The Cowboys were able to hang on in a game between two teams that were supposed to be better, but the truth is, neither appears to be.
They escaped Charlotte with a 19-14 win over the Panthers, but did not inspire confidence in doing so.
The win moves the Cowboys to 3-3, while it’s the fourth straight loss for the Panthers, dropping them to 1-5.
The Panthers had a fourth-and-1 with a chance to drive for a go-ahead field goal, but Cam Newton’s pass to Louis Murphy fell incomplete to kill their comeback attempt. There were several problems with the play, beginning with the fact it A) left the hands of Cam Newton, who had run well, B) was intended for Louis Murphy and C) included a fairly egregious pass-interference by Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne which was not called.
The Cowboys can’t leave feeling tremendously happy, although by failing to shoot themselves in the foot they did leave with what they described as a must-win.
Tony Romo was a clean 24-of-34 for 227 yards and a touchdown, a 26-yard beauty to Miles Austin.
The Panthers actually played better than average defense, but could never move the ball consistently. Steve Smith was a non-factor, and that undid the fact they ran the ball as well as they had in a month.