Optimism in Dallas Buried by Cowboys' Old Blunders

 For one half of football, the Dallas Cowboys played with a high level of discipline, intelligence and execution that fans have not seen since the Bill Parcells era.  Eliminating untimely penalties and careless errors, Tony Romo & Co. sported a refreshing style of play en route to a 10-7 halftime lead.  But just as the page seemed to be turning on the future of the team, a familiar story played out in front of a national audience.

On a night that began with so much promise, a developing Cowboys team reverted back to the ways of its predecessors and could not hold the ship together long enough to outlast the favored Jets. However, the toughest pill for Cowboys Nation to swallow on this night is not the 0-1 start that already leaves them a game behind of a loaded Eagles side.  It is the way in which Big D failed at the end of the contest—falling victim to the same crushing setbacks as in years past. 

After cruising for much of the game, Dallas seemed poised to weather a furious Jets comeback with timely big gains and unyielding pressure in the face of less-than-impressive Mark Sanchez. But as the game wore on and the injuries mounted, so did the pressure to stay the course that had propelled them to the brink of a crucial road victory.   

With the score at 24-10 in the third quarter, the strain on an increasing-depleted Cowboys team was visible and the Jets capitalized.  The makeshift defensive unit fell flat and was unable to match up against a revitalized Plaxico Burress, giving up a quick touchdown to a desperate Jets offense.  And though Romo and Jason Witten pushed back to set up the knock out punch with a 64-yard pass play, the past reared its ugly head for a much-maligned offense.

 Sunday's 27-24 collapse in New York starts at the top with Romo, whose consistent play and safe decision-making evaporated faster than the Cowboys' lead.  A fumble on third down following his late connection with Witten awoke a familiar feeling in fans everywhere.  At the moment he put the ball on the ground at the Jets' goal line, Romo set off a chain reaction of mental errors and erratic play that went on to cost Dallas a quick start to the 2011 campaign. 

Instead of hammering the final nail in the coffin following a turnover at midfield, the offense stalled by committing two pre-play penalties and sent the punt team onto the field to pin the Jets deep. Within 10 seconds, the Jets had snatched the football and momentum before it could leave the backfield, returning a blocked punt to tie the game. 

Afforded one last shot in a tie game by a sputtering Jets offense, Romo rolled to the right and fired a hope-destroying missile into the chest of Darelle Revis, conjuring up memories similar to a backbreaking interception at Heinz Field years ago.  The rest played out as predicted and the Cowboys were sent packing without a victory to show for their efforts.

 Before the Cowboys' historic heartbreaker on Sunday night, the game looked as if it would generate headlines expressing optimism for the team.  Special teams standout Danny McCray was blossoming, Dez Bryant exploded early in the game, Sean Lee continued to make a statement and the entire team pulled together to plug holes left by injured starters.  

The script was rewritten on a night that saw the Cowboys blow a 14-point fourth quarter lead for the first time in franchise history.

The NFL season is 16 games long, making the loss to the Jets as important as any other game on the schedule.  What is most alarming, however, is the recurrence of mental errors in key situations along with yet another Romo encounter with Murphy's Law in the fourth quarter. The team will struggle to move forward with the positives if they continue to drag along the deficiencies of the past.

The events of Sunday night are all things that Cowboys fans have grown accustomed to seeing. A vital goal line fumble reminiscent of "The Bobble" in Seattle, special teams blunders that have seemed to follow the team from recent trips to Arizona and the aforementioned pick six in Pittsburgh.  Other struggles such as false starts and inexcusable penalties that negate important yards remain present when it matters most.

The Cowboys proved to many doubters that they have the talent to compete against a top team in the league with their effort against New York on Sunday.  But they also displayed the presence of errors that seem to have plagued the franchise over the past decade.

Unless Dallas can find the stability that it began with against the Jets and make consistency a staple of the game plan, the popular label of "sleeper" will turn to a team that simply will never wake up.  Shutting out the past will be the only way to avoid letting another "W" slip through deserving hands.  Unfortunately for fans, the latest gut-wrenching loss joins a long list of devastating finishes over the past few seasons.

For Cowboys Nation, next Sunday against San Francisco can't come soon enough.