New Orleans Saints vs. Dallas Cowboys: Full Report Card Grades for Dallas
The Dallas Cowboys put together their best effort of the season as they dominated the New Orleans Saints in a 38-17 win Sunday night.
The story of the game was the Cowboys dominating in the trenches on offense and defense. The offensive line, led by left tackle Tyron Smith, opened huge running lanes for DeMarco Murray and gave Tony Romo plenty of time to throw in the pocket.
This was the best the Cowboys have looked in a long time. The offense did a great job of imposing its will, and the defense was incredible for most of the night.
Tyrone Crawford put forth a solid effort for the Cowboys' defensive line, as he did a fantastic job collapsing the pocket against the pass and setting the edge in the run game.
Terrance Williams had his best performance of the year as he ran clean routes and did a serviceable job run blocking.
Dan Bailey was once again perfect as he drilled a 51-yard field goal for the Cowboys. The special teams are proving to be one of the best units in the league.
Let’s take a look at how each position graded out in this Week 4 matchup.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Tony Romo put together his best performance of the season against the Saints. He went 22 of 29 for 262 yards and three touchdowns.
Romo did an incredible job spreading the ball around to different receivers as eight players had at least one catch. He seems to be reverting back to the Romo of old in these last two games.
He did a great job maneuvering in the pocket and even had a run for 21 yards, the longest of his career.
"The Romo you saw tonight... Man. That's about as good as it gets. Played against a brutal defense, yes, but was on point all the way through
— SI_DougFarrar (@SI_DougFarrar) September 29, 2014"
The days of worrying about Romo's back should be gone after this incredible performance. Romo actually outplayed Drew Brees for the entirety of the game.
He also did a much better job with his footwork and mechanics. He did a great job of setting his feet and maintaining balance so that he could be accurate with his throws.
If Romo continues to play at this high of a level, the Cowboys will be playoff-bound.
Grade: A
Running Back
2 of 10
DeMarco Murray had another fantastic performance against the Saints. Murray has been the biggest bright spot on the offense thus far this season, and he proved it once again Sunday night.
Murray had 24 carries for 149 yards and two touchdowns. He ran hard throughout the game, which led to numerous broken tackles.
Another aspect of Murray's game that doesn't get enough credit is his ability to pass block. Murray does a great job of picking up any extra blitzers on the defensive line who make it through the Cowboys' offensive line.
The Cowboys also showcased some of the plays they have designed for Lance Dunbar. On one play, the Cowboys did a play-action pass to fake end-around to a screen pass that went for 24 yards. This is the type of impact Dunbar can have when he is utilized to his full potential.
Joseph Randle even had a couple of nice runs when he was asked to spell Murray.
The Cowboys continue to be the best running team in the NFL.
Grade: A
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
The Cowboys wide receivers and tight ends had another stellar performance this week.
Jason Witten led the way with his solid blocking and timely catches throughout the game. He finished the game with five catches for 61 yards, but that doesn't signify the impact he had on the game. Witten is proving to be one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL.
Speaking of blocking, wide receiver Dwayne Harris is like a tight end in the way he blocks. When he was in, he provided a couple blocks that helped spring the Cowboys for some nice gains.
Dez Bryant continued to make plays despite teams game-planning specifically to stop him. Bryant finished with three catches for 44 yards and a touchdown.
Terrance Williams had his best performance of the season as he pulled in six receptions for 77 yards and two touchdowns. Williams is really coming into his own as a real receiving threat opposite of Bryant.
Grade: A
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
This was the best the Cowboys' offensive line has looked since 2009. Thus far this season, the offensive line dominated in either run blocking or pass protection; however, it dominated in both aspects Sunday night.
The offensive line led the way as the Cowboys ran the ball 35 times for 190 yards and two touchdowns.
Tyron Smith had another dominating performance as he shut down Junior Galette throughout the game. Smith proved once again why he is the best offensive tackle in the NFL.
Travis Frederick and Zack Martin both had incredible games as well. They opened up huge running lanes for DeMarco Murray while doing a great job of protecting Tony Romo in the pocket.
If the Cowboys' offensive line can keep playing this way, the Cowboys offense will be one of the best in the league.
Grade: A
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The defensive line did a good job stopping the run and an adequate job rushing the passer throughout the game.
The Cowboys controlled the line of scrimmage for most of the night. They had a couple slip-ups at the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth quarter but overall did a good job.
Tyrone Crawford was the best player on the defensive line. He did a fantastic job setting the edge in the running game and collapsing the pocket in the passing game.
Anthony Spencer made his return from microfracture knee surgery and didn't look too bad. He didn't have the same explosion he used to have, but he did a great job setting the edge in the run game.
The Cowboys still need to get more sacks and quarterback hits from their defensive line, but the Saints game was certainly an improvement.
Grade:B+
Linebacker
6 of 10
When Rolando McClain is in the game, the Cowboys linebackers are a much better group. This was proved once again as all three starting linebackers made big contributions in the game.
Bruce Carter made a pass deflection that landed in Justin Durant's hands and helped the Cowboys jump to a big first-half lead. Carter was great in coverage throughout the game; however, he did leave with a quad injury early in the fourth quarter.
Justin Durant had some mishaps covering Jimmy Graham, but he was solid throughout as he led the Cowboys in tackles.
Rolando McClain had another huge play as he forced a fumble to ice the game for the Cowboys in the fourth quarter. He has a presence in the middle of the defense, and everyone seems to elevate his own play when McClain is in the game.
Grade: A
Secondary
7 of 10
The Cowboys secondary did an impressive job against the numerous weapons on the Saints. Morris Claiborne went out early in the game, but the secondary didn't skip a beat.
"Initial diagnosis of Mo Claiborne is torn ACL, per Jerry Jones. Will get MRI to confirm.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) September 29, 2014"
Sterling Moore had another splendid performance as he had two impressive pass deflections for the Cowboys. The Cowboys secondary may improve with the extra playing time Moore is going to get in Claiborne's absence.
Orlando Scandrick showed once again that he is the best cornerback on the Cowboys roster. He makes key tackles and is always in a great position when the ball is in the air.
J.J. Wilcox didn't have one of his best days coverage, as he was burned on a couple instances by the Saints. The Cowboys are still in need of a player who can man the single-high safety role for the defense.
The cornerbacks did a great job in the game and covered up the average safety play throughout the game.
Grade: B
Special Teams
8 of 10
Dan Bailey is the best kicker in the NFL. He proved it once again as he nailed a 51-yard field goal and made it look easy. He also didn't allow the Saints to gain a single kick return yard because of his booming kickoffs.
Chris Jones averaged 41.5 yards per punt and had a good day.
Dwayne Harris didn't get much of a chance to showcase his returning skills, as he only had one return for 30 yards.
The Cowboys special teams units are some the the finest in the NFL.
Grade: A
Coaching
9 of 10
Head coach Jason Garrett did a fantastic job once again for the Cowboys. He managed time well, and the Cowboys only had six penalties on the night.
Play-caller Scott Linehan called another beautiful game for the Cowboys. He mixed up the formations and stuck with the run throughout the game. Linehan is proving to be one of the most underrated offseason moves this season.
On defense, Rod Marinelli showed once again why he is a defensive genius. This led to ESPN Dallas' Todd Archer giving him the game ball:
"Maybe defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli is something of a miracle worker. The Saints threw a little bit of a scare into the Cowboys in the second half, but they came up with their second three-and-out when it mattered most. Leading 31-17, Marinelli dropped eight defenders in coverage with the Saints facing a third-and-15, forcing Drew Brees to throw underneath. The Cowboys rallied to the ball to force a fourth-and-9. When punter Thomas Morstead tried a fake, the Cowboys were prepared and defensive end Jack Crawford recorded the only sack of the day, albeit on a punter.
"
On a day that was plagued by questionable coaching decisions, the Cowboys coaching staff made sound decisions game.
Grade: A
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Positional Unit | Overall Grade |
| QB | A |
| RB | A |
| WR | A |
| OL | A |
| DL | B+ |
| LB | A |
| Secondary | B |
| Special Teams | A |
| Coaching | A |
| Cumulative Grade | A- |
The Cowboys put together an impressive team effort, and that is shown in the A- cumulative grade. The offensive line dominated in the trenches, which led to the rest of the offense having an outstanding performance. The defensive line was also very good as it allowed the linebackers space to roam around and make plays. The Cowboys are in great shape to go 4-1 next week as they face the Houston Texans.
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