Dallas Cowboys vs. St. Louis Rams: Full Report Card Grades for Dallas
Despite a 21-point second-quarter deficit, the Dallas Cowboys beat the St. Louis Rams, 34-31, outscoring the Rams 34-10 after falling behind early.
The defense closed out the game for the Cowboys on the back of two interceptions from Bruce Carter and Morris Claiborne, who both struggled mightily prior to those plays.
On offense, DeMarco Murray had another productive day despite another fumble lost, and Tony Romo made a number of fantastic plays to keep the Cowboys in the game.
The defense sorely missed Rolando McClain, but somehow they managed to do just enough to win the game.
The defensive line failed to get much pressure once again, but they did a better job of getting pressure in critical situations.
The Cowboys will now look forward to next week's game against the New Orleans Saints in prime time.
Let’s take a look at how each position graded out in this Week 3 matchup.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Tony Romo turned in his best performance of the season against the Rams. He went 18 of 23 for 217 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
He wasn't perfect. His interception and errant throw intended for Lance Dunbar late in the game were due to a bad decision and a bad throw respectively, but he made a great deal of fantastic plays that kept the Cowboys alive in the game.
He even made a huge play with his legs when he scampered for 16 yards on third down as the Cowboys were driving to take the lead.
Romo's performance led ESPNDallas.com's Todd Archer to give him the game ball:
"Yes, Tony Romo had an interception returned for a touchdown in the first half, but the Cowboys’ quarterback looked far different from than the way he played in the first two games. Romo was nimble, evidenced by his 16-yard scramble on a third-and-13 run in the fourth quarter. Later on third and 14, he found Terrance Williams for 20 yards. Four plays later he hit Williams on a 12-yard touchdown pass. There was no wild celebration. Romo simply pumped his fist and went to the sideline. His stats were modest – 18 of 23, 217 yards – but he made the plays when it mattered most.
"
Romo's play was a huge improvement over the first two weeks of the season. He did a much better job of setting his feet and utilizing good mechanics to make accurate throws with adequate velocity.
"Tony Romo said he felt much better this week than previous two. Felt like everything was "firing"
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) Sept. 21, 2014"
If Romo can continue to play fundamentally sound along with an effective running game, the Cowboys offense could be one of the best in the NFL.
Grade: A-
Running Back
2 of 10
Another game and another DeMarco Murray fumble lost on the first Cowboys drive of the game. The good news is that he bounced back to have a very productive game. The bad news is that he has had a fumble in each of the first three games.
Murray ran the ball 24 times for 100 yards and a hard-fought touchdown. Unlike the first two games, Murray didn't have huge holes to run through, which required him to fight hard for each yard he earned.
"The last time a Cowboys running back had 100+ yards in 3 consecutive games was when Julius Jones did it in 2006 from week 3-week 5.
— Jordan Ross (@TheJordanRoss) Sept. 21, 2014"
Oftentimes, he had to break tackles in the backfield so that he was able to just get a couple yards.
Nonetheless, Murray showed a bad habit of dancing to much in the backfield, which led to multiple carries for negative gains. He needs to do a better job of making one cut and hitting the hole hard, regardless of how big it is.
Grade: B
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
Once again, star receiver Dez Bryant was the most impressive receiver on the roster. He had 6 receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown, highlighted by a 68-yard touchdown catch at the beginning of the second half.
Bryant has been nursing a shoulder injury and didn't look 100 percent for much of the game, but that didn't stop him from making some impressive plays.
Terrance Williams had a beautiful slant route that resulted in a touchdown catch to put the Cowboys in the lead. He has yet to make a huge impact in any of the three games, but Williams has done a great job making a great deal of little plays to help the Cowboys.
Jason Witten was once again the reliable security blanket for Romo, as he hauled in four catches for 49 yards. When the Cowboys needed an important catch on third down, Romo looked Witten's way.
Grade: B+
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
In the first two games, the offensive line was fantastic in run blocking, but he was poor in pass protection. Today, the roles were reversed as the offensive line did a great job protecting Tony Romo, but couldn't give DeMarco Murray many holes to run through.
"Stat that got lost in the madness: Cowboys didn't allow a sack to Quinn and Co. First time the starting group has posted a shutout.
— David Helman (@HelmanDC) Sept. 21, 2014"
Tyron Smith was the best player along the offensive line. He did an unbelievable job against All-Pro defensive end Robert Quinn. Smith held Quinn sackless and didn't allow him to make much of an impact.
"Rams DE Robert Quinn, perhaps the best pass rusher in the NFL, had no sacks and no hurries. Tyron Smith is pretty darn good.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) Sept. 21, 2014"
It is hard to determine how poorly each offensive lineman did without reviewing the tape, but on the live viewing it appeared as though Zack Martin had a very poor outing. He was pushed into the backfield on multiple occasions and seemed to not get much push in the running game.
If the Cowboys offensive line can put together a game where they are equally dominant in pass protection as they are in run blocking, then you will see the true ceiling of the offense as a whole.
Grade: B
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The Cowboys defensive line once again did not record a sack; however, they did record six quarterback hits. The defensive line didn't get much pressure, but when they did, it severely affected Austin Davis' ability to make good throws.
"Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that DT Henry Melton tweaked his groin during game but was able to play through it. Something to watch
— Brandon George (@DMN_George) Sept. 21, 2014"
One of Henry Melton's pressures led to Bruce Carter's pick-six. Nick Hayden even had a couple of pass-rush snaps where he didn't look totally inadequate.
The defensive line didn't do a great job against the run either. Zac Stacy had huge holes way too often throughout the game.
The defensive line does need to do a better job of getting to the quarterback on a more consistent basis. When the Cowboys get to division games, they are going to need the front four to get some sacks and constant pressure.
If the Cowboys are forced to keep blitzing to create pressure, their secondary is going to be exposed by teams with elite quarterbacks, like the New Orleans Saints and Drew Brees.
Grade: C
Linebacker
6 of 10
The Cowboys linebackers played very poorly for most of the game. Bruce Carter, Anthony Hitchens and Kyle Wilber struggled mightily against the run and in coverage.
Nevertheless, the trio made a couple of spectacular plays when it mattered most.
Hitchens made an outstanding tackle on 4th-and-inches in the third quarter. He did a great job of attacking through his gap and wrapping up the Rams running back in the backfield.
Not to be outdone, Carter had a pick-six to put the Cowboys up by 10 with six minutes left in the game. He did an impressive job getting into his zone and breaking on the ball to get the interception.
Even with those two extraordinary plays, they sorely missed Rolando McClain at the "Mike" linebacker position.
McClain brings a physical tone-setting type of play that the Cowboys need. When McClain tackles, running backs fall backward; however, the Rams running backs were falling forward on nearly every run Sunday.
The good news is the Cowboys should get McClain back against the Saints.
Grade: C
Secondary
7 of 10
The secondary, much like the linebackers, played poorly most of the game. The Rams offense abused Morris Claiborne for a majority of the game. Brandon Carr even had a few snaps where he was beaten badly by Rams receivers.
"Mo Claiborne: "I pretty much stunk it up, I feel like. But we came out with a win and a big play at the end, so be happy."
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) Sept. 21, 2014"
Nonetheless, Claiborne made the play when it mattered most, where he soared high for an interception to seal the game for the Cowboys. That play reminded Dallascowboys.com's Bryan Broaddus of the way Claiborne played at LSU:
"If you want to know, that last interception by Morris Claiborne is how he made plays at LSU. I know. I have seen him do it before."
That still doesn't change the fact that he was poor for nearly the entire game.
Orlando Scandrick did an adequate job in his return from suspension, even though he got his bell rung after a nice tackle on a Rams tight end.
Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox struggled in coverage once again, which highlights how badly the Cowboys need a safety that can thrive in a single-high role.
The fact remains that Austin Davis, who was the Rams third-string quarterback to start the season, dissected the secondary for the majority of the game.
They will need to play much better against the Saints for the Cowboys to have a chance.
Grade: C
Special Teams
8 of 10
The Cowboys special teams were good once again.
Dan Bailey was 2-2 on field goals and did a great job on kickoffs. Chris Jones didn't get many opportunities to punt the ball, but he did an adequate job when he had to.
"Dan Bailey with his 28th straight FG, setting team record. Chris Boniol made 27 in a row in '96.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) Sept. 21, 2014"
Dwayne Harris did an incredible job covering kicks and was solid on his kickoff returns.
The Cowboys special teams unit continues to be a real strength.
Grade: A
Coaching
9 of 10
The Cowboys coaching staff did a phenomenal job against the Rams. Even though they were down by 21 points, play-caller Scott Linehan didn't deviate from the plan, and it paid off big time for the Cowboys.
"Consider this the Cowboys were down 21-0 but came back to win the game and still had more runs than passes, 24-23. Stuck to the run
— Clarence Hill (@clarencehilljr) Sept. 21, 2014"
Rod Marinelli did a great job calling plays on the last Rams drive. He called plays that played to the strength of his players. He could have went into a prevent defense—like a ton of teams do—on the last drive. However, he came out and played Cover 3, and it resulted in a beautiful interception by Morris Claiborne.
Jason Garrett did a great job of managing the clock and keeping the team in the game despite the early struggles. They also only had three penalties, which points to a well-coached team.
Grade: A
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Quarterback | A- |
| Running Back | B |
| Wide Receiver and Tight End | B+ |
| Offensive Line | B |
| Defensive Line | C |
| Linebacker | C |
| Secondary | C |
| Special Teams | A |
| Coaching | A |
| Team Grade | B |
The Cowboys were led by the stellar play of Tony Romo and timely turnovers forced by the defense. Romo looked like he did last year for a number of stretches during the game. The defense wasn't good for most of the game, but they made spectacular plays when the stakes were the highest.
The Cowboys have built a little bit of momentum entering their game against the Saints, who blew them out in the previous year. The Saints game will be a good litmus test to see how much the Cowboys have improved from last year.
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