Cowboys Defeat In-State Rival Texans 27-13 for First Victory of 2010
[picappgallerysingle id="9858715"]What many (including myself) thought would be a Texas-sized shootout turned into possibly a season-deciding first victory for the visiting Cowboys. Instead of an 80-point gunslinger match between Dallas quarterback Tony Romo and Houston signal-caller Matt Schaub, the 27-13 game resembled a blowout until the Texans added a meaningless touchdown in the final minutes. Romo played well, Dallas offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was more balanced in his play-calling, the Cowboys’ defense came up big, and the Boys avoided a dreaded 0-3 start. In addition, America’s Team looked like a contender again while claiming bragging rights over intrastate rival Houston. Penalties were still an issue for the Cowboys and it wasn’t perfect, but Dallas got really close to getting back on track to a third consecutive division title.
On paper, the Cowboys should have won the game. Many analysts, including myself, thought the Texans would squeak by the Cowboys at home coming off a two-game win streak over the Colts and Redskins. As much as I hated to say it, I thought penalties would doom the Cowboys once again against a high-scoring offense like Houston’s. Although Dallas was still flagged 14 times in the game, radio announcer Brad Sham said it best: “The Cowboys found a way to win.” Dallas was only marked for 8 of those 14 penalties for a total of 44 yards; the other six were declined. Sham said many times throughout the game that Dallas was “slipping in their own drool.” Indeed, the Cowboys’ biggest problem through three games now has been shooting themselves in the foot with mistakes, primarily penalties. Again, the Cowboys rallied as a team to overcome those mistakes.
[picappgallerysingle id="9858928"]The Dallas defense looked like a title-contending unit again bending but not breaking. It surprised me that Texans running back Arian Foster ran for 106 yards on 17 carries, very similar to the numbers he posted in Houston’s preseason win over Dallas. I thought the Cowboys might give up some big plays through the air, but not on the ground. It turns out Schaub only threw one touchdown pass, and it was way too late in the game to make a difference. Cornerback Mike Jenkins and rookie safety Danny McCray each intercepted Schaub in the game and the Dallas defense held the NFL’s leading passer in 2009 to 241 yards. The most impressive feat by the Cowboys’ secondary was holding Texans’ All-Pro receiver Andre Johnson to just 64 yards on four catches. Dallas kept the Houston receivers out of the end zone for all of the significant part of the game. By the time Kevin Walter scored the Texans’ only touchdown with 2:21 left in the game, the Cowboys had cashed in on the 21-point lead.
The most surprising Dallas hero in the victory was receiver Roy Williams, who hauled in five passes for 115 yards and two touchdowns. The former Detroit Lion had his biggest game as a Cowboy by far in a pivotal win that many consider saved Dallas’ season. A big part of that was Romo’s sharp play. The Eastern Illinois product completed 76% of his passes for two touchdown and no interceptions. The key was Garrett only calling 30 pass plays in the game along with 26 rushes. That near perfect symmetry is drastically closer than the 2:1 ratio of play-calling in the Cowboys’ two losses. The Boys made good on those runs, with Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice running for 102 yards and an average of four yards per carry. Romo’s error-free play coupled with great running on smart play-calling by Garrett was an easy formula for a Dallas victory.
[picappgallerysingle id="9858619"]The one word to describe the Cowboys’ first win of the season is “balance.” Seven different players caught at least one pass from Romo ten different defenders recorded multiple tackles. The previously-mentioned balanced play-calling did not produce monster numbers for any single Cowboy besides Williams. Fantasy owners may not be as happy with the Boys, but real fans are ecstatic because the balanced numbers led to a Dallas victory. Sham was right about the Cowboys being their own worst enemy. If you take away the penalties, the Cowboys win this game by an even larger margin and most likely start the season 3-0 instead of 1-2. However, a bye week will allow the Boys to heal and regroup for a tough Titans team on October 10 and the meat of the schedule just a few weeks away. For now, Cowboys Nation can enjoy the rivalry win. Two weeks from now, it’s time to get serious.
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