Dallas Cowboys vs. Detroit Lions Ten In-Depth Observations

Jan 4, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) tries to escape the pressure by Detroit Lions defensive end Ezekiel Ansah (94) and Darryl Tapp (52) during the second quarter in the NFC Wild Card Playoff Game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

After the first three Wild Card games disappointed, the last one between the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions was as exciting as we expected it to be, as the Cowboys won 24-20 in a nail-biter. It had everything from long catch-and-runs, nasty cuts, big sacks, and big fumbles to tipped picks and controversial calls. Before I get into the observations, I want to say that I am going to avoid analyzing the penalties, since I just want to focus on the plays that happened. That said, I thought the decision to pick up the flag was confusing and the lack of an explanation disturbing. The Lions two defensive holding calls on the Cowboys game-winning drive were well-deserved, though they caused plenty of frustration following that call-turned-to-non-call.

1. The fact that the Cowboys offense bounced back in the second half didn’t surprise me, and it had to do with more than just regression. Doug Free‘s injury certainly hurt, but the Cowboys offensive line was manhandled by the Lions pass rush because they did such a poor job of recognizing blitzes. Tony Romo took an absolutely savage beating in the first half, as the Lions would finish the game with six sack and ten QB hits. Not only did he take some crazy hits, but the speed of the pressure was alarming, as most of the sacks were unblocked and came within a single “Mississippi”.

But the Cowboys offensive line adjusted to the blitzes, and when the offensive line started to play better, they finally gave Romo a chance to do what he does best. It didn’t hurt that they started dialing up more running plays for DeMarco Murray, who received plenty of good blocking up front from the usually-stout Travis Frederick. Romo never lost his poise despite the immense pressure, and the erratic ball placement that plagued him while he was under duress dissipated when the Lions pass rush stopped embarrassing the big guys in front of the MVP candidate.

Next: Now for the running backs