ARLINGTON, TX - It was complete and utter domination as the Cowboys torched the Colts 42-7 Sunday afternoon at AT&T Stadium to clinch the NFC East Championship for the first time since 2009.
The Cowboys ended a three-game home losing streak and now ensured they'll play at least one more at home, in the playoffs.
Big Picture:
The Cowboys are NFC East Champions and still have so much to play for. Dallas four-year postseason drought is over and guaranteed their first home playoff game since 2009, the last time they won the division. Tony Romo also became the Cowboys' all-time leader in passing yards, surpassing Troy Aikman, who finished his career with 32,942 yards. Fittingly, Romo (now at 32,971) passed Aikman on a touchdown pass to Jason Witten.
Turning Point:
Just 10 plays into the game, a taunting penalty on Colts linebacker Jerrell Freeman kept the Cowboys first drive alive and six plays later they cashed in with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Tony Romo to Terrance Williams. Everything went the Cowboys way from there on, including a fake punt by the Colts that resulted in a dropped pass. The Cowboys scored just one play later for a 14-0 lead.
Key Stat:
With 18 completions on 20 attempts for 218 yards and four touchdowns to four different receivers, Tony Romo was flawless. Romo might have jumped into consideration for NFL MVP with his performance, especially considering DeMarco Murray was somewhat limited with a broken left hand. Romo is still having this success with back injury that has plagued him all year long, but has prevented him from playing at an elite level.
Unsung Hero:
Anthony Hitchens had a fantastic game at linebacker registering seven tackles, an interception and two pass deflections. He helped contain Andrew Luck to a season-low 109 yards passing and one yard on the ground. Hitchens flew around the ball as part of a defense that tamed the best offense in the NFL.
Don't Forget About…
That franchise single-season rushing record. It still belongs to Emmitt Smith for at least one more week. DeMarco Murray came out of the game in the fourth quarter after running for 58 yards on 22 carries and a touchdown. All Murray needs is 19 yards in next week's game against the Washington Redskins to have the most yards in franchise history, surpassing all of the phenomenal seasons recorded by the likes of not only Smith, who has the record with 1,773 yards, but Tony Dorsett and Herschel Walker.
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