Bledsoe, Dallas show more life
By DAVID BARRON
Houston Chronicle
IRVING - On a night when Terrell Owens made news by breaking a finger, not a touchdown run, it was the improved efficiency of Dallas quarterback Drew Bledsoe and the consistent incompetence of Washington's offense that provided the most significant moments of the Cowboys' 27-10 victory Sunday night at Texas Stadium.
Bledsoe threw for 237 yards and two touchdowns despite limited contributions from Owens, who played three quarters with an injured finger suffered in the opening quarter, and the Redskins were held to 245 generally meaningless yards as Dallas joined the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles at 1-1 in the NFC East race.
Washington is 0-2 and, in an era when the FCC frowns on offensive behavior, did its best to avoid any semblance thereof. Redskins quarterback Mark Brunell was 18-of-33 for 197 yards, with one-third of that coming in the final two minutes with the Cowboys' win in hand, and Washington's only TD came on a 100-yard kickoff return by former Conroe star Rock Cartwright.
Even win makes Parcells ill
It was a victory, granted, but it was hardly of the quality that satisfies Cowboys coach Bill Parcells, even in the wake of Dallas' opening-week loss to Jacksonville.
"I told my players that I just want my team to play better," Parcells said. "It's hard on me. I'm feeling ill right now — I'm telling you, literally. I just want us to play better."
For the most part, the Cowboys complied. Bledsoe was 19-of-38 without an interception despite nine passes dropped — including four by Owens, making his first regular-season start at a stadium where he was once greeted with the vituperative abuse generally reserved for, well, the Redskins.
Owens' struggles — three catches for 19 yards — took on proper context after the game, when it was announced he suffered a broken right ring finger while blocking in the first quarter. He will undergo surgery and will miss from two to four weeks.
"It's disappointing, but it's part of the game," Owens said. "We have some guys who can step in and get the job done. And I'm a quick healer."
Terry Glenn carried the bulk of the aerial load with six catches for 94 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown catch from Bledsoe that essentially put the game away in the first minute of the final quarter.
It was a solid, satisfying performance for Bledsoe, who threw three interceptions last week and endured calls by some fans for Parcells to replace him with backup Tony Romo.
"Whether you win, whether you lose, as a quarterback you have to go forward toward next week and focus on the job at hand," Bledsoe said. "That's what I did, and that's what we did as a team, and we came out with a victory."
The victory was still in doubt at halftime after Cartwright's kick return made it 17-10. Turnovers were the only blot missing from the error-filled first half, and that went by the wayside in the third period when Redskins safety Sean Taylor forced a Julius Jones fumble and linebacker Marcus Washington recovered at the Cowboys' 39.
But Brunell's third-down flutterball from the 21 was picked off by safety Roy Williams at the Dallas 1 to end the threat.
The Cowboys then assembled the night's most impressive drive, moving 99 yards in six plays to lead 24-10 on Bledsoe's TD pass to Glenn. Mike Vanderjagt added a 50-yard field goal three minutes later to complete the scoring.
Particularly in the opening quarter, but generally throughout, the Cowboys and Redskins on occasion played as if Saturday afternoon's flagfest between Rice and Texas at Reliant Stadium had migrated to the opposite end of Interstate 45. There were 12 first-half penalties, and Washington finished with 11 flags for 117 yards to nine penalties for 90 yards for the Cowboys.
A week off to relax
Dallas had a promising start, moving 59 yards in 14 plays on its opening drive to Vanderjagt's 26-yard field goal. After a second consecutive three-and-out by the Redskins, playing without injured running back Clinton Portis, Dallas moved 56 yards in eight plays to lead 10-0 on Bledsoe's 4-yard TD pass to Patrick Crayton.
Two 15-yard penalties helped the Redskins move from their 20 to the Cowboys' 21 early in the second quarter, but Washington settled for John Hall's 39-yard field goal to make it 10-3. Marion Barber's 1-yard TD run stretched the lead to 17-3, but Cartwright took the ensuing kickoff at the Redskins goal line, veered to the left at the 35 and was essentially untouched en route to the touchdown.
That was generally it for the Redskins, though, and now the Cowboys can enter their week off with more hope than angst.
"We hung in there and made plays when we needed, and we came away with a 'W,' " said linebacker Bradie James. "Going into the off week, now we can relax. Because if we wouldn't have won this game, there is no telling what would have happened."
Houston Chronicle
IRVING - On a night when Terrell Owens made news by breaking a finger, not a touchdown run, it was the improved efficiency of Dallas quarterback Drew Bledsoe and the consistent incompetence of Washington's offense that provided the most significant moments of the Cowboys' 27-10 victory Sunday night at Texas Stadium.
Bledsoe threw for 237 yards and two touchdowns despite limited contributions from Owens, who played three quarters with an injured finger suffered in the opening quarter, and the Redskins were held to 245 generally meaningless yards as Dallas joined the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles at 1-1 in the NFC East race.
Washington is 0-2 and, in an era when the FCC frowns on offensive behavior, did its best to avoid any semblance thereof. Redskins quarterback Mark Brunell was 18-of-33 for 197 yards, with one-third of that coming in the final two minutes with the Cowboys' win in hand, and Washington's only TD came on a 100-yard kickoff return by former Conroe star Rock Cartwright.
Even win makes Parcells ill
It was a victory, granted, but it was hardly of the quality that satisfies Cowboys coach Bill Parcells, even in the wake of Dallas' opening-week loss to Jacksonville.
"I told my players that I just want my team to play better," Parcells said. "It's hard on me. I'm feeling ill right now — I'm telling you, literally. I just want us to play better."
For the most part, the Cowboys complied. Bledsoe was 19-of-38 without an interception despite nine passes dropped — including four by Owens, making his first regular-season start at a stadium where he was once greeted with the vituperative abuse generally reserved for, well, the Redskins.
Owens' struggles — three catches for 19 yards — took on proper context after the game, when it was announced he suffered a broken right ring finger while blocking in the first quarter. He will undergo surgery and will miss from two to four weeks.
"It's disappointing, but it's part of the game," Owens said. "We have some guys who can step in and get the job done. And I'm a quick healer."
Terry Glenn carried the bulk of the aerial load with six catches for 94 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown catch from Bledsoe that essentially put the game away in the first minute of the final quarter.
It was a solid, satisfying performance for Bledsoe, who threw three interceptions last week and endured calls by some fans for Parcells to replace him with backup Tony Romo.
"Whether you win, whether you lose, as a quarterback you have to go forward toward next week and focus on the job at hand," Bledsoe said. "That's what I did, and that's what we did as a team, and we came out with a victory."
The victory was still in doubt at halftime after Cartwright's kick return made it 17-10. Turnovers were the only blot missing from the error-filled first half, and that went by the wayside in the third period when Redskins safety Sean Taylor forced a Julius Jones fumble and linebacker Marcus Washington recovered at the Cowboys' 39.
But Brunell's third-down flutterball from the 21 was picked off by safety Roy Williams at the Dallas 1 to end the threat.
The Cowboys then assembled the night's most impressive drive, moving 99 yards in six plays to lead 24-10 on Bledsoe's TD pass to Glenn. Mike Vanderjagt added a 50-yard field goal three minutes later to complete the scoring.
Particularly in the opening quarter, but generally throughout, the Cowboys and Redskins on occasion played as if Saturday afternoon's flagfest between Rice and Texas at Reliant Stadium had migrated to the opposite end of Interstate 45. There were 12 first-half penalties, and Washington finished with 11 flags for 117 yards to nine penalties for 90 yards for the Cowboys.
A week off to relax
Dallas had a promising start, moving 59 yards in 14 plays on its opening drive to Vanderjagt's 26-yard field goal. After a second consecutive three-and-out by the Redskins, playing without injured running back Clinton Portis, Dallas moved 56 yards in eight plays to lead 10-0 on Bledsoe's 4-yard TD pass to Patrick Crayton.
Two 15-yard penalties helped the Redskins move from their 20 to the Cowboys' 21 early in the second quarter, but Washington settled for John Hall's 39-yard field goal to make it 10-3. Marion Barber's 1-yard TD run stretched the lead to 17-3, but Cartwright took the ensuing kickoff at the Redskins goal line, veered to the left at the 35 and was essentially untouched en route to the touchdown.
That was generally it for the Redskins, though, and now the Cowboys can enter their week off with more hope than angst.
"We hung in there and made plays when we needed, and we came away with a 'W,' " said linebacker Bradie James. "Going into the off week, now we can relax. Because if we wouldn't have won this game, there is no telling what would have happened."
posted by The Gryphon at 9:10 AM
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