With 12:26 left in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game between Dallas and Pittsburgh, the Steelers faced a fourth-and-goal from the Dallas one. The Steelers had managed to move the ball 73 yards on a long drive, but now it was do-or-die time for Pittsburgh.
Greg Russell ran off left guard, but Bradie James and Keith Davis stuffed the play. Dallas still had a 13-3 lead at that point and all the momentum one could imagine. If the Cowboys needed to make a statement, that sure looked like one.
Then there were a bunch of other statements:
* The Dallas offense could do nothing at all from that point. The Cowboys made a first down on the ensuing drive after stopping the Steelers, but Dallas could make it no further than its own 18.
* The special teams, which had been pretty good all game, broke down. Santonio Holmes broke a 35-yard return to give Pittsburgh the ball at the Dallas 25.
* Though the defense held the Steelers to a field goal with 7:20 remaining, everything was unwinding. Without their closer in Marion Barber, the Dallas offense went three-and-out. The Dallas defense then could not contain Pittsburgh wideout Nate Washington, who caught two passes for 37 yards to give the Steelers a first-and-goal at the Dallas 6. The Steelers scored when Ben Roethlisberger hit tight end Heath Miller in the left flat, and Miller rammed his way in.
* With the score now tied 13-13, Tony Romo continued to find ways to turn the ball over. He threw a pass that was supposedly intended for Jason Witten, but it was way off course and ended up in the hands of Deshea Townsend. Townsend returned the pick for a touchdown, and now Dallas was down by a touchdown.
Having a 13-3 lead in the fourth quarter probably left the Cowboys surprised. The team had made so many mistakes and missed so many opportunities that it almost felt as if the Cowboys were trailing by three touchdowns. It was only because the Dallas defense played its best game of the season that the Cowboys weren’t down earlier in the game.
* Tony Romo threw an interception on the first series of the game on a play where it appeared as if Romo had a miscommunication with Terrell Owens. Troy Polamalu intercepted the pass, but the Steelers missed a field goal at the end of the drive.
* Twice in the first half, Dallas failed to convert fourth down plays in Pittsbugh territory. The wind was apparently really bad in the first half, so the Cowboys did not risk having Nick Folk attempt a 50-yard kick.
* Dallas recovered two Pittsburgh fumbles in the first half but failed to do anything with the ball on the ensuing drives.
* Tony Romo’s second quarter included a fumble and another interception. The pick set up Pittsburgh’s first field goal of the game.
The Cowboys started playing much better at the end of the first half. The Cowboys moved the ball 49 yards in the final 2:40 to set up a 44-yard field goal by Nick Folk. The Dallas defense continued to play well in the third quarter, and the Dallas offense managed two scoring drives in that quarter. Then came that fateful 12 minutes to end the game.
Unsung HeroesBradie James and Tashard Choice played like winners. Choice finished with 166 total yards, representing 57.4% of the Dallas offensive total. James had 11 tackles and a forced fumble. As a whole, the Dallas defense managed five sacks.
How Much Blame Falls on Romo’s Shoulders?Lots. He was off all game and committed turnovers in three of the four quarters. His touchdown pass to Terrell Owens was a lucky fluke. He missed several receivers today by overthrowing them, and in a few instances, he simply made bad decisions.
Jason Witten tried to take the blame for Romo’s interception near the end of the game. However, Romo made so many other mistakes that he deserves the heat.
What This Loss MeansThe loss was simply another blown opportunity for the Cowboys. Atlanta fell to 8-5 by losing to New Orleans today, meaning that Dallas could have taken a one-game lead over the Falcons. Dallas now holds a tiebreaking edge over the Falcons because Dallas is 6-4 in the NFC while Atlanta is 5-4. Both teams will be a game behind the loser of the Buccaneers-Panthers game on Sunday night.
What really hurts about the Dallas loss is that the Eagles and Saints are now back in the playoff picture. Philadelphia (7-5-1) is only a half-game behind Dallas, while New Orleans is only a game behind. The Cowboys play the Eagles in the last game of the season, and it should be very clear that the Eagles in general are a better team in December than the Cowboys.
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