What A Game

Well, I know it's been a couple of days since Dallas' 14-10 victory over the Deadskins but I've had so much going on and have been so tired that this is the first chance I've had to post my post game thoughts. There is so much to say, I'm not sure where to begin. I think the main thing is that the Cowboys played as a team for the first time in a while. Really, ever since the 1st game against the Redskins, Dallas has played like a bunch of individuals and not as a team. However, on Sunday night, the team concept seemed to return which yielded positive results. I did have a feeling that Dallas would pull this thing out of the ditch and get it pointed in the right direction...now what they do from here is up to them.

A couple of injured players, Romo and Newman, returned on Sunday night and both made a pretty big impact. To start off, it is now clear what Tony Romo means to this thing. While Romo didn't produce eye popping numbers as he usually does (he completed 19 of 27 passes for 198 yards and 2 INTs) he made plays when the team needed him to. One of the biggest plays in the game came right after the usually sure handed Witten was wide open and dropped a pass that hit him on the hands. It was 3 down and 7 and, with the pocket collapsing, Romo flipped a little forward pass to Miles Austin for a first down. That was huge because on the very next play, Romo hit Martellus Bennett for a 25 yard touchdown, which proved to be the go ahead score.

Terrance Newman, who had also been out for several weeks, returned and looked like he made it his mission to shut Santana Moss down who absolutely torched Newman in Dallas earlier in the season. NBC flashed up a stat that said Moss, since signing with Washington in 2005, had averaged over 100 yards a game every time he played the Cowboys. However, on Sunday he only had 5 receptions for 29 yards and one of those was for 13 yards. Moss was definitely shut down. And Newman had several balls he knocked away from Moss and even intercepted a ball thrown to Moss.

The defense, as a whole, played lights out. After allowing a touchdown on Washington's first drive, the Dallas defense only allowed 3 pts the rest of the game. And while Dallas' offense was shooting themselves in the foot from time to time with interceptions or untimely penalties, the defense kept them in the game and didn't allow Washington the kill shot they were looking for. Jay Ratliff made a huge sack which knocked Washington out of field goal range and as a result, The Deadskins had to go for it on 4th down which they did not convert.

And this post wouldn't be complete without talking about the man's man, Marion Barber. He reminded me so much of Emmitt during the game especially with the way he finished the game off. With 6 minutes and 40 second to go in the game, this is what Dallas' final possession looked like:

1st-10, at the DAL 37 yard line, M. Barber rushed up the middle for 5 yard gain
2nd-5, at the DAL 42 yard line, M. Barber rushed up the middle for 7 yard gain
1st-10, at the DAL 49 yard line, M. Barber rushed to the left for 8 yard gain
2nd-2, at the WAS 43 yard line, M. Barber rushed to the right for 5 yard gain
1st-10, at the WAS 38 yard line, M. Barber rushed up the middle for no gain
2nd-10, at the WAS 38 yard line, M. Barber rushed to the left for 2 yard gain
3rd-8, at the WAS 36 yard line, T. Romo passed to M. Barber down the middle for 10 yard gain
1st-10, at the WAS 26 yard line, M. Barber rushed up the middle for 2 yard gain
2nd-8, at the WAS 24 yard line, M. Barber rushed to the right for 3 yard gain
3rd-5, at the WAS 21 yard line, M. Barber rushed to the right for 4 yard gain
4th-1, at the WAS 17 yard line, M. Barber rushed to the right for 3 yard gain

And on that final 4th down play, where Dallas had to pick up the first down or Washington would have gotten the ball back with about a minute to go, everyone in the stadium KNEW the ball was going to Barber...and he still picked up the 1st down. I am loving that guy more each week. He is truly one of the best RB's in the league...maybe not the fastest, but one of the best.

Dallas' season was saved on Sunday night but they haven't won anything yet. Hopefully they will build on this win and go streaking into the playoffs...just like Landry said he always wanted his team to do but hasn't happened in Dallas in about 13 or 14 years. The Giants turned their season around last year, streaked into the playoffs, won the Super Bowl and haven't looked back. If Dallas can get on a roll, who knows what they can do. Heck of a game indeed.