Dallas Cowboys Week 10 – Delayed Reaction

Nov 9, 2014; London, UNITED KINGDOM; Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback

(27) dives in vain as Dallas Cowboys wide receiver

(88) catches a touchdown pass during the first half of the game Dallas Cowboys and the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium Mandatory Credit: Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Cowboys got back to their winning ways in London this week, and it was an impressive win, albeit against the Jaguars. While it was a really nice display by the offense there were a few things that need to get fixed. As I sat and thought about the delayed reaction I watched the game again and thought about what went right and what went wrong. So since this is a win we will start with the positives.

1. Tony Romo – I could have easily put Dez Bryant here, but it is obvious Tony Romo runs this offense. Without him this because a team that can’t move the football. He made some really great throws and his touch on the football was a thing of beauty. He has a different demeanor this year and it shows. He has complete control of the offense and talks a lot less than he has in years past. He is playing smart and allowing the game to come to him.

2. Sacks! – There were sacks, and it was nice to see. If the defense can continue to get sacks then this team will be a lot better all around. I do think that there still needs to be a little more pressure, but I will take what I saw as a sign of things to come. DeMarcus Lawrence looks like he will be a player and as soon as the game slows down to him it will be a really nice addition to this team.

3. Beast Modes – Not only did Dez Bryant show why he is arguably the best wide receiver in the league, but Joseph Randle and DeMarco Murray had some runs that made you drop your jaw. This team has a drive to score and fight for every yard. While it has gotten the team in trouble at times with fumbles it shows the fight in the team. It was also nice to see the way Anthony Hitchens went off a little in replacement of McClain.

Not everything was great, so on to to the negatives.

1. Not So Special Teams – I don’t know what the difference this year is, but Dwayne Harris isn’t getting the runs he did last year. It could be a change in the blocking, it could be his decisions, or it could be scheme. The fact that the special teams haven’t been performing well goes beyond returns. Dan Bailey had another blocked kick, there were some big returns against them, and it looks like something is off. They will need more stability in the special teams as the season progresses.

2. Run Through – If there is one way this defense has not really shown up at times it is against the run. There were times when this D was gashed and the tackling was poor. I am sure Rod Marinelli will work on this, but without Rolando McClain the run defense is average at best. As the season gets into cold weather a stout run defense will become more important.

3. More Involved – On offense it was nice to see Dez, DeMarco, and Randle get a lot of touches, but the ball wasn’t spread around a lot. Terrance Williams had a really quiet game and Cole Beasley had a fumble when he got the ball. Jason Witten had a nice game, but Escobar was quiet. If teams could find a way to take away the big players for the Cowboys they are going to have to figure out how to get the others involved more. I don’t know if it was what Jacksonville was doing, or if some of it was the field causing some guys to have bad routes. But, either way, there needs to be a little more involvement from the others.

So there it is, week 10 Delayed Reaction. Next week is a bye week so we will have a preparation article in place of this one.