The Day After: Dallas @ Baltimore

[Irving Cowboy]

Rapid Reaction: Ravens 31, Cowboys 29
October, 14, 2012
By Calvin Watkins | ESPNDallas.com

BALTIMORE -- The Dallas Cowboys were in desperation mode Sunday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium, and that's not a good thing against a team that doesn't lose to the NFC at home.

The Cowboys had a chance to pull out a win, but Dan Bailey missed a potential game-winning 51-yard field goal with two seconds to play.

Dez Bryant scored on a pass from Tony Romo with 32 seconds remaining but let the ball go through his hands on the two-point conversion try. His pleas for a flag went unanswered, but the Cowboys got another shot when they recovered Bailey's ensuing onside kick.

The Cowboys, coming off a bye week, played their best game of the season, but it wasn't good enough as the Ravens held on for a 31-29 victory.

What it means?: The Cowboys have lost two consecutive games and lose the game after the bye week for a second straight season. It was a tough loss for a Cowboys team that rushed for 227 yards behind four running backs. Still, it was not enough.

Romo's interception turns the tide: In a tie game, Romo was picked off by cornerback Cary Williams with 2:15 to play in the first half. The Ravens took advantage. Joe Flacco found Torrey Smith for a 9-yard touchdown reception to cap a drive and give Baltimore a 17-10 lead. That was the score at halftime and the Cowboys played from behind the rest of the way. Romo's ninth interception of the season set the tone and gave the Ravens momentum.

RBs get beat up: The Cowboys used four running backs Sunday, mainly because of injury. DeMarco Murray started but was taken out with a foot injury. Murray didn't start in the second half, getting only one carry after halftime. He finished with 93 yards on 14 carries. Felix Jones took over and responded with a solid performance. Jones also left the contest because of dehydration. Phillip Tanner and Lance Dunbar also picked up carries in the loss.

Record day for special teams: Well, not for the Cowboys. The Ravens' Jacoby Jones returned a kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown, tying the record for the longest kickoff return in NFL history. It was the first time the Cowboys had allowed a kick return for a touchdown since Percy Harvin's 95-yarder in 2010.

What's next?: The Cowboys continue their road trip when they take on Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers next Sunday at noon.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Cowboys vs. Ravens: No Signs Dallas Will Stop Beating Itself
by Brad Gagnon

The Dallas Cowboys weren't supposed to win this game. The Baltimore Ravens had won 14 straight home games coming in, and so on the surface, it would seem as though the Cowboys should be able to take solace in the fact they played well and fell only two points short in Baltimore. Besides, if you're going to lose, you want to do so on the road against non-conference foes like the Ravens.

But the problem is that the Cowboys outplayed the Ravens for much of the day, losing mainly because they again lacked the focus and the organization required of a quality team.

The football gods were on the Cowboys' side in Baltimore. The highly-criticized running game was rolling despite the loss of DeMarco Murray, and the well-rested Cowboys were lucky enough to face a Ravens team without Terrell Suggs. On top of that, top Baltimore corner Lardarius Webb went down early with a knee injury and Haloti Ngata was less than 100 percent.

But Dallas couldn't take advantage in order to earn a victory that would have been a large bonus.

Down eight in the final minutes, the offense looked confused and panicked. It wasn't getting set quickly enough coming out of huddles, and Tony Romo was often forced to rush his cadence. It took 35 yards worth of penalties on that drive alone, but still found its way into the end zone.

That's a testament to how good this team can be, but Dez Bryant's foreseeable drop on the ensuing two-point conversion was a testament to how unpolished this team is.

It got worse.

Dallas got two more breaks in the final moments and failed to take advantage. It recovered an onside kick and then drew a pass-interference penalty on a pass that, without the infraction, may or may not have been caught by Kevin Ogletree. As a result, it was at the Baltimore 34, down two, with 26 seconds to play.

When you're inside the 35-yard line with 26 seconds and a timeout and you're only able to run one more play before forcing your kicker to take a shot from 51 yards out, you've defined poor game management.

Romo appeared to panic on first down, failing to go through progressions despite only mild pressure coming and throwing to Bryant underneath for a one-yard gain that kept the clock running. But rather than use that last timeout and throw a pass or two toward the sidelines to shorten Dan Bailey's game-winning attempt, Romo inexplicably tried to call a play on the fly, couldn't get it together and finally used that timeout with only four seconds on the clock.

The Cowboys didn't have a plan in place and let 18 seconds expire before settling for a difficult field goal. Ray Lewis was one of many of us who were confused...

Bryant deserves heat for another big drop, but this loss is on Romo and Jason Garrett. That duo are responsible for managing key situations on offense, and they failed to execute on Sunday. The result was another painful loss for a team that might lead the NFL in that category all-time. What has to be so agonizing for fans is that they clearly have the talent, but nobody shoots themselves in the foot as often and as uniquely as the Dallas Cowboys.

Does anyone expect that to change? And if it doesn't, how long before Jerry Jones does something extreme?

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Dallas Cowboys at Baltimore Ravens: Five Things We Learned
By Joey Corder
October 14, 2012 11:59 pm

1. DeMarco Murray and Felix Jones will start to see more touches.
Dallas’ offense has struggled since Week 2 partly because of their tendency to get away from the run game. In the previous three games the Dallas backs have combined for 123 yards on only 39 touches. Felix Jones, who left last year’s season with a shoulder injury, had three carries for 13 yards leading to the Baltimore game.

Week 6 proved different for the Dallas offense as Jones and Murray accumulated 185 rushing yards on 32 carries and one touchdown. I’m not sure if Dallas has been holding off on Jones because of his injury, but it’s clear he is ready for action.
Murray finished the game with 97 total yards before leaving the game with a minor injury and Jones finished the game with 105 total yards. Dallas should turn into a dual-back team provided Murray is healthy

2. Tony Romo can’t convert on 3rd down.
I should say Dallas can't convert. It's difficult to be efficient on 3rd down when your offensive-line keeps getting penalties turning every attempt into a 3rd and long.

Penalties aside, Romo’s quarterback rating is dead last in the NFL on 3rd down. He has yet to throw a touchdown pass and has 4 interceptions trying to convert.

Romo threw an interception on 3rd down while in field goal range which could have made all the difference in a two point loss.

3. The Ravens are unstoppable at home.
The last time the Ravens lost at home in a regular season game: December 5, 2010. The Ravens won their 14th straight home game and they did so after losing Ray Lewis and starting cornerbacks, Lardarius Webb and Jimmy Smith.

Baltimore’s streak will be challenged later in the season when they host Pittsburgh, Denver, and the Giants.

4. Jacoby Jones is a special-teams threat.
Jones tied an NFL record with a 108-yard kickoff return putting Baltimore up 24-13 early in the third quarter. Jones had two more returns for 41 yards and has continued to give Baltimore decent field position after kickoffs.

5. Penalties continue to plague Dallas.
The Cowboys continue to shoot themselves in the foot with penalties, this time they tied a season high with 15 penalties and accumulated six in the 4th quarter. Dallas came into this matchup averaging 4.0 penalties in the 4th quarter, which ranks first in the NFL.

Coach Bill Callahan needs to get a grip on his offensive line if Dallas wants to start winning games. Part of the problem is the lack of chemistry on the line with three new additions to the team. On top of that, Callahan has implemented a zone blocking scheme that the players are trying to adapt to.

These problems aside, Dallas is now five games into the regular season and their playoff hopes are already dwindling.

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Dallas Cowboys at Baltimore Ravens: Five Things We Learned
By Joey Corder
October 14, 2012 11:59 pm

1. DeMarco Murray and Felix Jones will start to see more touches.
Dallas’ offense has struggled since Week 2 partly because of their tendency to get away from the run game. In the previous three games the Dallas backs have combined for 123 yards on only 39 touches. Felix Jones, who left last year’s season with a shoulder injury, had three carries for 13 yards leading to the Baltimore game.

Week 6 proved different for the Dallas offense as Jones and Murray accumulated 185 rushing yards on 32 carries and one touchdown. I’m not sure if Dallas has been holding off on Jones because of his injury, but it’s clear he is ready for action.
Murray finished the game with 97 total yards before leaving the game with a minor injury and Jones finished the game with 105 total yards. Dallas should turn into a dual-back team provided Murray is healthy

2. Tony Romo can’t convert on 3rd down.
I should say Dallas can't convert. It's difficult to be efficient on 3rd down when your offensive-line keeps getting penalties turning every attempt into a 3rd and long.

Penalties aside, Romo’s quarterback rating is dead last in the NFL on 3rd down. He has yet to throw a touchdown pass and has 4 interceptions trying to convert.

Romo threw an interception on 3rd down while in field goal range which could have made all the difference in a two point loss.

3. The Ravens are unstoppable at home.
The last time the Ravens lost at home in a regular season game: December 5, 2010. The Ravens won their 14th straight home game and they did so after losing Ray Lewis and starting cornerbacks, Lardarius Webb and Jimmy Smith.

Baltimore’s streak will be challenged later in the season when they host Pittsburgh, Denver, and the Giants.

4. Jacoby Jones is a special-teams threat.
Jones tied an NFL record with a 108-yard kickoff return putting Baltimore up 24-13 early in the third quarter. Jones had two more returns for 41 yards and has continued to give Baltimore decent field position after kickoffs.

5. Penalties continue to plague Dallas.
The Cowboys continue to shoot themselves in the foot with penalties, this time they tied a season high with 15 penalties and accumulated six in the 4th quarter. Dallas came into this matchup averaging 4.0 penalties in the 4th quarter, which ranks first in the NFL.

Coach Bill Callahan needs to get a grip on his offensive line if Dallas wants to start winning games. Part of the problem is the lack of chemistry on the line with three new additions to the team. On top of that, Callahan has implemented a zone blocking scheme that the players are trying to adapt to.

These problems aside, Dallas is now five games into the regular season and their playoff hopes are already dwindling.