Dallas Cowboys Report Card: Handing out Grades for Every Week 3 Starter

Was Week 3 better than week 2 for Dallas? Did Felix, Tony, Tyron, or Sean play better than they did in Week 2? Have the Cowboys turned a corner in terms of how they are viewed nationally, and has the perception improved?

What about the defensive line? Is Marcus Spears playing better, and did the Cowboys do themselves a disservice by releasing Andre Gurode?

Man, I may have more questions than answers at this point, but it's always fun to try and answer them.

I think that Dallas has changed the perception of themselves nationwide. Quarterback Tony Romo played with broken ribs and second-tier wide receivers while taking snaps from a center who had major communication issue—and they still won the game.

This isn’t your nephews Dallas Cowboys—these ‘Boys belong to Jason Garrett.

While fans continue to bask in the glory of Romo’s ribs and car wash, let's take a look at the grades for every single Week 3 starter.

Quarterback: Tony Romo – A

I saw Mike Wilbon on Pardon the Interruption say today that Romo didn’t play well, and the game against the ‘Skins was awful.

I tend to disagree seeing that Romo was injured, and so was the entire offense it seemed. Felix Jones played with a shoulder harness, Miles Austin was out, Dez Bryant played hurt, again, Tryon Smith still has knee issues, Dereck Dockery is out, and Tony Romo has injured ribs.

Did I mention that Tony Romo played with broken ribs!?

At any rate, I think his effort was grade-A, and considering the limitations Garrett had on the offense and the players Romo had at his disposal, he did a great job considering what he had in front of him.

Runningback: Felix Jones – B Plus

Jones was shut down for the first three quarters of the game, and then…boom! He explodes for two long runs to gain 115 yards on 14 carries.

I thought Jones looked timid at times and didn’t show the same burst I’ve seen from him in that past, and that may have been because of the shoulder.

Still, for a guy to average 8.2 yards per carry with a separated shoulder is a little impressive.

Wide Reciever(s): Dez Bryant, Kevin Ogletree – C

Ogletree looked awful at times on Monday. He ran wrong routes, dropped passes, and seemed deer in the headlightsish.

Dez had possibly the biggest catch of the game when the ‘Boys faced 3rd-and-21, and he was faced up with DeAngelo Hall one on one. No need to guess who won that match-up.

I give these two guys a C-minus because of Dez’s play, but Ogletree still has a lot to learn about this offense.

Tight End: Jason Witten – A

Witten had six catches for 60 yards and bailed brother Tony out when he needed to be bailed out.

He’s Romo’s fail safe, and without Witten I’m not sure where the Cowboys would be offensively. He’s the team’s No. 1 receiver, and for good reason.

Miles Austin may be listed as the team’s No. 1 receiver, but don’t get it twisted, Witten holds that title, son.

Center: Phil Costa, D Minus

Costa can’t receive a good grade here because of the snap issues. I keep hearing that Romo should be ready for the snap at all times and that the Redskins called out Tony’s cadence.

Doesn’t matter—Dallas has to get their communication issues under control, and Costa has to do a better job.

D-minus here, and it may get worse if he continues down this road of bad snaps.

Right Guard: Kyle Kosier, C Minus

Kosier was flagged for holding or a false start, can’t remember the specific call, but he got pushed around a little last night as well.

I remember on a third down at the goaline the Cowboys offensive line got no push on the ‘Skins, and they were throttled and forced to take the field goal.

Kosier helps Tyron Smith out on the right side of the line, and because of that he gets a C-minus.

Right Tackle: Tyron Smith, C Minus

Another C-minus here and Smith may actually be a D-plus player. Smith, like the rest of the line, got pushed around, and he’s also a little undersized.

Smith will continue to grow into his role as the anchor of the right side of the ‘Boys line, but until that day comes, he’s C club.

Left Guard: Bill Nagy, D Plus

Nagy was benched for Dockery, but when Dockery got hurt, he was inserted back into the line-up. He’s also a little nicked up himself.

Still, I like Nagy and think that he can be a pretty good offensive lineman.

Nagy did an OK job of keeping Romo upright, but Tony did get the ball out of hands pretty quickly to help the line. Nagy will need to get stronger and add some weight, but in the interim, I believe that he’s serviceable at that spot.

Left Tackle: Doug Free, D Minus

Free got abused last night, and if Tony didn’t get hit, Orakpo was able to beat Free off of the line too many times.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand that Orakpo is one of the best past rushers in the league, and there aren’t too many offensive tackles who can keep him under control. But Free has to do a better job on speed rushers, and with Orakpo’s speed and strength, it seemed to overwhelm Free at times.

Just ask John Phillips.

Nose Tackle: Jay Ratliff, C Plus

I think Ratliff played well, just look at the Redskins' total rushing yards. They barely got to the high sixties, and Dallas did a great job of plugging holes when needed.

We’ll see more out of Jay as the season progresses, but team’s recognize his importance and often double him to keep him out of the backfield.

Defensive End: Marcus Spears, C Plus

I was hard on Spears last season because I thought he needed to produce more. He’s not a sack master, but he’s great at stuffing the run.

Spears won’t pressure the quarterback or get 10 or 11 sacks per season, but he will get the job done, and he did just that last night.

Defensive Lineman: Jason Hatcher, Incomplete

He was injured, so he gets an incomplete.  

Kenyon Coleman will start in his place, and there shouldn’t be a major drop off.

Linebacker: Anthony Spencer, A Minus

Spencer ended the game with the biggest defensive play of the day. Spencer pounced on Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman and jarred the ball loose.

Spencer had four tackles and one huge sack.

He’s improving, which is important, but he had the biggest play of the game with his hit and fumble.

Bradie James: Linebacker, C Minus

James would be on the bench if rookie linebacker Bruce Carter was healthy.

Still, I believe he represents continuity and stability, and he’s there until they find his replacement.

Linebacker: DeMarcus Ware, A Plus

Ware is a full grown man, and he’s the best pass rusher in the NFL right now—bar none.

He’s fast, strong, nimble, and he likes to hunt for quarterbacks. He was quiet for a large chunk of the game, but when he arrived, he made sure everyone knew it.

Linebacker: Sean Lee, a Plus

Sean Lee is a full-grown man now. He’s slowly becoming an important voice on the defensive side of the ball, and as long as he continues to play at a high level, Lee will be just fine.

He had eight total tackles with an interception and a fumble recovery. He’s on full-blown star status with fans, and as long he continues to play at a high level, he’ll stay there.

Cornerback: Terence Newman, C

I think that Newman played well considering. He’s coming off of an injury and thrown right into the fire without being in football shape.

He had a good showing and will provide stability, a common word here, to a shaky Cowboys secondary.

Cornerback: Mike Jenkins, C Minus

Injury prone Mike Jenkins may not make it throughout the season if he keeps getting dinged up the way he does.

Jenkins is having shoulder problems, and they flared up against the ‘Skins. He still played well enough to sustain what Dallas was doing, and at the end of the day, it's better than 2010.

Free Safety: Gerald Sensabaugh, B Minus

Sensabaugh had six tackles, but I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

Did the running back get to the third level and was Gerald forced to make the tackle, or did he make plays off of passing plays?

Still, Gerald did his job, and he’s playing well for a Cowboys secondary with, well, issues.

Strong Safety: Abe Elam, C Minus

I feel like Elam’s name isn’t called that often, and I only see him on replays and highlights.

I think that’s a good thing, because you haven’t watched a play where Dallas was burned so badly they couldn’t recover.

Elam isn’t the long term answer, but he’s a great stop gap.

Kicker: Dan Bailey, a Plus

He won the game and scored 18 points. How can you not give this guy a grade of an A.

Bailey’s kicks were on point and sharp, and he never seemed rattled by the pressure. Maybe, just maybe, the Cowboys have found a kicker.

Punter: Mat McBriar, B

McBriar averaged 50 yards per punt, and he had three of them. The ‘Skins returned two for 10 yards, which is why McBriar is considered to be one of the best punters in the NFL.