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Dallas – Three Performances of Note
Hatcher’s Big Year Continues
After putting in his best performance of the year against Washington last week, Jason Hatcher (+6.5) was a man on a mission to do even better again on Sunday. Solid in run defense, where he had a Run Stop Percentage of 12.5%, with two of his three tackles resulting in a defensive stop, it was as a pass rusher where he truly excelled again. Registering a sack, three hits and five hurries on 34 pass rushes, he finished the game with a Pass Rushing Productivity rating of 20.6, easily his best mark of the season so far. His primary victim was Eagles’ right guard Todd Herremans, who he beat to the tune of a sack, two hurries and two hits, drawing an illegal hands to the face penalty from him in the process. It’s a true testament to his play, however, that he had at least one positively-graded play against all five members of the offensive line. After this big performance, Hatcher leads all 4-3 defensive tackles on the season with a grade of +21.2 and it’s about time we started to ask just how good a season he might have when it’s all said and done.
Bryant Takes Over
Despite Tony Romo’s second-lowest graded performance of the year, Dez Bryant was able to put up solid numbers, finishing the game with 110 yards on eight receptions from the 17 passes thrown his way. 43 of those yards came after contact, with Dallas’ star receiver proving difficult to bring down once he got his hands on the ball. What was really telling however, was how much they relied on him on their first touchdown drive of the game. Getting the ball to start the second half, Romo attempted seven passes on the drive, with five going the way of Bryant. He proved himself up to the challenge, coming up with three receptions for 42 yards and drawing a crucial pass interference penalty from Eagles’ defensive back Bradley Fletcher on 3rd-and-4 with 9:27 remaining in the third quarter. That would place the ball at the 1-yard line, where the Cowboys would score on the ground on the next play.
Lee Steps Up
Big things were expected from middle linebacker Sean Lee heading into this season and, in finishing with his highest-graded game since Week 13 of the 2011 season, he duly delivered this week. Playing 22 snaps against the run, the former Penn State standout saw five of his six tackles result in defensive stops. That’s impressive enough on its own, but it was his plays in coverage that really made him stand out. Six passes came his way on Sunday, with Lee allowing three receptions for just 10 yards, adding an interception and a pass break-up on the way. That interception came on 3rd-and-6 with 7:14 left in the game, with Lee breaking on an errant throw and taking the ball back 33 yards and into Philadelphia territory.
Dallas – Three Performances of Note
Hatcher’s Big Year Continues
After putting in his best performance of the year against Washington last week, Jason Hatcher (+6.5) was a man on a mission to do even better again on Sunday. Solid in run defense, where he had a Run Stop Percentage of 12.5%, with two of his three tackles resulting in a defensive stop, it was as a pass rusher where he truly excelled again. Registering a sack, three hits and five hurries on 34 pass rushes, he finished the game with a Pass Rushing Productivity rating of 20.6, easily his best mark of the season so far. His primary victim was Eagles’ right guard Todd Herremans, who he beat to the tune of a sack, two hurries and two hits, drawing an illegal hands to the face penalty from him in the process. It’s a true testament to his play, however, that he had at least one positively-graded play against all five members of the offensive line. After this big performance, Hatcher leads all 4-3 defensive tackles on the season with a grade of +21.2 and it’s about time we started to ask just how good a season he might have when it’s all said and done.
Bryant Takes Over
Despite Tony Romo’s second-lowest graded performance of the year, Dez Bryant was able to put up solid numbers, finishing the game with 110 yards on eight receptions from the 17 passes thrown his way. 43 of those yards came after contact, with Dallas’ star receiver proving difficult to bring down once he got his hands on the ball. What was really telling however, was how much they relied on him on their first touchdown drive of the game. Getting the ball to start the second half, Romo attempted seven passes on the drive, with five going the way of Bryant. He proved himself up to the challenge, coming up with three receptions for 42 yards and drawing a crucial pass interference penalty from Eagles’ defensive back Bradley Fletcher on 3rd-and-4 with 9:27 remaining in the third quarter. That would place the ball at the 1-yard line, where the Cowboys would score on the ground on the next play.
Lee Steps Up
Big things were expected from middle linebacker Sean Lee heading into this season and, in finishing with his highest-graded game since Week 13 of the 2011 season, he duly delivered this week. Playing 22 snaps against the run, the former Penn State standout saw five of his six tackles result in defensive stops. That’s impressive enough on its own, but it was his plays in coverage that really made him stand out. Six passes came his way on Sunday, with Lee allowing three receptions for just 10 yards, adding an interception and a pass break-up on the way. That interception came on 3rd-and-6 with 7:14 left in the game, with Lee breaking on an errant throw and taking the ball back 33 yards and into Philadelphia territory.
