\GoBillsInDallas/ Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Tony Romo sets franchise record, shows best may be yet to come TIM COWLISHAW Dallas Morning News Published: Nov 13, 2011 11:51 PM ARLINGTON — When Tony Romo said, “We’re learning a little bit about who we are,” he was talking about a Cowboys offense that has six different starters from a year ago. Even 70 starts deep into his NFL career, Romo could have been talking about himself as well. Still learning. And, on this particular Sunday afternoon, in many ways, still marveling. The Cowboys started the season’s second half looking more like a team ready to contend with Green Bay than the team that sputtered to a 4—4 record. Scoring touchdowns on their first four first-half possessions, the Cowboys made quick work of the Buffalo Bills for a 44-7 win that featured Romo at his absolute best. Romo completed his first 13 passes — three of them for touchdowns to Dez Bryant and Laurent Robinson — and finished with a Cowboys record for completion percentage, going 23-for-26 (88.5 percent) for 270 yards. Danny White’s 87.5 per- cent against Philadelphia in 1983 now rests in second place. For the second Sunday in a row, there were no bogeys on Romo’s scorecard, if you will— no interceptions, no sacks, and not much that could even be considered pressure from the Buffalo front. “If they give you that extra half-second, the game become quite a bit easier," Romo said, praising his line’s efficiency. “That’s really the simplicity of it.” For Cowboys fans, the beauty was in the simple way that Romo picked apart a team that came here tied for the AFC East lead with two teams that got to 5-3 at the halfway mark by beating Dallas. “He was seeing the field. He was physically throwing the ball well,” head coach Jason Garrett said. “There were opportunities outside to make plays.” Romo made use of virtually everything that was available. His first miss came on his 14th pass, an inside throw to tight end Jason Witten. After becoming the third leading pass catcher among NFL tight ends Sunday, Witten gladly took a bullet for his quarterback’s first misfire. “When you’re playing that way, you can start throwing guys under the bus,” Witten joked. “I’ll take that one.” Before getting too carried away about all this, the Bills are not a great defensive team. They got to 5-3 largely by outscoring people. A defense that ranked 27th in yards allowed had been shredded before, but not quite like this. There was nothing the Bills’ defense could do in the first 30 minutes to suggest they were ready to make this a winnable game at any point, Romo spread the wealth, completing 11 passes to his wide receivers despite Miles Austin’s absence, six to tight ends and six more to running back DeMarco Murray, whose 171 yards from scrim- mage continued his startling ascent towards the NFL’s elite, It should not be a surprise that Romo’s closest brush with a perfect game came with Murray again shedding tacklers and leaving defenders in his cutback wake. The Cowboys have not had a 1,000-yard rusher since 2006 when a declining Julius Jones reached that figure. Romo became a starter in the seventh game that season. We can debate another time whether or not Romo has been hurt by inadequate or inconsistent backs or by a coordinator turned head coach whose reluctance to feature the run is documented. Whatever the case, with Murray ripping off huge chunks of yardage each week, Romo has thrown one interception in four games. And that came on a pass Martellus Bennett deflected into the arms of a Philadelphia defender. Romo gives full credit to Murray, to a younger and more athletic offensive line and, finally, to not wearing a flak jacket to protect the broken ribs he suffered back in mid-September. “The ball usually goes where you’re aiming when you’re healthy,” Romo said. And so the strangest sea- son of Romo’s pro career, one that remains partly defined by his personal meltdowns against the Jets and Detroit, climbs toward unscaled heights. Even with the Cowboys enduring an ugly defeat in Philadelphia, Romo has thrown eight touchdown passes to go with one interception in the last four games. We are, indeed, learning what this team can accomplish with a running back making a stunning charge at Rookie of the Year behind an inexperienced line. And, yes, we are still learning what levels a 31- year-old quarterback can reach in this unlikely scheme of things as well. Jason Garrett running offense like it's the 90's -- and it's paying off RICK GOSSELIN Dallas Morning News Published: Nov 14, 2011 12:11 AM ARLINGTON — DeMarco Murray is opening the eyes of the NFL. Also the eyes of his head coach. With Murray taking the handoffs from Tony Romo, the running game has become a viable first option for the Cowboys, and they used him in that capacity extensively Sunday. His 135 yards rushing powered the Cowboys to a 44-7 victory over the Buffalo Bills in a game plan swiped from the franchise’s Super Bowl era. Football is a game of tendencies. Teams * become predictable offensively based on down and distance. On first down, the Cowboys like to throw the football. Opponents realize that and stack their defenses to account for Romo’s arm. Through the first half of the season, only five NFL teams ran the ball fewer times than the Cowboys on first down. Jason Garrett called only 105 such handoffs through the first -eight games. That was a far cry from the league-leading 158 first-down handoffs by the Houston Texans. Like the Cowboys, the Texans have a Pro Bowl quarterback. But that willingness to call handoffs and foster an offensive balance has allowed the Texans to sprint to the top of the AFC South standings with a 7-3 record. But Garrett strayed from his play-calling tendencies against the Bills. The Cowboys had 29 first-down snaps in the game and ran the ball on 20 of them. The Cowboys had the ball for 10 possessions in the game and Garrett called runs on the first play on seven of them. On two other possessions, he opened with screen passes to Murray. So Garrett was putting the ball in the hands of the player rapidly emerging as his best offensive playmaker. That’s smart football. That’s also winning football. That’s how the Cowboys won Super Bowls in the 1990s - feeding the ball to Emmitt Smith. The Cowboys rushed for 114 yards on those 20 first-down carries against the Bills - and that included the game-ending possession when backup quarterback Jon Kitna took a knee on the final first down. The Cowboys averaged 5.7 yards per carry on first down. That kept them out of third-and-longs all afternoon. Success on first down makes life easier for your quarterback. “If you can run the football, teams are more likely to play some run defense,” Garrett said, “which gives you chances on the outside.” The Bills took the field Sunday with the mentality of stopping the rampaging Mur ray, who has rushed for 601 yards in four games as the team’s feature back. But when you focus on stopping the run, your safeties become more committed to tackling ball carriers than chasing wide receivers - and Romo promptly took advantage of the opportunities that afforded him on the outside. The Cowboys jumped to a 21-0 lead on their first three possessions when Romo twice was able to isolate Buffalo cornerbacks in deep one-on-one coverage for long touchdowns — a 34-yarder to Dez Bryant over Leodis McKelvin and a 58-yarder to Laurent Robinson whizzing past Drayton Florence on a post route. That start was vintage Cowboys — pass to get in front and then run to close out the victory. Smith feasted on second-half defenses on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Cowboys ran the ball on their final 13 offensive snaps on this day. Philip Tanner also rushed 11 times — so Garrett stuck with his commitment to the run even when Murray was standing next to him on the sideline. The 35 runs were a season high, allowing the Cowboys to control the clock for almost 35 minutes. That kept the defense fresh and productive. Smith taught this owner and this head coach that good things happen when you can run the ball. Garrett and Jerry Jones are rediscovering that with Murray. Cowboys seem poised to string together big winning streak By DAVID MOORE Dallas Morning News Published: Nov 14, 2011 12:50 AM ARLINGTON — Talk of the Cowboys building momentum must be put on hold until this team proves it’s capable of extending a winning streak beyond two games. The wait on that front is nearly two years old. But with the most impressive victory of an erratic season, the Cowboys have signaled they are poised to make the sort of run that has eluded them for too long. A 44-7 win at home over Buffalo on Sunday afternoon did wonders for the team’s confidence as every other team in the NFC East lost. The most lopsided victory in the last 11 years nudged the Cowboys above .500 for the first time since the third week of the season and led quarterback Tony Romo to declare the result was, “a byproduct of our team coming together.” It was the ideal start to a stretch of three games in 12 days that will determine whether this team has anything to play for in December. “I feel a sense of urgency, a mentality of this is the time, guys,” said tight end Jason Witten, who now has more receptions than all but two tight ends in NFL history. “We don’t want to be in that situation over the summer saying, that one in Week 9, in Week 10, that bit us.” If the Cowboys are bit and miss the playoffs for the second consecutive season, the loss they will lament came in Week 4. The team held a 24-point second-half lead only to fritter it away and lose to Detroit. Jerry Jones found it difficult not to flash back to that afternoon when his team carried a 28-7 lead into the second half of this one. But the Cowboys owner noticed a difference in how coach Jason Garrett called this game. He saw a difference in how the players performed. That is what the emergence of DeMarco Murray has done for this team. Romo was near flawless, completing a club record 88.5 percent of his passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns. The quarterback who threw three interceptions in the second half of the loss to the Lions hasn’t thrown a pick in the last two games and has just two in the last five games. Romo no longer feels the need to lift this team on his shoulder pads to win each and every game. A strong defense, a rookie kicker in Dan Bailey who hasn’t missed a field goal attempt since Week 2 and Murray’s surge have altered the team’s blueprint for success. “I think it all works together,” Garrett said. “We talk all the time about the importance of balance. If we can run the football, teams are going to be more likely to play some more run defense which is going to give you some chances outside and vice versa. “I think today is a pretty good example of that. They wanted to defend the run early, we were able to throw the football, then we were able to run when it came to the run.” Murray went over 100 yards for the second consecutive game. The rookie has amassed 601 yards on the ground over the last four games — that’s 51 yards more than Emmitt Smith ever had in a comparable stretch - and has made a profound difference. “I definitely think I get too much credit,” said Murray, who rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown against the Bills. “The offensive line has done an excellent job. They’ve done a great job opening lanes for me.” The Cowboys got the second half of their season off to a much better start than the first. They were up 14-0 before the first quarter had come to an end and had 153 yards in offense to minus-4 for Buffalo. The team put together touchdown drives of 80, 78, 58 and 80 yards on their first four possessions. That left Murray and Bailey, with three field goals in the second half, to close out the win on the offensive side. Unlike the opening night loss to the New York Jets, the Cowboys defense gave the Bills no hope of mounting a comeback. Running back Fred Jackson nicked the defense for 114 rushing yards, but most of that came after Buffalo was hopelessly behind. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for just 146 yards with three interceptions. Cornerback Terence Newman had two of those, including one he returned 43 yards for a touchdown for the team’s final points. “This is one of those games where we played a complete game in all phases,” said linebacker Sean Lee, who played with a cast to protect his dislocated left wrist. “This is a huge win for us.” It is, but can it lead to three in a row? Jimmy Johnson-Jerry Jones rivalry heats up with latest Johnson comment By BARRY HORN Dallas Morning News Published: Nov 13, 2011 11:21 PM Sunday reminded of the glory days of the mid-1990s Super Bowl run when the Cowboys dominated on the field while Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones sparred in the media. In the CBS booth, Jim Nantz and Phil Simms heaped nothing but deserved praise on a Cowboys team that stomped the Buffalo Bills, 44-7, just as their predecessors stomped the Bills back in Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII. Back in the Fox pregame studio analyst Johnson took a shot at still-owner Jones. Recall that last week, Johnson suggested the way Jason Garrett could become an effective head coach would be if he sheds his offensive coordinator duties and becomes more of a chief executive, or a’ “walk-around coach” in NFL lingo. Subsequently, Jones, an advocate of the head coach/coordinator and Garrett, pooh-poohed Johnson’s notion. That prompted Johnson to come with Jones in his cross- hairs. “I wasn’t surprised,” Johnson said of Jones insistence that the owner knows best. “Some owners want to be the ‘guy that all the players answer to. [Jones sees himself as] a walk-around coach, he’s overseeing everything and the players answer to him.” Murray mentions Studio analyst Shannon Sharpe on Jones mentioning DeMarco Murray in the same sentence as Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson: “I need to remind Jerry to stop making comparisons. Eric Dickerson? No chance.” Later, Simms said Murray “has a little Barry Sanders in him.” The point is that Murray is showing something the Cowboys have been lacking since the days of Emmitt Smith. Surprised that no one mentioned Murray reminds more of Hall of Famer Marcus Allen. Foot-in-mouth disease Sharpe in a taped interview asked Tony Romo if he considers himself an “elite” quarterback. Responded Romo: “Elite quarterbacks, 99.9 percent of them, have all won. Until you do, I don’t think you belong in their class because [winning a Super Bowl] is that important. It’s what we’re judged by. It’s how I judge others. That’s the way it should be.” That caused an awkward moment back in the CBS studio where Dan Marino was slightly put off. “I was an elite quarterback and I didn’t win a Super Bowl,” said Marino, a Hall of Famer who retired owning most of the career passing records. Critics’ critiques Meanwhile, there was plenty of Cowboys bashing in the NFL Network studio. Analyst Marshall Faulk, a confirmed critic, challenged the notion the Cowboys can be headed in the right direction simply because they haven’t enjoyed the same success this season as the revitalized San Francisco 49ers. “If the Cowboys are on the right track, what track are the San Francisco 49ers on? Because those two tracks don’t look the same to me. [in the 49ers] I see a very disciplined team that’s good on offense, getting things done, not turning the football over, and on defense, they are playing aggressive.” Faulk’s former St. Louis Rams teammate, NFLN’s Kurt Warner, was on the same track. He bashed the coach, who, by the way, no longer is Wade Phillips. “When I watch the Dallas Cowboys play, I see no discipline,” Warner said. “You have to start that from day one; you can’t wait 16 games, you can’t wait two seasons before you start teaching discipline.” That left Michael Irvin to defend Garrett’s honor. “He’s done a great job matter of fact and yes, they on the right track. They have a young running game, they have a young receiver; if they can get Dez [bryant] playing four quarters with the young Sean Lee on defense, you have nucleus you can build around.” Last thought Final words come from Nantz, who after kicker Dan Bailey’s field goal pushed Cowboys’ lead to 37-7 said: “And the blowout continues.” When’s the last time a lead network announcer said I about the Cowboys? Cowboys' recent ground surge comes just as o-line begins to click By BRANDON GEORGE Dallas Morning News Published: Nov 13, 2011 11:21 PM ARLINGTON — One of the few times the entire game against Buffalo on Sunday that a Cowboys offensive lineman ended up on his knees came late in the fourth quarter. And even then, left guard Montrae Holland was pumping his fist when it was over. It was that kind of day for the Cowboys’ front five. Actually, it’s been that kind of month for Dallas’ often-criticized offensive line, which has finally come together over the last four games. Early in the season, the Cowboys couldn’t run when they needed to the most. They couldn’t put a game away with a fourth-quarter lead by milking the clock This hasn’t been the case in the last two games. Last week against Seattle, the Cowboys had a 10-point lead and took 4:09 off the clock late with a six-play, 28-yard drive that was all runs. On Sunday in a dismantling of the Bills, the Cowboys used an 11-play, 59-yard drive to zap 7:44 off the clock. Again, they ran the ball on every play with a mix of rookies DeMarco Murray and Phillip Tanner. Midway through the possession, Holland paved the way for an 11-yard run by Murray by driving Buffalo linebacker Nick Barnett almost all the way off the field near the Cowboys’ bench. When it was over, Holland was on his knees but pumping his right arm. “I was mad that I fell’” Holland said, smiling. “I wanted to stay on my feet. It takes too much energy to get back up.” The Cowboys weren’t the ones off their feet Sunday. Instead, they drove the Bills to the ground with another dominating performance that opened holes all day for Murray, who finished with 135 rushing yards on 20 carries. The Cowboys had their share of offensive line problems through the first five games of the season as they worked to find chemistry in a unit that was replacing three starters and with another one — Kyle Kosier — playing a different position. Everything began to fall in place for the Cowboys’ offensive line Oct. 23 in a 34-7 win over St. Louis. The offensive line surge coincided with Holland’s first game against the Rams, the emergence that day of Murray, who set a single-game team record with 253 yards rushing on 25 carries, and the lead blocking of fullback Tony Fiammetta. Before the St. Louis game, the Cowboys averaged 3.4 yards per carry. Since then, the Cowboys are averaging 6.5 yards a carry. “We ought to be able to run the ball because this line is quicker,” Jones said. “They can get out on the linebackers and they can get around out there. So our run game should be really good.” Before the St. Louis game, Cowboys’ offensive linemen committed 13 penalties for 90 yards in five games. Since then, Cowboys’ offensive linemen have only two penalties for 15 yards over the last four games. For the second consecutive game Sunday, the Cowboys’ front five didn’t allow a sack. That’s allowed quarterback Tony Romo more time to allow routes to develop and get the Cowboys’ vertical passing game off life support. The Cowboys’ offensive line allowed 15 sacks over the first seven games. “The last two weeks have been the best two games that [the offensive line has] played,” Cowboys tight end Jason Witten said. “They’re consistently protecting and communicating well. They’ve done a great job with both run and pass. I feel like if they give Tony that kind of time consistently, we’re going to be a good offense.” Not surprisingly, the emergence of the Cowboys’ offensive line over the last month has yielded three victories in four games by an average margin of 24.7 points. ‘Anytime you have a running back getting talked about all the time it’s great for the offensive line,” Holland said. “We’re trying to get something going here, more consistent as an offensive line. We’re coming together. Today was a good day for the offensive line and for the team, actually.” Terence Newman's career revival continues, but he doesn't want to talk about it By RAINER SABIN Dallas Morning News Published: Nov 14, 2011 1:10 AM ARLINGTON — In the peculiar world of the NFL, Terence Newman is considered old. At 33, the Cowboys’ cornerback is supposed to beyond his best years and incapable of making the plays he once did or tracking the league’s fastest receivers with the same tenacity he showed as a young whippersnapper straight out of college. He’s certainly not expected to author a performance like he did Sunday, when he made two interceptions and returned one for a touchdown in the Cowboys’ 44-7 victory over Buffalo. I bet he feels like he’s 21 again,” said injured teammate Mike Jenkins. Perhaps. But nobody really knows. Newman dodged a crush of reporters surrounding him at his locker after the game. Reporters were thrust in his face and so were boom microphones. Even so, Newman broke free of the pack and walked off without commenting on his day at Cowboys Stadium, leaving others to guess how he felt. Most surmised that he was pretty happy. Others speculated that he felt vindicated. Both were reasonable assumptions, especially after Newman continued a career revival that few had anticipated - even the Cowboys’ executives. Back in July, Newman’s tenure in Dallas had come perilously close to ending. At least it seemed that way. After Newman had produced diminishing returns in 2010, yielding more completed passes than all but nine defenders in the NFL, the Cowboys were in hot pursuit of Nnamdi Asomugha. Asomugha was considered the crown jewel of the 2011 free- agent class and was advertised as everything Newman wasn’t. He could shut down one side of the field and he was in his prime. As Newman practiced with his teammates, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones stood on the sidelines at the Alamodome with a cell phone pressed to his ear trying to consummate a deal with Asomugha. But Asomugha signed with the Cowboys’ division rival Philadelphia. And Dallas was stuck with Newman. “I’m here, and he’s in Philly,” Newman said in August. “That’s what I’m focused on right now and moving forward.” But four days after making that comment, Newman injured his groin. He missed the preseason and didn’t return to action until Sept. 26, when the Cowboys faced Washington. Since then, he has defied expectations. Entering Sunday, he had been burned at a lower rate than 331 defenders in the NFL. “I’ve always thought he was a hell of a cornerback in the league,’ Cowboys defensive end Marcus Spears said. “He’s a guy that you can count on. He comes out to play every day. Cornerbacks have a hard life in this league. Sometimes you’re going to look bad. This is an opportunity to remind people he’s a real good cornerback and there are not a lot of cornerbacks in this league like T-New.” Newman, who now leads the team with four interceptions, proved as much Sunday. He spent most of the afternoon covering Stevie Johnson, the Bills’ most productive wideout who managed to make only two receptions for eight yards. It was yeoman’s work. Newman, though, would eventually enjoy the fruits of his labor. Late in the third quarter, he snagged a pass thrown by Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick after the ball glanced off the hands of receiver Donald Jones. The interception, which Newman returned 19 yards, set up a field goal. Then, in the fourth quarter, Newman applied the exclamation point to an emphatic victory Fitzpatrick dropped back and unleashed a pass intended for Johnson. Newman plucked the ball out of the air and raced 43 yards down the sideline for the Cowboys’ final touchdown. All the while, Jenkins flashed a big smile. “He’s doing the same things he’s done in the past,” Jenkins said. But at 33, Newman might be doing them better than ever - much to the amazement of those who had started to doubt him. How heavily-wrapped, hobbled LB Sean Lee was able to return so quickly By RAINER SABIN Dallas Morning News Published: Nov 14, 2011 1:00 AM ARLINGTON — Sean Lee returned to the field Sunday. But this time it was different. His left hand was covered by a hard cast, a cocoon of padding and adhesive foam. He felt pain. And he couldn’t grab the arms and legs of ball carriers. “It was definitely tough in certain situations,” the Cowboys’ second-year linebacker said. “But it definitely was fun being back out there.” Lee hasn’t played since dislocating his left wrist in the first quarter of loss to Philadelphia on Oct. 30. Sitting out “was torture,” he said. Determined to return to action, Lee began practicing last Wednesday, knowing he would be limited. Sunday’s game was a learning experience. He discovered he could shed blocks but also realized he struggled to tackle from the side. “I kept feeling like I couldn’t wrap up;’ Lee said. “I kept sliding down.” But he was able to endure the pain. “It was actually pretty good,” said Lee, who made four tackles. “Better than I thought it would be. I probably have to continue to adapt my game and in certain situations make plays I am used to making.” Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan marveled at Lee’s performance, especially the leadership he provided. On several occasions, when Buffalo was making quick substitutions, Lee called the plays for a defense that allowed only seven points and 271 yards. “He slowed the game down for us,” Ryan said. “What a plus he is to have in the lineup. He really is one hell of a football player. Apparently, he’s a pretty good d-coordinator, too. He did great.” Lee hopes he will continue to improve. “I think the more I play with the cast,” he said, “the better I’ll get.” Witten moves into third place among TEs Notebook Dallas Morning News Published: Nov 14, 2011 3:16 AM ARLINGTON -- On the stat sheet, it was recorded as a five-yard reception - one of many Cowboys tight end Jason Witten has made in his career. But this catch carried more significance. With less than six minutes remaining in the first quarter, Cowboys tight end Jason Witten wrapped his hands around a pass from Tony Romo and made his 663rd reception, passing Ozzie Newsome for third place on the list for career catches by a tight end. "It's special just to be mentioned with a guy like that that," said Witten, who made five receptions for 37 yards Sunday. "I'm really humbled by it and I feel like I have a long way to go still. But it means a lot." Buffalo WR David Nelson celebrates TD by handing football to Cowboys cheerleader (his girlfriend) Buffalo receiver David Nelson caught a 3-yard touchdown pass Sunday in the second quarter and raced down the Bills' sideline all the way to the other end of the field to hand the football to a Cowboys cheerleader. This wasn't just any Cowboys cheerleader, however. It was his girlfriend, Kelsi Reich, who is in her fourth season as a Cowboys cheerleader. Nelson had said coming into the game that if he scored, he had a celebration planned that would include his girlfriend. Reich was one of the eight Cowboys' cheerleaders on the opposite end of the field from where Nelson scored along the Bills' sideline. Nelson handed Reich the football and hugged her. At the time, Nelson's touchdown cut the Cowboys' lead to 21-7. "It was special," Nelson said. "Honestly, I wanted to do more. I wanted it to be a little more special, but being down 14, I didn't feel like I wanted to do too much because I'm not that kind of person. I'm not going to celebrate too much [if] the situation wasn't right." Nelson, who is from Wichita Falls, said there were about 120 tickets purchased for his and Reich's family and friends. Jerry Jones believes Cowboys need to win NFC East to make the playoffs Sunday was a good day for the Cowboys. Every other team in the NFC East lost. Three teams in the conference that entered the day with a better record than the Cowboys lost and the one that was tied (Tampa Bay) with Dallas at .500 also lost. Still, Jerry Jones isn't optimistic about the team's chances for a Wild Card spot. Asked how many wins he believes his team must have to win the division, the Cowboys owner responded: "It's very early and I wouldn't dare to venture what can happen,'' Jones said. "I will say this. We're going to need to win the division, I think, to get in the playoffs.'' Ex-Cowboys, Southlake Carroll product TE Scott Chandler has 3 catches for 34 yards for Buffalo Buffalo tight end Scott Chandler, the former Cowboys player and Southlake Carroll product, finished Sunday's game with three catches for 34 yards. Chandler came into the game tied for second in the NFL with six touchdown receptions but never found the end zone against the Cowboys, moved back and forth from Dallas' active roster to the practice squad while with the team. The Bills picked up Chandler off waivers last December when the Cowboys tried to put him back on their practice squad. Chandler said after the game that the Cowboys are a good team but no better than some of the teams the Bills defeated earlier in the season, including New England. "They went up there and lost to the Patriots, didn't they?" Chandler said. "It's not like we're all of a sudden playing better competition." Cowboys WR Dez Bryant rises to occasion The Cowboys first touchdown of the afternoon came on a slightly underthrown ball. Dez Bryant used his size and athletic ability to jump over 5-foot-10 cornerback Leodis McKelvin to take the ball out of his grasp for a 34-yard touchdown. "I thought it was a great catch,'' quarterback Tony Romo said. "When it is one-on-one, what you don't want to do with Dez is overthrow him. We have had too many experiences where it is either his or nobody's. That is why you give him a chance. "The kid played good defense, he had him covered decent. It was just Dez being Dez, going up and getting the ball.'' Bryant is the team's lead receiver now that Miles Austin is out with a hamstring injury. He responded like one Sunday, catching all six passes thrown his way for 74 yards and a touchdown. "It makes a big difference for the team,'' Bryant said of scoring on the team's first possession. "I felt like it was a great start and we kept it going." Cowboys WR Jesse Holley resurfaces for first time since breakthrough moment When Jesse Holley made a 77-yard reception Sept. 18 that set up the game-winning field goal in the Cowboys' 27-24 overtime victory against San Francisco, it appeared that he arrived. But soon thereafter, Holley mysteriously disappeared from the Cowboys' offense and the stat sheet. On Sunday, he resurfaced, making his first catch, a 25-yard reception, since he experienced his breakout moment. The reception came on the Cowboys' first possession and it was Holley's only catch of the day. "I'm just thankful Tony [Romo] looked my way," Holley said. "I just want to make a play when the opportunity calls." Owusu-Ansah handles punt and kickoff returns for Cowboys Second-year player Akwasi Owusu-Ansah was added to the Cowboys' active roster Saturday from the practice squad and handled punt returns and kickoff returns for Dallas on Sunday against Buffalo. The Cowboys needed another receiver active Sunday because starter Miles Austin was out with a pulled right hamstring. Owusu-Ansah wasn't used as receiver because - by his own admission - he still doesn't know all of the offense after converting to offense from safety earlier in the season. Owusu-Ansah had only two punt returns for four yards (one fair catch) and the Bills' two kickoffs both went for touchbacks. The Cowboys had hoped to promote rookie receiver Dwayne Harris from the practice squad but Harris injured his left hamstring late in Thursday's practice, opening the door for Owusu-Ansah. The Cowboys had been using receivers Dez Bryant and Kevin Ogletree on returns, but with Austin out didn't want to risk the health of another receiver on special teams. Cowboys run defense allows another running back to rush for more than 100 yards Rob Ryan crowed about the performance of the Cowboys' defense. Dallas allowed only seven points and the Bills crashed the red zone only three times. But then Ryan was reminded that Buffalo running back Fred Jackson rushed for 114 yards on only 13 carries. "That's cool," Ryan said. "He can have 200 as long as they get seven points and we can kick their ass. That's fine. " Yet Jackson was the third tailback in the last three games to gain more than 100 yards on the ground against the Cowboys, who have allowed an average of 178.7 rushing yards during that stretch. "I know everybody wants to cry and everything about the run defense," Ryan said. "Give me a break." Jackson did, when he complimented the Cowboys after the game. "We ran into a buzz saw today," said Jackson, an Arlington Lamar grad. Cowboys DE Jason Hatcher regains his starting spot over Marcus Spears Cowboys defensive end Jason Hatcher started for the first time Sunday against Buffalo since he suffered a calf injury in Week 3 against Washington. Hatcher replaced Marcus Spears, who had started the last five games for the Cowboys. Hatcher earned the starting job over Spears with a stellar training camp. Hatcher started the first three games for the Cowboys before injuring his calf, missing the next three games. In Hatcher's two games back, he's come off the bench and rotated time with Spears. Hatcher played more than Spears on Sunday, though neither was credited with a tackle. Cowboys rookie kicker Dan Bailey doesn't miss a beat on kickoffs Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey continued his impressive start to his rookie season Sunday against Buffalo. On Sunday, Bailey handled the kickoffs again as well as field goal attempts. The Cowboys put kickoff specialist David Buehler on the season-ending injury reserve list Thursday with a right groin injury. Buehler had handled all kickoffs the previous two games. Bailey, who doesn't have as strong a leg as Buehler, rose to the occasion again. Six of his nine kickoffs went for touchbacks. Two others were kicked into the end zone but returned. "I felt like I was in a pretty good groove," Bailey said. "It helps being here because this is a great place to kick the ball. It carries really well here. I know I can do it. I just have to get in that groove and find the sweet spot on the ball and find a good approach. I can still improve but I thought it was definitely improvement from previous games with the kickoffs." Bailey's one kickoff that didn't reach the end zone came down at the 17 along the right sideline. Bills returner Brad Smith caught the ball and then stepped out of bounds. "I might have miss-hit it a little bit," Bailey said. "I was trying a little too much with direction. I should have just stuck with my groove. I shouldn't have changed it up, live and learn on that one." Bailey converted all three of his field-goal attempts Sunday to extend his run to 22 in a row, the third-longest streak in team history. Bailey is now 23-of-24 on field goal attempts this season with his only miss coming on a 21-yard attempt in Week 2 at San Francisco. Cowboys-Bills grades By DAVID MOORE Dallas Morning News Published: Nov 14, 2011 12:36 AM David Moore's grades from the Cowboys' 44-7 win over the Buffalo Bills: Thumbs up: Dez comes through Dez Bryant is the lead receiver now that Miles Austin is out again with a hamstring injury. He performed like one Sunday. Bryant caught all six passes thrown his way for 74 yards and a touchdown, including an impressive athletic catch when he jumped over cornerback Leodis McKelvin for the team’s first score. He was consistent from start to finish. Thumbs up: No passing fancy The Cowboys’ secondary is putting the clamps on opponents. Buffalo’s Ryan Fitzpatrick became the third quarterback this season to fail to throw for at least 200 yards. The Cowboys had three interceptions Sunday and six in the last two games - five of those by the secondary. A glaring weakness last season has become one of the team’s greatest strengths. Thumbs up: Big bang theory A Cowboys team that spent the early part of the season sweating out close victories - and losses - could be hitting its stride. The 44-7 win over Buffalo was the team’s largest margin of victory in 11 years. It also means the Cowboys have won three of their last four games by a combined 101-27. The 34-7 loss to Philadelphia is looking more and more like an aberration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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