COWBOYS OVERTAKE PANTHERS: WIN 21-7

The Cowboys opened their first Monday Night Football game in the new Cowboys Stadium with a win over the Carolina Panthers 21-7. It wasn't the prettiest win, but a win is a win, so I won't complain too much. The Cowboys are now 2-1 and tied for 2nd place in the NFC East [I know, it's still a little early in the season to look at the standings but the Cowboys really had to win this game]. Below are some additional thoughts on the game:

THE GOOD:
- Felix Jones is Awesome! [when he is not getting injured!]. He is explosive at the line and averages over 8 yards per carry. It seems like every time he has the ball something special happens. However, he went out in the 3rd Quarter with a knee strain - lets hope it is not too serious...Choice is also becoming a reliable option that shows he can carry the load when Barber and Jones can't. Last night was the 2nd consecutive week we have had over 200 rushing yards. Let's hope the continue to pound the running game on future teams - if it ain't broke, don't fix it...

- Cowboys "D" Shows up: The Cowboys finally get the sacks and takeaways that have been missing this season. First, Jenkins intercepted Delhomme in the 2nd Quarter to give the Dallas defense their first turnover of 2009. This end the ugly streak of 207 snaps without an interception. Then in the 3rd Quarter Ratliff netted the first Dallas sack of the season [finally!]. Terrence Newman added to the mix by jumping in front of a pass intended for Steve Smith for the 2nd interception of the game and returning it for a defensive TD. Finally, Victor Butler came off the bench in the 4th and provided another sack and a caused a fumble that the Cowboys recovered, which all but sealed the game for them.

- Cowboys' Run "D": The Dallas Run Defense continues to look solid tonight as they did against the Giants. So far they have managed to contain the potent Carolina running game of DeAngelo Williams. We finally managed to put some pressure on the QB and Brooking did a nice job filling in the gaps and applying pressure.


THE BAD:
- Special Teams: Nick Folk snapped his streak of 16 consecutive made FGs tonight when he shanked a 40 yd attempt in the first quarter. This makes me especially mad since Folk in on my fantasy team and I am currently in a tie with my opponent...come on Nick, I need some help here!

- Penalties: The penalties last night did not come back to bite them, but they did contribute to stalling several offensive drives. False starts are understandable on the road in loud hostile environments, but to get those at home are embarrassing. I am still waiting to really see this offense get on a roll instead of sputtering as they have so far in 2009.

- Still No Offensive Rhythm: This is the first time since Nov. 19, 2006 that the Cowboys have not scored in the 1st half of a game as they are held to "0" tonight against the Panthers. Things improved in the 2nd Half by utilizing an effective running game and taking what the Defense gave them [Tony Romo - Bus Driver QB?]. The one thing missing the past 2 weeks has been the offensive explosion we were used to seeing in Dallas the past few years. I know TO is no longer here, but we still have 3 or 4 other receivers that should be able to split the workload, so why do we ignore them?

- Poor Tackling: It is very frustrating to watch the defense be in the correct position to make a play, then have poor tackling and continuously give up 1st downs. I think the Defense has really stepped up on the line after the running debacle in Tampa Bay and are committed to stopping the run, now if everyone else will attempt more that arm tackling we can really stop some offenses.

- Just my observation, but did we really punt with 5 seconds left in the half; why not go for it and see if we can get something started offensively???