Well, it wasn't a very good football game, but never scoff at a victory. Stephen McGee rallied the Dallas Cowboys, with a little help from Jason Witten, for a last-minute touchdown that gave Dallas a 14-13 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles played mainly backups and were able to keep the Cowboys offense in check for most of the game. McGee wasn't very effective in his first start, although he made some nice plays with his feet to keep drives alive. He finished the game 11 of 27 for 127 yards, plus the all-important last touchdown to Witten. He was also the Cowboys second-leading rusher with 55 yards. The Eagles were intent on blitzing McGee - they only managed to sack him twice though - but they forced a lot of quick decisions and short throws that bottled up the Cowboys offense. Felix Jones managed to pitch in with 81 yards on 11 carries.
The Cowboys benefited from an outstanding effort on defense by DeMarcus Ware. Dallas scored their first touchdown of the game when Anthony Spencer stripped Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb during a sack and Ware scooped up the ball and returned it for a touchdown. Ware finished the game with three sacks and three quarterback hits, along with other plays where he flushed Kolb out of the pocket. Ware's presence was the major factor in the game for the Cowboys.
Stephen McGee gets credit for not turning the ball over, and leading Dallas to the winning touchdown. But during the meat of the game, he failed to be an accurate passer when given a little time. He made good decisions, and was smart about releasing the ball quickly or tucking it and running, but his accuracy was an issue.
Terrence Newman had two interceptions on the day, Gerald Sensabaugh had one. David Buehler missed another field goal, in his defense it was a long one. Still, his ability to be accurate and dependable is in full question-mode.
The Dallas Cowboys as a whole are in full question-mode. The 2010 season, one we'd all like to forget, has finally ended. The Cowboys have a ton of decisions facing them this offseason, none bigger than who will be their coach. Reports have Jason Garrett locked into the job, but Jerry Jones denied he's that far along to Tony Siragusa. Watching Jerry answer the question, his denial wasn't exactly strong, and his facial expressions read like a guy trying to hide the truth. Seeing that answer, I feel pretty confident that Jason Garrett will be coaching the Dallas Cowboys in 2011.
Hey, at least he has a winning record as a Cowboys coach. Let's forget Wade Phillips' 1-7 start, and remember Jason Garrett's 5-3 finish.
It's off to the offseason for us!