They waited two and a half games to do it, but the Cowboys defense finally stepped up and played the way we all expected them to coming into this season. In the first ten quarters of play the Cowboys were exploited in both the running, and passing games. Through the first eight quarters they were held without a sack, or a takeaway. But that would all change in the second half of the Monday night contest with the Panthers.

In the second half the defense had obviously changed their approach. First of all, the biggest improvement that could be seen was that the cornerbacks were playing tighter to the line of scrimmage before the snap. By doing so the essentially took away the short throw and run that had been killing them. And playing tighter coverage also allowed the pass rush to become a factor, allowing the defensive line, and blitzing linebackers time to make their move and get at the quarterback.

The Cowboys also found success Monday night by alternating their personnel on passing downs. A few times in the second half we saw Keith Brooking in on pass coverage, and I must say he did a lot better job than former first round pick Bobby Carpenter. Personally, I would like to see much more of Brooking on passing downs in the future. Rookie linebacker Victor Butler also saw increased playing time on passing downs, and its hard to ignore the fact that he needs more playing time. Two times in the fourth quarter Butler sacked Jake Delhomme, and on one he also forced a fumble that would be recovered by the Cowboys. Butler seemed almost untouchable when he was in the game, and was a major disruption for the Panthers.

While the defense’s improvements could be a fluke, I’d like to think that they have finally found their stride. And we will find out soon enough as the Cowboys have their sights set on taking out the Broncos. While the Broncos aren’t as threatening as they were last year with Jay Cutler under center, they still have the capability to make big plays in bunches. The defense will absolutely be tested in both the rush, and pass this weekend. Stay Tuned.