Real star for Cowboys: Phillips' defense
By Calvin Watkins
For Love or The Game: DeMarcus Ware and Bradie James
ARLINGTON -- At some point, the Cowboys' defense had to make a stand.
You can't depend on this offense right now, especially with QB Tony Romo still trying to find a rhythm, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett searching for the right calls, and now the running game having to deal with health issues.
Cowboys coach Wade Phillips is also the defensive coordinator. If the defense plays bad in a loss, Phillips said he loses twice. Monday night, he won twice as the defense sealed the Cowboys' 21-7 victory over Carolina at Cowboys Stadium.
The defense registered three sacks, intercepted two passes, had three quarterback hits and forced the Panthers to go 1-for-8 on third-down attempts.
Last week, the Cowboys allowed 33 points and 427 yards of total offense in a loss to the Giants.
The reaction around here made it seem like Phillips didn't know anything about defense.
He did. The defense just wasn't performing like it should.
"People [were] pushing the panic button, and it was only two games," inside linebacker Bradie James said. "We're still trying to climb [upward]. We kinda made a hole for ourselves and now we're digging ourselves out. But it's about us and it's about how well we play. Once we got a chance to really see how teams are going to attack us, we got a chance to really scheme them back."
The defense wasn't perfect Monday night, but it forced the Panthers to go three-and-out on four successive second-half possessions and didn't allow a score in the last 30 minutes of the game.
The defense forced Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme to try to find other receivers besides Steve Smith. The Cowboys covered Smith with veteran corner Terence Newman in man coverage, with free safety Ken Hamlin sometimes shading that way.
Then there was the pressure provided by the defense. DeMarcus Ware, still without a sack, got to Delhomme. Jay Ratliff, who recorded the Cowboys' first sack of the season, had a good push up the middle to force Delhomme to move around in the pocket.
In the fourth quarter, Phillips inserted rookie linebacker Victor Butler at outside linebacker in place of starter Anthony Spencer. Butler got two sacks, and the second forced a fumble that clinched the victory with 64 seconds remaining.
"It's just continuing to bring pressure, and something finally broke free," Ratliff said. "I thought Victor came in and had a great game."
Phillips liked how Butler played in training camp and has praised his work in practice.
But Phillips needs his veterans to make plays. Newman, who was consistently victimized against the Giants last week, was then given the assignment of covering Smith.
In the game's biggest moment, Newman made the key play.
Trailing 13-7, Delhomme faced a second-and-10 at his own 22. Delhomme tried to throw a slant to Smith, but Newman jumped in front and returned the interception 27 yards for a touchdown and a 21-7 lead with 5:07 remaining.
"We got interceptions. We got some sacks. We got a fumble. We played good tonight," Newman said. "I'm going to take it for what it's worth."
Calvin Watkins covers the Cowboys for ESPNDallas.com. Follow him on Twitter @calvinwatkins.
