Sunday, November 13, 2011

The Tide Might Be Turning

The Cowboys played their most complete game of the season today. And as I write this the Giants are in the process of losing to the 49ers. And just like that it appears that the Cowboys will be just one game out in the NFC East and ready to start rolling through the next three games on their schedule.

I'm certainly not going to make more out of the Bills game than I should. But the win and the absolute complete domination of a team that many thought was a quality team heading into the game can't be overlooked. The Cowboys started scoring early in the game and they never stopped.

Tony Romo was finally Tony Romo again. He was moving around with ease and taking shots down the field without hesitation. And, what was even better, he seemed to be picking his moments to be aggressive. A few times in the second half he had a thought to go deep on play action passes. But when the defense didn't bite he either checked the ball down or simply ran it. Lessons were learned in the Detroit game but he finally got his mojo back today too. Games like today make all of the idiots who talk about how terrible Romo is look like fools.

DeMarco Murray looks better in every game he plays. I have no idea how Jason Garrett can possibly justify making Felix Jones the starter when he is finally healthy again. But it will be nice for DeMarco to be able to get a rest more often when Felix is ready to play. It is really starting to look like the Cowboys might have found a franchise back in the third round of the draft.

What was most impressive to me today was the performance of the offensive line. I can't think of any hits that Romo took outside of plays that he ran the ball. And the running game was dominant even when the Bills knew the run was coming. Maybe the line is starting to gel. Time will tell, but that is two straight weeks that they have looked great. And Jason Garrett even felt confident enough in them to pound the ball into the end zone from one yard out with DeMarco Murray. The ability to run in the red zone has been the missing link for the offense.

The defense was able to force 4 turnovers but I wasn't overly impressed by their performance. I realize that the Bills had a very good offense coming into the game. And I know the Cowboys only gave up 7 points. But the Bills were moving the ball with ease on the ground and through the air. Ryan Fitzpatrick missed a couple of deep throws in the 2nd half that could have gone for touchdowns. Luckily it didn't hurt the team but the defense has a lot to work on despite the fact that they only gave up 7 points.

Dan Bailey was perfect as usual and I am really trying to remind myself not to take his consistency for granted. I love the way he nails his kicks right down the middle and they don't hook or fade at all. And the kickoffs for Bailey today were great. He had touchbacks on all but two kickoffs which makes the thought of having Buehler on the team next year seem ridiculous.

The Cowboys are heading in the right direction. After the Eagles game I had to admit that the Cowboys were mediocre. But good teams continue to improve throughout the season as Jason Garrett likes to say. It certainly appears that the Cowboys are still improving and it is exciting to think that their best football still might be in front of them. It is going to take a great final 7 games for the Cowboys to find a way into the postseason. But today makes it feel like anything is possible.

1 comment:

  1. So next week which number is higher Romo TDs or Grossman picks?

    ReplyDelete