The Dallas Cowboys parted ways with longtime Quarterback Tony Romo on Monday, a move that was expected at some point during the coming off season. Romo, often embattled as the starting Qb in Dallas, had seen his role reduced to that of a third string practice Qb. The Cowboys attempted to restructure Romo's massive contract in hopes to let the 36 year old Qb retire as a Cowboy, but were unable to come to a mutual agreement to keep Romo around as advisor to rookie Qb Hansen Boone.
Rumors coming out of Valley Ranch indicated that Romo still felt he could play at a starting Qb level and that he asked for the Cowboys to release him prior to the off season so he could potentially catch on somewhere else early in the off season. Romo did appear in one game for the Cowboys this season, versus the Ravens. he took over for an injured Boone and threw 4 interceptions in a loss to Baltimore. Those four picks sealed Romo's fate as the Cowboys decided to roll with Boone as the starter when he became healthy. Romo's accuracy had declined the past season and his deep ball was nonexistent. Defenses no longer feared him stretching the field with vertical passes and that created stacked boxes for RB keevon Arnold early in the season.
In a surprise, the Carolina Panthers went dumpster diving and picked Romo up immediately after he was released from Dallas. In Carolina, Romo is reunited with his former Cowboy receiver Dez Bryant who was sent to the Panthers in what was widely regarded as the worst trade ever in the history of the SFL. It is doubtful that Romo will see any playing time unless Cam Newton suffers a catastrophic injury. If that happens, things could get interesting as Romo would have the potential to face his former team in the playoffs. Something the Cowboys seemed completely unconcerned with, given the level he was playing at when he last saw an NFL field.
Keevon Arnold ran wild and the Cowboys crushed their NFC East rival Giants 41-0 at AT&T Stadium last night to move to 11-4 on the season and 5-1 in the NFC East. Arnold carried the ball 28 times for 182 yards and 2 touchdowns as the Cowboys went up big early scoring on their first 4 possessions of the game. The Cowboys didn't need to punt until midway through the third quarter and by that time the game was long decided. Rookie Qb Hansen Boone has been playing like anything but a rookie the last three weeks and last night's game was no exception. He was focused and dialed in last night from the opening kick and it showed. Boone threw for 291 yards on 22-26 passes for 3 tds and no picks. He managed to have a great game while sitting out half of the third quarter and all of the fourth. RB Arnold also rested the entire fourth quarter with the game out of hand.
Boone said that he attributes his recent spate of great games to a better understanding of the playbook than he had at the begining of the year and also a better understanding of coverages in the NFL. Three different receiverss caught passes and Cecil Shorts caught 9 for 94 yards. Sean Lee had 8 tackles and a forced fumble, his third in as many games.
The Cowboys close out the regular season next week versus the Minnesota Vikings with a chance to secure a home playoff game.
The Dallas Cowboys won their fourth straight game and beat their longtime rival from the AFC Pittsburgh Steelers 45-7. The story of this game was rookie QB who had an outstanding game ripping the the Steeler secondary too shreds. Boone was 20-27 for 270 yards and 4 TDs with zero interceptions. Boone and WR Terreance Williams connected 6 times for 116 yards and 3 TDs in the game, taking advantage of Steeler turnovers and miscues in the first half. The Cowboys raced out to an early lead and never looked back in this one. The Cowboys defense gave the offense great field position forcing four turnovers in the game. Sean Lee had 3 tackles and interception and a forced fumble to lead the defense.
Running back Keevon Arnold had 120 yards on 19 carries and 1 td. The cowboys have now won three and a row and have secured a playoff position for the second straight season. The Cowboys can secure a home playoff game in the Wild Card round if they win out and the Panthers or Bears stumble down the stretch. The Cowboys will play the Giants and the Vikings to close out the season.
The Dallas Cowboys won their third game in a row last night defeating the Browns 21-13. It was a hard fought game with neither defense yielding any spectacular plays from opposing offenses. The story of the game was the turnover ratio as the Cowboys defense forced 3 fumbles and two interceptions, while the Cowboys offense managed to not turnover the ball. Rookie quarterback Hansen Boone played a very efficient albeit not spectacular game going 14-25 for 1932 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Keevon Arnold did not have his strongest game, being held under the century mark, however he was able to move the chains on a few possessions and rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. The Browns defense did a good job of getting off blocks and closing down rushing lanes for Arnold. They also rallied to the ball carrier well and limited Arnold's abillity to break tackles and pick up yards after contact.
The Dallas defense was led by Sean Lee who had 7 tackles and a forced fumble. After the game Lee said that the Cowboys go after the ball on almost every play. "It is definitely something that Coach emphasizes in practice and we carry it into games. The first person to the ball carrier tries to wrap up and the next few guys in just rip at the football as the guy is going down. It is something we try to do on every play." J.J. Wilcox and defensive back Aryn Simon also forced fumbles in the game and Simon also had an interception.
The Cowboys are en route to their second straight NFC East division title and look strong going into the playoffs. They face the Steelers next week.
Keevon Arnold returned to the starting lineup after missing four games with an abdominal tear and the Cowboys hung on to defeat the rival Skins in a tight back and forth contest. Arnold rushed 19 times for 124 yards and 2 tds and showed no ill effects from the injury which sidelined him. Most of Arrnold's running was between the tackles and were tough runs with his longest cary being 15 yards. Hansen Boone played well throwing 2 td passes and 2 interceptions while also completing 18-25 for 223 yards.
Cecil Shorts caught 5 passes for 1 td and Terrance WIlliams caught 4 passes for 62 yards and 1 td. Both WRs stepped up hgueto cover the loss of Jason Witten who is out three more weeks with a broken thumb. The Cowboys defense gave up scores, but generally held the Redskin offense in check only giving up 89 rush yards and holding RG3 to 163 yards and 2 interceptions.Scandrick, Melton and Lawrence each had sacks and Sean Lee grabbed his foruth int of the season. The Cowboys travel to Cleveland next week with a firm grasp on the NFC East lead and a playoff birth.
A week after one of his worst performances, rookie QB Hansen Boone shined in this back and forth thriller versus the Cincinatti Bengals, eventually securing a 38-27 victory. Boone completed 38-53 passes for 335 yards and 3tds with on one pick. It was clear the Cowboys came into this game with pass first mentality after the offense stalled last week versus the Bears. With Keevon Arnold missing his fourth game of the season, Boone rose to the challenge throwing the most passes of his career. His wideouts stepped up and helped ease the pressure on their young quarterback. Terrance Williams caught 9 for 97 yards and 2 tds and Cecil Shorts III caught 9 for 85 yards and a td. Cowboys wrs feasted on poor coverage all day and the Boys defense stood tall in the fourth quarter bringing home the W. Hardy, Lawrence and Melton continued to torment opposing Qbs combining for four sacks. Cornerback Morris Claiborne (LSU) continues to rewrite his career in Dallas. The young corner picked off two passes in this game and has been impressive as of late. The Cowboys face their rivals the Washington Redskins next week and will get a huge boost when Keevon Arnold returns from injury.
The Dallas Cowboys lost a close game versus the Chicago Bears this Sunday, falling 21-17. It was defensive game with units from both teams coming up with huge plays. The Cowboys were without the services of tthe star back Keevon Arnold who suffered a torn abdominal muscle the previous week. Hansen Boone attempted to carry the squad but simply turn the ball over too many times. Boone threw for 254 yards on 16-30 completions but also threw 3 picks to only 1 TD. Even with Boone's mistakes, the Cowboys defense did enough to give their team a chance to win. Tashun Gipson had the best game of his career in Dallas notching 8 tackles, 1 int, and forced fumble. However, with the game in the balance, Boone commited his most costly mistake of the game, throwing an interception to seal the Boys fate. On the bright side, WR Cecil Shorts III caught 4 passes for 75 yards and seems to be establishing himself as the #1 WR. Backup RB Lance Dunbar was steady in his bid to replace Arnold, rushing for 83 yards and TD, bit it was clear the explosive Cowboys run game was not the same. Arnold continues to rehab and should return to the lineup soon.
A lot of fans and media pundits shook their heads in disbelief a season ago when then rookie running back Keevon Arnold requested to wear the famed "Deuce Deuce" or #22 jersey in Dallas. The audacity of rookie to come in and request the jersey number of not only one of the famed triplets, winner of multiple Superbowls and NFL Hall of Famer, but also the NFL's ALl Time Leading Rusher. Clearly the kid was in over his head right? In need of a talking to by the vets on the team? I mean, the kid hadn't even won the starting job over Demarco Murray, a solid back in hs own right.
But maybe our first hint should have been Emmitt Smith giving the kid the nod to wear 22 after training camp. Smith said he saw something in the kid he hadn't seen at the RB position in a long time in Dallas. Now the rest of the league of seeing it. Arnold rolled over Green Bay on Sunday and powered the Cowboys to a 48-20 victory for their 5th win in a row. Arnold is the current NFL rushing leader and in front of a sold out Cowboys crowd at the House That Jerry Built, Arnold set the tone for the entire day on the first carry. Arnold took an off tackle run up the left side for a 75 yard touchdown the first play from scrimmage. Displaying the vision of the old #22 with breakaway speed that makes every carry of his lethal, Arnold broke one arm tackle at the 30 yard line and was never touched again. Arnold finished the day with 190 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns. Coach Coldwar pulled Arnold in the fourth quarter get Arnold some much needed rest with the score out of hand and the Cowboys killing clock.
Almost overshadowed by Arnold's performance was the cowboys defensive line and their all out assault on packers Qb Aaron Rogers. The Cowboys sacked Rogers 8 times with Demarcus Lawrence notching four on his own. Nico Vazque added another 2 qb tckles for loss to his resume, his second multiple sack game in as many weeks.
After the game Arnold was asked about his performnce whether or not he can keep it up. "If I can stay healthy, I think I can continue to put up numbers. This offensive line is second to none and make my job really easy. The lanes are where they are supposed to be and the big guys up front have allowed me to make one cut and go. Coach Coldwar has shown alot of faith in me and our run game and when we get going we are difficult to stop." Arnold currently leads the league in rushing yards with 1,036 yards. The Cowboys are 5-2 atop the NFC East and take on the NY Giants net week.
In a showdown of NFC East Division rivals, the Cowboys dominated the Eagles 30-18 to move to 4-2 and sole possession of the NFC East lead. The Cowboys once again were led by breakout running back Keevon Arnold who carried the ball 24 times for 177 yards and 1 touchdown. Arnold also had a reception for 30 yards and 1 touchdown. Rookie Qb Hansen Boone managed the game well for the Cowboys and cut down on his turnovers, which had been a problem for him the past two weeks in Cowboys victories. Boone threw for 3 touchdowns on 16 of 24 completions and only 1 interception. The Dallas defense battered Nick Foles all day, notching seven sacks on the day and briefly knocked Eagles QB Nick Foles out of the game. Foles did return a short time later throwing for 173 yards but no touchdowns and 1 interception on the day. Foles simply had no time to look down the field and find his receivers as for the third straight game, the entire Dallas D-Line had at least one sack. Rookie DT Nico Vazquez had 2 qb tackles for loss and Greg Hardy had 3 sacks. The Cowboys looked fresh coming off their bye week and take on the Packers next.
The Dallas Cowboys got some much needed WR help in the form of Cecil Shorts III from the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Cowboys sent over RB Demarco Murray in the deal. Murray had seen his role with the team diminish as Keevon Arnold and Lance Dunbar took more reps and performed well. Arnold currently is near the top of the league in rushing. With the Cowboys using a high pick on Arnold that they acquired in the infamaous Dez Bryant deal, the writting was on the wall for Murray as Arnold began living uo to the hype.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys got an instant upgrade in WR Shorts. Shorts isn't a game breaked, but is easily the most polished route runner on the team. Shorts was available to play in the Cowboys recent win vs the Rams and caught one pas for 21 yards. The Cowboys figure his role will increase with the team as he learns the playbook and develops chemistry and timing with Hansen Boone.
Coach Coldwar said that the Cowboys still would like to nake one more deal to acquire an offensive weapon. Jerry Jones has given Coach Coldwar full control over player personnel decisions, something that no other coach has enjoyed during their tenure at Valley Ranch. As the trade deadline approaches, expect the Cowboys to be busy attempting to imprve the roster. Coach Coldwar didn't specify what player or position the Boys would be targeting, sayin he prefered to keep that a secret. The only hint he would give is to say, "Real Popo respect Pause Popo." Fax machine on standby.
The Dallas Cowboys win streak continued as they shocked the previously undefeated St.nLouis Rams 38-35 to move to 3-2. The game was a wild back and forth contest that saw the Rams march down the field and score the game tying touchdown with 12 seconds left to send it to overtime. The Cowboys relied heavily on Keevon Arnold who had a career rushing day. Arnold rushed for 212 yards and 3 touchdowns on 30 carries. "My line was spectacular today. I really didn't have to anything special except make my reads and hit my lanes." said Arnold after the game. The offensive line for Dallas punished the Rams front nearly all game. LT Tyron Smith and LG Mackenzie Bernadu accounted for 15 pancakes on their own. The Dallas O-Line made the game manageable for rookie QB Hansen Boone who threw three ints to just one TD, but managed the game late for the win.
Boone made it two games in a row where he has overcome early mistakes to regain his composure and lead the Cowboys to points late in games. The Dallas defense also stuck to their M.O. in this game. They gave up yardage and points early, and forced turnovers late in the game to seal the win. Bruce Carter scored on a 105 yard interception return for a TD, the longest play in Cowboys history. The Cowboys defensive line also came up big in this game as the entire front four had at least one sack. Melton had two sacks including a strip sack in overtime where he sacked Rams Qb Taylor and forced the fumble and then recovered the fumble deep in Rams territory to setup the game winning FG. The Cowboys defense forced 5 turnovers and as team overcame an early 14-0 defecit to comeback and win the game.
How Bout Them Cowboy POTG:
Offense: RB Keevon Hardy 30 carries 212 yds, 3 tds, 2 rec, 24 yds, 1 td
Defense: DE Henry Melton 3 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 ff, 1fr
The Cowboys overcame four turnovers and rookie mistakes from Hansen Boone to beat the Lions 34-14 in Detroit for their second win this season. It was truly a tale of two halves as Cowboys rookie QB Boone was absolutely horrible in the first of the game. Boone threw 4 interceptions in the firt half of the game including a pick 6 which gave Detroit a 7-0 lead early in the game. "That was about as awful as we have played at the QB position this season." said Coach Coldwar. Boone missed reads and seemed confused by what the Detroit defense was throwing at him. He was also sacked a season high 4 times.
But as they have in both their wins this season, the Dallas defense rallied and kept Detroit from turning any of the turnovers into points. Save for the lone pick 6, Detroit found itself leading only by 7 late in the first half. Boone finally put together a good drive and it was capped off by a Keevon Arnold 1 yard TD run. Arnold ran for a career hgh 159 yards and 1 td on 21 carries. He repeatedly gashed the Lions defense for chunks of yardage all game long. His one yard run made the score 7-7, with Detorit missing a FG to end the half.
The second half of the game was a total opposite from the Dallas offense. Boone was masterful running the offense and put together 3 straight drives that ended with touchdowns. Finally playing his first game with Jason Witten who was back from injury, Boone connected with Witten 8 times for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Demarco Murray punched in another score at the end of a drive and the cowboys took a 21-7 lead into the fourth quarter. The Dallas defense did the rest of the damage with Sean Lee and Rolando McClain both picking of passes in the fourth quarter. Morris Claiborne (LSU) had a fantastic game and seems to be ressurecting his career in Dallas in the absence of Carr. Claiborne had 4 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT and a fumble recovery. The Cowboys moved to 2-2 with the win.
Speaking with QB Hansen Boone after the game, he ws asked about his performance on the field. "Obviously I am not happy with the turnovers. I can't play like that and expect to win games in this league. In most circumstances we would probably get blown out in a game like that. I'm just happy Coach Coldwar had faith to keep me in there and let me learn from my mistakes." Coach Coldwar cited the fact that the game was still close and that the options behind Boone were not much better. "Quite honestly I would rather him learn and develop and get better than giving him the hook and shaking his confidence. He turned the game around in the second half. he made better reads and really relied on Witten when he needed to make a play. We got alot to work on but I am proud he didn't get down and stepped up to the challenge."
The Dallas Cowboys picked their first win of the season, defeating their rivals, the Washington Redskins 41-24 yesterday. It was the home opener for the Cowboys and marked the debut of rookie Qb Hansen Boone making his first career NFL start. Boone missed most of the preseason and the first two weeks of the regular season with a shoulder injury. Boone didn't waste anytime introducing himself to his new rivals. he hooked up with TE Gavin Escobar for the first TD pass of his career. Boone went 15-26 and threw for 184 yards and 2 Tds. More importantly, Boone didn't turn the ball over, something Mallet and Romo did excessively the first two weeks of the regular season.
It was aback and forth game with neither team able to gain much ground on the other. RG3 led a scoring drive of his own to tie the game at 7 all. The Cowboys retook the lead after a 1 yard run by Keevon Arnold on 3rd and goal. Arnold ran through several defenders, breaking tfour tackles to fight his way into the endzone giving Dallas a 14-7 lead. Griffin III led the skins right back down the field and tied the game up on a short pass over the middle to WR Dion Pittman who had a monster game notching 11 catches for 169 yards and 2 touchdowns. Boone executed the 2 minute offense to perfection at the end of the first half, finding Arnold on a beautiful wheel route with just under 10 seconds remaining in th half to give Dallas a 21-14 lead.
Special teams miscues gave the Skins the lead early in the third quarter. Rookie wr Bruton fumbled on a punt return and then fumbled on a kick off reurn giving the skins a short field. Cameras pn the sideline caught Coach Coldwar screaming at the rookie after his second mistake, unhappy with the way Bruton was carrying the football. Alfred Morris scored on 1 yard TD run to tie the game and 21. After the fumbled kickoff the Cowboys defense really locked in and saved the day. Playing a short field, the Dalals defense held the skins to Fg to make the score 24-21 Skins. After a Dallas 3 and out, the Skins comitted their first turnover of the day throwing an interception to cornerback Arryn Simon. Simon returned the ball inside the Skins 30, but the Cowboys settled for a FG to make the score 24-24. A few plays later, a mistimed route lead to a Rolando McClain pick six, giving Dallas the lead at 31-24. Arryn Simon picked off another pass on the ensuing drive and returned it 40 plus yards for another pick 6, ealing the Cowboys victory.
Game Notes
- Six different wrs caught passes from Hansen Boone. Boone did not seem to have a favorite target rather he just made reads and threw to the open receiver.
- Keevon Arnold has clearly won the starting job from Demarco Murray. Arnold rushed for 124 yards on 21 carries and had 1 TD.
- The defensive line really got a spark from the return of Henry melton from injury. This was the line Coach Coldwar envisioned after drafting Vazquez and resigning Greg Hadry. The cowboys front four produced 5 sacks, 3 in the fourth quarter. Melton and Demarcus Lawreence had 2 sacks a piece.
-Coach Coldwar called out rookie Garic Burton, saying that the rookie had "potential, but will never get achieve it if he keeps making mistakes like that" referring to Bruton's two fumbles. Coach Coldwar would not comment on who would be returning punts next week vs Detroit.
Midweek notes from Valley Ranch:
Dallas Cowboys Rookie and 1st round pick, Hansen Boone, may finally get his first start of the his career in week 3 versus the Redskins. Coach Coldwar held his midweek press confrence where he advised reporters that Boone's status had been upgraded to probable for week 3. This comes at a crucial time for the Boys who desperately need a win. After opening the season with two straight losses to playoff teams, Cowboy fans have been treated to two very clear reasons why the Boys drafted a Qb in the first round. Mallet and Romo have both been horrible in their respective starts. Mallet threw the only TD pass this season, but also threw 5 ints. Romo tossed 1 fewer pick, but couldn't stretch the field at all versus the Ravens and was held without a td pass. Sources say Romo maybe released as a cap casualty if he refuses to take a paycut after the season. The Cowboys have no intention of paying him starter money for backup performances.
Fans have waited all season for Boone to finally get his start. it will be intresting to see how much trust Coldwar has in him. Will th Cowboys try to manage the game with Boone, or woll they give him the keys and let him see what he can do?