Player of the Game – Tony Romo
In a more normal setting I’d have probably gone with Miles Austin, but this wasn’t normal. What Romo accomplished on the heels of an awful week, with a cracked rib and punctured lung on top of it, was a signature moment. Nobody’s going to remember Austin’s stats in a few years, but I have a feeling “the 49ers game” will be part of Romo’s legacy much like we remember Emmitt’s “Giants game.”
Play of the Game – Austin’s 1st TD
It’s near the end of the first half. Down 14-0 and facing 3rd-and-9 on what would likely be Dallas’ last drive, Romo throws incomplete to Kevin Ogletree. However, an offsides penalty gives Dallas one more shot. That shot ends up being a 53-yard touchdown thanks to Austin’s speed and a fallen defender. With the Niners receiving the kickoff after halftime, it was a crucial momentum moment to score those points and change the team’s morale for the next thirty minutes.
It Was October 8th, 2007…
For my money, Dan Bailey’s 48-yarder was the biggest kick this team’s seen since Nick Folk’s infamous game-winners (remember he had to kick it twice thanks to that stupid timeout trick) against the Buffalo Bills in 2007. Bailey had a first-class ticket to the doghouse after missing a 21-yarder on the Cowboys’ first drive. But fortunately for the rookie, on a night that was full of a redemption full of stories, he got his own chance with a 48-yarder to force overtime. Hitting the actual game-winner after Jesse Holley’s big play was great, but the kick that forced overtime was the most impressive moment.
Ball-in’
Here’s another redemption story; Alan Ball. Not only is he redeeming the failed 2010 experiment at safety, but he redeemed that dropped interception last week with the team’s only pick-off of Smith yesterday. The pick gave Dallas a short field and set up Jon Kitna’s touchdown pass to Austin that tied the game at 14-14. You have to be impressed with Ball both as a player and a person; lost a starting job but humbled himself and is showing up to play in a reserve role. I’m really happy for him.
No Defense for Perfection
It was almost comical how many times Brian Billick (commentator) said “look for them to go Jason Witten here” and that’s exactly what happened. But despite the predictability, Romo and Witten connected on several key passes on 3rd-down plays and kept drives going. Obviously the 49ers’ secondary isn’t filled with all-pros but any NFL defense should be able to take a tight end out of the play, especially when the offense is missing one of its starting receivers. It just goes to show how amazing the execution is between Romo and Witten that they can exercise their will out there despite how obvious it is that the play is coming.
Excuse Me, Mr. Official?
You tend not to focus much on officiating after a win. However, let’s go back to the two calls that really set the tone for this game. On Dallas’ first drive, a virtual goal-line series failed when Austin was interfered with on a 3rd-down pass down the right side of the endzone. No flag came, and thus we watched Bailey’s missed FG.
At the start of the 2nd Quarter, the 49ers first touchdown came thanks to an awful pass-interference call against Bradie James. On a completely broken play, James was trailing Frank Gore into the endzone and made contact when Gore suddenly stopped. Not only did Gore initiate the contact, but the ball was thrown wildly and was barely catchable. That’s two games in a row now where the Cowboys been getting raw deals from the zebras.
Rob Ryan; No Hype Here
About a month ago Rob Ryan made headlines for calling the Eagles the “all-hype team.” The jury’s still out on them, but after two games it seems pretty safe to say that there no undeserved hype in the signing of Ryan as Dallas’ defensive coordinator. The change in this unit is incredible, and that it comes in the fact of so many cornerback injuries is pretty amazing. Anthony Spencer and Mike Jenkins are looking more like their 2009 versions than last year’s, and previously disappointing guys like Jason Hatcher and even Alan Ball are really stepping up. With DeMarcus Ware still looking all-world and Sean Lee looking like one of the next great stars of our team, this group is exciting to watch and can only get better as players get comfortable in the scheme and injured starters return.
Have to Admit…
Though his statistics weren’t great, I was surprised by the quality of play from the 49ers’ Alex Smith. He was making sound decisions in the face of intense pressure and was able to lead some solid drives and score two touchdowns despite a receiving corps of Josh Morgan, Ted Ginn Jr, and some other guys who make Jesse Holley look like Michael Irvin. Can you imagine if Romo had been jerked around for years with a new offensive coordinator each season? He got to grow up with several years under Sean Payton and then perfect his game with Jason Garrett. It’s unlikely Smith will stay with the 49ers as they drafted Colin Kaepernick, but I hope the kid does enough to earn another opportunity with a different team.
Parting Shots
Here are just some final random thoughts from the game:
– Mark it down; Dwayne Harris will break a punt return for a touchdown before the bye week. I like the way he moves with the ball.
– By the time the game was over, did you even realize Kevin Kowalski was out there at center? The interior line depth this year is great.
– If Jay Ratliff hadn’t made that sack, would you have even known he was out there the last two weeks?
– Big NFC East week ahead; Cowboys host the Redskins while the Eagles host the Giants. I’d love to see us end Washington’s little win streak.
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