Cowboys Have Too Much Barber/Jones For the Packers
The Dallas Cowboys have never won on Lambeau Field. They are 0-5. This is not very surprising since three of those games took place in the 1960s and one was the famous Ice Bowl game. As I recall, the last time the Cowboys played the Packers in Lambeau, it was in the late 1990s. The Cowboys were on their decline. (I forgot a game in 2004 which was a very forgettable season.) The Packers were still playing championship ball. They destroyed the Cowboys.
These are two different teams. Both teams like to push the ball down the field. Both teams have relatively young quarterbacks. On paper, the game looks fairly even.
The game was even in the first quarter. Neither the Cowboys nor the Packers got into the end zone. Both teams made mistakes and traded field goals. Then the Cowboys handed the ball off to Marion Barber. He carried the ball 28 times for 142 yards and one touchdown. He destroyed the Pack. Felix Jones, the Cowboy rookie running back, broke the game open with a 60 yard run that featured Terrell Owens blocking not one but two players down field. Jason Witten made a key block that sealed the end and allowed Felix Jones to get into the open field. Simply a great play. He is turning out to be something very special. Jason Witten continues to be a significant force for both blocking and catching the ball. He had seven catches for 67 yards. Terrell Owens had a subpar game but because he was drawing double coverage, we were able to run the ball against a seven man front.
The biggest surprise of the evening, in my opinion, was the Dallas defense’s ability to control the Packers vaunted offense. The Cowboys had five sacks. Many of those were coverage sacks as Aaron Rodgers could not find anyone open. Also, Miles Austin stepped up with two big catches.
Biggest disappointment: Patrick Clayton can’t seem to consistently get open and be a down field target for Tony Romo. He dropped an easy pass over the middle.
A look ahead: With the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants being the only two remaining undefeated teams, people are already talking about playoffs. There is plenty of football between now and then. The Cowboys need to stay healthy. We still had a couple blown coverages in the secondary. I am surprised and pleased by the play of Zach Thomas, who is playing like a young man.
Next week, the Washington Redskins come into town. Jason Campbell continues to improve. Clinton Portis continues to be a force at running back. Santana Moss has personally killed the Cowboys on several occasions. Dallas has to be mentally and physically ready to play football. Romo must eliminate mistakes.