Rams humiliate Romo-less Cowboys

A season that began with a lot of promise and high expectations in Dallas has quickly become a trainwreck in the past couple of weeks both on and off the field. As petulant cornerback Pacman Jones entered a rehab facility after his latest booze fueled brush with the law back in Dallas, the Cowboys were manhandled by the St. Louis Rams in the Gateway City on Sunday. A nasty Ram pass rush forced Cowboy backup QB into three interceptions and Mark Bulger and a balanced St. Louis offense helped their team to a 34-14 rout of suddenly reeling Dallas.

Tony Romo was on the sidelines as a backup, bravely trying to play through the pain of a broken finger on his throwing hand that should keep him out of action for a month. And while the macro view suggests that the Cowboys did the smart thing going with 40 year old Brad Johnson as their starter, there were no doubt second thoughts after his generally ineffective performance. Things started off well for Dallas, as they got on the board first via Marion Barber’s 1 yard TD run. It was all downhill from there, however, as the Rams scored the next 34 points before the Cowboys punched in a meaningless TD (“meaningless” to anyone who didn’t have a wager on the game total at least) to reach the final margin.

In their 2nd game under new head coach Jim Haslett, the Rams simply look like a different team than the one that started the season 0-4. Their offense was balanced, efficient and productive while their defense was stifling. The Rams forced the Cowboys into four turnovers while not committing any of their own. Perhaps the only bright spot for Dallas was the performance of linebacker DeMarcus Ware who tied an NFL record with a sack in his 10th consecutive game, finishing with 3 sacks on the day.

Things could get very interesting off the field for Dallas this week as they deal with multiple injuries, a cornerback in rehab, and grumbling that head coach Wade Phillips should get the axe. Next Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay at home could go a long way to determine whether the Cowboys can salvage this season, or whether the wheels are about to come off completely. The home game against the Bucs will be followed by two brutal road contests at the NY Giants and against the hated Washington Redskins.

The Rams will try to keep their winning ways under Haslett going in a tough venue as they play on the road against New England. They’ll return home the following Sunday for a game against the Arizona Cardinals before heading to the Meadowlands for a game against the NY Jets.