Tony Romo benefited from the run game
By Mike Dyce
The Dallas Cowboys dominated the St. Louis Rams on Sunday, winning 31-7. When these two teams squared off in 2011, DeMarco Murray burst onto the scene setting a franchise record for rushing yards in a game with 253 yards. This time Murray gave an encore performance rushing for 175 yards on 26 carries and a touchdown, overall the Cowboys carried the football 34 times for 193 yards.
Tony Romo did well completing 17 of 24 passes for 210 yards and three touchdowns. Romo credits Murray and the run game for changing the Rams defensive plans.
“I think a lot of their plan was minimized because of it,” Romo said, via ESPN Dallas.
The Cowboys were criticized for being pass-heavy and not running the ball enough in the first two games, week 2 in particular. They can’t say that anymore because the Cowboys called more run plays than pass plays today.
“You’ll have one or two games like this and you’ll have one slanted the other way and you have to throw it more times than you want to,” Romo said. “That’s going to be part of the season, but it’s nice to just give them the ball and let those guys go.”
Coach Garrett, a former quarterback, understands how the run game can help take some of the burden off a quarterback.
“Obviously when you run the football the way we ran it, it really makes your life as a quarterback that much better,” coach Jason Garrett said. “A lot of the burden is taken off you. When you can hand the ball off and have success and get in favorable down and distance situations and then you start getting favorable matchups in the passing game, it’s really the way you want to play.”