Cowboys Fall To Broncos; Back to Dallas
DallasCowboys.com
August 17, 2008
DENVER - With a little over two minutes left in the fourth quarter Saturday night, the Cowboys third string offense faced a fourth-and-five at the Denver Broncos 10-yard line at Invesco Field at Mile High, trailing by a touchdown, 20-13. Bartel had engineered an impressive drive downfield, but he threw the first interception of the game to Broncos rookie cornerback Jack Williams. Williams seemed to have an open road to the opposite end zone, but Bartel managed a shoe-string tackle to save the seven points. Still, it was enough to seal the game, the Cowboys losing to the Broncos 23-13 in their second preseason game.
The Cowboys did get to see a few things they'd hoped they would and with good results - backup quarterback Brad Johnson working behind the starting offensive line, and cornerback Adam Jones returning punts. Unfortunately, the Cowboys were also confronted with something that didn't rear its ugly head in the game against San Diego last week - injuries.
Jones returned his first punt in over 20 months, and showed what made him such a dynamo in that role with Tennessee, taking the ball up the field for 24 yards, although five of those yards were negated by Jones spiking the ball in celebration.
The Cowboys starting offense succeeded in moving the ball, it failed to score, but Johnson made up for it behind the starting offensive line with a couple of passes to receiver Miles Austin. Austin made impressive catches on a 37-yard pass down the sideline and then a fade into the end zone for a touchdown to bring the Cowboys within seven points of the Broncos. Johnson finished the game 9-for-12 for 114 yards and a score.
But on the following kickoff, Austin sprained his right knee and had to leave the game, becoming another name on the Cowboys list of casualties. Starting defensive end Chris Canty bruised his hip on the first play of the game, although it doesn't seem to be serious. Backup fullback Ronnie Cruz, who has battled injuries for most of his career, left with a dislocated shoulder, and reserve linebacker and special teams stud
Justin Rogers sprained his shoulder in the third quarter. Starting fullback Deon Anderson had his bell rung on the opening kickoff, but returned later in the first quarter.
While the rash of game-induced injuries was a new obstacle for Dallas this preseason, the plague of penalties was very familiar, the Cowboys racking up nine penalties for 78 yards. The continuity of the Cowboys' first offensive drive was disrupted by three penalties, although the unit overcame two consecutive post-play penalties that backed the ball up 20 yards (unnecessary roughness for 15 yards on right tackle Marc
Colombo and five yards for having 12 players in the huddle before the next play) with a couple of Tony Romo-to-Terrell Owens completions for a first down. But that drive was brought to an abrupt halt after a false start by left tackle Flozell Adams put the Cowboys out of field goal range.
The starting defense recorded a few penalties of its own that kept the Broncos drives going, including an unnecessary roughness call on linebacker Bradie James after stopping a third-and-short run by Denver in the first quarter. Denver would finish the drive with a touchdown catch by wide receiver Brandon Marshall to go up 14-0.
One penalty that didn't carry over from last week's game against San Diego was pass interference. The Cowboys only had one interference call in the first half, although it wasn't even on a defensive back, but rather on linebacker Demarcus Ware who dropped into coverage in the flat.
Although they didn't interfere on any passes in an illegal way, the Cowboys also didn't get in the way of any balls either, allowing Broncos starting quarterback Jay Cutler to complete 16 of 20 passes for 178 yards and a score. The lack of effectiveness in pass defense could be blamed partially on the lack of a pass rush though, as the Cowboys didn't sack Cutler once and barely managed to pressure him.
The Cowboys pass defense continued to struggle as the team moved down the depth chart, allowing Broncos backup quarterback Patrick Ramsey to throw for 67 yards on eight completions, although Jones, last year's seventh round draft choice Alan Ball, and 2008 fifth-rounder Orlando Scandrick showed promise on a few plays. Jones, who missed a couple of key tackles against the Chargers, racked up six total tackles
Saturday night, sharing game-high honors with James.
After allowing a 32-yard return by Broncos running back Andre Hall on the opening kickoff, the Cowboys' play on special teams did improve from last week. Only two Cowboys' punts were even returned, and both for no more that six yards. And to go with Jones' electrifying punt return, Cowboys wide receiver Isaiah Stanback returned his first kickoff of the game for 35 yards. Stanback fielded all the following kickoffs deep in the end zone and took touchbacks.
Rookie running back Tashard Choice blocked a punt in the third quarter, but Broncos punter Ben Kern recovered the ball and ran for a first down.
Bartel put together an impressive drive in the fourth quarter with a series of completions to wideout Todd Lowber (of "Hard Knocks" fame) and tight end Rodney Hannah, but the Cowboys had to settle for a field goal to narrow the Broncos' lead once again to seven points, 20-13.
