Cowboys have separated themselves from NFC pack
(Sports Network) - Patrick Crayton created quite a stir when he boldly claimed following the Dallas Cowboys' mid-October loss to the New England Patriots that his team would get a second opportunity at the clear-cut AFC favorites in the Super Bowl. It's beginning to look like the speedy wide receiver knew what he was talking about.
With Thursday's 37-27 triumph over the Green Bay Packers, Dallas' chief competition for superiority in the NFC, the Cowboys' goal of gaining home- field advantage throughout the conference playoffs now lies strictly in their own hands. The club now holds a critical one-game advantage over the 10-2 Packers in the standings, as well as the tie-break if the two powerhouses wind up with identical records at the conclusion of the regular season.
The victory also officially sewed up a spot in the postseason for Dallas, which can clinch the NFC East title with a win at Detroit this Sunday, while cementing the Cowboys' status as the front-runner to represent the conference in the NFL's Big Game come February.
Dallas showed all the ingredients of a championship team in the all-important showdown between the NFC's top two contenders. The Cowboys' high-powered offense scored on its first five possessions to build a commanding 27-10 lead early on, while an often-overlooked defense unmercifully pressured Brett Favre and sent the legendary quarterback to the sidelines with an elbow injury before the first half reached its conclusion.
And maybe most importantly, Dallas showed some resolve in being able to put away a game Green Bay squad that pulled with 27-24 after three quarters via an impressive performance from seldom-used backup signal-caller Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers' mobility and precision passing did create some problems for a Dallas defense that had a few costly breakdowns over the course of the game. However, the unit was able to come with some key stops with the Packers threatening in the fourth quarter.
In contrast, Green Bay's well-regarded defense never seemed to find a way to stop the Cowboys, who have now put up 30 or more points in eight of their 12 games this season.
Dallas' rock-solid offensive line provided superior protection for Tony Romo and helped the star-struck quarterback amass 309 yards and four touchdowns through the air. Two of those scoring strikes went to Crayton, including a four-yard connection with 7:51 remaining that extended the lead to 10 points.
"Against a team like this that's going to play a lot of man coverage, they're expecting to get a lot of pressure around you and make you throw hurried and throw off your timing," said Romo, a Wisconsin native who grew up rooting for the Pack and idolizing Favre. "And they really weren't able to do that as well as they wanted to tonight."
Green Bay also didn't have an answer for Terrell Owens, who continued a string of dominating games by hauling in seven Romo passes for 156 yards and a touchdown. The Packers' plan to shadow the talkative receiver with top corner Al Harris was effectively foiled by Cowboys' offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, who often put Owens in motion or lined him up in the slot to create mismatches.
"I think the things that we did, moving me around a little bit, kind of helped, and Tony did a great job for us reading the defense and throwing the ball to the open guys," said Owens, who has eclipsed 100 receiving yards in five of Dallas' last six games and scored 10 touchdowns over that span.
MAKING AN IMPACT
Reserve cornerback Nathan Jones nearly became the answer to a trivia question for his involvement in one of the game's key plays. The fourth-year pro hit Favre hard on an uncontested blitz early in the second quarter and knocked the three-time league MVP out of the contest with a bruised throwing elbow. The injury is not expected to keep Favre from extended his amazing NFL record of 249 consecutive starts, however.
"I think we made the right call at the right time and I had a clean shot on him," said Jones of the hit. "When you've got opportunities like that, you've got to make them worth it."
Jones' shot caused Favre's pass to float in the air and it was picked off by cornerback Terence Newman. The turnover set up a 10-yard touchdown catch by Owens which put Dallas up by a 27-10 score.
Favre was also harassed into an interception by safety Ken Hamlin in the first quarter, which led to another Cowboys touchdown.
"When they open up the offense like that, they kind of spread you out, you're vulnerable to some pressure sometimes," said Jones.
Dallas did not record a sack of Favre on the night but took down Rodgers three times, with outside linebacker Greg Ellis accounting for two of them. The veteran now has posted a career-high 10 1/2 sacks despite missing the first three games while recovering from surgery to repair a torn Achilles' tendon.
ROMO SETS RECORD
Romo's four touchdown passes gives him a franchise-record 33 on the season, which trails only New England's Tom Brady for the most in the league in that category. The former undrafted free agent came into the contest tied with Danny White for the most single-season scoring throws in club history, with White having set the mark in 1983.
"It's obviously an honor and it's something that's neat, but I won't look back on with a lot of special feeling probably unless we're able to accomplish our goals that we've set out as a team," said Romo after the game.
Romo has now thrown four touchdown passes in three of Dallas' last four games. Romo has now thrown four touchdown passes in three of Dallas' last four games.
MOTOR CITY MATCHUP
The Cowboys will play three of their final four regular-season contests on the road, beginning with an encounter against a fading Detroit team this Sunday. The Lions have lost four in a row following a 6-2 start to the year and are coming off a 42-10 shellacking at the hands of the improving Minnesota Vikings over the weekend.
Dallas will be making its first visit to the Motor City since 2003, when the Cowboys came through with a 38-7 win at Ford Field. The Lions won last year's meeting between the clubs, a 39-31 decision at Texas Stadium in the 2006 regular-season finale.
