Giants vs. Cowboys: 10 Things We Learned from Dallas' 34-37 Loss

If anyone can think of any synonyms for the word disbelief, please insert them into this article’s first sentence immediately. Disbelief is what I felt watching the Cowboys play the last eight or so minutes of the fourth quarter in their contest against the New York Giants on Sunday night.

Down by 12 points, the Giants were able to march up and down the field on the Cowboys as penalties, blown coverages and just plain terrible play allowed New York to erase Dallas’ lead and beat the Cowboys 37-34.

Giants' hybrid defender Jason Pierre-Paul blocked a Dan Bailey field goal with one second left on the clock to seal the Giants victory and tear a seam the size of Texas into the hearts of Cowboys fans across the globe.

This game had eight lead changes, over 700 passing yards and 16 combined penalties. That’s enough to make any fans head explode.

With this loss, the ‘Boys fall to 7-6 on the season and see their playoff hopes rest in critical condition. This loss isn’t on Jason Garrett’s clock management or a Tony turnover; it falls on the shoulders of an inept defense and undisciplined play. According to espn.com, the Cowboys have 35 fourth quarter penalties on the year with three of them coming against the Giants on Sunday night.

To make matters worse, Dallas lost starting running DeMarco Murray for the season to a fractured ankle and starting center Phil Costa left the game with a concussion and did not return.

Not sure where Dallas goes from here besides to Tampa to take on the Bucs, but dropping a very winnable game to the Giants did nothing to aide Dallas in their attempt to qualify for the second season.

So, letting out an incredulous yell, here are 10 things we learned about the Cowboys in their three point loss to the Giants.

Cowboys Remain Undisciplined

Sack master DeMarcus Ware had two offsides penalties late in the fourth quarter to aid in keeping the Giants drives alive and defensive back Frank Walker was flagged for defensive holding on a key second down when the Giants were deep in Cowboys territory.

That's 15 yards worth of flags in the fourth quarter alone. Dallas had unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, more defensive holding and pass interference as well.

But the fourth-quarter mistakes are what showed how immature the Cowboys truly are as a team. They still have a lot of growing to do, and Sunday night proved that while they made strides early in the season, they still aren't ready to take that giant leap needed to win a Super Bowl.

Tony Romo Deserves Little Blame for Loss

I know that many will blame quarterback Tony Romo for the loss due to that missed pass he had to a wide open Miles Austin in the fourth quarter. But from varied accounts, it seems that Austin ran the wrong route, as he coasted outside instead of heading up the hash. Either way, Tony and Miles were unable to link, and the Cowboys were forced to punt.

On the very next Giants series, they scored a touchdown. That's a seven point swing that could have gone the Cowboys way but instead the points went to New York.

It's plays of that nature that seem to doom the Cowboys, and until they fix the mental breakdowns and unintended mishaps, we'll continue to talk about how much further Dallas has to go.

But this loss does not lie at the doorstep of one Tony Romo. He was almost flawless, sans a few bad throws. He had four touchdowns to no turnovers and over 300 passing yards with a quarterback rating of 141. What more can fans ask of Romo?

With 46 seconds left on the game clock, he drove the Cowboys down the field and into field goal position to at least give them a shot to beat the Giants in overtime. If not for a blocked Dan Bailey field goal, we may have a different angle on this article.

This wasn't Tony Romo's fault, and though it's another loss in December, he played well enough for Dallas to win.

Cowboys Have Major Defensive Issues

OK, at first I believed that it was just players attempting to get acclimated to Ryan's system. Then I thought that maybe the scheme was too complicated for some players. Now I just think the talent level isn't where it needs to be and Rob may have to scale back his aggressive defensive play calling.

The Cowboys defensive backfield was shredded by Eli Manning to the tune of 400 passing yards. The number of blown coverages on the night is mind-blowing and Giants' wide receiver Hakeem Nicks looked like a Pro Bowler as he had 154 receiving yards on seven catches.

Cornerback Mike Jenkins played well but seemed to get injured every other play. Terence Newman played great for long stretches but would either give up a big play or get called for a pass interference penalty. The miscommunication, or lack thereof, between the corners and safeties gives me cause for concern, and for the second week in a row, the Cowboys secondary gave up a big play late in the game.

Dallas just simply needs new talent and until that day arrives, the Cowboys will continue to get beat badly by opposing quarterbacks.

By the way, how much does Rob Ryan have to be beaten on blitzes for him to ease up on calling so many of them? Just a question.

Rob Ryan May Be Overrated Part Deux

I shouldn't say overrated, but maybe he needs to adjust his scheme to fit the talent he has on defense. Terence Newman dropped a sure fire pick-six early in the game and then goes on to get beat and get flagged for penalties. Mike Jenkins is made of paper and one has to wonder if he comes back if will he remain healthy for the entire season.

But my chief concern is with Ryan's scheme. I don't have an official count but I believe Ryan blitzed Manning about 99 percent of the time. My numbers may be a little off, but when a team blitzes that much, shouldn't there be at least one quarterback sack?

The Cowboys didn't bring Manning down, and when pressured, he still had enough time to either throw the ball away or find the open receiver. Ryan continued to blitz and get burned and I never saw him connect on a pass blitz.

For what he wants to do with this Cowboys defense, I don't think he has the right personnel to do it just yet, and because of that, he may be forced to change the way he calls plays.

DeMarco Murray May Be Lost For The Year

In all likelihood, Mr. Murray is gone for the year. Murray fractured his right ankle and suffered a high ankle sprain in the first quarter and never returned.

It’s a little early to say how long he’ll be out, but I imagine it's for the season. If the Cowboys make it past the first round of the playoffs, there may be hope that he’ll come back, but right now, Murray will see plenty of time on the Cowboys sideline.

He was part of the reason the Cowboys saw a rebirth of their running attack, as he and fullback Tony Fiammetta made wonderful music together. Felix Jones did a nice job of filling in for Murray, but his production will be sorely missed.

Felix Jones Wants His Job Back

The Giants aren't exactly scaring teams with their run defense, as they rank 22nd in the league in stopping it. So it's not really an eye-popping experience to see Jones run for 106 yards on just 16 attempts.

Yet it was good to see him back on the field, and it was great to see him find such a good rhythm. The Cowboys were careful not to overload Jones, as evidenced by his 16-carry performance, but with no other running backs on the roster, it will be up to him to shoulder the bulk of the rushing load for the remaining games on the schedule.

Laurent Robinson Is…

Every single week, I talk about how great Laurent Robinson has been for this team. This week, I think I'll just use the word "consistent" or maybe "clutch." Let's just open the dictionary and find all positive words and throw them at the feet of Mr. Robinson because we're just living in his neighborhood right now.

Robinson had 137 yards, four catches and one touchdown on the day for the Cowboys. I've said it before and I'll say it again, when Romo scrambles, Robinson just knows where to be, and some way, Romo finds him.

The chemistry that these two have is undeniable, and hopefully team owner Jerry Jones decides to bring him back after this season. He's been nothing short of great for Dallas, and for the second half of the season, he's close to earning team MVP honors.

Where Is Dez Bryant?

We finally had a Dez Bryant sighting on his 50-yard touchdown pass, but before that, his face was on the back of a milk carton.

Bryant's touchdown came on a blown coverage by the Giants, and from the looks of things, it still seems that Bryant is struggling with the playbook. He's back returning punts, but with all of the talent and hype surrounding Bryant, his impact on the game should be more than just a touchdown pass on a blown coverage.

Tony Fiammetta Is Pretty Good

Jerry Jones declared that fullback Tony Fiammetta was the best blocking back the ‘Boys have had since Moose Johnston. I scoffed at the thought at first, but looking at the Cowboys running game now, it's hard to argue against results.

Fiammetta returned tonight from an “inner ear issue,” according to Jones, and the Cowboys had over 100 yards rushing. In his absence, Dallas struggled to get to just 70 yards.

His return was great for the Cowboys ground attack, and it should be even better next week with a full game under his belt, after missing close to a month.

Cowboys Are 7-6, Face Bucs Next

In the string of "must-win" games for the Cowboys, Dallas travels to Tampa on Saturday night to take on the sinking Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Dallas has any shot at making the playoffs, their game against the Bucs is truly a must-win.

Dallas has to get their defense in line and somehow remember that winning games is easier if less penalties are committed. With no DeMarco Murray and maybe only one running back, the Cowboys will be shorthanded in their quest to make it to the playoffs.