NewsBot
New Member
- Messages
- 111,281
- Reaction score
- 2,947
For the Cardinals, the Cowboys are their annual circle game—a season-defining shot at glory. Year after year for decades on end, the Cowboys have typically repelled their old NFC East rivals' best shot without breaking a sweat.
Though both teams had six wins coming into their Week 9 matchup, the Cowboys were among the NFL's top 10 in scoring offense and defense. They had too many weapons, it seemed, to lose to the plucky Cardinals.
When reserve quarterback Brandon Weeden finally found star receiver Dez Bryant for the first offensive touchdown, though, there was only 1:13 left on the clock—and the game was long since over.
The Cardinals left AT&T Stadium with a 28-17 upset win, and Cowboys fans left wondering if their team could beat anybody without a healthy Tony Romo.
Tony's Team
The MVP-candidate season from tailback DeMarco Murray seemed to have changed the face of the offense.
With Murray toting the rock 41 percent more than anyone else in the NFL through Week 8, per Pro-Football-Reference.com, Romo no longer had to throw 40, 45, 50 or more times a game to keep the Cowboys winning as often as they lost.
When Romo went down with a broken back during Week 8's Monday Night Football, many analysts—including this one—criticized Cowboys leadership for foolishly risking Romo's long-term health, shooting him up with painkillers and putting him back out against a blitz-crazy Washington defense.
Given how well Murray was running and how well Weeden had played in relief, it seemed the Cowboys should have had no problem trusting those two to close out the game. Against the Cardinals, the football-watching world got a good look at why owner Jerry Jones had seemed to run interference with his coaching and medical staffs to make sure Romo played.
In the Garden of Weeden
Weeden's problem has never been physical talent. The No. 22 overall pick of the 2012 draft has size, arm strength and isn't a pocket statue. His problems have been twofold: 1) identifying the correct receiver to throw to and 2) throwing it to him.
For much of the game, things seemed to be going according to plan. A quick pick-six of Carson Palmer by Cowboys defensive back Tyler Patmon put the Cowboys up 7-0, and an opening-drive field goal extended that lead to 10-0.
Three punts and a blocked field goal later, it was deep in the third quarter. Though the Cardinals had taken a 14-10 lead, the Cowboys still seemed to have the game in hand.
That's when Cowboys fans' worst fears finally came true. On a critical 3rd-and-9 in scoring territory, Weeden had a pass jumped by playmaking Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu:
Fortunately for the Cowboys, their defense bailed them out on the following possession. The two teams traded punts back and forth well into the fourth quarter. With 11 minutes left, the Cowboys took over at the Cardinals' 43-yard line and needed just one first down to get within striking distance.
Instead, Murray was stuffed on 4th-and-1, handing the ball back to Palmer and the Cardinals. They drove for a touchdown.
Two plays later, Weeden threw another interception, and the Cardinals drove for another touchdown. Suddenly, it was 28-10 with just less than five minutes left in the game, and the Cowboys were headed for their second straight loss.
Weeden led the Cowboys down the field for the meaningless Bryant score, and the Cowboys dropped to 6-3. A few hundred miles away, the Philadelphia Eagles walked off the NRG Stadium field victorious. Their own backup quarterback, Mark Sanchez, had led them to a 31-21 win—and a division-leading 6-2 record.
Back to the Future
According to David Moore of The Dallas Morning News, Tony Romo will make the trip to London for Week 10, and things are looking up for his availability:
If Romo's fractured back is indeed ready to take the punishment of another game, that's great news for the Cowboys.
The bad news: how punchless the offense looked without Romo. The Cardinals secondary had no respect for Weeden's ability to throw deep; without that respect Murray could only muster 79 yards on 19 carries—six fewer carries than his prior season average and 52 fewer yards.
For all the deserved press the Cowboys offensive line has gotten, it fought the stout Cardinals front seven to a draw; it got zero push on that critical 4th-and-1.
Even if Romo comes back, doesn't miss a beat and leads the Cowboys on a glorious run through their backloaded divisional schedule to the NFC East crown, the struggles of the run game and defense against the Cardinals raise questions about just how well they can do in the playoffs against the NFC's best.
Read more Dallas Cowboys news on BleacherReport.com
Continue reading...