Cowboys’ Weeden doesn’t get a chance to finish what he started

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Brandon Weeden worked some 2-minute magic. Still, it wasn’t enough.

Weeden’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Terrance Williams on fourth down with 1:51 remaining tied the game. But he never got a chance to win it.

The Cowboys’ defense gave up two long back-to-back drives — 68 and 80 yards. Saints kicker Zach Hocker saved them once with a missed 30-yard field goal with 12 seconds remaining, but an 80-yard pass from Drew Brees to C.J. Spiller sent the Cowboys home unhappy.

It was Weeden’s 10th consecutive loss as a starter. Yet, even though Cowboys fans might be asking how long until Weeden loses his job, it’s hard to make him the goat.

Weeden, starting for the second consecutive game in place of the injured Tony Romo, again didn’t have a turnover. He again played an efficient game. But again, the Cowboys lost.

“I thought he did real good,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “He did good all night long. He took his initial look and threw it [for the touchdown]. Did all night long there. He does some real good things, though it’s not quite apples and oranges when the guy on the other side of the deal is Brees, and you’re dealing with a guy who is as limited as Weeden. ... Running out of time or short-handed in two-minute or what have you, then these quarterbacks like Brees make a difference.”

He completed 16 of 26 passes for 246 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. The Cowboys generated 335 yards of offense, including 115 rushing yards.

But twice they settled for field goals after getting in the red zone despite facing the league’s 29th-ranked defense.

The Cowboys’ first drive ended at the New Orleans 12, with Dan Bailey hitting a 30-yard field goal. They reached the Saints 9 in the third quarter, but Weeden threw two incompletions on fades to Williams and then took an 11-yard sack that forced Bailey to kick a 38-yard field goal.

Criticized last week for not going downfield enough, as only five of his 26 attempts traveled farther than 9 yards through the air, Weeden did connect on a 67-yard pass to Brice Butler on Sunday. That was the play that set up the Cowboys at the New Orleans 9.

But that ended unsatisfactorily.

Weeden, though, got the Cowboys in the end zone when he faced do-or-die.

On the game-tying drive, Weeden led the Cowboys on an eight-play, 91-yard march. He completed five of eight passes for 91 yards, including the fourth-down throw to Williams, who beat safety Don Jones with a diving grab.

“He did a great job,” tight end Jason Witten said. “That’s been our motto all year: Don’t blink. That was a big touchdown play to Terrance. This team fights. Great job by Brandon.”

Williams, who didn’t catch a pass in the Cowboys’ loss to Atlanta last week, caught three passes for 49 yards and the touchdown. Weeden targeted him 10 times. Weeden also found receiver Cole Beasley six times for 62 yards as he targeted his wideouts 17 times.

But this one was especially painful, coming against the previously winless New Orleans Saints, who had lost six in a row at home.

If the Cowboys are considering a quarterback change, it likely would come during the bye week. They host the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots next week before their off week.

The Cowboys acquired veteran Matt Cassel in a Sept. 22 trade with the Buffalo Bills. He continues to get up to speed on the offense and was inactive for the second consecutive game.

This story was originally published October 4, 2015 at 11:39 PM with the headline "Cowboys’ Weeden doesn’t get a chance to finish what he started."