It must not be easy for Dallas Cowboys fans to sit down and comfortably watch their team every week. After a devastating loss to the Detroit Lions last week, the Cowboys managed to make it interesting again in week nine on Sunday against a much weaker opponent — the Minnesota Vikings.
One moment, Cowboys fans were probably cringing, watching Vikings running back Adrian Peterson bulldoze his way — carrying four Cowboys defenders — into the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown run, giving the Vikings a slight 23-20 lead with 5:41 remaining in the game.
The next moment, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo throws an interception.
Just as Cowboys fans are getting ready to throw their remotes at their television sets, Romo tossed what would be the game-winning 7-yard pass to wide receiver Dwayne Harris with just 35 seconds left, capping a 90-yard drive.
At last, Cowboys fans could go on with their Sunday, relax and enjoy a 27-23 victory over the Vikings.
Romo finished with 337 yards through the air, two touchdowns and one interception that could have caused him a lot of criticism this week. Jason Witten had eight catches for 102 yards and a touchdown.
For the Vikings, Peterson ran for 140 yards and a touchdown. What’s new?
Meanwhile, the running game was nonexistent for the Cowboys as the team rushed for 36 yards on nine carries with no touchdowns.
Cowboys starting running back DeMarco Murray returned for the first time since being injured in week six and was expected to bring some sort of attack, especially against a 29th-ranked defense. This was not the case. Lance Dunbar got most second-half carries.
I could get into the fact that the Cowboys are undefeated when Murray is given 20 or more carries, but I won’t because the Cowboys won Sunday despite the lack of a running game.
It’s difficult to figure out what the Cowboys want to do on offense week-in and week-out,=.
The reality is that the Cowboys do not seem to have a running game, and they seem to want to ride Romo and put the ball in his hands.
The Cowboys weren’t sharp Sunday, but they got the job done, and a win is a win. The NFC East still belongs to the Cowboys as they improve to 5-4.
Dallas will travel to New Orleans next week to take on the Saints, who are coming off a road loss to the New York Jets. Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has had this game circled, highlighted and put in bold letters since the team hired him after being fired as the Cowboys defensive coordinator in January.
Ryan will have many different packages and plans lined up for the Cowboys, so Romo and the offense need to bring their A-game if they want to stand a chance. Not to mention, the Saints are playing at home in that loud dome where quarterback Drew Brees and the offense thrive.
The Cowboys have only won one of the last eight games against the Saints.
The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday Night Football on NBC.
