Cowboys get time off
Dallas 6-1 going into its bye week
Associated Press
Article Launched: 10/23/2007 12:04:19 AM MDT
IRVING, Texas -- Chris Canty burst through the line, stuck his hands up and, in an instant, the Dallas Cowboys went ahead for good instead of trailing again.
In a game where the offense struggled despite dominating, and Tony Romo finished bruised, it took Canty's blocked field goal that Pat Watkins returned 68 yards for a touchdown to finally push the Cowboys past the Minnesota Vikings 24-14.
"When I got it, my mind frame was to get as many yards as I can," said Watkins, a 6-foot-5 safety. "We made a big play at the right time."
While not pretty or easy, the victory Sunday was all Dallas wanted coming off a lopsided home loss to New England and going into its open week. The 6-1 record is the best in the NFC -- and the first time since 1995, their last Super Bowl season, the Cowboys have started this good.
"All we thought about was 6-1, 6-1. How can we do that?," Bradie James said. "We pulled that off."
The block by Canty and return by Watkins, the first off a field-goal attempt for a touchdown by the Cowboys since 1983, made it 21-14 late in the third quarter. Nick Folk added a 45-yard field goal after Vikings rookie Adrian Peterson, who returned home as the NFL's rushing leader, was stripped and fumbled.
Now Dallas gets a break.
"The bye week comes at a good time," James said.
Not only for the breather before playing their three NFC East rivals in consecutive weeks, but for Romo to get time to recover from the upper-leg bruise sustained while Minnesota (2-4)
returned a fumble for a touchdown and a 14-7 lead only 1:39 before halftime.
Romo initially gave chase after Patrick Crayton's fumble. But the quarterback changed his mind when he saw a big defender, then slid to try avoiding a hit.
"I kind of looked into his eyes and he looked like he was ready to take the hit more than I was," said Romo, who came up limping anyway but didn't miss a play.
"I think Tony is bruised mostly," coach Wade Phillips said.
Romo was 28-of-32 for 231 yards at halftime. Noticeably bothered by the bruise at times, he was only 3-of-7 for 46 yards the rest of the way.
Despite leading 250-76 in yards, 43-18 in plays and 16-5 in first downs at halftime, the Cowboys trailed.
Yet, the Vikings couldn't capitalize. Strangely, Minnesota coach Brad Childress opted not to try swarming Romo and not to feature Peterson, who was coming off a 224-yard performance.
Peterson ran four times for 27 yards on the opening series, including a 20-yard touchdown to tie it, but got only eight more carries. He fumbled on the last one and finished with a season-low 63 yards.
"I felt like I played all right, except when I put the ball on the turf," Peterson said. "I was fighting for yards and somebody (Jason Hatcher) came from behind and made a big play to knock the ball out."
The Cowboys scored a first-quarter touchdown for the first time, when Romo was 9-of-10 on the 80-yard drive that ended with his 5-yard pass to Terrell Owens.
Associated Press
Article Launched: 10/23/2007 12:04:19 AM MDT
IRVING, Texas -- Chris Canty burst through the line, stuck his hands up and, in an instant, the Dallas Cowboys went ahead for good instead of trailing again.
In a game where the offense struggled despite dominating, and Tony Romo finished bruised, it took Canty's blocked field goal that Pat Watkins returned 68 yards for a touchdown to finally push the Cowboys past the Minnesota Vikings 24-14.
"When I got it, my mind frame was to get as many yards as I can," said Watkins, a 6-foot-5 safety. "We made a big play at the right time."
While not pretty or easy, the victory Sunday was all Dallas wanted coming off a lopsided home loss to New England and going into its open week. The 6-1 record is the best in the NFC -- and the first time since 1995, their last Super Bowl season, the Cowboys have started this good.
"All we thought about was 6-1, 6-1. How can we do that?," Bradie James said. "We pulled that off."
The block by Canty and return by Watkins, the first off a field-goal attempt for a touchdown by the Cowboys since 1983, made it 21-14 late in the third quarter. Nick Folk added a 45-yard field goal after Vikings rookie Adrian Peterson, who returned home as the NFL's rushing leader, was stripped and fumbled.
Now Dallas gets a break.
"The bye week comes at a good time," James said.
Not only for the breather before playing their three NFC East rivals in consecutive weeks, but for Romo to get time to recover from the upper-leg bruise sustained while Minnesota (2-4)
returned a fumble for a touchdown and a 14-7 lead only 1:39 before halftime.
Romo initially gave chase after Patrick Crayton's fumble. But the quarterback changed his mind when he saw a big defender, then slid to try avoiding a hit.
"I kind of looked into his eyes and he looked like he was ready to take the hit more than I was," said Romo, who came up limping anyway but didn't miss a play.
"I think Tony is bruised mostly," coach Wade Phillips said.
Romo was 28-of-32 for 231 yards at halftime. Noticeably bothered by the bruise at times, he was only 3-of-7 for 46 yards the rest of the way.
Despite leading 250-76 in yards, 43-18 in plays and 16-5 in first downs at halftime, the Cowboys trailed.
Yet, the Vikings couldn't capitalize. Strangely, Minnesota coach Brad Childress opted not to try swarming Romo and not to feature Peterson, who was coming off a 224-yard performance.
Peterson ran four times for 27 yards on the opening series, including a 20-yard touchdown to tie it, but got only eight more carries. He fumbled on the last one and finished with a season-low 63 yards.
"I felt like I played all right, except when I put the ball on the turf," Peterson said. "I was fighting for yards and somebody (Jason Hatcher) came from behind and made a big play to knock the ball out."
The Cowboys scored a first-quarter touchdown for the first time, when Romo was 9-of-10 on the 80-yard drive that ended with his 5-yard pass to Terrell Owens.
posted by The Gryphon at 6:00 AM
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