If someone told you that Tony Romo would throw for 500 yards and the Cowboys would still lose, would you have believe them?
Broaddus: With the way that this game against the Broncos was playing out, I honestly believed that the only chance the Cowboys had to win, was if Romo out played Peyton Manning. Romo was outstanding with the exception of one throw, that he made at the end of the game. I understood what he was trying to do by getting the ball to Escobar in that situation because earlier in the game, he made the same throw and they were able to connect, for a nice gain.
The biggest problem with the throw was that the protection that had been outstanding all day, let him down and he was unable to get enough on the ball. If you want to blame Romo for that throw, just take a moment and think about the other 35 he made in this game, because without him, this one isn't even close.
Is the Cowboys defense really this bad?
Broaddus: When you don't get pressure, it is difficult to play good pass defense. The scheme of this defense is about getting four man pressure and dropping seven, then rallying to the ball to make a tackle. The last two weeks, they have faced two veteran quarterbacks that are currently playing at an elite level. When you don't put pressure on them and that coverage has to hold up against quality receivers and tight ends, you are going to have problems.
Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers are going to quickly get rid of the ball and not allow you to pressure them but with that being said, if you do cover on the outside, you can force them to hold the ball and that is not happening. It's one thing for Morris Claiborne to give up plays but when Brandon Carr is allowing receptions, you have no chance. From my seat in the press box, I thought Barry Church and Orlando Scandrick were outstanding as was Sean Lee but others on this defense have to help, if not, this defense will continue to be in games like this all season.
What gives you hope about this Cowboys squad going forward? [embedded_ad]
Broaddus: If I were a Cowboys fan, what would give me hope is the play of guys like Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley, Barry Church and Sean Lee. I am sure, when I study the tape, I will see some guys on the offensive line that played well, but that's what gives you hope going forward. The scout in me was excited to see Terrance Williams have a nice game after what happened to him last week against the Chargers.
I thought Williams ran some outstanding routes in the game and could have made more than just four catches but those catches were big ones. Each week, he is getting better and you can see that the quarterback is showing confidence in him. With what you have injury wise with Miles Austin, Williams is stepping his game up. It was good to see Cole Beasley in the mix on some creative plays after an early part of the season where he was inactive each week. With the way that he played on Sunday, he should have a larger role in the game plan. I am not here to try and sugar coat this because a loss is a loss but this team just went toe toe to with the best in the league and with the exception of one turnover, almost pulled off something that no one thought they could do.
