Dallas Cowboys Week 2 – Delayed Reaction

Sep 14, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back

(29) carries the ball against the Tennessee Titans linebacker

(91) during the second half at LP Field. The Cowboys beat the Titans 26-10. Mandatory Credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports

After week 2 it is time for the delayed reaction. If I had been able to get onto the internet for my five things article I would have said to run the ball more. Well, the Cowboys did exactly that. It was a team win, there were some really good positives, but there were a few negatives that should be addressed. Let’s start with the positives since this was a win.

1. Run the Ball – The Cowboys showed that their offensive line is one of the elite lines in the league and DeMarco Murray took advantage of it. With DeMarco becoming the bell cow of sorts the Cowboys invoked their will to run all over the Titans. It was nice to see them stick to the run and just keep the pressure on. The running helped the defense by allowing them to rest, and then play a pretty good game.

2. Cover the Pass – I was quite impressed with what I saw from the man coverage from the Cowboys. It makes me wonder why they do not do that more often. The secondary didn’t give the Titans much in the way of throwing the ball around the field. There were a few hiccups, but they played more like a decent defense than one of the worst in the league (according to what many thought at the start of the year). I can not say enough how great of a pickup Rolando McClain has been. I look forward to seeing him and Lee next to each other next year.

3. Create Turnovers – There were two interceptions that helped Dallas walk away with the win, but one thing that doesn’t get mentioned when talking turnovers is forcing punts. The Cowboys’ defense was able to force punts and get off the field, which is almost like having a turnover. I was impressed that they were able to play as well as they did for most of the game.

There are some things that they need to work on if they have hopes of being one of those sneaky teams that no one saw coming and get into the playoffs.

1. Tackle Better – Again, the tackling is a work in progress. The touchdown by Walker should have been stopped, but they went for the big hit instead of wrapping him up. There were also a few times when the first guy went for a big hit and didn’t try to wrap up the player. This looks better, but it still needs to be improved.

2. Get to the QB – The sacks are few and far between. There is just not enough pressure on the QB. With the secondary covering so well, the line just didn’t get the push they needed to get Locker down with a sack when he was struggling to find a receiver. I don’t know how Marinelli can get more pressure, but it needs to happen.

3. Pass Blocking – I was so impressed by the run blocking that it almost covered up how bad some of the pass blocking was. Tony Romo is just not healthy, and missing a block and allowing him to get hit isn’t going to help. Doug Free looked like he was a revolving door out there and was getting beat pretty often. In the run game they looked strong and attacked the defense, but in the pass game they just didn’t hold up as well. I think they will get better over the season, but they need to start improving quickly.

So there it is the delayed reaction for week 2. Did I miss something? Let me know below.