMORE -- Oh, how the story would be different if Dan Bailey's 51-yard field goal try settled between the uprights in the final seconds Sunday.

Tony Romo would have been hailed the hero two weeks after he bore the brunt of the Cowboys' "Monday Night Football" loss to Chicago on Oct. 1, thanks to five interceptions.

If that kick does not float to the left, the talk is about Romo's fourth-quarter magic returning when the Cowboys needed it most against Baltimore, one of the AFC's best teams, in one of the toughest venues in the NFL.

That 18-play drive would have been the highlight of highlights, with him and Jason Witten doing what they do best in converting once on third down and twice on fourth-and-10. The talk would have centered on the Cowboys' -- and Romo's -- ability to overcome a third-and-27 on a drive that ended in a Dez Bryant touchdown.

Even Bryant's dropped two-point conversion would not have drawn much attention because the Cowboys recovered the ensuing onside kick and Romo had them in position to end Baltimore's 13-game home winning streak.

This was going to be like that game in Buffalo back in 2007, when Romo overcame five interceptions to deliver with two scoring drives in the final 3:45, capped by Nick Folk's 53-yard game winner.

But clock management issues arose again and the Cowboys let 15 seconds drift off the clock before calling a timeout with six seconds to play, forcing Bailey to take a shot from 51 yards.

Had they picked up another 5-10 yards, maybe Bailey's kick does not drift wide, but it did, and Romo had to make the walk to the team bus, carrying a bag of Popeyes' chicken, knowing the Cowboys are 2-3, just like last year, when they finished 8-8.

"It's disappointing," Romo said. "It's just hard when you do a lot of good things well and you don't come out with a win. Each week is an important, important week in the National Football League. It eats at you and sits in the pit of your stomach when you lose. We've got to come back from this and get ready. Now, next week we've got to go win a football game."

That's the mindset after such a loss. Forget it and move on. It's really that way for a win, too, but at least the plane ride home is enjoyable and the week of practice that much easier.

Now, the Cowboys have to carry the fact that their last victory will be almost a month in the past when they play at Carolina next week.

So many people wanted to see how Romo would respond after his five-pick performance against the Bears. He responded like he always does after a poor outing: with a much better outing, even though it was not perfect.

He completed 25 of 36 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns against the Ravens with a 97.1 passer rating. He was sacked once.

He was also intercepted again, marking the sixth straight game, dating back to last year, in which he threw it to the other team. And the Ravens turned that interception into a touchdown, which is the sixth time the opponent has scored immediately after a Romo turnover or on the subsequent drive.

Too many penalties, especially in the red zone, forced the offense to overcome itself in some ways, but it was the Cowboys' best offensive effort since the Sept. 5 season opener at the New York Giants.

The Cowboys ran the ball 42 times for 227 yards, at times needing their third and fourth tailbacks to carry the ball with DeMarco Murray (foot) and Felix Jones (cramps) out of the game.

"Being able to run the ball makes it a completely different game for the quarterback," Romo said.

The Cowboys still needed Romo to be Romo to score points, and they needed Romo to be at his Romo best down eight with 4:41 to play. He completed 11 of 16 passes for 94 yards that ended in Bryant's second touchdown of the game.

"You just love to play the game in general, but it's what makes the National Football League great, every week so many games come down to a drive or like tonight come down to a play, a kick," Romo said. "That's what makes it exciting to play. I love being in position where you can help your team win games at the end. I think that's why you play the game, so you can be put in that situation."

Romo delivered the Cowboys there, but the kick floated to the left and the story lost its happy ending.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Dumb mistakes doom Cowboys again
Jason Garrett and Co. continue to find ways to lose games with unforced errors
Updated: October 14, 2012, 8:42 PM ET
By Jean-Jacques Taylor | ESPNDallas.com

BALTIMORE -- Your Dallas Cowboys didn't lose because Dan Bailey missed a 51-yard field goal attempt into a swirling wind Sunday afternoon against the Baltimore Ravens.

And they didn't lose because Dez Bryant dropped what should have been a two-point conversion following his diving touchdown catch with 32 seconds to play.

The truth is Baltimore beat Dallas 31-29 because the Cowboys committed a litany of dumb mistakes.

Again.

Do you know how hard it is to lose an NFL game when a team gains 481 yards -- 227 rushing and 254 passing -- totals 30 first downs and keeps the ball for 40 minutes and 3 seconds?

It's virtually impossible, but give the Cowboys a handclap, because they did it.

The Cowboys finished with 13 penalties, the third time that's happened this season, for 82 yards. The Cowboys had three presnap penalties inside the Baltimore 15. Two of those drives ended in field goals instead of touchdowns.

It's just too hard to win games with that many unforced errors that result in points being given away.

And when Jason Garrett's team allows a 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and Tony Romo makes yet another questionable decision on a game-changing interception, the Cowboys should consider themselves fortunate they even had a chance to win it at the end.

Still, Garrett and company even screwed up that good fortune with some questionable game management. Stop me if you've heard this after previous losses.

Wasn't assistant head coach Bill Callahan supposed to help with this silliness?

Anyway, here's what happened: After an onside kick and a pass interference penalty against Baltimore, the Cowboys had a first down at the Baltimore 33 with 34 seconds left and one timeout.

Most NFL teams run three or four plays plays with that much time. Your Cowboys ran one.

Seriously.

One freaking play. Unbelievable.

Bryant caught a slant, a play the Cowboys successfully ran several times. This time, though, he didn't break a tackle or elude a defender. He was tackled after a 1-yard gain with 21 seconds left.

Dallas' players hustled to the line of scrimmage as the precious seconds elapsed. Finally, Romo called a timeout with six seconds left.

How is that possible?

Garrett said it took too long for guys to get lined up, and when the clock moved under 10 seconds, it made more sense to just take the field goal. Romo gave a similar story.

Ridiculous.

No one sets up a kicker -- even one as consistently good as Bailey -- to attempt a career-long 51-yard kick to win a game.

But this is exactly why the Cowboys are 15-14 under Garrett, 98-99 since the start of the new millennium and 122-123 since 1997.

These Cowboys are the epitome of mediocre, a franchise that consistently finds ways to lose. The season-opening win over the New York Giants seems much more like an aberration than the franchise-turning win it appeared to be.

Garrett, Romo and Jerry Jones each seemed a little too pleased talking about the fight and passion the Cowboys displayed against Baltimore, a team with 14 consecutive home wins.

Frankly, giving folks credit for what they're supposed to do never feels right to me.

The next thing you know, Jerry will be hanging banners for moral victories. If that's the case, then he can start with this loss because the Cowboys did everything but win.

Of course, they're 2-3 with a road game against Carolina (which had a bye Sunday) next week. Then it's home against the Giants before trips to Atlanta and Philadelphia.

At this rate, Jerry will have a couple of more banners to hang before the end of this month.

"It's not about moral victories. It's about coming in and winning," Jason Witten said. "That's the way this league operates. … You've got to find a way to win these types of games -- and we will."

That remains to be seen.

Jerry keeps wanting to use the Giants and Green Bay Packers as recent examples of teams that rode the momentum of late-season hot streaks into championships. The problem, of course, is the Cowboys traditionally stink in the final month of the season.

They need to win now.

Six weeks into the season, the Cowboys are in last place in the NFC East. Ten wins is the magic number to essentially guarantee a playoff spot.

So we're already talking about Dallas needing to win eight of their last 11 games to hit that number.

Just so you know, moral victories don't count.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

You're looking at the Cowboys all wrong
October, 14, 2012
By Dan Graziano | ESPNDallas.com

BALTIMORE -- No, of course there are no moral victories in the NFL. The Dallas Cowboys understand how tough it is to beat the Ravens in Baltimore, and they justifiably felt much better about the way they played in Sunday's 31-29 loss than they felt two weeks ago after the Bears thumped them. But they're professional football players, and they believed they could and should have won the game. They rushed for 227 yards, possessed the ball for 40 minutes, recovered an onside kick at the end and set their kicker up with a 51-yard field goal attempt that would have won it. The feeling in their locker room was disappointment.

"I'm sick about losing this game," owner Jerry Jones said. "We made our share of mistakes, but I thought we had a shot to win at the end. With our time of possession, it's hard to understand how we didn't win. Everybody is as frustrated as I am."

But there's a bigger picture here, and it's one that keeps getting missed as Cowboys fans wail and gnash their teeth about every single loss (and even some of the wins). These Cowboys are a work in progress -- a team and a staff and a roster that is piecing itself together and building something it hopes can be sustainable well into the future. You may not want to hear it, and you may not be able to believe it about the Cowboys, but they are in a rebuilding phase right now and much more likely to be a playoff contender in 2013 than this year. So as disappointed as Cowboys fans are about the loss, the penalties, the late-game clock management and everything and everybody else you want to blame, that bigger picture really needs to be the one on which the conversation about the 2012 Cowboys centers.

"We have to win the game, and we didn't do that," coach Jason Garrett said. "But I loved how our team battled. I was proud of our football team today, and we believe that we can grow from this football game."

A growth opportunity. A learning experience. These are valuable things for the Cowboys at this point in their history, and as Cowboys fans you may just have to accept that. Sure, this is the NFL, and the NFC East required only nine victories to win it last year, so nothing's impossible. The Cowboys' schedule gets easier, and if the run game and the offensive line can play the way they played Sunday, they could be much better in the second half of this season. But this season isn't the central focus of the people running the Cowboys right now. What they're looking for is growth and improvement, and they saw plenty of it Sunday.

"A lot of this game, you look at and you say, 'Those are the Cowboys we're talking about,'" tight end Jason Witten said. "Those are the kinds of players and leaders you want to grow with and build on."

He's talking about guys like Sean Lee, who remains a terror on defense, and DeMarco Murray, who ran for 91 yards in the first half before a foot injury forced him out of the game. But lots of Cowboys played very well Sunday, including Dez Bryant, who caught 13 passes for 95 yards, and Felix Jones, who rushed for 92 yards in relief of Murray, and Phil Costa and the rest of an offensive line that's been pulverized all year but on this day looked tough and mean and physical for the first time.

All of it comes with warts, though, and they're mainly the result of the team and many of its players being unfinished products. Bryant's big game is likely to be remembered for his drop of the two-point conversion attempt that would have tied it in the final minute. Murray got hurt again, which is a problem with Murray. And the line had its issues, contributing extensively to the fact that the Cowboys were penalized 13 times for 82 yards. The Cowboys made mistakes in this game, and at this point they are not a good enough team to make as many mistakes as they did and win in a place like this, even in a game they dominate physically. They had their shot, they came up short and they have a bunch of film to watch as they keep working to get better.

"I'm all right with anything as long as it's moving forward," Jerry Jones said. "I'm not for taking any steps back. We knew this was going to be a challenge, but looking at the overall game, as a team, I felt we played well enough to win the ballgame. I'm a lot more encouraged than I was after Chicago."

So before you start asking whether Garrett's job is in jeopardy (it's not) or crying about poor late-game clock management or looking at the standings and worrying that the sky is falling, it's important to step back and see Sunday for what it was -- a critical and encouraging step in the development of a team that's thinking well beyond the borders of just one season. Someday, the Cowboys believe, they'll win games like this routinely. And if they do, part of the reason will be Sunday's experience, which showed them how they could.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Third-and-long defense hurts Cowboys
October, 14, 2012
By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com

BALTIMORE – The Cowboys’ defense had only seven true possessions Sunday and Baltimore was able to put up points on four of them on drives of 60, 80, 80 and 73 yards.

What galled linebacker Sean Lee most was the Cowboys’ work on third down. The Ravens converted on third down 60 percent of the time (6 of 10). Two third-and-long situations stuck with Lee most.

Ray Rice picked up 43 yards on a dump pass on third-and-7 that preceded his 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and Anquan Boldin picked up 20 yards on third-and-9 that helped lead to Torrey Smith's 19-yard TD grab.

“That’s stuff we normally don’t do,” Lee said, “and they were able to continue drives on us. We just have to find a way to get off the field on third-and-long. We can’t allow them to extend drives and make big plays.”

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Report card: Running game steps up
October, 14, 2012
By Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com

A+
RUSHING OFFENSE
The Ravens couldn't stop the Cowboys from running the ball down their throats. The four Cowboys tailbacks combined for a Baltimore opponent-record 227 yards on 42 carries. The Cowboys entered the game ranked 29th in the NFL with an average of 67.8 rushing yards per game and nearly matched that on the opening drive, which was capped by Felix Jones' 22-yard touchdown, his first score since the 2011 season opener. The oft-criticized offensive line and fullback Lawrence Vickers consistently opened huge holes for DeMarco Murray (14 carries, 93 yards) and Jones (18 carries, 92 yards). The only negative as far as the Dallas running game went Sunday were the injuries sustained by Murray (foot) and Jones (calf).

B+
PASSING OFFENSE
Dez Bryant and Jason Witten ate up a Ravens secondary that lost arguably its best player, cornerback Lardarius Webb, to a knee injury early in the game. Bryant caught a career-high 13 passes for 95 yards and his first two touchdowns of the season, but his drop on a two-point conversion prevented the Cowboys from tying the score with 32 seconds remaining. Witten had his second consecutive strong game after a horrible start to the season, catching six passes for 88 yards. Tony Romo threw an interception on an ill-advised pass, but he played well enough to put the Cowboys in position to win, completing 25-of-36 passes for 261 yards and two scores.

B
RUSHING DEFENSE
The Cowboys did a decent job containing Ray Rice, one of the NFL's elite running backs, in the running game. He scored two touchdowns, but he averaged less than four yards a pop, gaining 63 yards on 16 carries. Outside linebacker Alex Albright did a solid job filling in for injured run stuffer Anthony Spencer on most downs in the base defense. Albright's stop of backup running back Bernard Pierce in the backfield forced the Ravens to settle for a field goal on their first drive. Sean Lee was credited for only five tackles, but he was impressive enough for 200-game veteran center Matt Birk to call Lee "one of the best linebackers I've ever played against."

C-
PASSING DEFENSE
The Cowboys are starving for playmaking in their secondary. Dallas' defensive backs still don't have an interception this season. Mike Jenkins dropped a pass that hit him in the numbers, an especially costly missed opportunity considering Ray Rice had a 43-yard catch and run the next down, the key play in a touchdown drive. This marked the second consecutive game that $50 million cornerback Brandon Carr got beaten on a deep ball, this one a 31-yard catch by Anquan Boldin that set up the Ravens' last touchdown. The Cowboys didn't get enough pressure on Joe Flacco (17-for-26 for 234 yards and a TD), with DeMarcus Ware recording Dallas' lone sack.

F
SPECIAL TEAMS
Special teams gaffes are killing the Cowboys this season. Baltimore's Jacoby Jones tied an NFL record with a 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. "That thing spread like the Red Sea," Jones said of the Cowboys' coverage on the play, when Jones went untouched after Dallas special teams captain Danny McCray got blocked to open up a big lane. Dan Bailey's first missed field goal of the season was a 51-yard attempt with the game on the line. The Cowboys recovered an onside kick to give them a chance to win the game, but that doesn't make up for giving up a touchdown.

D-
COACHING
Give Jason Garrett credit for a terrific offensive game plan. This was one of his best performances as a play-caller, too, as the Cowboys racked up 481 total yards against the formerly feared Ravens defense. That, however, was overshadowed by Garrett mismanaging the clock at the end of the game, much like he did in last season's loss to the Cardinals. It is inexcusable to settle for a 51-yard field goal attempt with the game on the line after allowing 15 seconds to tick off before calling a timeout. The Cowboys' 13 penalties -- the third time this season they've had that total -- also reflects extremely poorly on Garrett.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Jerry Jones: I feel good about this team
October, 14, 2012
By Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com

BALTIMORE -- Under the current playoff format, only 20.6 percent of teams that got off to a 2-3 start qualified for the postseason.

Jerry Jones is confident that his Cowboys can overcome those odds.

“I’m sick about losing this game,” Jones said after Sunday’s 31-29 loss to the Ravens. “I feel good about this team.

“Even though we’re 2-3, I feel good about the way we held up, stayed in there, fought, the way we did some things, executed, the way our offensive line played. There are some things I really feel good about our future with, our future being this year.”

Jones was especially encouraged with the performance of the Dallas offense, which entered the game ranked 30th in the NFL in scoring.

The much-maligned Dallas offensive line dominated Baltimore’s front seven for most of the afternoon. The Cowboys’ four tailbacks combined to rush for 227 yards, the most ever allowed by the Ravens.

The Cowboys finished the game with 481 total yards, one of the reasons Jones called the performance “probably the best football game that we’ve played this year,” a stretch considering Dallas opened the season with a road win over the defending Super Bowl champion Giants.

While Jones is disappointed with the Cowboys’ 2-3 record, he is far from discouraged.

“I felt we’d be better as a record,” Jones said. “But I will say this: I feel good about our team. I feel good about what we can do as a team. We know how long the journey is here in the NFL. I feel better about our team than I did frankly over the last two weeks.”

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Jerry Jones: Joe DeCamillis is 'outstanding special teams coach'
October, 14, 2012
By Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com

BALTIMORE – The Cowboys’ special teams have made critical errors that were key plays in two of their three losses.

Baltimore’s Jacoby Jones tied an NFL record with a 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown early in the third quarter, opening up an 11-point deficit that the Cowboys couldn’t erase. The Cowboys’ special teams made two major mistakes that essentially spotted the Seahawks a 10-point lead in Dallas’ Week 2 loss, fumbling on the opening kickoff and having a punt blocked moments later.

However, owner/general manager Jerry Jones was firm in his support of special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis, who did not talk to the media after Sunday’s loss.

“I know what Joe is doing and how he’s trying to put the special teams together,” Jones said. “I’m a Joe DeCamillis supporter, fan. I think he’s an outstanding special teams coach. If it bears out with what I think I saw on the kickoff return, then we’ve got a couple of guys in there that didn’t stay in their lanes and that’s what happens to you.

“I know that reflects ultimately on the special teams coach, but I’m a big supporter of his.”

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Dez Bryant thought he was interfered with on two-point drop
October, 14, 2012
By Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com

BALTIMORE -- Dez Bryant caught a career-high 13 passes Sunday, but his only drop loomed large in the Cowboys’ 31-29 loss to the Ravens.

After Bryant’s second touchdown catch with 32 seconds remaining, Tony Romo threw Bryant another back-shoulder fade on a potential tying two-point conversion. The ball bounced off Bryant’s chest and to the turf in the end zone.

“Everybody drops them,” owner Jerry Jones said, “but he needs to make that catch.”

Bryant believes Ravens cornerback Cary Williams should have been flagged for pass interference on the play. Bryant had not seen a replay, but he thought Williams wrapped his arm around him and broke up the pass with his forearm.

“I felt like it was a PI, my opinion,” Bryant said. “It could have went either way. Not saying I couldn’t catch it, because I can make difficult catches. I just feel like he put his arm around me.”

That wasn’t the way Jones viewed the play. The owner otherwise had high praise for Bryant’s 95-yard performance, but Jones cited poor technique as the problem on the failed two-point conversion.

“Catch those balls in your hands, put your thumbs together and catch them in your hands,” Jones said. “If you let that ball kind of cradle it, which he does and catches about 99 percent of everything that you’re not supposed to catch, that catches up with him when the ball gets in there to your body like that rather than have your hands and your thumbs together.”

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Could the Cowboys have run one more play?
October, 14, 2012
By Calvin Watkins | ESPNDallas.com

BALTIMORE -- There is some debate regarding the Cowboys' inability to run one or possibly two more plays late in the fourth quarter of their 31-29 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

The Cowboys had the ball at their own 46 with 30 seconds to play. Quarterback Tony Romo's deep pass down the sidelines to wide receiver Kevin Ogletree was incomplete with 26 seconds remaining, but Ogltree drew a pass interference penalty on Chykie Brown.

With 21 seconds left, Romo completed a hitch to wide receiver Dez Bryant for one yard. The clock kept running, and running and running. Then with six seconds left, coach Jason Garrett called a timeout to set up a 51-yard field-goal try by Dan Bailey that went wide left.

The Cowboys could have spiked the ball sooner to give themselves another chance at a play, but didn't.

"What we were trying to do there is what we talked about before the play," Garrett said. "We had the one timeout, so we had the ability to throw the ball inside and Tony was going to get them on the ball as quickly as he could, knowing that we had that one (timeout) in our hip pocket and try and get a play run, knowing that we could throw the ball anywhere we want with the timeout. We just took too long for everybody to get unpiled, so it got down into the single digits (with the game clock), so we said, 'Take it down to four seconds and bang the timeout.' ''

After Bryant caught the ball, the Cowboys had to deal with the swirling winds at M&T Bank Stadium, which could have altered Bailey's field-goal attempt.

"With the time left in the game, we didn't think it was in our best interest to run another play," Romo said. "We had guys who were trying to get off the pile and receivers who needed to come back to the huddle. There just wasn't enough time. Dan Bailey is a great kicker. That was a tough kick with the wind conditions and all."

Garrett was asked if he regretted not calling a timeout considering the wind conditions.

"The alternative is to bang the timeout right away and then you have to throw the ball (toward the sidelines) and the challenge is there," Garrett said. "They're going to play the (sidelines) and so you get into that game, so we tried to just do it quickly, as quickly as we could. We just couldn't get it run as quickly as we wanted to."

The Cowboys had questionable game-clock issues earlier in the quarter. Trailing 31-23 with 1:49 remaining, the Cowboys were faced with a first-and-10 from the Baltimore 32 when Felix Jones picked up 3 yards on a run up the middle. The next play started with 1:17 left and the Cowboys in a no-huddle offense. Romo threw an incomplete pass to Ogletree.

It seemed time elapsed unnecessarily on this play as well. The Cowboys eventually scored on the drive but missed on the two-point conversion.

"I do support our head coach on his decision making," Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said. "So that’s there."