Cowboys vs. Dolphins: Postgame Grades, Notes and Quotes for Dallas

He’s back!

After eight long weeks and seven crushing defeats, the Dallas Cowboys welcomed back quarterback Tony Romo to the field as they took on the Miami Dolphins Sunday afternoon at Sun Life Stadium in Miami.

With Romo’s presence on the field, the Cowboys’ confidence, along with their ability to finish games, returned. The Cowboys took a 7-0 lead with the help of a Rolando McClain interception returned 12 yards for a touchdown, and they never looked back.

The Cowboys had been tied or ahead in the fourth quarter in six of their seven losses, but without their leader, they failed to finish the job in any of those opportunities.

But with the captain back at his post, yet another trend reversed. With the score tied 14-14 at the end of the third quarter, the Cowboys opened the final stanza with a bang, as Romo hit Dez Bryant for a 16-yard touchdown to help put the team up 21-14. From that point, not only did the Cowboys hold the lead, but they extended it to 24-14 with a Dan Bailey 30-yard field goal.

When they took possession up 10 points with 6:29 left in the game, the Cowboys were able to convert four first downs and take 5:25 off the clock, effectively ending the game.

Read on for all the grades, notes and quotes from Dallas' win.

Position Grades for the Dallas Cowboys

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Tony Romo

Position	Grade
QB	A-
RB	A
WR	A-
TE	B+
OL	B-
DL	B
LB	A+
DB	B-
Special Teams	B-
Coaching	A-

Quarterback

Romo’s play didn’t exactly reflect the level he typically reaches, but his ability to navigate a muddy pocket, set protections and make adjustments to route combinations put the offense in position to have the type of success it is accustomed to having.

There were a couple of times when Romo made questionable decisions with the football, and it resulted in two Miami interceptions, but when the Cowboys needed Romo to be great, he came through in patented Romo fashion. For the day, he completed 18 of 28 passes for 227 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Running Back

Darren McFadden was once again the lead back, and the newly acquired Robert Turbin occasionally spelled him. For most of the game, McFadden struggled to gain consistent yardage, but in the second half, he was able to break off explosive runs of 20 and 35 yards.

Then with 6:29 left in the game as the team worked to milk the clock, McFadden carried the ball nine times for 42 yards and converted three first downs, including a 15-yard run on 3rd-and-14. McFadden finished with 29 carries for 129 yards and three catches for 20 yards. Turbin also showed well in his opportunities, gaining 35 yards on his seven carries, including a 17-yard second-quarter run.

Wide Receiver

The Cowboys wide receivers made several big plays in big-time situations. Bryant, Terrance Williams, Devin Street and Cole Beasley each made important catches to contribute to the win. Williams had the biggest day, catching four balls for 79 yards and a 31-yard touchdown.

Bryant also caught four passes for 45 yards and a touchdown of his own. Street and Beasley each caught one pass, gaining important first downs and going for 19 and 14 yards, respectively. The game wasn’t perfect, but when the Cowboys needed their wide receivers, they came up big.

Tight End

Jason Witten caught only two balls on the day for 27 yards, but as usual, his contributions were timely. Gavin Escobar caught two passes for 20 yards and just missed a touchdown catch of his own on a diving play in the first quarter. With the contributions from the running game and the wide receivers, it is tough to expect much more than four catches and 47 yards from the tight ends.

Offensive Line

The offensive line had more than its share of struggles. Olivier Vernon beat Tyron Smith a few times, while the interior trio of La’el Collins, Travis Frederick and Zack Martin were up and down in both the run and pass game in dealing with Ndamukong Suh. They benefited greatly from Romo’s ability to extend plays throughout the game, but when they needed to come up big to finish the game, they were able to pave the way for the running game.

Defensive Line

The defensive line wasn’t as consistently disruptive as it would like to be, but when it was time for the D-line to come through and shut the Dolphins down to finish the game, it was able to register three fourth-quarter sacks and keep the Dolphins from mounting any sort of a comeback.

Linebackers

Sean Lee and Rolando McClain were the tone-setters for the defense throughout the day. The two linebackers were all over the field, and the team benefited greatly. The play of the day from the defense came when McClain cut underneath a Ryan Tannehill pass for an interception and ran it 12 yards to help give the Cowboys a 7-0 lead.

Defensive Backs

This was the roughest game so far for the Cowboys defensive backs, as the team gave up four explosive pass plays. With Morris Claiborne missing the game with a hamstring injury, rookie Byron Jones got the start at cornerback.

Jones held up well for most of the game, but he also surrendered the two biggest plays of the game: a 47-yard completion in the second quarter to set up a Dolphins touchdown before the half, and a 29-yard touchdown catch by Kenny Stills down the sideline.

Special Teams

For the most part, the Cowboys special teams were reliable. The exception to this rule was the botched squib kick by Bailey that set the Dolphins up at their 46-yard line with a minute left in the half.

Coaching

All things considered, the game was well-coached. Scott Linehan made quality adjustments to the run game to help expire the clock to end the game. Jason Garrett showed a lot of faith in his team by going for a fourth-down conversion early in the game. The one questionable decision was to attempt the squib kick near the end of the first half.

Important Note No. 1: Romo’s Return

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

Romo was exactly what the doctor ordered for the Cowboys, as they put a halt to the seven-game losing streak that pushed them to last place in the NFC East. His two touchdown passes were perfect examples of the types of plays the team has missed with the backup quarterbacks playing.

In addition to the touchdowns, Romo made several plays that avoided crisis and created opportunities. Whether it was the left-handed flip to McFadden to avoid a safety in the first quarter, or slipping out of a defender's grasp to make a clutch throw to Street, Romo made plays that showed how important he really is to the success of the Cowboys.

Important Note No. 2: The Defense Excels Again

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Nov 22, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Dallas Cowboys free safety Byron Jones (left) celebrates after Dallas Cowboys middle linebacker Rolando McClain (right) scored an interception catch for a touchdown during the first half against the Miami Dolphins at

The Dolphins scored just 14 points, netted 210 yards and got nine first downs. Overall, it was a dominating performance for the Cowboys defense, including the takeaway for points that has evaded this team thus far in 2015. The front seven was dominant, allowing only 70 yards rushing, and the secondary was suffocating for most of the day.

Quote No. 1: Robert Turbin on Joining the Cowboys

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Robert Turbin commented on his arrival in Dallas, per DallasCowboys.com:

"

These are some of the greatest teammates I’ve ever had in my life – always positive, they welcomed me with open arms. I don’t even feel like I’ve been here three days, I feel like I’ve been here the whole season. That’s how they’ve embraced me. When you have that, it kind of gives you the confidence to go out there and execute.

"

This type of endorsement from a new member of a team, especially one who has been a part of a squad that competed in back-to-back Super Bowls in Seattle, speaks volumes to the type of team that has been constructed in Dallas. There were a lot of narratives and controversies surrounding the Cowboys through the course of the seven-game losing streak, but it seems as though the team has remained united.

Quote No. 2: Jeremy Mincey on Tony Romo’s Impact on the Team

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Jeremy Mincey commented on Romo's return, per SportsDayDFW.com:

"

We [had been] playing [with] fatigue in the fourth quarter and things of that nature. Now that we got the offense to hold the ball and keep the clock moving with a quarterback who knows the offense in and out, it makes a difference. Tony controls the clock, and the psyche and morale of the team is completely different. You're walking in confident.

"

There has been much deliberation among fans and analysts concerning how much having Romo back would change the ability of the team to win games. With many failures taking place throughout the team in the seven games it lost, it is evident the team believes everything changes with Romo back in the fold.