The Colts came in allowing 159.3 rushing yards per game, but the Cowboys only picked up 3.3 yards per carry. In the first half, the Cowboys had eight runs of 2 yards or fewer. In the second half, they made solid adjustments and wore down the undersized defensive front. Julius Jones had 38 yards on nine carries in the game-tying drive, and Marion Barber scored two more touchdowns.
RUN DEFENSE
B+
It was hit a few times by Joseph Addai but not enough to be truly hurt. Addai and Dominic Rhodes shed some tackles, but Akin Ayodele and Bradie James controlled the game. Filling in for the injured Greg Ellis, Al Singleton did a nice job turning the runner back to the middle, and the corners also did a nice job filling in. The line was solid again, although Jason Ferguson's playing time was limited with the Cowboys using more nickel defense.
PASS OFFENSE
B
For the first time as a starter, Tony Romo did not throw a TD pass, and for the first time since his first start, he threw an interception. But he made key throws, including a 7-yard strike to Terry Glenn that allowed the Cowboys to run out the clock. Flozell Adams did a nice job vs. Dwight Freeney, and the line allowed only one sack. All six of Glenn's catches came in the second half, partially because the Colts rolled their coverage toward Terrell Owens.
PASS DEFENSE
A
Manning had a few big plays, including the 23-yard TD throw to Reggie Wayne and a 38-yarder to Marvin Harrison, but those were the exceptions. Roy Williams' interception thwarted a scoring drive, and Kevin Burnett's interception tied the score in the third quarter. DeMarcus Ware was a beast, moving to the left side in passing situations. The Colts showed respect for the pressure by using more two-tight end sets.
SPECIAL TEAMS
C-
Mike Vanderjagt missed two field goals, giving him five on the season. He missed just seven in the previous three seasons. It was not the performance he was looking for vs. his former team. Rookie Miles Austin averaged 29.5 yards on two kick returns, looking much more comfortable in his second week on the job. LB Ryan Fowler had an exceptional day on the coverage units with two tackles.
COACHING
A
The defensive coaches deserve game balls in addition to the A. The Cowboys were able to get pressure on Manning by mixing up their coverages and blitzes. It's tough to rattle Manning, but the Cowboys seemed to do it from the beginning. The offensive play-calling was solid with the Cowboys continuing to run the ball even when they struggled to get positive yardage in the first half. The throw to Glenn in the fourth quarter took guts.
OVERALL
A
The Cowboys proved they can take a punch and hand out a few of their own with Sunday's win, which has not been the case all the time in the Bill Parcells era. When they absolutely had to have it, the Cowboys made the plays on offense (Terry Glenn's clock-killing third down catch) and defense (Kevin Burnett's interception return for a touchdown). The defense came up with its best effort of the season, limiting Peyton Manning to just 14 points. The offense was efficient, especially in the second half with the running game.
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