DALLAS DEFENSE: Shows depth by rotating corners; keeps them fresh
Dallas Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman
For a team that just had to have Nnamdi Asomugha back in August, the Dallas Cowboys seem to be doing just fine with their cornerback position.
So much so that they spent several plays Sunday against the St. Louis Rams rotating the third and fourth corners into the game on the base defense. There were a handful of plays that saw Terence Newman and Mike Jenkins on the sideline while backups Orlando Scandrick and Alan Ball played on the outside.
It’s just an example of the depth the Dallas Cowboys have displayed at cornerback this year.
“We’ve got depth at a lot of positions like that,” Newman said. “I think this whole team is deep. But (at corner), we’ve got some good talent. Alan Ball has played great for us this year when we’ve had some injuries.”
Newman is right in that Ball has been forced into action, and that started back in training camp when Newman went down with a groin injury and Jenkins suffered a stinger. Then in the regular season opener, Scandrick suffered a high-ankle sprain and missed a month.
Ball played well enough to get a shot on defense, even after the starters have returned.
And while the competition will get much tougher than the Rams, the Dallas Cowboys have already played well in the secondary against the likes of Tom Brady and the Patriots, and for the most part against Calvin Johnson and the Detroit Lions, although Johnson got the better of the secondary on two costly jump balls.
“I think we’ve played well the last few weeks and really coming together under Rob’s defense,” Newman said of defensive coordinator. “It’s a fun defense to play. And when you have a lot of players like we do to sub in and out, it’s going to keep you fresh for the game and the season.”
As for the Asomugha guy, we’ll get to see him and his Philadelphia Eagles teammates this Sunday night.
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Dallas Cowboy Gerald Sensabaugh feeling no lingering effects
Dallas Cowboys Gerald Sensabaugh interception vs Detroit Lions
Safety Gerald Sensabaugh was clearly knocked senseless in the first half of Sunday’s loss to the Lions, needing a few minutes on the ground and then some help from the training staff to get off the field.
However, Sensabaugh doesn’t worry about being ready to play in two weeks after the bye. He said he could’ve played not only this week, but even back in the game against the Lions.
“I was good to go during the game, but I guess with the new precautionary reasons anytime you’re a little woozy they have to take you out of the game and you can’t come back,” Sensabaugh said. “They won’t even let you go back on the field and watch the game. I was kind of disappointed in that. I really wanted to be a part of the game.”
And Sensabaugh was needed, too. For a guy that has the NFL scouting combine record with a 46-inch vertical leap, Sensabaugh’s athletic ability could’ve been used to face Detroit’s Calvin Johnson, who had two fourth-quarter jump balls for touchdowns.
“That was pretty much my responsibility the whole game was to play on top of Calvin and make sure he didn’t get any jump balls and play over the top of him,” Sensabaugh said. “That was pretty much the game plan for me. But you have to give credit to Calvin, he’s a big play receiver and can go get that jump ball. He’s a lot taller than everybody but we just have to find ways to come down with that football and make sure he doesn’t catch it.”
Obviously the Cowboys didn’t get that goal accomplished against the Lions and with the Patriots up next, it will be yet another challenge. Sesnabaugh said having a full slate of corners with Orlando Scandrick expected to return should be a big boost.
“It’ll help out a lot. We’ve got guys in there playing good now, but Orlando is one of the core guys.” Sensabaugh said. “That’s a real big piece of the puzzle to our defense.”
Sack bothers Dallas Cowboy rookie Tyron Smith
Dallas Cowboys 2011 first round NFL Draft pick Tyron Smith
Tyron Smith has had a good season, and he had a good day against the Lions. But he was upset by the sack he allowed to Lions defensive end Willie Young, who got Smith off balance and then got to Tony Romo with 35 seconds remaining after Smith fell onto his back.
“It was just bad technique,” Smith said.
It was the first full sack Smith has allowed this season. He has been called for two false starts and given up 1.5 sacks, according to STATS, Inc.
“He wants to be perfect in what he does,” Houck said. “He never shies away from work. He’s a really good practice player. He’s a heck of a guy who listens. We’re really pleased with him. And he’s playing well. He gave up a sack last week that he’s very upset about it. But you learn. Larry Allen had some sacks early in his career as well.”
Smith made all 24 of his starts at USC at right tackle, but Houck said Smith has the ability to play left tackle against the league’s pass rushers. Smith and Doug Free could one day switch sides since Free has the ability to play either side as well.
“He can play any position. He could play any position,” Houck said of Smith. “In the future, we might do that. In the future. Right now we’re pretty set on what we’re doing.”
Positive spin on collapse: ‘Somebody had to be doing something good to get the lead’
Dallas Cowboys owner and GM Jerry Jones
The Cowboys suffered their biggest collapse in franchise history on Sunday, blowing a 27-3 third-quarter lead which allowed the Detroit Lions to steal a 34-30 victory.
The Week 4 loss was certainly a tough pill to swallow for Cowboys fans, but team owner and general manager Jerry Jones found a way to but some positive spin on the Cowboys’ second loss of the season.
“I look at it like you have got to have been doing something pretty well to have a historic loss, blowing a lead like that,” Jones said Tuesday during his weekly radio appearance on KRLD-FM 105.3 in Dallas. “Somebody had to be doing something good to get the lead. We were doing things outstanding to get the lead. We had it because (Tony) Romo was playing probably as well as he can play, and as you’ve ever seen him play. Commentators were talking about the selection of plays and how Jason (Garrett) was mixing it up, how Romo was executing.
“We’ve had our best times of play in our two losses. Going forward, we got a lot of help on the way. We got some injured players that are going to be available for us. We know how to play the defense better than we did a month ago. We know how to hopefully learn from these experiences that we’ve had over these last four games. I welcome this bye and I welcome what we’ve got ahead of us for the rest of the season.”
So, what was different in the two losses to the Jets and Lions?
“They’re not doing the things that they did in the second part of the two games we won,” Jones said. “We had outstanding play in the last part of the two games we’ve won.”
Jones added: “You can use a lot of hindsight, but you wouldn’t have thought that the perfect storm that happened to us against Detroit could happen to you. Scores on turnovers don’t happen very often. When they do, they don’t eat up any clock. We needed to use clock. With that kind of a lead we didn’t get it done.
“We get these (injured) players on the field and get to be a better team. We’re going to need to be obviously a better team to get to where we want to go, but we’ve got the potential to be that.”
Jason Garrett breaks down each Romo interception
- Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett – The Boys Are Back
Cowboys coach Jason Garrett broke down the Tony Romo interceptions from Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions.
He said the first one was a bad decision and a bad throw.
The second one was a combination that included a good play by the defender.
The third one was a good decision but a bad throw.
Here is how Garrett described it during Monday’s press conference:
“You have to look at the plays individually, and then you have to look at the plays in the context of the game. I think when you do that, you are not really pleased with the decision on the first one, and you are not really pleased with the throw on first one.
“The second one was a third-and-2 situation where it was a one-on-one slant route by a receiver, and you have to see the matchup that you have and you have to throw the ball in there. That’s a combination of a quarterback and a receiver and also a DB making a good play.
“On the last one, it was the right decision when you look at pattern versus coverage. He had what he wanted. We felt like we had a good feel for what they were going to play there, and Witt was open down the field. Witt got jostled early in the route, Tony had to move in the pocket. When you factor all of that together and when you factor the situation in the game, ultimately it was the wrong decision because he wasn’t able to get his feet up underneath him to throw the ball he wanted to throw. If you have another place to go with the ball or you have a place to get rid of the ball, that’s the best decision there.”
Illustration courtesy: Jack Knizenknabe
Jerry Jones’n: All’s good with Tony Romo (video)
Tony Romo wasn't in the mood for another kiss from Jerry Jones haha
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had an awkward exchange with quarterback Tony Romo on the sideline at the end of Sunday’s 34-30 loss to the Lions. A video circulating the Internet shows Jones grabbing Romo by the shoulder before Romo animatedly pulls away and continues to walk down the sideline.
Though it has led to a lot of Internet speculation about whether Romo was dissing the owner, Jones said Tuesday that it is nothing of the sort.
“No, that’s ridiculous. Not at all,” Jones said during his Tuesday appearance on KRLD-FM. “All I was doing on the sideline was hollering at the offense, ‘We’re going to get it back and when we get it back, let’s win the game.’ Nothing like that.”
Jones said he will continue to pace the sidelines during games, because he is the team’s general manager as well as its owner.
“I was going down there when we won three world championships, so I know it works,” Jones said. “Now, let’s smile about it a little bit, OK. Do we really think it impacts the outcome on the football field? I don’t know that.
“Now I’ve been down there for almost entire games before. I do feel like I need to be down there on occasion. I want to get a sense for where the karma is, I get to get a sense for the attitude of the players on the sideline, just the body language, just the passion that’s involved, who’s in the game, who’s gummed up, just the basic situation on the sideline. You need to know that if you’re making the personnel decisions.”
Dallas Cowboy Stock Report: Tony Romo down; Laurent Robinson up (video)
Dallas Cowboys Stock Report vs DET
The Cowboys are .500 after blowing a franchise-worst 24-point lead to the Detroit Lions on Sunday afternoon at Cowboys Stadium. Things are not good at Valley Ranch.
We review the Cowboys’ 34-30 loss in our weekly Stock Report:
STOCK UP
Laurent Robinson: Yes, he messed up on the second interception by allowing Chris Houston to get inside of him for the pick, but overall Robinson had a solid performance. He had seven catches for 116 yards, including a 44-yard reception. With Dez Bryant taken out of the game, Robinson was able to make the plays necessary in the passing game.
Dan Bailey: The Cowboys’ kicker made field goals of 41, 35 and 23 yards. He’s made 11 consecutive field goals since missing that 21-yarder in Week 2. More importantly for Bailey is kickoffs. He landed five of his six kickoffs in the end zone, with three going for touchbacks. He’s putting pressure on David Buehler to return from the groin injury. If Bailey can remain consistent with kickoffs, Buehler might be in trouble.
Gerald Sensabaugh: Before leaving the game with a concussion, Sensabaugh allowed just one catch with Calvin Johnson on the field. Sensabaugh finished with four tackles, one interception and a pass breakup. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said communication was lacking with Sensabaugh in the locker room. Sensabaugh is playing better as the season progresses.
STOCK DOWN
Tony Romo: He threw three second-half interceptions, all leading to scores. That’s not good. In fact, it’s embarrassing. Of his five interceptions on the season, all have come in the second half. Coach Jason Garrett talks about ball protection. It seems Romo needs to take that course again.
Pass rush: The Lions used max protection for quarterback Matthew Stafford. That’s to be expected, but the Cowboys need to sack him, especially late in the game. There were six quarterback hurries, but zero sacks. You have to get sacks on third down and passing situations. It’s that simple.
Jason Garrett: In training camp, he had the team practice late game situations, but there was Felix Jones running out of bounds in the closing moments on fourth down, short of the first-down. Last week, it was Tashard Choice failing to stay in bounds to run down the clock. The Lions defense shut Bryant down in the second half, when Garrett needs to get him the ball. Garrett’s offense didn’t score in the fourth quarter. With the Lions rallying, the Cowboys needed something.
Detroit Lions’ Jim Schwartz curses at Dez Bryant, points out that he didn’t have catch in second half
Dallas Cowboy WR Diamond Dez Bryant scores his second TD against the Detroit Lions
After a dominant opening act Sunday against the Detroit Lions, Dez Bryant was almost a non-factor in the final 41 minutes, something that Lions coach Jim Schwartz pointed out on Monday.
The Cowboys second-year receiver caught three passes for 37 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, helping his team build a 14-0 lead. But he would not make another grab the rest of the way, and the Lions rallied for a 34-30 victory.
Bryant appeared to make a catch late in the third quarter near the visiting sidelines and began jawing with Lions players. However, the play was reviewed and overturned because he did not possess the ball with both feet in bounds.
After the ruling was determined FOX cameras caught Schwartz mouthing a curse word at Bryant while signaling incomplete pass.
Schwartz’s actions caused former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, who was a television analyst for the game, to say, “What the heck is going on out there?”
Lions safety Louis Delmas, who also exchanged some trash talk with Bryant after the play, was asked about his coach being so fired up after the call was overturned.
“Thing about our coaches … they think they’re still players,” Delmas told Detroit Free Press writer Dave Birkett. “When the ref ruled it outta bounds, he felt like he was the one defending Bryant.”
Birkett also tweeted Schwartz’s comment from his Monday press conference, regarding the emotion he showed after the Bryant challenge.
“I don’t think Dez Bryant had a catch after about midway through the first quarter,” Schwartz said.
Dallas Cowboy teammates come to Tony Romo’s defense
Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo and RB Tashard Choice
ARLINGTON, Texas — It’ll be a long two weeks for the entire Cowboys roster, but mostly for Tony Romo.
Only the head coach and the quarterback have records attached to their resume, and Romo’s three interceptions in the second half against the Lions on Sunday contributed largely to the largest lost lead by a home team in regular-season NFL history (24 points).
Romo again will have to answer questions about his decision-making late in games. Same deal the week after he committed two fourth-quarter turnovers in the Cowboys’ season-opening loss to the Jets.
Once again, though, Romo’s teammates – including several on defense – publicly supported their quarterback. Here are two who were involved in Lions touchdowns following Romo turnovers:
“We’ve got Tony’s back,” linebacker Sean Lee said. “I’m sure there are plays out there that he’d like to have back, just like we’d like to have plays back. Obviously when you’re around the ball and Calvin Johnson caught that (23-yard) touchdown, I would love to try to make a better play on that.
“We work together. We have each other’s back. We know Tony’s great. We’re gonna go as far as he takes us.”
Said cornerback Terence Newman: “If you ask me, I’ll ride with Romo any day of the week because I know he’ll have my back. I’ve got his back.”
Unfortunately, Romo and the rest of the team can’t do anything about Sunday’s breakdown for two full weeks.
Galloway: Detroit Lions aren’t an easy ‘W’ for Dallas Cowboys anymore
Randy Galloway of the Ft Worth Star-Telegram
This one was marked as a win.
It’s the bleeping Lions, for gawd sakes.
Sure, it was a marked win.
You did it, because we all do it, starting in May when the NFL schedule is announced, and then continuing right through the first week of September.
The schedule is analyzed; each game is marked with a W or L; and even before the first kickoff, you think you’ve got the Cowboys’ season pretty well figured out, good, bad or blah.
Except…
It rarely, if ever, works out the way you marked it.
So much tends to change, and change in every possible way. Most of the time that’s because of the Cowboys’ uncertain ways. Over the last two decades, it’s a team that has occasionally surprised with a positive display, but more often than not ended up as an empty can of Alpo.
Your dog ate the marked-up homework of the summer.
Which brings us back to the 3-0 Lions. They invade the Big Yard in Arlington this afternoon.
Forget the previous “mark,” this is obviously the best team the Cowboys have faced, better than the overhyped Jets in the Meadowlands. The Lions’ quarterback is still standing, and his health issues of the past have given way to talent raves for home boy Matthew Stafford.
Plus, Stafford’s wide receiver is the best in the business. The tight end is considered headed for Witten-like elite status, and the defense, well…
The Lions’ defense — Mr. Suh and them — will not have to mimic Romo snap counts to cause a disruption, or crack some ribs. Plus, Romo’s options may be seriously limited since there was heavy doubt Saturday that gimpy Dez Bryant would suit up for this game.
When in doubt, I always go to The Man Who Watches Film, and in this case I asked him for a ranking of the defensive front sevens the Cowboys have faced thus far, and then including the Lions, since there’s been a lot of film work on Detroit this week.
His opinion:
No. 4, the Jets. No. 3, the Redskins. No. 2, the 49ers, and No. 1, by far, the Lions.
That’s interesting, because the Jets had the most PR push with their defense, but The Man Who Watches Film doesn’t put them in the same class as, say, the 49ers, which Valley Ranch voices also described as maybe the most underrated defensive front in the league.
So, here we go again with the Cowboys’ rebuilt and young offensive line. The “biggest test to date” seems to come every week.
But the flip-side is the Lions’ offensive line will also be under close scrutiny today, particularly after five sacks and many hits on Matthew Stafford last week against the Vikings.
First, let’s look at the Cowboys up front, mainly because Mr. Suh is the hottest new defensive name in the NFL.
The quick evaluation of three games goes like this:
Left tackle Doug Free, with the huge new contract, is a disappointment. That’s the low side. On the high side, the work of rookie right tackle Tyron Smith continues to draw praise.
Another negative, although not yet major, is veteran guard Kyle Kosier hasn’t been his usual solid anchor, and it was not a youngster, but Kosier who turned loose the linebacker who busted up Romo’s rib in the 49ers game. He will see plenty of Suh this afternoon.
Center Phil Costa, who snapped on the snap counts against the Redskins, actually graded out decent in other areas of that win. For a second-year former rookie free agent, Costa continues to improve, but his snap issues red-flagged him last week.
The injury to veteran Derrick Dockery put rookie Bill Nagy back at left guard, and that’s a downgrade, but Nagy has not been considered a major negative.
Against some tough defensive fronts, the offensive line has held up OK, despite fandom grousing about the lack of a consistent running game. With the Lions’ defense next, a much higher challenge awaits.
Yet, if it’s any consolation today for the Cowboys, the strong performance so far of Rob Ryan’s defense causes heavy concern for Detroit, which maybe has more offensive line worries than the Cowboys.
The right tackle was benched in the first half last week against the Vikings, and his status is uncertain today. The left tackle took a late-game beating from Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, or rather it was Stafford who ended up with the beating.
Stafford gets the ball out quickly with an offensive system built to accommodate his fast reads, but Minnesota still drilled him repeatedly.
One contrast is the Lions’ OL kept Stafford clean in the first two wins (a big one on the road at Tampa, and then a blowout of Kansas City), but then came the miserable performance against the Vikings.
Thus far, Big Rob has been able to get his belly and his hair around the offensive schemes of the Jets, the 49ers and the Redskins, causing havoc.
But this is a much different offensive animal today, with a quarterback breaking into stardom, and receiver Calvin Johnson causing matchup hell for the Cowboys’ grab-bag secondary.
“Mark” this game as the most intriguing of the young season for the Cowboys, a matchup that Vegas rates as a virtual toss-up, frankly flattering the Cowboys with that wagering opinion.
Buckle up, and expect big fun at the Big Yard.
Randy Galloway can be heard from 3-6 p.m. weekdays on Galloway & Co. on ESPN/103.3 FM
Short fields strapping Dallas Cowboys defense
Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan
Four games into the season and coordinator Rob Ryan is seeming like a genius on the defensive side of the ball. The unit has held up its end of the bargain in all four contests.
And yet the Cowboys are allowing an average of 25.3 points per game, just 23rd in the league.
Now, Sunday’s two interception return touchdowns by the Lions account for 14 points, and there was the blocked punt by the Jets in Week 1. The defense itself has been responsible for 20 points per game.
But even that is more of the blame than the unit probably deserves, because circumstances continue to put Ryan’s unit with its back against the wall, namely the Cowboys’ turnover differential (-4).
So far this year, 10 of the 16 scoring drives by Cowboys opponents have been of less than 50 yards, three of those 10 being touchdowns in which the other team took over in Cowboys territory. Four times the other offense took over in Cowboys territory and settled for field goals.
On Sunday the Lions’ offense had four scoring drives, with 10 points coming on drives that began on the Dallas side of the 50-yard line, not to mention the two interception returns.
It’s plain as day to see. By protecting the ball better and winning field position battles in the kicking game, the Cowboys can rely on their defense to win games.
“Whatever situation or whatever the score is, we have to keep the pedal on,” Sean Lee said. “We have to keep it going. That’s the thing we have to get better at. No matter what the situation is, we have to play like they’re ahead of us.”
Monday Morning QB: Another RB quick to the sideline – stops clock
Dallas Cowboys RB Felix Jones
While no one is getting the blame here in Dallas like Tony Romo, but, it doesn’t mean there aren’t a few other head-scratching performances that took place in Sunday’s epic collapse.
For the second straight week, a running back has a major mental lapse late in the game and goes out of bounds for some odd reason.
Sunday, it was Felix Jones who apparently had no clue what the down-and-distance was and/or failed to realize the time on the clock. On a fourth-and-20 with just 11 seconds remaining, Jones just had a mental gaffe when he took a short pass from Jones and decided to hurry out of bounds after just seven yards.
Umm . . . what? Clearly he didn’t realize what the situation was, but that’s not really an excuse either. Going back and watching it again, it seems obvious that Jones thought it was third down. And so did the Fox TV analysts, both Troy Aikman and Joe Buck were thinking the Cowboys had another down.
Still, it’s not that hard to count to four and a few people weren’t doing it. So either Jones just went out on his own, or didn’t know what down it was, either way it’s inexcusable to be that unaware.
Last week, Tashard Choice ran out of bounds on third down just before a game-winning field goal by Dan Bailey, which allowed the Redskins to keep another timeout. Obviously, it didn’t come back to bite this team, but it was still a bone-head play that shows mental lapses in situational football.
I thought the running backs were taught to have a good vision and awareness. The last two weeks, the Cowboys have been plagued by these poor decisions at the running back spot.
Obviously, it should’ve never gotten to that point. And we all know by now why it did. But in the middle of Romo-bash-week, let’s not forget there were some other mistakes as well.
The Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions promote Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the NFL
Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders help to promote Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Dallas Cowboys promote Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the NFL
IRVING, Texas — October is once again Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the NFL, and beginning Sunday Cowboys linebacker Bradie James — a leader in breast cancer awareness who lost his mother to the disease — and many of his teammates will wear pink accessories with their Cowboys uniforms as a show of support.
The Dallas Cowboys and Susan G. Komen for the Cure® are also asking fans and supporters to join the promise that launched the breast cancer movement and take action towards a brighter future. As part of the Cowboys’ and Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s “I Promise” partnership, Ambassador Nancy G. Brinker — founder & CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure — will serve as the game’s Honorary Captain. Brinker will join players and referees at mid-field for the coin toss.
Dallas Cowboys proud to promote Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Presented by Bank of America, the game will also feature a special halftime show including 300 breast cancer survivors, co-survivors and volunteers from Bank of America and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. These individuals, who have been personally touched by breast cancer, will form a human “pink” awareness ribbon on-field during a performance from the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and other local dancers.
Videos and signage displayed on the Stadium’s 60-yard-long video board will featured Cowboys players and team owner Jerry Jones sharing their promises and encouraging mammogram screening. During pre-game, fans will have the opportunity to share their promises and take action by filling out a “promise” card at the pink tents located in the plazas.
Former Dallas Cowboy Bobby Carpenter contributes to Detroit victory
Former Dallas Cowboy Bobby Carpenter started for the Detroit Lions today
ARLINGTON, Texas — So long the scourge of Cowboys fans during his four-year run as a first-round pick who failed to deliver, Bobby Carpenter gained a little bit of revenge Sunday.
Carpenter’s 34-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter started Detroit’s comeback victory at Cowboys Stadium, but he would not gloat.
“Once I left Dallas I left everything here as far as my playing,” Carpenter said. “I’ve got a lot of great friends here. A lot of great friends in the organization, former teammates. I was excited to come back here and play. Anytime you get to play against friends, it’s always a blessing.”
Carpenter, who was a groomsman in Tony Romo’s May wedding and was only starting because of a concussion suffered by Justin Durant, was able to undercut a throw for wide receiver Dez Bryant to the wide side of the field.
“The linebacker made a good play on the ball,” Romo said. He got under it. I thought I threw it high enough t get over him, but he got up and got it. He did a good job on it.”
Carpenter’s zig-zag return was even better and he managed to cross the goal line before a hit by Doug Free popped the ball loose.
“It was definitely a big game for the Lions,” said Carpenter, who was credited with six tackles. “We needed to win this. We’re 4-0. We’ve got a big Monday night game against Chicago. It definitely feels better than maybe a normal game.”
Detroit’s empty set backfield hurt the Dallas Cowboy defense
Dallas Cowboy SACK KING DeMarcus Ware reaches for Detroit Lion RB
ARLINGTON, Texas — For the first time in his last seven games DeMarcus Ware did not have a sack.
In the game within the game matchup between offensive and defensive coordinators, Detroit went to an empty set for most of the second half with quarterback Matthew Stafford in the shotgun with great success.
In their last four drives the Lions had at least 15 empty-set formations with wide receivers, tight ends or running backs flanked wide. Calvin Johnson’s 23-yard touchdown grab came on an empty set. Stafford was not sacked all day and faced little pressure. They used it to on the key third-down holding penalty on cornerback Frank Walker, who grabbed Brandon Pettigrew, before Johnson’s game-winning touchdown.
“It was their answer to the pressure,” linebacker Sean Lee said. “That’s where they had the most success spreading us out, using the field and getting rid of it quick. I still thought we made it hard for them to move down the field. They hit us on a few good plays.”
Dallas Cowboy Laurent Robinson takes blame for interception
Dallas Cowboy WR Laurent Robinson
ARLINGTON, Texas — As part of the Detroit Lions’ comeback against the Cowboys, the second of three second-half interceptions was part of the drama.
Tony Romo was picked off by cornerback Chris Houston, who returned it 56 yards for a touchdown to cut the Cowboys’ lead to 27-17 with 5:34 left in the third quarter.
Romo’s pass was intended for Laurent Robinson, who was running a quick slant.
But Houston was able to get inside of Robinson and pick the pass off. Robinson tried to knock the pass down with his arm, but it was too late.
“That’s on me. It’s going to haunt me for a while,” Robinson said. “I think that cost us the game. Put it on my shoulders and just got to get better and watch the film and see what I could have done better to make the play.”
Robinson earned his first start of the season with Miles Austin out with a hamstring strain. He surpassed Kevin Ogletree on the depth chart.
Robinson tied a career high with seven catches for a team-high 116 yards with no touchdowns. It was the second 100-yard game in Robinson’s career.
The Cowboys like Robinson’s speed and his ability to consistenly catch the ball. When Austin returns — it’s expected to be for the New England game in two weeks — Robinson gets to move up the depth chart and become the new No. 3 receiver. At the start of the year, Ogletree was the No. 3 receiver behind Dez Bryant and Austin, but he’s been inconsistent.
Robinson was cut by San Diego before the season. When the Cowboys wanted to add a veteran, instead of getting a “name” they elected to find a reliable veteran.
“Just going out there playing,” Robinson said. “You never know when the ball is coming your way. You just got to run the route full speed every time and try to get open and build that confidence that I’m going to be open and be in the right spot.”
Dallas Cowboys S Gerald Sensabaugh suffers concussion after making interception
Dallas Cowboy Gerald Sensabaugh interception vs Detroit Lions
ARLINGTON – Early in the third quarter, Cowboys safety Gerald Sensabaugh suffered a concussion that sidelined him for the rest of the game. While trying to tackle Lions receiver Nate Burleson after he made a nine-yard reception, Sensabaugh said he collided with a teammate.
“From what I heard, I was making a tackle and one of our own guys came and hit me in the back of the head,” he said. “You know, it happens in football. But I feel all right.”
Sensabaugh, who made an interception on Detroit’s first possession of the game, appeared woozy and walked toward the Lions sideline before he was redirected to the Cowboys bench. He later underwent tests inside the locker room.
For Sensabaugh, it was the second concussion he suffered within a span of 10 months. Last December, in a game against Washington, he was knocked out in the second quarter with the same injury.
On Sunday, he was replaced by Barry Church, who suffered a dislocated shoulder in the fourth quarter when he tackled Calvin Johnson on a nine-yard reception. Church said the trainers “popped it back in place” and he would feel fine in a couple days.
Can’t blame the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive line for loss to Detroit Lions
Dallas Cowboys OL vs Detroit Lions
ARLINGTON – Much of the Cowboys’ concerns coming into Sunday’s game against Detroit had to do with slowing down the Lions’ front four on defense.
For the most part, the Cowboys’ young offensive line played well Sunday, holding Ndamukong Suh and Co. to only one sack.
The Cowboys’ run blocking was better, too, considering they averaged 4.2 yards per carry Sunday after entering the game at 3.2 yards a carry. Felix Jones led the Cowboys with 57 yards rushing on 16 carries, and Tashard Choice had his best game yet with 39 rushing yards on six carries.
Additionally, center Phil Costa had no bad snaps to Tony Romo a week after the two had four center-to-quarterback exchange issues snapping the football against Washington.
Monday Morning QB Topic: Jason Garrett explains two gametime decisions
Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett and QB Tony Romo vs Detroit
ARLINGTON, Texas — Preserve their 24-point halftime lead, and these two calls would mostly be forgotten.
Instead, the Lions wound up tying the largest comeback of any visiting team in NFL history Sunday, so Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett was asked about two he made in the 34-30 loss.
First, the Cowboys’ failed fourth-and-1 run late in the first quarter, when Felix Jones got stopped at the goal line (turns out settling for a field goal wouldn’t have won the game, but punching it in from the 1 would have):
“I felt like we had moved the ball a little bit. It was a play we liked. We were well inside the 1-yard line . . . They did a good job of stopping us there.”
Second, Garrett on declining the Lions’ fourth-quarter pass interference call, which kept the Lions in field goal range for a 51-yarder that made the score 30-27:
“It’s a hard decision. We debated it a little bit. I think the difference was going to be third-and-13 or second-and-23. The chances of them making a third-and-13 aren’t great. You balance that with you keeping them in the fringe of field goal range.”
Two TDs for Dallas Cowboy Dez Bryant, but impact fades
Dallas Cowboy Diamond Dez Bryant vs Detroit Lions in Cowboys Stadium
For fantasy football players, Calvin Johnson’s day won’t look all that much better than Dez Bryant’s, as both receivers had two touchdowns on Sunday. However, it’s fair to say Johnson’s impact could entirely be felt on the stat sheet, while Bryant hardly showed up elsewhere at all.
Battling a thigh bruise since Week 1, Bryant needs to get healthy in the bye week. He had 71 yards receiving in the first quarter against the Jets, but didn’t catch another pass in the season opener, then missed the next week. He did have a crucial grab late against Washington, but was severely limited for most of the night. Again Sunday, after an impressive start in which he built a 14-0 lead for the Cowboys in the game’s first 20 minutes, Bryant disappeared.
Bryant did not register a catch after the 10:58 mark in the second quarter, and wasn’t targeted often, as the Cowboys were forced to monitor his snaps.
“That stuff happens,” Jason Garrett said. “Sometimes guys get the ball early. Sometimes they get it late. Sometimes they get it in the middle. You just keep banging away and trying to find some options and ways to move the football.”
The Cowboys moved the ball even without much contribution from Bryant, piling up 434 yards of offense.
Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said on Friday that Johnson wasn’t as good as the Cowboys’ top two receivers, Bryant and Miles Austin, but Austin was out Sunday and Bryant was bested by both Johnson and recent Cowboys pickup Laurent Robinson, who led the team with 117 receiving yards.
Bryant was the target on Tony Romo’s first interception of the game, which Bobby Carpenter returned for a touchdown, flipping the momentum in Detroit’s favor.
“I thought I threw it high enough to get over him, but he went up and got it,” Romo said. “If the linebacker gtes that wide, I can’t pull the trigger on it.”
Dallas Cowboys pass rush disappears against Stafford, Lions
Entering Sunday’s game, the Cowboys defense ranked No. 1 in the NFL with 13 sacks, which theoretically would’ve been the way to keep Matt Stafford from connecting on a bunch of indefensible jump balls to Calvin Johnson.
It just didn’t work out that way. Needing to keep more guys back in coverage to stop those jump balls, and blocked by extra protection from Lions tight ends for much of the game, the Cowboys didn’t get to Stafford once, registering zero sacks.
“He got the ball out real quick,” linebacker Anthony Spencer said. “He was getting the ball out to his running back. He was recognizing the blitzes, and he played a really good game.”
The Cowboys actually did a nice job of disrupting Stafford for much of the game, as he entered the fourth quarter only 11-of-27 passing for 110 yards and an interception, but down the stretch they couldn’t get people in his face, and he made the plays necessary to complete the comeback.
On his 23-yard touchdown to Johnson in the back of the end zone early in the fourth, Stafford had all day.
“If you look at everything up to the fourth quarter, I really felt we dominated that game,” linebacker Sean Lee said. “They had some success at the end.”
RIVAL: Grading the Detroit Lions – First-half struggles almost too costly against Dallas Cowboys
Lions coach Jim Schwartz needs to get his team on track in the first half, but give Detroit credit for the comeback. AP Photo
OFFENSE: D
Let’s see, the Lions couldn’t run the ball effectively, couldn’t throw the ball effectively and a couple of players had some passes bouncing off their hands. They get credit for making plays when it counted, though, so it’s not a complete failure.
DEFENSE: C+
This unit picked the team up when it needed it most. The three interceptions, two returned for touchdowns, were absolutely critical as the offense simply couldn’t get it together. But you can’t ignore the first half, when the Dallas offense was treating the defense like amateurs.
SPECIAL TEAMS: B
Kicker Jason Hanson continues to show no decline in the power of his 40-year-old leg and punter Ryan Donahue did a solid job. The coverage units were much better as they held Dallas return man Dwayne Harris in check, for the most part.
COACHING: C
You’ve got to be doing something right to have your team keep fighting after falling behind by 24 points on the road, but Jim Schwartz and his crew would probably rather save the dramatics and get off to better starts in the first half.
Courtesy: Philip Zaroo | MLive.com | Detroit
TBAB Comment: I’m not gonna wear you out with posts (and boasts) from Detroit … don’t worry! I just think it’s important, as a football fan, to get the perspective of the rival. That’s why I’m posting rival articles before and after each game on The Boys Are Back. It helps to see things from the “other” side! Makes us more knowledgable … and provides a more broad view of the Dallas Cowboys … and the opponents we face. The “local” view might give you what you want to hear. I’d also like to provide you with information that you need to hear … a full picture.
RIVAL: Four Downs recap – Detroit Lions don’t pressure Tony Romo, limit Dez Bryant after halftime
Ndamukong Suh wasn't able pressure Dallas' Tony Romo much. AP Photo
ARLINGTON, Texas — A look at the four keys for the Lions in their game against the Cowboys, and how it played out:
First down: DeMarcus Ware (Complete)
You can’t really silence the Cowboys’ outstanding linebacker — he simply has too much talent and is too big and too fast. But the Lions did a good job in limiting the damage he caused, which was critical to their second-half comeback.
Like last season, Ware registered only three tackles. He did get three quarterback hits on Matthew Stafford but, again, he was held in check for the most part. The Lions offense struggled to put together drives, despite not having Ware dictate play.
Second down: Pressure Rony Romo (Incomplete)
With one sack, which came at the end of the game, and no quarterback hits, Romo was generally able to do what he wanted without being touched. It was clear the Cowboys wanted to negate the Lions pass rush with some slants, hitches and other pass routes that develop quickly.
Romo wasn’t about to go through many seven-step drops. The strategy was effective, especially in the first half, when Romo connected on 19-of-24 passes for 195 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His quarterback rating was 128.3. In the second half, everything changed.
Romo was 15-of-23 for 136 yards a touchdown and three interceptions. That had little to do with the pass rush, though.
Third down: Limit Dez Bryant (Complete)
It’s tough to say this was a completion when Bryant scored two touchdowns, but the second-year wide receiver didn’t have a consistent impact. He caught three passes for 37 yards and the two touchdowns, one for 25 yards.
So he certainly had an effect on the game, but it was more focused. To be fair, Detroit’s secondary was too busy getting toasted by receiver Laurent Robinson, who caught seven passes for a career-high 116 yards, and tight end Jason Witten, who had eight catches for 96 yards.
Fourth down: Positive first-down yardage (Complete)
The Dallas defense had only two tackles for losses, and though the Cowboys were able to pressure Stafford, they never sacked him. The run game, which managed just 63 yards, wasn’t strong, but the backs generally moved forward.
Yet overall, the offense couldn’t sustain drives. Detroit was 4-for-13 on third-down conversions. So the Lions completed the play on this down, but it didn’t have the effect they would have liked.
Courtesy: Philip Zaroo | MLive.com | Detroit
Postgame: Jason Garrett, Tony Romo, and Rob Ryan (multiple video)
Dallas Cowboys Postgame press conference - press play to watch
Jason Garrett and Tony Romo spoke about the teams second half collapse in a lose to the Lions.
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