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Alex Barron's blunder ruins would-be dramatic comeback victory
01:20 AM CDT on Monday, September 13, 2010
By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News
dmoore@dallasnews.com
LANDOVER, Md. – A new season shouldn't lose its shine this quickly. A team with Super Bowl aspirations shouldn't be this ineffective even if it does open on the road against a division rival.
The Cowboys' 13-7 loss to Washington on Sunday night validated concerns that swirled around this team to end the preseason. They are not ready for prime time.
Blame running back Tashard Choice for handing the Redskins their only touchdown with an unpardonable fumble after time expired in the first half. Blame David Buehler for pushing a 34-yard field goal attempt wide right. Blame the countless players who dragged this team down with blown assignments and penalties at the most inopportune times.
But the biggest blunder of all, the one that symbolizes this tortured effort, belongs to right tackle Alex Barron.
Quarterback Tony Romo put the team in position to erase all of their mistakes as he marched them down the field in the closing seconds. As the clock hit zero, he found Roy Williams in the front corner of the end zone. The touchdown tied the score and gave the Cowboys a chance to win the game with a Buehler extra point.
"I'd thought we won at the moment," said Romo, who completed 31-of-47 passes for 282 yards and a touchdown. "I don't know, maybe 10, 15 yards after running away I noticed people not coming on the field."
That's because there was a flag on the field. Barron, for the third time in the game, was called for holding. What would have been an inspiring comeback turned into another reminder about how this game went horribly wrong.
Barron, who started at right tackle for the injured Marc Colombo, avoided eye contact with reporters after the game and refused comment. Choice also refused to talk.
Owner Jerry Jones picked up the slack.
"I'm disappointed, because we all know that seven points won't win," Jones said. "Everybody had a hand in some mistakes that kept us from winning this game.
"I hate this for our fans. We know that the road to success in this thing has ups and downs, but I am surprised."
The Cowboys were 5-of-13 on third down conversions. They were penalized 12 times for 91 yards.
A red zone opportunity in the first half ended with no points on Buehler's missed field goal. The red zone opportunity at the end of the game was squandered by Barron's holding call.
"It's hard to swallow," Romo said. "It's a tough one to take. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth for sure."
For the first time as coach of the Cowboys, Wade Phillips lost an opener. He had been 3-0 and 9-2 in September since taking over the team.
The Cowboys averaged 35.7 points and 475.7 yards in their previous three openers under Phillips and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. The team scored 14 touchdowns in those games, with six of them from 35 or more yards.
But the offensive malaise that plagued the Cowboys during the preseason, when their first-team offense scored only 13 points in 12 possessions, lingered.
The Cowboys managed just seven points on one touchdown with 380 yards. They force fed Dez Bryant in his debut, throwing the rookie more passes (12) than Miles Austin. He caught eight for 56 yards. The big play offense was missing. With starting offensive linemen Colombo and Kyle Kosier out with injuries, the Cowboys had their quarterback take a lot of three- and five-step drops and get the ball out quickly. Romo rarely looked down field and completed just one pass for more than 24 yards.
The Cowboys scraped together 102 yards on the ground, but none of their backs had a run of more than 12 yards.
Austin had 10 catches for 146 yards and a touchdown. But his performance, and a stout defensive effort, weren't enough to overcome the offensive ineptitude on display.
There are worse ways to open the season. Ask San Francisco , which lost to Seattle, 31-6.
But the 49ers don't have a realistic shot to reach the Super Bowl. The Cowboys do.
At least people thought they did.
"We all know what is ahead for us," Jones said. "This presents a bigger challenge for us because it's a division loss, but I don't see it as something that's going to diminish the enthusiasm for this team.
"We've got to get better."For openers
Tony Romo is 3-1 in season openers as the Cowboys' starting quarterback:
Date Opponent Stats Result
Sept. 9, 2007 vs. NY Giants 15 of 24, 345 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT W, 45-35
Sept. 7, 2008 at Cleveland 24 of 32, 320 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT W, 28-10
Sept. 13, 2009 at Tampa Bay 16 of 27, 353 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT W, 34-21
Sept. 12, 2010 at Washington 31 of 47, 282 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT L, 13-7
• • •
01:20 AM CDT on Monday, September 13, 2010
By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News
dmoore@dallasnews.com
LANDOVER, Md. – A new season shouldn't lose its shine this quickly. A team with Super Bowl aspirations shouldn't be this ineffective even if it does open on the road against a division rival.
The Cowboys' 13-7 loss to Washington on Sunday night validated concerns that swirled around this team to end the preseason. They are not ready for prime time.
Blame running back Tashard Choice for handing the Redskins their only touchdown with an unpardonable fumble after time expired in the first half. Blame David Buehler for pushing a 34-yard field goal attempt wide right. Blame the countless players who dragged this team down with blown assignments and penalties at the most inopportune times.
But the biggest blunder of all, the one that symbolizes this tortured effort, belongs to right tackle Alex Barron.
Quarterback Tony Romo put the team in position to erase all of their mistakes as he marched them down the field in the closing seconds. As the clock hit zero, he found Roy Williams in the front corner of the end zone. The touchdown tied the score and gave the Cowboys a chance to win the game with a Buehler extra point.
"I'd thought we won at the moment," said Romo, who completed 31-of-47 passes for 282 yards and a touchdown. "I don't know, maybe 10, 15 yards after running away I noticed people not coming on the field."
That's because there was a flag on the field. Barron, for the third time in the game, was called for holding. What would have been an inspiring comeback turned into another reminder about how this game went horribly wrong.
Barron, who started at right tackle for the injured Marc Colombo, avoided eye contact with reporters after the game and refused comment. Choice also refused to talk.
Owner Jerry Jones picked up the slack.
"I'm disappointed, because we all know that seven points won't win," Jones said. "Everybody had a hand in some mistakes that kept us from winning this game.
"I hate this for our fans. We know that the road to success in this thing has ups and downs, but I am surprised."
The Cowboys were 5-of-13 on third down conversions. They were penalized 12 times for 91 yards.
A red zone opportunity in the first half ended with no points on Buehler's missed field goal. The red zone opportunity at the end of the game was squandered by Barron's holding call.
"It's hard to swallow," Romo said. "It's a tough one to take. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth for sure."
For the first time as coach of the Cowboys, Wade Phillips lost an opener. He had been 3-0 and 9-2 in September since taking over the team.
The Cowboys averaged 35.7 points and 475.7 yards in their previous three openers under Phillips and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. The team scored 14 touchdowns in those games, with six of them from 35 or more yards.
But the offensive malaise that plagued the Cowboys during the preseason, when their first-team offense scored only 13 points in 12 possessions, lingered.
The Cowboys managed just seven points on one touchdown with 380 yards. They force fed Dez Bryant in his debut, throwing the rookie more passes (12) than Miles Austin. He caught eight for 56 yards. The big play offense was missing. With starting offensive linemen Colombo and Kyle Kosier out with injuries, the Cowboys had their quarterback take a lot of three- and five-step drops and get the ball out quickly. Romo rarely looked down field and completed just one pass for more than 24 yards.
The Cowboys scraped together 102 yards on the ground, but none of their backs had a run of more than 12 yards.
Austin had 10 catches for 146 yards and a touchdown. But his performance, and a stout defensive effort, weren't enough to overcome the offensive ineptitude on display.
There are worse ways to open the season. Ask San Francisco , which lost to Seattle, 31-6.
But the 49ers don't have a realistic shot to reach the Super Bowl. The Cowboys do.
At least people thought they did.
"We all know what is ahead for us," Jones said. "This presents a bigger challenge for us because it's a division loss, but I don't see it as something that's going to diminish the enthusiasm for this team.
"We've got to get better."For openers
Tony Romo is 3-1 in season openers as the Cowboys' starting quarterback:
Date Opponent Stats Result
Sept. 9, 2007 vs. NY Giants 15 of 24, 345 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT W, 45-35
Sept. 7, 2008 at Cleveland 24 of 32, 320 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT W, 28-10
Sept. 13, 2009 at Tampa Bay 16 of 27, 353 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT W, 34-21
Sept. 12, 2010 at Washington 31 of 47, 282 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT L, 13-7
• • •