Houston Texans vs. Dallas Cowboys: Full Report Card Grades for Dallas
It took longer than expected, but the Dallas Cowboys came away with a 20-17 win over the Houston Texans Sunday to move to 4-1 on the year.
The first half was not nearly as exciting as the second. The Cowboys offense couldn't get much going, as they went into the locker room with just a 3-0 lead.
Things were much more interesting in the second half, as both offenses started to get into sync. The Cowboys had a 17-7 lead with 2:36 left in the fourth quarter. However, the Texans made a field goal and a quick touchdown to tie the game at 17 with 41 seconds left.
Nonetheless, the Cowboys drove into field-goal range with three seconds left in regulation. Dan Bailey couldn't make the 53-yard field goal, which sent them into overtime.
After a Cowboys stop, Romo led the Cowboys back into field-goal range and gave Bailey shot at redemption. Bailey rebounded from his earlier miss and made the 49-yard field goal to win the game.
Despite his interception, Romo had himself a good game, especially at the end. He led the Cowboys into a position to win the game on two separate occasions.
The Cowboys defense was great throughout the game, but was a much different squad when Rolando McClain went out with an apparent leg injury.
Let’s take a look at how each position graded out in this Week 5 matchup.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Tony Romo wasn't perfect, but he was great when it mattered most. On the last two drives of the game, Romo went 6-of-8 on his passes and put the Cowboys in position to win the game.
Altogether, he went 28-of-41 for 324 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. It could have been even better, but a few key drops by Dez Bryant and Terrance Williams hurt Romo's final stat line.
"Cowboys pass game coordinator on Romo escapability: "He's got that Spidey-sense."
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) October 5, 2014"
Romo's back didn't seem to be an issue as he escaped pressure and stepped up in the pocket on a few occasions with ease, the biggest of which was on a beautiful 37-yard throw to Bryant as Romo avoided pressure.
Romo had a few mistakes during the game, including an interception and a delay-of-game penalty.
On the interception, Romo's footwork was awful, as he had all of the weight on his back foot when he threw the ball, which caused it to fall right into Keenan Lewis' hands.
With Romo at the helm, the Cowboys will always have an opportunity to win the game. If Romo continues to play at this level, the Cowboys will be playoff-bound come January.
Grade: B+
Running Back
2 of 10
DeMarco Murray's performances are starting to all look alike. He has rushed for 100 yards in every game so far this season; however, he has fumbled in four out of the five games as well.
Once again, Murray was running well and coughed up the ball in the first quarter. After the fumble, he ran with a great deal of effort. He had great vision to see the running lanes and fought for every single yard.
He finished with 136 yards on 31 attempts for 4.4 yards per carry. Murray has been the best running back in the NFL through the first five games, and the Cowboys need him to maintain that level of play for the rest of the season.
Murray was also featured heavily in the passing game, as he had six catches for 56 yards against the Texans.
Joseph Randle had two carries for only four yards, but he showed great vision and change of direction on both runs.
Grade: B
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
Dez Bryant may have struggled through stretches in the game, but he made the biggest play when it mattered most. His amazing 37-yard catch in overtime put the Cowboys in position to win the game with a field goal. He had a couple of drops, but he finished with nine catches for 85 yards and a touchdown.
"Through 5 games, Terrance Williams has 16 catches, 250 yards and 5 TDs. On pace for 51 catches, 800 yards and 16 TDs. Weird.
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) October 5, 2014"
Terrance Williams showed both sides of his game against the Texans. He had a great touchdown catch, but he also had a drop on what should have been an easy touchdown reception. Williams has been very productive this year, but he needs to be more consistent.
"Jason Witten became the 3rd TE in NFL history to reach the 10,000 yard mark, joining Shannon Sharpe and Tony Gonzales.
— Jordan Ross (@TheJordanRoss) October 5, 2014"
Jason Witten had another solid game as a blocker and as a receiver. He got beat a couple of times by J.J. Watt, but that's nothing to be ashamed of.
Cole Beasley is not featured in the offense very much. However, he has been a fantastic option on third down. Beasley may be the best situational player on the Cowboys roster.
Overall, the Cowboys receivers and tight ends weren't as good as they have been, but they made the plays that were necessary to win the game.
Grade: B
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
The Cowboys offensive line had the almost impossible task of stopping All-Pro defensive lineman J.J. Watt. Throughout the game, Watt was very effective, but the Cowboys offensive line did about as good as one could hope. They didn't allow Watt to make any game-changing plays, which is saying a lot.
Tyron Smith had a ton of trouble when he lined up against Watt. He was beaten on the few occasions they lined up opposite each other. However, Smith did a fantastic job against the other Texans defenders.
Doug Free and Zack Martin appeared to have strong games as they opened holes for Murray and did an adequate job in pass protection.
Travis Frederick also had a strong game and he appeared to be impactful with his run-blocking.
The Cowboys offensive line continues to be a strength and is the biggest reason the Cowboys are 4-1.
Grade: B+
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The Cowboys defensive line had one of their best games last week against the Saints; however, they regressed against the Texans.
They came away with four hits on the quarterback, but once again, they went without a sack. Arian Foster also gashed the running game, finishing with 157 yards on 23 carries.
Tyrone Crawford and Jeremy Mincey looked to be the best defensive linemen throughout the game. They were the only two players who got consistent pressure on Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Nick Hayden has played much better than he did in 2013 for most of this season. Nonetheless, he went back to his old ways against the Texans. The Texans offensive linemen repeatedly blew him out of the hole.
The Cowboys defensive line has to be much better next week when they face Marshawn Lynch and the Seattle Seahawks.
Grade: C-
Linebacker
6 of 10
Through three-and-a-half quarters, the Cowboys linebackers were doing a masterful job. However, once Rolando McClain went out with a leg injury, everything went south. They were gashed on play after play as the Texans drove down for an easy touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
McClain was very productive before the injury, as he had six tackles and a thunderous hit on Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Justin Durant had a great game in coverage, which was highlighted by the way he blanketed Arian Foster on the third-down stop that caused the Texans to punt.
Anthony Hitchens had an up-and-down game against the Texans. He was great early on, but he struggled mightily late in the game, especially against the run.
"Jason Garrett said Rolando McClain aggravated groin injury. Tried to play through it but couldn't.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) October 5, 2014"
The Cowboys need McClain to be healthy for the rest of the season because they just aren't the same defense without him.
Grade: B
Secondary
7 of 10
The Cowboys secondary had another great game against the Texans. They made the Texans fight for every reception and held Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins mostly in check.
Orlando Scandrick was particularly impressive, as he had an interception and provided blanket coverage throughout the game.
Brandon Carr did a great job as well because he didn't give the Texans receiver an inch all day.
J.J. Wilcox was very productive when he was lining up in the box. He does a great job filling in the run game, and he can cover hook and curl routes in the intermediate part of the field very well.
The secondary was the driving force behind the Cowboys' incredible defensive effort, as Ryan Fitzpatrick went 16-of-25 for just 154 yards and an interception. Even though the Texans are not an elite passing team, it was still impressive.
Grade: A-
Special Teams
8 of 10
The Cowboys special teams had their worst game of the season against the Texans. Not only did Dan Bailey miss his first field goal of the season, but the punt-return team was also pathetic.
On four different punt returns, the Cowboys committed a penalty to move them into poor field position. This was compounded by a Dwayne Harris fumble that was recovered by the Texans.
For a team that prides themselves on special teams, this was a very poor effort by the Cowboys.
Even though the Cowboys special teams unit was awful, Dan Bailey rebounded from his earlier miss and made a 49-yard field goal to win the game in overtime.
"Dez: "Best kicker in the league, best kicker in the league -- Dan Bailey." Shouts out Oklahoma State for good measure.
— David Helman (@HelmanDC) October 5, 2014"
Despite his one miss, Bailey is still the best kicker in the NFL.
Grade: C
Coaching
9 of 10
The Cowboys coaching staff had another solid game against the Texans. Jason Garrett did a great job managing the clock and didn't have any real mishaps. They also only had seven penalties for 56 yards, which points to a well-coached team.
Play-caller Scott Linehan did a great job sticking with the run while also calling good passing plays when it was needed. His only questionable call was calling a pass play when the Cowboys were trying to run the clock out in the fourth quarter.
Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli called another fantastic game for the Cowboys defense. The Cowboys defense has played better than what anyone could have possibly thought, and that is due to Marinelli.
Grade: A
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Positional Unit | Overall Grade |
| QB | B+ |
| RB | B |
| WR | B |
| OL | B+ |
| DL | C- |
| LB | B |
| Secondary | A- |
| Special Teams | C |
| Coaching | A |
| Cumulative Grade | B |
The Cowboys did just enough to beat the Texans Sunday. The offense played well, but it was hampered by poor field position from the special teams. The defense was incredible for 95 percent of the game, but faltered a little bit later on. The secondary, offensive line and quarterback positions continue to be their most productive units on the Cowboys, which is good news going forward. The Cowboys will need more from the defensive line going from now on, especially with great running teams on the horizon.
The Cowboys will now look to next week, when they face the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
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