Update [2006-9-17 23:53:32 by Grizz]: Reports are that Terrell Owens has a broken ring finger and will need surgery. Initial estimates are he's out 2-4 weeks. That's a bummer on a successful evening. Turns out the bye week actually comes at a good time as far as that injury is concerned. [END UPDATE]
Despite playing a sloppy game with penalties and dropped passes, the Dallas Cowboys were simply too much for the Washington Redskins, winning 27-10. Drew Bledsoe shook off a week one disaster and threw 2 touchdowns, one to Patrick Crayton and one to Terry Glenn, but more importantly he didn't turn the ball over. Bledsoe's night could've been that much better, but by Bill Parcells count the Cowboys dropped 8 passes in he first half alone. As it was, Bledsoe was 19 of 38 for 237 yds. Terell Owens and Jason Witten were among the culprits on the dropped passes. Terry Glenn finshed the night as the main receiver, 6 catches for 94 yards with 1 TD.
While the Dallas offense was having its ups-and-downs, the Dallas defense was solid all night long. The Redskins only scored 3 points against the defense - the other 7 points came on a kickoff return - and Terence Newman made Santana Moss disappear. Dallas managed to get some pressure this week against Mark Brunell, finishing the night with 6 sacks distributed among 6 different players. But the real difference was the shut-down work turned in by the Dallas secondary. Washington only managed to get a couple of sustained drives in the 4th quarter after Dallas had a 27-10 lead. Roy Williams had an interception for the second week in a row.
The offensive line was stellar tonight, giving Drew Bledsoe plenty of time to make his throws and only surrendered one sack. Julius Jones made the running game effective enough to keep the Redskins defense honest. He finished with 20 carries for 94 yards, but he did have 1 fumble. Marion Barber contributed 65 combined yards and 1 rushing TD.
The Cowboys should feel better about themselves this week, the defense played up to their capabilites and Drew Bledsoe was cooly efficient. The dropped passes are of some concern as are the penalties, and Terrell Owens injured his hand, although it's unclear how badly.
This was a game Dallas needed badly, and they got it. Going into the bye week, Dallas is back as a contender.