Confident Cowboys
Stephen Hawkins
The Associated Press
Irving, Texas — (AP) — Now that Tony Romo and company have earned their first preseason win, the Dallas Cowboys can start focusing on the regular season.
The Cowboys needed only one half in their first preseason game at home — after losing the first two games on the road — to show off the skills of a team with super expectations.
Romo completed 15 of 19 passes for 166 yards with a touchdown, and Marion Barber — now the clear No. 1 running back after Julius Jones left in free agency — ran 13 times for 75 yards and a 1-yard score in the Cowboys’ 23-22 victory over the Houston Texans on Friday night.
“That’s the kind of way we were used to playing last year. That was something we needed to see,” said tight end Jason Witten, one of the 13 Pro Bowl players back from last year’s 13-win team. “That gives us a little confidence with the season around the corner.”
Dallas’ starting offense had two mistake-filled and penalty-plagued drives last week against Denver.
On Friday night, Dallas has 266 total yards by halftime, and a 20-10 lead that easily could have been larger.
“We should’ve scored 27 points in the first half,” coach Wade Phillips said. “That’s pretty impressive.”
Actually, the Cowboys might have scored 31 points if not for two bad throws by Romo.
Nick Folk kicked a 48-yard field goal in the first quarter after Romo overthrow a streaking Terrell Owens, who was behind the defender near the goal line when the ball flew well out of his reach.
The Texans drove 80 yards to tie the game 10-10 midway through the second quarter after Romo slung a sidearm pass that was intercepted in the end zone by linebacker Zac Diles.
“I tried to bait the guy a little bit, but he did a great job and got underneath the ball,” Romo said.
But Romo, who passed for team records 4,211 yards and 36 TDs last year in his first full season as the starter, made up for that mistake by leading the Cowboys to two scores inside the final two minutes of the first half.
Barber leaped over the piled-up bodies in the middle for a 1-yard score. After Houston punted with 34 seconds left, Romo scrambled for 13 yards and threw 32 yards to Sam Hurd before two short completions set up a 41-yard field goal by Folk.
“It was nice to see him regroup after the interception,” offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said. “To come out of the two-minute situation with points is a positive. That gave us a shot in the arm.”
It also allowed Romo and most of the offensive skill starters an early departure from the game.
Phillips had planned to play the starters deep into the third quarter, giving them a chance to get in synch. But Romo, Witten, Barber and Owens (four catches for 43 yards) didn’t play after halftime because they got so much accomplished in the previous 35 plays.
“The quarterback was on point. The timing was perfect,” Hurd said. “We could have done a ton more. We didn’t go that deep in the playbook. As long as we get into the rhythm and feel good about each other and what we’re doing, the sky’s the limit.”
They will save much for the regular season opener Sept. 7 at Cleveland. The starters are expected to get only limited, if any, playing time against Minnesota in the final preseason game Thursday night.
“We’ll probably start looking at Cleveland, probably more in depth now and start preparing for them,” receiver Patrick Crayton said. “Everything offensively went well, passing game, the run game, just the way we moved the ball down the field.”
Notes:@ WR Isaiah Stanback was scheduled to have an MRI on his left shoulder, which he hurt when scrambling for the ball after he fumbled away the second-half kickoff. It is the same shoulder he hurt last season, but he doesn’t believe it is serious. ... OL Kyle Kosier sprained his left foot and left the stadium in a walking boot. ... The Cowboys have to cut five players by Tuesday to get their roster to 75. The final cuts to 53 have to made next weekend.
The Associated Press
Irving, Texas — (AP) — Now that Tony Romo and company have earned their first preseason win, the Dallas Cowboys can start focusing on the regular season.
The Cowboys needed only one half in their first preseason game at home — after losing the first two games on the road — to show off the skills of a team with super expectations.
Romo completed 15 of 19 passes for 166 yards with a touchdown, and Marion Barber — now the clear No. 1 running back after Julius Jones left in free agency — ran 13 times for 75 yards and a 1-yard score in the Cowboys’ 23-22 victory over the Houston Texans on Friday night.
“That’s the kind of way we were used to playing last year. That was something we needed to see,” said tight end Jason Witten, one of the 13 Pro Bowl players back from last year’s 13-win team. “That gives us a little confidence with the season around the corner.”
Dallas’ starting offense had two mistake-filled and penalty-plagued drives last week against Denver.
On Friday night, Dallas has 266 total yards by halftime, and a 20-10 lead that easily could have been larger.
“We should’ve scored 27 points in the first half,” coach Wade Phillips said. “That’s pretty impressive.”
Actually, the Cowboys might have scored 31 points if not for two bad throws by Romo.
Nick Folk kicked a 48-yard field goal in the first quarter after Romo overthrow a streaking Terrell Owens, who was behind the defender near the goal line when the ball flew well out of his reach.
The Texans drove 80 yards to tie the game 10-10 midway through the second quarter after Romo slung a sidearm pass that was intercepted in the end zone by linebacker Zac Diles.
“I tried to bait the guy a little bit, but he did a great job and got underneath the ball,” Romo said.
But Romo, who passed for team records 4,211 yards and 36 TDs last year in his first full season as the starter, made up for that mistake by leading the Cowboys to two scores inside the final two minutes of the first half.
Barber leaped over the piled-up bodies in the middle for a 1-yard score. After Houston punted with 34 seconds left, Romo scrambled for 13 yards and threw 32 yards to Sam Hurd before two short completions set up a 41-yard field goal by Folk.
“It was nice to see him regroup after the interception,” offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said. “To come out of the two-minute situation with points is a positive. That gave us a shot in the arm.”
It also allowed Romo and most of the offensive skill starters an early departure from the game.
Phillips had planned to play the starters deep into the third quarter, giving them a chance to get in synch. But Romo, Witten, Barber and Owens (four catches for 43 yards) didn’t play after halftime because they got so much accomplished in the previous 35 plays.
“The quarterback was on point. The timing was perfect,” Hurd said. “We could have done a ton more. We didn’t go that deep in the playbook. As long as we get into the rhythm and feel good about each other and what we’re doing, the sky’s the limit.”
They will save much for the regular season opener Sept. 7 at Cleveland. The starters are expected to get only limited, if any, playing time against Minnesota in the final preseason game Thursday night.
“We’ll probably start looking at Cleveland, probably more in depth now and start preparing for them,” receiver Patrick Crayton said. “Everything offensively went well, passing game, the run game, just the way we moved the ball down the field.”
Notes:@ WR Isaiah Stanback was scheduled to have an MRI on his left shoulder, which he hurt when scrambling for the ball after he fumbled away the second-half kickoff. It is the same shoulder he hurt last season, but he doesn’t believe it is serious. ... OL Kyle Kosier sprained his left foot and left the stadium in a walking boot. ... The Cowboys have to cut five players by Tuesday to get their roster to 75. The final cuts to 53 have to made next weekend.
posted by The Gryphon at 6:19 PM
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