Thanksgiving Day is my favorite holiday. It is a day filled with good company, good food and good football. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wanted his team to treat the Thanksgiving Day game like it was the Super Bowl. But the Cowboys started the game like it was preseason. The Cowboys almost spoiled my Thanksgiving Day, but they narrowly escaped with a 20-19 victory over the Miami Dolphins. Here are my thoughts on the game.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo shook off two interceptions and played well in the clutch.
commons.wikimedia.org/Bigcats lair

Rough Start

After a delicious Thanksgiving Day meal, I was all set to watch the Cowboys play the Dolphins. A victory would top off my meal better than homemade pumpkin pie. Unfortunately, the Cowboys’ rough start had me reaching for the Pepto-Bismol. Two interceptions by Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo(notes) told me that this was not going to be easy. The Cowboys were lucky to be trailing 3-0 after one quarter. My appetite was gone.

Big Receiver, Big Problems

Big receivers pose big problems for the Cowboys’ defense. In Week 4, Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson(notes) victimized the Cowboys with his height. On Thanksgiving Day, Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall(notes) used his size to dominate the secondary. Marshall caught one touchdown with Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman(notes) draped helplessly on his back. The Cowboys will need a consistent pass rush, or teams will expose their secondary. We saw the Dolphins do it. Imagine what a team like the Green Bay Packers will do.

More Murray

The Cowboys found a true stud in rookie running back DeMarco Murray(notes). He was a workhorse on Thursday, rushing for 87 yards on 22 carries. He also caught four passes for 41 yards. Murray once again gave the Cowboys a balanced offensive attack. He may not flashy, but he gets the job done

Total Team Effort

You have to like the way the Cowboys won this game. With less than five minutes left, the Dolphins looked to run out the clock. But the Cowboys’ defense forced a three-and-out, and gave the offense a chance. Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant(notes) returned the punt 20 yards to the Cowboys’ 36-yard line. Two pass plays to tight end Jason Witten(notes) and runs by Murray put the Cowboys in position for a game-winning 28-yard field goal. It was good, and the Cowboys come-from-behind win was complete.

Character Building Wins

The past two games have been character building wins for the Cowboys. They have won with effort, execution and clutch performances. Overconfidence is not a problem for the Cowboys. They know they have to get better. But getting wins in the process is a boost.

The Thanksgiving Day victory over the Miami Dolphins was a very satisfying win on my favorite holiday of the year. The Cowboys are now 7-4. They have more than a week to prepare for their next game in Arizona. But first things first, it is time for that pumpkin pie… with whipped cream.

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Edwin Torres has been a fan of the Dallas Cowboys since the days of Tony Dorsett and Roger Staubach. He enjoyed watching the Dallas teams of the 90s dominate opponents on both sides of the ball. For more articles, follow him on Twitter @FlipPoker.

Sources:

SI.com – NFL

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It wasn’t as pitch-perfect as their win against the Buffalo Bills, but the Dallas Cowboys managed to overcome the Washington Redskins in NFL’s Week 11. The game went into overtime and after a missed field goal by the Redskins, the Cowboys won the game 27-24. Take a look at the top five plays by the Cowboys in NFL week 11.

Jason Witten caught a touchdown pass for 59 yards in NFL Week 11.
Wikimedia Commons

Dez Bryant(notes) Touchdown

In what seemed like a duplicate pass from the week before, Tony Romo(notes) reached wide receiver Dez Bryant in the end zone for a touchdown early in the first quarter. Dez Bryant has a natural receiving ability that allows him to catch these tough passes. It was Bryant’s only touchdown on the day, but he would make a huge impact later in the game.

End of Third Quarter

After a sloppy second quarter and a few missed opportunities in the third, Dallas got back on track as the third quarter ended. Tony Romo got a quick pass off to DeMarco Murray(notes) to create a much-needed third down conversion. Three plays after that, Romo reached Laurent Robinson(notes) in the end zone for another Cowboys touchdown and the perfect start to the fourth quarter.

Jason Witten(notes) Touchdown

Jason Witten only had three catches in the game, but each one was important for the Cowboys. His last catch would be one of the best plays of the whole game. As Romo felt pressure from the Redskins defense, he rolled out to the left and escaped the sack.

Witten took off up the field and Romo connected with a pass. Witten charged through until he reached the end zone practically untouched. The 59 yard play was capped off with an extra point that gave the Cowboys a 7 point lead.

Dez Bryant First Down Catch

Bryant was quiet after his first quarter touchdown, but the receiver made an impact play when it really counted. Facing third and long after a false start penalty, Romo looked to Bryant, who was wide open for the catch. Bryant ran up the field to get the first down and set up the game winning field goal.

Dan Bailey(notes) Game Winning Field Goal

Dan Bailey has been reliable all season for Dallas and his golden footwork continued with the pressure on in overtime. Kicking from 39 yards away, Bailey sailed the ball through the uprights and just inched the ball into the right side for the win. That was his second field goal of the game with another one early in the second quarter.

The Dallas Cowboys won their third game in a row thanks to those five plays and several more from the team is that is climbing up the NFC rankings.

Alan Donahue is a life-long NFL and WWE fan. He has written thousands of articles on sports and heavily follows the NFC East.

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Dallas Cowboys’ Laurent Robinson, right , celebrates his touchdown reception with Dez Bryant during the first half against the Buffalo Bills in an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011, in Arlington, Texas.

Dallas Cowboys’ Laurent Robinson, right , celebrates his touchdown reception with Dez Bryant during the first half against the Buffalo Bills in an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011, in Arlington, Texas.

When the Dallas Cowboys signed Laurent Robinson at the start of this season, they figured they were getting a serviceable third receiver. His career numbers warned them not to expect much: four NFL seasons, four touchdown catches.
Then Robinson got hurt in his first practice. He missed the opener and was cut days later, written off as another low-risk move that didn’t pan out.
But a week later, Miles Austin hurt his hamstring. Needing another receiver, the Cowboys brought Robinson back — and they may not be enjoying a midseason revival without him.
Robinson has matched his career touchdown total with four in the past three games, tying him for second on the club. He’s already set a career best with 441 yards, good for third on the team. His 27 catches are approaching a career high and are fourth on the Cowboys (5-4).
“It’s all about opportunity,” Robinson said Wednesday. “You’ve got to be patient and wait for your turn. My turn, I guess, is now.”
While rookie running back DeMarco Murray has deservedly commanded attention for what he’s brought to the offense, Robinson’s performance is almost as important and possibility more stunning. After all, Murray was a third-round pick and a star at Oklahoma. Robinson was the veteran averaging a touchdown per season.
“The more you play, the better you get if you go about it the right way,” Dallas coach Jason Garrett said. “He’s certainly taking advantage of this chance.”
Robinson’s role keeps changing.
He’s been the No. 3 receiver he initially was expected to be, and also a starter in place of Austin, opposite Dez Bryant.
Sure, he’s benefited by defenses worrying more about Bryant, tight end Jason Witten and, of late, Murray. But Robinson also is getting open and making catches.
“I’m just comfortable in the offense,” Robinson said. “I’m playing fast, not thinking too much, just going out there and playing confident.”
The 6-foot-2, 194-pound Robinson was a third-round pick by Atlanta in 2007. He spent two years with the Falcons, then the past two in St. Louis. Injuries kept him from fulfilling his potential.
He was with the Chargers in training camp when they held several joint practices with the Cowboys, followed by a preseason game. Dallas coaches liked what they saw and signed him after San Diego made him a late cut.
Once Robinson finally got onto the practice field in Dallas, Tony Romo was dealing with a broken rib. That made it tough to build a quarterback-receiver bond. Somehow, they did, as evidenced by Robinson catching seven passes for 116 yards in his second game with the Cowboys.
The bond has grown quickly. Over the past two games, eight balls have been thrown his way and he’s caught them all. That includes touchdowns of 58, 6 and 5 yards.
The short TDs are especially significant because both came on third downs. Dallas has struggled to finish drives inside the 10-yard line, and might have again had to settle for field goals without Romo trusting Robinson and Robinson rewarding him with the clutch catch.
“It’s hard to do what Laurent has done,” Witten said. “To come in the middle of the year at a skill position in our offense, a system that has been in place for five years, it’s not always easy to do. To make the plays that he’s made consistently, it really speaks volumes about him, his knowledge of the game and understanding coverages. He’s done a great job getting on the same page as Tony.”
Garrett, a former quarterback, said Robinson is “quarterback-friendly with how he runs routes.” The Princeton grad then gave a detailed explanation of what that means.
“Some guys just somehow someway present themselves to the quarterback where it’s easy to throw to him,” Garrett said. “Whether it’s just that they’re tight at the top of their route or they come out of their breaks at the right depth, come out of breaks at the right angle, they’re a big target, they’re consistent not herky-jerky.”
Then Garrett switched to a baseball analogy, comparing it to the baseball pitcher who’s ERA is drastically lower with a particular catcher.
“I don’t really know the specifics of why and how that works, but I know that at the end of it, they like throwing to him,” Garrett said.
Robinson had a far less technical description of his way of doing things: “I’m just trying to go out there and be in the right spot, catch the ball and make plays.”
As for his recent touchdown streak, Robinson said he hasn’t had anything like it since he was in college, at Illinois State. He also noted that was the last time he wore No. 81, which he’s wearing again in Dallas. Fans may remember Romo throwing a lot of touchdown passes to another No. 81: Terrell Owens.
“I’ve gotten a lot of heat, like, ‘Oh, you’re wearing 81,’” Robinson said, laughing. “I’m not thinking about that. I’m just trying to make plays.”

In the last of a two-game homestretch, the Dallas Cowboys triumphed over the Buffalo Bills (44-7) and inched one game closer to the top of the NFC East. The first half of the game in particular was impressive as quarterback Tony Romo(notes) and the rest of the Dallas Cowboys eased their way down to the end zone four times.

Tony Romo is destined to lead the Dallas Cowboys to a Superbowl win.
Wikimedia Commons

Check out five of the best Dallas Cowboy plays from their win in NFL Week 10.

Dez Bryant(notes) Opening Drive Touchdown

The crowd was rowdy, the Cowboys got the ball first and they easily marched down the field. After a crucial third down catch by Jesse Holley(notes) ( filling in for an injured Miles Austin(notes)) Romo looked to one of his favorite targets, Dez Bryant. Bryant reached out and grabbed the 34 yard touchdown that started the Cowboys scoring streak.

DeMarcus Ware(notes) Sacks Ryan Fitzpatrick(notes)

The Buffalo Bills have been strong on offense with weapons like Fred Jackson(notes) and Scott Chandler(notes), but Dallas Cowboys sack leader DeMarcus Ware tried to shut them up early.

On the Bills first play, Ware ran past the offensive line untouched and sacked Fitzpatrick to the turf. That was the only recorded sack of the game, but this pressure caused plenty of rushed plays and three interceptions later in the game.

A One Play Drive

A successful scoring drive requires the offense reaching the end zone as quickly as possible. After the Buffalo Bills botched a field goal, Tony Romo made this happen with just one play. Romo passed the ball 58 yards to Laurent Robinson(notes). The pass landed perfectly in Robinson’s hands and increased the score to 21-0.

Terrence Newman Interception

Just in case the Buffalo Bills tried to get a 4^th quarter surge and attempt a nearly impossible comeback, the Dallas Cowboys stuck to their A-game on the turf. On the first play of the Bills drive with 5 minutes to go in the quarter, Terrence Newman intercepted Fitzpatrick down the field and ran the ball back for another Cowboys touchdown. The points did not really help the Cowboys any, but they helped any fantasy owners who started the Cowboys defense.

Dan Bailey(notes) Field Goals

With David Buehler(notes) out on injured-reserve, Dan Bailey had double-duty on the field and he did both jobs easily. He had two field goals in the third quarter, including an impressive 45 yard shot and a third field goal in the fourth to extend the Cowboys lead further. His consistent kicking has made him a reliable asset to the offense.

Alan Donahue is a life-long NFL and WWE fan. He has written thousands of articles on sports and heavily follows the NFC East.

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Today the Seattle Seahawks take on the Dallas Cowboys in a game that both teams classify as “must-win.” That’s an understatement though, because the team that loses this game is almost playing themselves right out of the race to the playoffs. Sure, either team will have to still show a lot of improvement to have a shot in the NFC, but it all begins in Dallas on Sunday (Nov. 5).

The Seahawks are now 2-5 this season , and the schedule isn’t about to get any easier. The Seahawks statistically have one of the worst offenses in football now with just 206 passing yards and 77.7 rushing yards per game. That ranks No. 24 and No. 31 respectively in the league, and shows that it is truly the offense holding back Seattle from winning more games. That has to change early and often against Dallas, especially if Tony Romo(notes) is ready to have a bounce-back week of his own.

The Dallas Cowboys, however, are a top 10 offensive team, averaging 280 yards passing and 115 yards rushing per game. Romo has a new running back to play with in DeMarco Murray(notes), and his 6.9 yards per carry is a stat to get very worried about. He will also be looking to spread the ball around between Jason Witten(notes), Dez Bryant(notes), and Miles Austin(notes), possibly turning this into his best passing week of the year. That’s if he can figure out how to decipher a much improved Seahawks defense.

Seattle has one of the best rush defenses in football, giving up just 3.2 yards per carry and 102 yards per game. The pass defense isn’t too bad either; allowing just 237 yards through the air. Dallas fans would argue that their team is better at just 94 yards on the ground and 234 yards passing given up each game. That’s going to turn into an interesting battle though, because both defenses have a lot of pride in what they have been able to do this year. Now it could really propel both teams in Dallas, but everyone knows that the key to this game will be whether DeMarcus Ware(notes) can get through the line or if the Seattle offensive line can figure out a way to contain him.

Big plays are going to decide this game, and it might all come down to which team can take care of the ball. Kickoff is at just after 10 a.m. PT, and the game will be live on Fox.

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*Ryan Christopher DeVault is a lifelong fan of the Seattle Seahawks that continues to hold out hope that the team is heading in the right direction with a new coach, a weak NFC West, and some great young players on defense.

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It is nice to remember the past as a Dallas Cowboys fan. The team has won five Super Bowl titles, while playing in the big game eight times, remaining one of the NFL’s most successful franchises. On Sunday, Nov. 6, the Cowboys will be honoring three more of their historical players by adding them to the Ring of Honor.

This is the first addition to the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor since the Triplets went up in 2005. With so many legendary players encircling the stadium, there is one that has been overlooked for far too long. While names like Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett went up in 1983 and 1994 respectively, the best receiver of the era is heading up there now as well. The Dallas Cowboys are honoring Drew Pearson as well as two members of the Cowboys’ teams of the ’90s in Larry Allen and Charles Haley.

Drew Pearson

The Dallas Cowboys enjoy handing out the No. 88 to the best wide receivers coming aboard the team. Names like Michael Irvin, Antonio Bryant(notes) and Dez Bryant(notes) all received the number as the Cowboys looked for their next big thing. Out of the three, only Irvin lived up to the reputation in Dallas, although Dez Bryant is still young. However, it all began with Drew Pearson.

28 years after his retirement, Pearson is finally getting on the Ring of Honor and I have to ask, “What took so long?” Drew Pearson was the best wide receiver on the Cowboys team in the ’70s and most of the ’80s. There were other receivers who played alongside him but there was only one Drew Pearson. He finished his career with 489 receptions for 7,822 yards and 48 touchdowns. He only played on one Super Bowl team.

Those numbers are nothing really special but ask any Dallas Cowboys’ fan and they will tell you how important Pearson is to the history of the Cowboys. Out of everyone in the Cowboys’ past that was not in the Ring of Honor, it is Drew Pearson who deserved to be up there the most. He is the one I am happiest about.

Larry Allen

Larry Allen was a member of the famed Dallas Cowboys offensive line. This is, of course, the line that people credit with Emmitt Smith’s record. He played with Dallas for 12 seasons and made 10 Pro Bowls while wearing the Cowboys’ star. He was only there for one Super Bowl, the Barry Switzer win, but he was dominant the entire time he played and protected his quarterbacks at all costs.

Charles Haley

I’m not going to say much here. I don’t think Haley deserves to be on the Ring of Honor, although I am sure there are many who will disagree. To each his own and everyone has a right to their opinion. However, he only played for Dallas from 1992-1996 and that is not enough time to warrant this inclusion. Haley played on all three Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl teams but also won two for the San Francisco 49ers as well. He now gets his sixth ring, in the Ring of Honor.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has followed the Dallas Cowboys since he was a child, his favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s. Through the great years of the ’90s and the hard times of the ’80s, Shawn never turned his back on America’s Team.

Source: Dallas Cowboys

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Sunday, Oct. 30, was an embarrassing day to be a Dallas Cowboys fan. Coming off the win over St. Louis, Dallas fans had to feel great. Sure, the Rams were not a good team but they beat the Saints this week so the win had to mean something. Besides, Dez Bryant(notes) came to life and DeMarco Murray(notes) gave Dallas the running threat they have not had all season.

The big talk was the No. 1 rushing defense against the No. 1 rushing offense. By the end of the game, Philadelphia proved why they have the No. 1 rushing offense and the Dallas Cowboys got spanked, 34-7. LeSean McCoy(notes) ran for 185 yards and two touchdowns. Before this game, Steven Jackson’s 70 yards were the most gained against the Cowboys. Michael Vick(notes) ran for 50 yards on his own. By the end of the game, the Eagles had 239 rushing yards and Dallas will surely drop in the defensive standings.

Meanwhile, the Dallas offense looked horrible.

Tony Romo(notes) was off the entire game. He only had one interception but constantly overthrew receivers, bounced a few balls off the turf and just seemed to be shaken the entire game. One play when Dallas was in the red zone, Laurent Robinson(notes) ran the wrong route and bumped into Jason Witten(notes), who was supposed to cut out for a pass in the corner of the end zone. That is the kind of game Dallas played against the Eagles.

Dallas’ leading tackler Sean Lee(notes) left the game injured. Mat McBriar(notes), the Dallas punter and one of the best in the NFL, left the game with a foot injury. By the end of the game, few people were even talking about the four sacks DeMarcus Ware(notes) finished with, moving within 0.5 of the NFL lead.

The loss drops Dallas into a three-way tie for second in the NFC East. Vicariously, that is also a three-way tie for last. Philadelphia holds the current tiebreaker although Dallas remains ranked above Washington, thanks to their win earlier in the season. This was a huge game for the Cowboys and they fell on their face.

Next up is two home games with Seattle and Buffalo and Dallas has to hope they can rebound from this quickly or the downward spiral will begin.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has followed the Dallas Cowboys since he was a child, his favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s. Through the great years of the ’90s and the hard times of the ’80s, Shawn never turned his back on America’s Team.

Source: Dallas Cowboys Website

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The Dallas Cowboys have a big game with Philadelphia on Sunday night, Oct. 30, and while the media is pumping up the fact that the game pits the No. 1 rushing defense against the No. 1 rushing offense, there is much more that Dallas needs to focus on to be successful in this game.

Tony Romo(notes)

Dallas won five of the last seven meetings with Philadelphia while Tony Romo has started at quarterback. In the five wins, Romo has a 111.7 quarterback rating in those wins. On the season so far, Romo has ten touchdowns compared to six interceptions with a 93.4 quarterback rating. He has an interception in every game this season except two and needs to avoid turnovers against the Eagles. If he throws a solid game, and avoids turnovers, Dallas should win this game.

DeMarco Murray(notes)

Felix Jones(notes) will miss another game and waived Tashard Choice(notes) on Saturday, Oct. 29. That leaves rookie DeMarco Murray as the starter and Phillip Tanner(notes), another rookie, as his backup. Sure, Romo can win this game by himself, but Dallas needs the running game to be involved as well to control the clock. Murray has played every game this season but only has had extended action in the St. Louis game. Despite that, he is the Cowboys leading rusher so far this season and they need him to step up and prove he is the star Dallas has been looking for since Emmitt Smith retired.

Miles Austin(notes)

Dez Bryant(notes) took over in Week 7 against St. Louis, but Dallas needs Miles Austin to step up as well. The Cowboys can survive without Austin having a big game but they are much better when he is playing strong. If Romo can spread the ball around to Austin, Bryant and Jason Witten(notes) evenly, he can have a better chance at picking apart the Eagles defense. Austin has the toughest matchup. The Eagles give up a lot of yards to the tight end, so Witten will have a huge game, and if Austin can get involved, Dallas could have a huge game as well.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has followed the Dallas Cowboys since he was a child, his favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s. Through the great years of the ’90s and the hard times of the ’80s, Shawn never turned his back on America’s Team.

Source: Dallas Cowboys Website

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Sometimes an NFL player or coach says something that makes your head start swimming. Sometimes a player says something that makes you wonder if they even know what they are going to saw before their mouth spews it out. Dez Bryant(notes) has always been that kind of player. Bryant recently told the “Inside the Huddle” that the Dallas Cowboys are unbeatable.

Wait a minute.

Dez Bryant called the Dallas Cowboys, a team whose record is 2-3, unbeatable. He calls a team that has lost three games already this season unbeatable. Do they teach vocabulary at Oklahoma State University? Bryant explained that the Cowboys are unbeatable because, in their three losses, they beat themselves. So, that means the only team that Bryant believes can beat the Dallas Cowboys is the Dallas Cowboys. But doesn’t that make them beatable?

Ugh, that makes my head ache. Bryant also said, in the same interview, that playing football in the NFL is easier than playing football in college. He said that is because in college, at Oklahoma State, he was always double teamed while in the NFL he is not.

I have a pretty good explanation for that too. Dez Bryant is not double teamed in the NFL because he is not the best receiver on the team. He is not the second best receiver on the team. Opposing defenses put their best defenders on Miles Austin(notes) and Jason Witten(notes). Bryant gets what is left over. In Bryant’s rookie season in Dallas, he had 45 receptions for 561 yards and six touchdowns. In his final year at Oklahoma State, he caught 87 receptions for 1,480 yards and 19 touchdowns. If the NFL is so much easier, than why are his stats not better?

I understand the logic of Bryant here. He feels that no NFL team can beat Dallas unless the Cowboys make stupid mistakes. He believes the NFL is easier – for him – because he is not the Cowboys main receiving threat. However, that does not make the Cowboys unbeatable and does not make the NFL easier than the Big 12. It just makes Dez Bryant confused.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has followed the Dallas Cowboys since he was a child, his favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s. Through the great years of the ’90s and the hard times of the ’80s, Shawn never turned his back on America’s Team.

Source: Dallas Morning News

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By JAIME ARON
IRVING, Texas — Cowboys coach Jason Garrett dared Tom Brady to beat him, and the three-time Super Bowl winner did.

Given a day to think about it, Garrett stuck by his decision to run three times to try milking the clock with a three-point lead despite his top running back and left guard being on the sideline with injuries.

The Cowboys weren’t able to get a first down — in fact, they moved backward — and wound up giving Brady the ball with enough time to pull off the 32nd fourth-quarter rally of his career. A defense that had done a great job against Brady and Wes Welker the first 57 minutes finally got picked apart, giving up a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is among those who’ve criticized Garrett for being too conservative against New England. Funny thing is, it comes one game after Jones was among those who questioned why Garrett wasn’t more conservative about protecting a 24-point lead in a loss to Detroit.

Jones and Garrett have discussed it all, of course. Garrett called it “a good conversation.”

“I think everyone is well intended,” Garrett said Monday. “Everybody is passionate about it and when you lose a ballgame like that sometimes things are said and you’ve just got to kind of understand what the environment is, process it and move on. We all went up there and we swung the bat hard against New England. … We came out on the short end of it. We’ve got to somehow process that and go forward. We have a great challenge this week against St. Louis.”

Perhaps Garrett wasn’t second-guessing himself because he expected his players to be able to get the first downs needed to either run out the clock or at least give Brady less time to try pulling off the comeback. He certainly hinted as much.

“We work these situations over and over and over again, in hopes that when we get in those situations, we can execute ball plays to allow us to win,” Garrett said. “At the end of this thing it comes down to execution, and we have to be able to block them, we have to be able to run, we have to be able to throw and catch, we have to be able to tackle, we have to be able to catch the ball on defense, make a play. And as coaches, what we’re trying to do is put our players in a position to do that as well as we can.”

Garrett mentioned several times about coaches trying to put players in position to succeed, and players needing to execute.

However, there were other questions about whether the best players were put in position to succeed.

For instance, Dallas had two second-half possessions within 20 yards of the New England end zone. Tony Romo threw to running backs DeMarco Murray and Tashard Choice, and backup tight end Martellus Bennett, yet never to Dez Bryant, Miles Austin or Jason Witten. The Cowboys settled for field goals both times.

“There are a lot weapons we’d like to get the ball to down there,” Garrett said. “Sometimes you’re able to do that. Sometimes you’re not. You just got to move on and find the best option to execute the play and give yourself a chance to score points. … The positive thing is we did come away from each of those drives with field goals to put us ahead in the ballgame. We felt like those were important things to do. We thought Tony managed those situations well.”

Bryant disappeared in the second half entirely, not getting a single pass thrown his way. He appeared to have single coverage on a third-down play that ended up being a shovel pass to Choice that went nowhere, but was followed by the field goal that put Dallas up 16-13 with 5:13 to play. He also may have been targeted on a play when Romo was sacked during the previous series near the goal line.

The Cowboys (2-3) are in third place in the NFC East, a division with no clear favorite. It’s hard to know how good this club is considering the losses are by a combined 11 points and the wins are by a combined five points. Dallas has played 11 straight games decided by four points or less, going 5-6.

The Cowboys have a great chance to get back to .500 with winless St. Louis coming to town on Sunday. A defense that held Brady and the Patriots to their fewest points this season will face a Rams offense that’s scored the fewest points in the NFL this season and could be without quarterback Sam Bradford because of a high ankle sprain.

“I think our team realizes that we have a chance to be a good football team,” Garrett said. “We haven’t done everything perfectly. We’ve had five good challenges this year. We’ve won two of them. We’ve lost three of them. They’ve all been close. I think we have had an opportunity to win all five games against good football teams. What we need to do is take a breath, evaluate this game, get away from it tomorrow, come back on Wednesday and get ready to try to win a ballgame against St. Louis.”

Dallas is dealing with some injuries of its own.

Running back Felix Jones also has a high ankle sprain and is likely to miss at least a week and probably more. Murray, a third-round pick, is likely to take over.

Left guard Bill Nagy, a seventh-round pick, broke an ankle and is almost certainly out for the season. Undrafted rookie Kevin Kowalski took his place and could be forced to stay there. Veteran Derrick Dockery isn’t healed from his own broken bone and coaches don’t seem ready to trust fellow rookie David Arkin. Kowalski started two preseason games at center and says he feels comfortable playing either spot. Dallas also could put him at center and move Phil Costa to guard.

“We have some depth, we don’t have a whole lot experience,” Garrett said. “We have to manage that situation.”

Foxboro, MA (Sports Network) – Aaron Hernandez’s touchdown within the final minute gave the New England Patriots an historic 20-16 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

The win is the 116th time the quarterback-head coach duo of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick has won a game, tying Hall of Famers Dan Marino and Don Shula of the Miami Dolphins from 1983-1995. New England also won its 20th consecutive regular season home game, tying the 1929-32 Green Bay Packers for the fourth- longest streak all-time.

Brady completed 27-of-41 passes for 289 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for New England (5-1). The two touchdowns gave Brady 277 for his career and moved him past Vinny Testaverde for sole possession of eighth place all-time.

The one record New England failed to reach was recording its 14th straight regular-season game with more than 30 points scored. The Patriots’ streak ended at 13, one shy of the league record set by the 1999-2000 St. Louis Rams.

Tony Romo threw for 317 yards with a touchdown and an interception on 27-of-41 passing for Dallas (2-3), but his Hail Mary throw as time expired went wide of the end zone and the Cowboys dropped their second consecutive game.

Dez Bryant caught four passes for 78 yards and Miles Austin hauled in seven receptions for 74 yards in the loss.

“We just need to figure out how to get the win at the end and I think we will going forward,” Romo said. “This team is continuing to grow and get better, we just need to finish out a game like today, and we will I think, as the season progresses.”

Trailing 16-13 with 5:13 left in the game, New England was held to a quick three-and-out. After forcing the same from Dallas, the Patriots started a drive with 2 1/2 minutes remaining at their own 20.

Brady threw for first downs on consecutive completions to Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski before finding Wes Welker for a short gain at the two-minute warning.

After a quarterback sneak gave the Patriots a first down at the Dallas 27, Brady hit Danny Woodhead for a 13-yard gain to move the ball into the red zone. Two plays later, Hernandez hauled in an eight-yard touchdown pass with a defender on his back to give New England a 20-16 lead with 22 seconds left in the game.

“It was great protection. Great catch by Aaron. A lot of guys made big plays on that drive; we really needed it,” Brady said.

Romo was intercepted by Kyle Arrington on the opening drive of the game and New England took over at the Dallas 47. The Patriots failed to push the ball in for the score from within the Cowboys’ 10-yard line and had to settle for a Stephen Gostkowski 31-yard field goal.

New England started its next possession at its own 10 after a Dallas punt. Brady was picked off by Terence Newman on the first play of the drive, giving the Cowboys the ball at the Patriots’ 23. Dan Bailey’s 48-yard field goal made it a 3-3 game.

Matthew Slater had the ball slapped out of his hand on the ensuing kickoff and the Cowboys recovered the fumble at New England’s 32-yard line. But Tashard Choice lost a fumble to give the ball right back to New England.

Deion Branch’s 45-yard catch-and-run moved the ball into Dallas territory, but the Patriots again had to settle for a red-zone field goal when Gostkowski split the uprights from 26 yards out early in the second quarter.

After the Cowboys were forced to punt, New England took over at its own 31. Gronkowski rumbled for a 20-yard gain on a screen pass on the first play of the drive, and a roughing the passer penalty moved the Patriots further down the field before Brady found Welker for a five-yard score.

Welker was initially called out at the one-yard line but a challenge revealed he stretched the ball across the goal line before falling out of bounds, giving the Patriots a 13-3 lead.

Dallas answered with an 11-play, 93-yard scoring drive to send the game into half time with a 13-10 score. Bryant’s 33-yard reception highlighted the march before Romo hit Jason Witten for a one-yard touchdown grab.

The Cowboys took their first drive of the second half within the Patriots’ 10- yard line, but a sack on Romo moved the ball back to the 18 and Choice was stopped short of the goal on a screen pass to force a game-tying, 22-yard field goal by Bailey.

New England then marched down the field, helped by a running into the kicker penalty on a punt that gave the ball back to the Patriots. But deep in Cowboys territory, Hernandez fumbled and Dallas recovered.

The Cowboys had to punt and New England had another drive into Dallas territory halted with a turnover. Sean Lee picked off Brady at the Cowboys’ 26-yard line.

Laurent Robinson caught a short pass from Romo, fought off a defender and raced down the right sideline for a 32-yard gain to move Dallas deep into New England territory. Dallas was denied a touchdown yet again inside the red zone, and Bailey’s 26-yard kick put the Cowboys ahead, 16-13.

Game Notes

New England has not lost a regular-season game in Gillette Stadium since a 33-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 30, 2008…Welker caught six passes for 45 yards, ending his streak of three straight games with over 120 yards receiving…Dallas leads the all-time series 7-4 but has lost the last four meetings…Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware had two sacks and has recorded 13 sacks in his last eight games.

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Read More: Derrick Dockery (G – DAL), Miles Austin (WR – DAL), Jason Hatcher (DE – DAL), Tony Romo (QB – DAL), Marcus Spears (DE – DAL), Felix Jones (RB – DAL), Orlando Scandrick (CB – DAL), David Buehler (K – DAL), New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys

The latest injury report is out for the Dallas Cowboys, who are as healthy as they have been all season coming off a bye week and headed into a big road game against the New England Patriots.

After battling through injuries over the last few weeks, the Cowboys offensive playmakers — QB Tony Romo, RB Felix Jones, WR Miles Austin and WR Dez Bryant — are all listed as “probable”. Perhaps just as important is the health of CB Orlando Scandrick, also listed as probable after missing three weeks with an ankle sprain, who will be vital to stopping the Patriots air attack.

Four players — K David Buehler (groin), G Derrick Dockery (knee), FB Tony Fiametta (hamstring) and DE Jason Hatcher (calf) — have been ruled out for Sunday’s game. Hatcher’s absence will affect the Cowboys’ pass rush, as Marcus Spears is his likely replacement in the starting line-up.