Boy that was a brutal first half vs Detroit

[jobberone]

That penalty was the equivalent of a turnover.

Turnover plus some field position. The best I can say here is....give me a fracking break.

 

[RS12]

Boy that was a brutal first half vs Detroit

I noticed.

 

[Don Corleone]

Did we still win on the re-watch?

I watched at the edge of my seat!

 

[Risen Star]

It really did have a 2009 VIkings feel to it and Romo even said so after the game.

 

[Mansta54]

Brutal, survived it, kept grinding, came back, and won. This team keeps fighting and plays to the end. Winning the ugly games are even more impressive. I like the heart of this team. LETS GO COWBOYS!

 

[Dale]

I thought the saving grace of the first half was that the defense essentially shut them out after those first two drives.

The key, to me, throughout was to keep it a two-score game, which I thought we could overcome. But if they had ever even snuck in a field goal to make it a 17-point game, I doubt we were overcoming that.

Edit: to add, it was nice that the offense could play so deplorably yet not commit a turnover. Mix in one turnover there and an avalanche might have ensued.

 

[Don Corleone]

The defense tightened up and kept the Cowboys in the game. Where was that pass rush in the first half? If we could have the same effort that was shown on the Lions last drive for all 4 quarters, this defense would be top tier.

 

[Brooksey]

Just rewatched the game (with a little less emotion ).

That 17-7 score could have easily been worse.

Romo had a very poor first half... Thankfully he was awful low instead of awful high.

The offensive line was as uncharacteristically bad.

Between bad tackling and bad angles, the defense looked very shaky.

Hopefully the team turns things around vs. GB or the Pack will hang one of those 35 point 1st-halves on the Cowboys.

It's a 60 minute game. We didn't call a good running game to challenge their D-line, we passed an awful lot, which puts us on our heels. I'm not sure we needed to do that with our offensive line. You may get only a yard here, a yard there but when you stick with it... boom you can pop some of those 7 and 10 yard runs off. We had a very similar game plan against Wash in the first game and similar things happened. I say throw that game plan (70% pass) in the garbage.

We better get back to running the football, controlling the clock and keeping the defense fresh.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

The defense tightened up and kept the Cowboys in the game. Where was that pass rush in the first half? If we could have the same effort that was shown on the Lions last drive for all 4 quarters, this defense would be top tier.

Someone (I forget who) made the point that the Ware-led Cowboy defensive lines seemed to start out strong and then poop-out towards the end of the game. This defensive line starts out weak and gets stronger as the game goes on. Fair? Maybe, maybe not, but in many games it seems this defensive line, lacking some talent, does seem to pick up it's pass rush as the contest enters the 2nd half for whatever reason.

 

[Don Corleone]

Someone (I forget who) made the point that the Ware-led Cowboy defensive lines seemed to start out strong and then poop-out towards the end of the game. This defensive line starts out weak and gets stronger as the game goes on. Fair? Maybe, maybe not, but in many games it seems this defensive line, lacking some talent, does seem to pick up it's pass rush as the contest enters the 2nd half for whatever reason.

I also found it interesting that Romo mentioned having faith in the defense towards the end of the game. He said he wasn't watching the last Lions drive. Said he knew the defense would stop them. Garrett had faith in them also to have the balls to go for it on 4 th and 6. It almost seems like they roll out fresh legs or a special package when needed. I would love to see more of that sooner in games!

 

[jobberone]

It's a 60 minute game. We didn't call a good running game to challenge their D-line, we passed an awful lot, which puts us on our heels. I'm not sure we needed to do that with our offensive line. You may get only a yard here, a yard there but when you stick with it... boom you can pop some of those 7 and 10 yard runs off. We had a very similar game plan against Wash in the first game and similar things happened. I say throw that game plan (70% pass) in the garbage.

We better get back to running the football, controlling the clock and keeping the defense fresh.

Teams are not going to let us run the ball on first down....not consistently. I love running the ball and keeping down and distance manageable. But sometimes you have to pass the ball to back them out of the box. Then you go back to your running game with enough mix to keep 'em honest. Murray is not Emmitt Smith. And teams are built these days to stop the run esp if they have 8-9 guys in the box and are run blitzing as well.

You take what they give you for the most part.

 

[jobberone]

Someone (I forget who) made the point that the Ware-led Cowboy defensive lines seemed to start out strong and then poop-out towards the end of the game. This defensive line starts out weak and gets stronger as the game goes on. Fair? Maybe, maybe not, but in many games it seems this defensive line, lacking some talent, does seem to pick up it's pass rush as the contest enters the 2nd half for whatever reason.

I think we don't have a true stud but we have some guys who are credible. Mix them in with a good rotation and you get what you see. I think you're right.

 

[Brooksey]

Teams are not going to let us run the ball on first down....not consistently. I love running the ball and keeping down and distance manageable. But sometimes you have to pass the ball to back them out of the box. Then you go back to your running game with enough mix to keep 'em honest. Murray is not Emmitt Smith. And teams are built these days to stop the run esp if they have 8-9 guys in the box and are run blitzing as well.

You take what they give you for the most part.

That's not what got us here, that what we did the previous three years at 8-8. Even when the run started to work yesterday we went back to the pass at a 65-70% ratio. If were going to make a run at the SB we need to be a run first team and have more faith in our guys up front to establish the line. Empty backfield sets on 2nd and 6 or 3rd and two...no good. Demarco with 7 carries in the first half was no good. We put Tony in terrible positions yesterday with our lean on the pass. We were a bit reluctant to run on that DET line, i understand why but don't agree. I want to win that fight and control that game on the ground. We are man enough up front to do it, but we called the same game we did against the skins and nearly got eliminated.

I love our passing game when the running game is working, I don't mind play action on first down, we just seem like a dominant team when were balanced.

 

[Nova]

I hated the offensive game plan early.

Got away from what got them there.

 

[DuceizBak]

But he had to add, "I could have hit some of those tight ones"

No Tony, you did good.

I like this more cautious Tony Romo.
All he needs to do is start throwing the all away sometimes.

 

[Seven]

The second half was a thing of beauty though. We dominated on both sides of the ball.

Other than that two sack sequence by Suh, we completely outmuscled and outsmarted them.

Some body give me an amen brother.

This is the number one D in all the land and they proved it.

Dallas said screw that. We got game.

It took longer than usual but the offense wore them down, by the skin of their teeth, but these are the games you win with heart, desire and want to.

They never quit. Laced up on every down. Good or bad 90% was not an option.

 

[big dog cowboy]

The offensive line was as uncharacteristically bad.

The singlemost thing I was unprepared for. Hopefully they got a big wake up call.

 

[jobberone]

That's not what got us here, that what we did the previous three years at 8-8. Even when the run started to work yesterday we went back to the pass at a 65-70% ratio. If were going to make a run at the SB we need to be a run first team and have more faith in our guys up front to establish the line. Empty backfield sets on 2nd and 6 or 3rd and two...no good. Demarco with 7 carries in the first half was no good. We put Tony in terrible positions yesterday with our lean on the pass. We were a bit reluctant to run on that DET line, i understand why but don't agree. I want to win that fight and control that game on the ground. We are man enough up front to do it, but we called the same game we did against the skins and nearly got eliminated.

I love our passing game when the running game is working, I don't mind play action on first down, we just seem like a dominant team when were balanced.

While you're right for part of the year but teams have said wow Dallas has a great running game and that causes X, Y and Z problems for us. They are running the ball on first down a large percentage of the time. We're going to stop that and we think we need to load the box. We're going to take that away. We say ok prove you can stop us even loading the box. Which they are doing initially.

We run it a few times to test the waters and make them stay at it. Once they buy into us running on first we eventually run some different plays to defeat them loading the box. It's been working. What hasn't is lots of games and blitzes. So we let them blitz and we defeat it with screens including bubble screens, quick hitting slants and back shoulder quick outs, and if possible throws to single coverage on Dez. Once they have to start covering that we come back with running and PA mixed in with the above. When you are multi-dimensional then defenses have to be balanced and play personnel who can cover and offer run support. You take out the run busting defenders outside the DL. You take what they give you, execute and win your matchups.

You don't run the ball when the majority of those first down runs nets a negative play or just a couple of yards.

 

[Brooksey]

You don't run the ball when the majority of those first down runs nets a negative play or just a couple of yards.

Yes you do. Those couple of yards are of significant importance to the trench war. Each battle counts toward the final resolution of victory or defeat on the LOS. Obviously we want to avoid negative plays but they are much more likely to happen in passing situations, especially against the blitz. I like play action on first down and taking some shots to Dez, I don't like taking Murray out of the game on 2nd and 6 and going empty set shotgun or on 3rd and two. To be multi-dimensional the Cowboys must stay balanced 50% pass 50% run, IMO. That has made both our running game, our passing game and our defense play its best in 2014.

When we get one dimensional or unbalanced our offense gets ugly.

 

[DogFace]

But above all. Please watch Romo with the press after the game!!!! You must.