DMN Blog: Star power energizes Cowboys in 34-10 win
03:46 AM CDT on Monday, September 24, 2007
CHICAGO – In the end, they sat on the bench giggling and savoring the moment, having ripped the cloak of invincibility off the so-called Monsters of the Midway.
The famed Chicago defense? A joke. Intimidating Soldier Field? Pretty tame. The big bad Chicago Bears? Overrated.
The Cowboys gave the Bears the same type of beat down before a national TV audience Sunday night they administered to New York and Miami during the first two weeks of the season.
Their stars led the way.
See, that's how you win in the NFL. Role players can only take you so far – ask the Bears who start one at quarterback – but stars can take you to a championship.
The Cowboys won three Super Bowls in the '90s with guys so good you didn't need last names: Troy. Emmitt. Michael. Deion.
Maybe, one day Romo, Witten and Ware will be just as recognizable. For now, Terrell Owens is the only player who fits into that category.
The Cowboys' 34-10 victory over Chicago was no fluke.
They made enough mistakes to remain humble, but the Cowboys dominated the Bears because their best players – Tony Romo, Jason Witten, DeMarcus Ware and T.O. – easily outperformed Chicago's best players in a battle to determine early supremacy in the NFC.
"We try to get our top players in position to make plays," coach Wade Phillips said. "They have to go out and do it, and they did. We call their number, and they make plays.
Stars give a team its swagger. They give everyone else the confidence to believe they can beat anyone, anytime, anywhere – even the mighty Bears on their home field.
You know, the place where they allowed an average of 11.8 point since the start of 2005. The place where they have allowed more than 13 points just five times in their last 19 home games.
These Cowboys, winners of five consecutive road games, didn't care.
That's the attitude Dallas had in the good, ol' days when it dominated the league. Those guys took what they wanted. And once they sensed a weakness, they pounced.
These Cowboys have shown the same type of potential in the first month of this season, which is why the standard for judging them has changed. It should, because these Cowboys are contenders.
Any big win, especially on the road, always starts with the quarterback. Again, Romo was magnificent with 329 yards and two touchdowns.
At some point, we should stop being surprised.
Too many times to count, Romo jitterbugged away from trouble and completed passes. For those of you who still insist Romo has something to prove, it's time to shut up.
Seriously, not another word. The seven-year wait for a worthy successor to Aikman is over.
"I'm just lucky to be in a good situation," Romo said. "Terrell Owens is unbelievable, and I have a lot of good players, and I just go out there, try to get them the ball and stay out of the way."
The game's best players don't succumb to pressure. They embrace the moment and play their best when the pressure is most intense.
That's what Romo did – even after Dallas gained only 13 yards on three possessions and did not record a first down in the first quarter. A lesser player would've folded; Romo raised his game.
He had company.
The performance T.O. delivered is the reason Jerry Jones signed him to a three-year, $25 million contract before last season. Too many times last season T.O. was a nonfactor.
He showed everyone he can still dominate a game, finishing with eight catches for 145 yards. While he didn't score a touchdown, he was the catalyst on the Cowboys' most important drive.
Tied at 3-3 at halftime, Romo led the Cowboys on a nine-play, 89-yard drive to start the third quarter. Owens caught passes of 18, 18, 11 and 23 yards on the drive. After the Bears tied the score at 10-10, Owens' 35-yard catch-and-run helped set up another touchdown, giving Dallas a 17-10 lead it never relinquished.
"We came in here, mission accomplished," T.O. said. "I feel like there was a statement made."
Chicago's inability to cover Witten, who burned the Bears for three receptions for 72 yards in the first half, freed up T.O. to do his damage in the second half. Witten finished with six catches for 90 yards.
Then there was Ware, who recorded his first two sacks of the season and helped limit Chicago to nine first downs and 138 yards in the final three quarters.
"In the second half," Chicago coach Lovie Smith said, "Dallas did pretty much what they wanted to against us."
That's the reason, Chicago is no longer the NFC's best team. That title belongs to the Cowboys and their collection of stars.
CHICAGO – In the end, they sat on the bench giggling and savoring the moment, having ripped the cloak of invincibility off the so-called Monsters of the Midway.
The famed Chicago defense? A joke. Intimidating Soldier Field? Pretty tame. The big bad Chicago Bears? Overrated.
The Cowboys gave the Bears the same type of beat down before a national TV audience Sunday night they administered to New York and Miami during the first two weeks of the season.
Their stars led the way.
See, that's how you win in the NFL. Role players can only take you so far – ask the Bears who start one at quarterback – but stars can take you to a championship.
The Cowboys won three Super Bowls in the '90s with guys so good you didn't need last names: Troy. Emmitt. Michael. Deion.
Maybe, one day Romo, Witten and Ware will be just as recognizable. For now, Terrell Owens is the only player who fits into that category.
The Cowboys' 34-10 victory over Chicago was no fluke.
They made enough mistakes to remain humble, but the Cowboys dominated the Bears because their best players – Tony Romo, Jason Witten, DeMarcus Ware and T.O. – easily outperformed Chicago's best players in a battle to determine early supremacy in the NFC.
"We try to get our top players in position to make plays," coach Wade Phillips said. "They have to go out and do it, and they did. We call their number, and they make plays.
Stars give a team its swagger. They give everyone else the confidence to believe they can beat anyone, anytime, anywhere – even the mighty Bears on their home field.
You know, the place where they allowed an average of 11.8 point since the start of 2005. The place where they have allowed more than 13 points just five times in their last 19 home games.
These Cowboys, winners of five consecutive road games, didn't care.
That's the attitude Dallas had in the good, ol' days when it dominated the league. Those guys took what they wanted. And once they sensed a weakness, they pounced.
These Cowboys have shown the same type of potential in the first month of this season, which is why the standard for judging them has changed. It should, because these Cowboys are contenders.
Any big win, especially on the road, always starts with the quarterback. Again, Romo was magnificent with 329 yards and two touchdowns.
At some point, we should stop being surprised.
Too many times to count, Romo jitterbugged away from trouble and completed passes. For those of you who still insist Romo has something to prove, it's time to shut up.
Seriously, not another word. The seven-year wait for a worthy successor to Aikman is over.
"I'm just lucky to be in a good situation," Romo said. "Terrell Owens is unbelievable, and I have a lot of good players, and I just go out there, try to get them the ball and stay out of the way."
The game's best players don't succumb to pressure. They embrace the moment and play their best when the pressure is most intense.
That's what Romo did – even after Dallas gained only 13 yards on three possessions and did not record a first down in the first quarter. A lesser player would've folded; Romo raised his game.
He had company.
The performance T.O. delivered is the reason Jerry Jones signed him to a three-year, $25 million contract before last season. Too many times last season T.O. was a nonfactor.
He showed everyone he can still dominate a game, finishing with eight catches for 145 yards. While he didn't score a touchdown, he was the catalyst on the Cowboys' most important drive.
Tied at 3-3 at halftime, Romo led the Cowboys on a nine-play, 89-yard drive to start the third quarter. Owens caught passes of 18, 18, 11 and 23 yards on the drive. After the Bears tied the score at 10-10, Owens' 35-yard catch-and-run helped set up another touchdown, giving Dallas a 17-10 lead it never relinquished.
"We came in here, mission accomplished," T.O. said. "I feel like there was a statement made."
Chicago's inability to cover Witten, who burned the Bears for three receptions for 72 yards in the first half, freed up T.O. to do his damage in the second half. Witten finished with six catches for 90 yards.
Then there was Ware, who recorded his first two sacks of the season and helped limit Chicago to nine first downs and 138 yards in the final three quarters.
"In the second half," Chicago coach Lovie Smith said, "Dallas did pretty much what they wanted to against us."
That's the reason, Chicago is no longer the NFC's best team. That title belongs to the Cowboys and their collection of stars.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:11 AM
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