The Carolina Panthers defense was on full display Thursday as they held the Cowboys offense to 210 yards and picked off Tony Romo three times, two of which were returned for touchdowns. It shouldn't be too surprising that the Panther defense was wreaking all kinds of havoc. But the 2015 Carolina team isn't just about defense. With strong play from Cam Newton and a solid rushing attack, the Panthers can play offense too. They are one of only three teams who are averaging over 30 points a game (Arizona and New England are the other two). While the defense is a big part of their success, the balance they have on the offensive side of the ball has helped them remain the only unbeaten team in the league.
Despite the lopsided score, the Cowboys defense showed up. Had it not been for the repeated holes that the offense would continuously digging for themselves, this would have been a close game. The Panthers scored 33 points on the day, but 17 of those points were off of the Romo interceptions. The remaining 16 points consisted of three Graham Gano field goals and one offensive touchdown when Cam Newton ran it in with 35 seconds left in the third quarter. And even that score would have also only been a field goal because the Cowboys defense originally stopped them, but got new life after Byron Jones was called for leaping on a field goal attempt. Still, the Cowboys defense only allowed one touchdown and it took the Panthers three quarters before they got it. That's usually going to be enough to win football games.
The Cowboys defense held the Panthers to 294 total yards, which was their lowest total over their last seven games. The Panthers rank in the top five in rushing yards this season and part of the reason is a healthy season from their running back, Jonathon Stewart. The Cowboys did a great job keeping Stewart in check as he only gained 68 yards on 21 carries for 3.24 yards per carry, his second lowest of the season. The biggest reason the Cowboys defense was able to contain Stewart was the outstanding play of their linebackers.
Between suspensions and concussions, the dynamic duo of Sean Lee and Rolando McClain haven't played together a whole lot. Both have played well at different times this season, but this was their best game as a unit. Sean Lee was masterful in defending Cam Newton and his read-option. Twice, Lee was able to sniff it out, once for no gain and once for a two yard loss. Lee also did a good job setting the edge against the run. He had 11 tackles on the day, but some of his plays won't show up in the stat book. On one play, he filled the running lane quickly and met Jonathan Stewart at the line of scrimmage. Stewart had to switch directions and ran right into Jeremy Mincey for no gain. Lee also showed up in the passing game as he made a touchdown saving pass breakup late in the first half.
As great as Lee was, McClain was equally impressive. He contributed with 12 tackles on the day and would be locked in on Stewart. On three different occasions he tackled Stewart in the backfield for a loss. One of those times came when he read the screen pass perfectly and was able to hit Stewart immediately after catching the ball.
The Cowboys also got a good game from Tyrone Crawford. The defensive front had their work cut out for them as the Panthers committed a lot of blocking resources to handle the pass rush. On multiple occasions, Greg Olsen would line up in the backfield along with Stewart to provide Newton with extra protection. This made it hard for the defense to get to Newton. Crawford still found a way to get a sack. On a 3rd and 22 play, Crawford beat a double team with a nice swim move, resulting in an 18 yard sack back near the Panthers goal line. Crawford would also come through with another big play late in the game. Again, Crawford would use the swim move to elude his blocker, but instead of a sack – he'd block a field goal. This play is easily forgotten due to the fact that it didn't have any real affect towards the outcome, however it was still a good play by Crawford.
While Byron Jones will mostly be remembered for the costly leaping penalty, it should also be noted that he made a couple great plays earlier in the game to keep Dallas in the game. The Panthers would have the ball first and goal at the two yard line. The Panthers would pass three straight times, and each of them the defense made great plays to break it up. Jones would be involved in two of them as he got his hand in to knock the ball away from Greg Olsen and again on Devin Funchess. It was a great sequence for the rookie.
The Cowboys defense is starting to put together some good performances. With the return of Morris Claiborne coming soon, this unit will get a little stronger. And while the Cowboys playoff hopes took a turn for the worse when Tony Romo went down with his second clavicle injury, the play of the defense should still allow the team to have a fighting chance each week.
Follow Dan Rogers on Twitter @DannyPhantom24.
