Cowboys' defense plays most complete game in weeks
By Eric Edholm
Nov. 17, 2008
There is no question that QB Tony Romo’s presence had a big effect on the Cowboys’ confidence in the season-saving, 14-10 win over the Redskins. There’s no doubting that RB Marion Barber’s fourth-quarter performance (83 big yards, including the final possession in which he touched the ball on 11 straight plays to close out the game) will go down in team lore as one of the best individual performances in this rivalry. But it was the consistent play of the defense, which held the Redskins to 228 yards on 56 plays, that should get equal merit.
The PFW spin
While all pregame focus was on Romo’s pinky, the pressure behind the scenes at Valley Ranch was on the defense, which had underachieved for much of the season and needed a statement game on which to hang its hat. The defense delivered Sunday.
“I thought our defense played outstanding,” head coach Wade Phillips said after the game.
Even when the defense was playing well at times earlier in the season, it turned in few dominant performances where the front seven overpowered the opponents. That happened Sunday night as the front seven got consistent pressure on Redskins QB Jason Campbell (three sacks, seven hurries on his 37 dropbacks) and the cornerbacks played tough man coverage against the Redskins’ quicker receivers.
No one was more welcome back to this group than CB Terence Newman, who had missed the previous five games, which forced two rookie cornerbacks into tough assignments in his absence. Team sources say the difference in Newman was that he believed he was healthy. He had the confidence that what the doctors were telling him about his hernia injury was true, and it showed with a vintage performance against the Redskins.
With Newman in the lineup, the Cowboys were able to play man to man and do something they seldom do: have a cornerback shadow a receiver for most of the game. The measures were taken because WR Santana Moss previously had been a Cowboys killer, registering three straight 100-yard games against them, including an eight-catch, 145-yard performance against a hobbled Newman in Week Four.
But this time, Newman was healthy and he contained Moss to five catches for 29 yards, following him almost everywhere he went. With the score 10-7, the Redskins were driving in the third quarter when Newman stepped in front of Moss’ out route to intercept the ball and snuff out the big drive. Later, Newman provided tough coverage on a deep ball to Moss (although replays showed Moss could have caught it), and when the Redskins tried to hit Moss on a quick fourth-down throw, Newman was there to bat it away.
NT Jay Ratliff has flown under the radar for much of his time in Dallas, but no longer. He has been the team’s most consistent and outstanding defensive lineman this season, and his two sacks and three pressures were a big key to the win. His second sack came on 3rd-and-13 from the Cowboys’ 20-yard line. It knocked the Redskins back eight yards, leaving them with a 46-yard field goal. And because of the stiff wind in that end of the stadium, PK Shaun Suisham left his attempt about five yards short. Credit Ratliff for a three-point sack if you'd like.
Other defenders who played well were DeMarcus Ware, Bradie James and Chris Canty. CB Mike Jenkins also did a nice job filling in for starter Anthony Henry when Henry was suffering cramps in the third quarter. Jenkins was coming off a tough game against the Giants in which he returned an interception for a touchdown but also made several mistakes in coverage.
Phillips’ calling card is defense, and it’s how this unit plays down the stretch that will determine if the Cowboys will make the playoffs and if Phillips will continue coaching. If they have more games like this, the Cowboys will be a playoff team, just as Jerry Jones has promised.
Nov. 17, 2008
There is no question that QB Tony Romo’s presence had a big effect on the Cowboys’ confidence in the season-saving, 14-10 win over the Redskins. There’s no doubting that RB Marion Barber’s fourth-quarter performance (83 big yards, including the final possession in which he touched the ball on 11 straight plays to close out the game) will go down in team lore as one of the best individual performances in this rivalry. But it was the consistent play of the defense, which held the Redskins to 228 yards on 56 plays, that should get equal merit.
The PFW spin
While all pregame focus was on Romo’s pinky, the pressure behind the scenes at Valley Ranch was on the defense, which had underachieved for much of the season and needed a statement game on which to hang its hat. The defense delivered Sunday.
“I thought our defense played outstanding,” head coach Wade Phillips said after the game.
Even when the defense was playing well at times earlier in the season, it turned in few dominant performances where the front seven overpowered the opponents. That happened Sunday night as the front seven got consistent pressure on Redskins QB Jason Campbell (three sacks, seven hurries on his 37 dropbacks) and the cornerbacks played tough man coverage against the Redskins’ quicker receivers.
No one was more welcome back to this group than CB Terence Newman, who had missed the previous five games, which forced two rookie cornerbacks into tough assignments in his absence. Team sources say the difference in Newman was that he believed he was healthy. He had the confidence that what the doctors were telling him about his hernia injury was true, and it showed with a vintage performance against the Redskins.
With Newman in the lineup, the Cowboys were able to play man to man and do something they seldom do: have a cornerback shadow a receiver for most of the game. The measures were taken because WR Santana Moss previously had been a Cowboys killer, registering three straight 100-yard games against them, including an eight-catch, 145-yard performance against a hobbled Newman in Week Four.
But this time, Newman was healthy and he contained Moss to five catches for 29 yards, following him almost everywhere he went. With the score 10-7, the Redskins were driving in the third quarter when Newman stepped in front of Moss’ out route to intercept the ball and snuff out the big drive. Later, Newman provided tough coverage on a deep ball to Moss (although replays showed Moss could have caught it), and when the Redskins tried to hit Moss on a quick fourth-down throw, Newman was there to bat it away.
NT Jay Ratliff has flown under the radar for much of his time in Dallas, but no longer. He has been the team’s most consistent and outstanding defensive lineman this season, and his two sacks and three pressures were a big key to the win. His second sack came on 3rd-and-13 from the Cowboys’ 20-yard line. It knocked the Redskins back eight yards, leaving them with a 46-yard field goal. And because of the stiff wind in that end of the stadium, PK Shaun Suisham left his attempt about five yards short. Credit Ratliff for a three-point sack if you'd like.
Other defenders who played well were DeMarcus Ware, Bradie James and Chris Canty. CB Mike Jenkins also did a nice job filling in for starter Anthony Henry when Henry was suffering cramps in the third quarter. Jenkins was coming off a tough game against the Giants in which he returned an interception for a touchdown but also made several mistakes in coverage.
Phillips’ calling card is defense, and it’s how this unit plays down the stretch that will determine if the Cowboys will make the playoffs and if Phillips will continue coaching. If they have more games like this, the Cowboys will be a playoff team, just as Jerry Jones has promised.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:32 PM
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