Oct 12, 2014; Seattle, WA, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back
DeMarco Murray(29) is tackled by Seattle Seahawks cornerback
Richard Sherman(25) during the second half of a 26-20 Dallas victory at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
I am not sure how much of a delayed reaction I would need to get over this victory by the Dallas Cowboys. If someone had said to most of the fans that by week six the Dallas Cowboys would be 5-1 and had a victory over Seattle in Seattle I think most of us would have laughed. However, here we are staring at 5-1 with the Giants coming to town next week. This was what many called a litmus test game, and the Cowboys showed they are for real. This wasn’t a perfect game, but it was dominant, it really shouldn’t have been close. So it is time for the delayed reaction on the ups and downs.
Since again this was a victory we start with the positives from the game.
1. Murray Time – DeMarco Murray has been an absolute beast this season. While I am going to give him a ton of credit here, let’s be honest, the offensive line is the best in the NFL and it shows. Murray has ran behind this line like a man possessed and has tied Jim Brown as the only RBs in history to start the first six games over 100 yards per game. I know the Cowboys are thinking about limiting his total carries, but for now this is fun to watch.
2. Romo isn’t Romo – There have been so many haters of Tony Romo over his career. While it has been somewhat deserved as he has thrown some heartbreaking INTs, he also has the most game winning drives and 4th quarter comebacks. Think about that for a second. This season Tony is being patient and hasn’t felt like winning is all on his shoulders. Again with the offensive line protecting him he isn’t checking out of plays and is letting the game come to him. This is evident by the Cowboys running the ball with the same play three times in a row when Murray scored his TD.
3. The X-Men Defense – I could have called this unit the no-name defense but these guys are playing like super heroes. If you read my article during training camp I had said that if this defense can play with the fire they were showing then this could be a defense that will surprise, and that is exactly what they have done. There is always a minimum of five to six players with their head in the backfield watching the QB and they swarm the ball really well. They held Seattle to the lowest total yards they have had in a long time. This unit can only get better with Josh Brent and DeMarcus Lawrence returning.
Now there were some problems that need to be addressed.
1. Hold Onto the Ball – More fumbles. We can attribute the bad snap to Tony Romo to playing in Seattle, but the Dwayne Harris fumble was a pretty bad mistake. This team has had some issues lately with holding onto the ball and it is causing them to have to overcome the mistakes. They have recovered in all but one game, but you can’t keep losing the turnover battle. I am sure they will tighten this up and move on. If they hadn’t turned the ball over this game wouldn’t have been close at all.
2. Special Teams aren’t so Special – Let’s forget about Dan Bailey for a minute, he is really good. The blocked punt, the muffed punt, the return game, and kick coverage are showing that if they Cowboys can be beat this might be the phase of the game where you can take advantage of them. Everyone knows I am a huge proponent of this phase of the game and it doesn’t get enough credit in football. I think the mistakes are correctable. If the league wants to knock the Cowboys off they have to hope they do not fix these quickly.
3. Other Weapons – Look, the Cowboys are really good, and they are using their players on offense really well. There are some things that could make this offense not only one of the best in the league, but one of the best of all time. They are not using all of their weapons at their disposal. Julius Randle has been getting some more touches, but he is only being used to relieve Murray. Finding a way to put both on the field might confuse the defenses. Also, last week a guy at the grocery store asked what I thought the Cowboys were going to do on offense differently in the next few week. I said to look for more from Lance Dunbar, and he has been added to the passing game. Dwayne Harris, Cole Beasley, and Gavin Escobar have been used sparingly. If they can find ways to spread the ball and utilize all of them, this offense could be the best in the NFL.
So there it is. A delayed reaction to a game that I am not sure anyone has come down to Earth from. Let me know below what you guys think.