Cowboys 16, Buccaneers 10: My Top 10 CBS Contemplations
10. The Cowboys have won 2 games this season. In both they've committed 13 penalties. I have no idea how to even begin to start explaining that. I do know that they won an NFL game despite a ridiculously inept offensive line that got quarterback Tony Romo sacked 4 times and opened holes for only 38 yards rushing by DeMarco Murray on 18 carries. Not often that the formula for an NFL win is 13 penalties + 3 turnovers + 4 sacks.
9. With it being Hispanic Heritage Appreciation Month and all, I wonder if the refs held the pre-game coin toss with a … peso?
8. Worst news of the day: Safety Barry Church and his season-ending Achilles injury. That means more Brandon Carr at safety or perhaps Mike Jenkins. Don't expect Dallas to suddenly, desperately find the number of Brodney Pool. And don't believe anyone who mentioned Carr at safety as a possibility. No one – and I mean no one – even whispered it before the game. Genius.
7. With the 5 Super Bowl banners hanging from the rafters, the halftime ceremony honoring the title teams of '77 and '92 featured one player (Jethro Pugh) using a walker and another (Alan Veingrad) wearing a yarmulke. And with banners at one (east) end and the American flag at the other (west), it now begs the glaring exclusion: No Texas state flag in Cowboys Stadium?
6. Love the theory of the onside kick. Hated the timing. It was unnecessary, and poorly executed. In a gritty game dominated by defense, didn't think the Cowboys needed to take that risk. Bad choice by Jason Garrett.
5. If you tell me Jason Witten's not totally recovered from his lacerated spleen, at this point I'll believe you. Because there's no other logical explanation. Witten dropped 2 more passes, was flagged for 2 false-start penalties and totally whiffed on a block that led to a violent sack of Romo. He was heroic for playing against the Giants, but otherwise he's been horrible.
4. Replacement referee Robert Dalton and his gang had a rough day, twice initially missing on Tony Romo fumbles before having them overturned by instant replay. But before you scream for the regular refs, be careful. Without Dalton's wrong call – and whistle blowing the play dead – the Bucs would've scored on a 31-yard fumble recovery by Eric Wright and taken a 14-10 lead late in the 3rd quarter. Yes, the Cowboys were lucky.
3. After getting shoved around in Seattle last Sunday, give credit to Rob Ryan's defense for shoving back big time against Tampa Bay. Without linemen Jay Ratliff and Kenyon Coleman and at times forced to line up Danny McCray and Mana Silva at safety, the Cowboys held the Bucs to 166 yards and receiver Vincent Jackson to 1 catch for 29.
2. And that, my dear friends and numerous doubters, is why you have Dez Bryant returning punts. Yes he'll run sideways or even backward a time or two to incite frustration. But, like he did against the Miami Dolphins last Thanksgiving, he's also capable of returning one 44 yards to set up the game-clinching field goal.
1. Wasn't pretty or artistic, but let's face it: Ugly wins are better than ugly losses. You can bitch and moan and whine about the win over the Buccaneers, or you can imagine what it's like to have your head the pillow tonight as a fan of the 0-3 New Orleans Saints. Style points be damned, 2-1 looks pretty good eh?
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