Dallas tackles Browns 35-31

The Cowboys defeated the Cleveland Browns late last evening 35-31 but for many on the team it was a hollow victory. Team Captain Ray Lewis was quoted as saying "Refs blowing calls the whole game, we didnt win, we survived longer."

"Players ruled put of bounds after 4-5 steps, roughing the passer calls when the QB still had the ball, fumbles on forward passes. That wasnt my football."

Inconsistent refereeing aside, the game was an offensive seesaw (Aussies: teeter totter?). Both teams running very effectively through out the game and trading touchdowns all the way to the 4th QTR when both defenses stepped up their game. The Browns potent toss play was finally brought down, changing from 20 yard gainers to 4 yard losses. Cowboys quick slants being jumped on for incomplete. Punts were made for the first time in the contest. The cowboys, finding themselves down by 3 after failing to stop the clock at half time at the 20 yard line, had 4 minutes and 1 score to go.

Relying on the legs of Stephan Jasckson, they got it done. Jackson who broke one of his 3 40+ yard runs, brought the clock down to the 2 minute warning before the Cowboys QB Tony Romo, floated a pass over the middle to a leaping Steve Smith who caught the pass for a TD before leaving the game with a bruised sternum. Bruised sternum was the injury of the game as Smith was one of 5 Cowboys to leave the game with such an injury. The first coming on the first play fo the game where for the 2nd week in a row, rookie LB Desmond Durst left with such an injury and did not return.

With less than 2 minutes to go, the Browns converted a long 3rd down, drove down the field and with 20 seconds left was in the redzone. However back up QB Tyler Brandstater showed his inexperience, being flushed from the pocket and over throwing his receivers while on the run from hungry Linebackers.

With 1 second on the clock, the Cowboys used game flow, brought up a run play, then called a time out so that they could kneel.

35-31 Final.



Highlights:

Stephan Jackson coming 1 yard short of the 200 rushing mark, had the final play been gameflowed he likely would have crossed it.

Mike Jenkins returned an INT 89 yards for a TD, but it was called back on a Ray Lewis roughing the passer call. Browns scored on the next play.

CB J. Joseph tips and then intercepts a pass in the 3rd (replay online)

Browns Defense recording no interceptions.

Desmond (the injury) Durst did not play for a 2nd consecutive game to start his career.



Cowboys now 2-0 face another tough running team in the Carolina Panthers next week.

See-saw. I have no idea what a teeter-totter is.

Chairman7 wrote:See-saw. I have no idea what a teeter-totter is.

Funny thing is, I've heard it called "teeter-totter" before. Maybe it's a Midwest thing, and not an Aussie thing? Your geography sucks, Jeff.

We Midwesterners/Wisconsinites have fucked up words for everything, it seems. Drinking fountain? Nope, that's a "bubbler."

mikesuszek wrote:

Chairman7 wrote:See-saw. I have no idea what a teeter-totter is.

Funny thing is, I've heard it called "teeter-totter" before. Maybe it's a Midwest thing, and not an Aussie thing? Your geography sucks, Jeff.

We Midwesterners/Wisconsinites have fucked up words for everything, it seems. Drinking fountain? Nope, that's a "bubbler."

Really? A bubbler?

Midwesterners are incredibly innocent.

I have heard both bubbler (in primary / elementary school) and drinking fountain. Then we ran out of water and the term became irrelevant. Then the floods came and water fountains stayed irrelevant.