NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Dallas Cowboys avoided an 0-2 start by bouncing back in a big way thanks to a dominating performance from DeMarco Murray and their beleaguered defense.
Murray ran for 167 yards and a touchdown, Dan Bailey kicked four field goals, and the Dallas Cowboys beat the Tennessee Titans 26-10 Sunday.
"DeMarco ran really well," Dallas Coach Jason Garrett said. "He ran hard and he ran downhill. When you can do that, drive the football again, again and again and control the football and control the game it gives you a great chance to win."
The loss spoiled Tennessee first-year Coach Ken Whisenhunt's home debut.
The Cowboys haven't started 0-2 since 2010 when Wade Phillips was fired midway through the season and Jason Garrett was promoted to head coach. They didn't come close to staying winless Sunday, jumping ahead 16-0 in the first half to kick off a two-game road swing strong.
"Starting 0-2 is a very, very big hole you don't want to be in," Tony Romo said.
The Dallas defense had 2 sacks and 2 interceptions that led to 10 points.
Romo easily shook off the three interceptions he suffered in the season-opening loss to San Francisco. Romo, with Murray running so well, was 19 of 29 for 176 yards and a TD.
The Titans (1-1) struggled in all areas after winning their opener at Kansas City and missed on their first 2-0 start since 2008.
"We missed tackles," Whisenhunt said. "They ran the football well. Give them credit. They did to us what we did to Kansas City last week."
Dez Bryant had a 3-yard TD catch late in the third quarter to give Dallas a 23-10 lead after going to the locker room to get his shoulder checked out after the Cowboys' opening drive.
Murray lost a fumble for a second consecutive game but he had more than 100 yards before halftime and wound up averaging 5.8 yards a carry for the game.
"We still have a lot of work to do," Murray said. "We're headed in the right way, though."
The Cowboys held the ball for 41 minutes, 11 seconds and finished with a 368-314 edge in total offense.
Dallas' maligned defense contributed, as well.
Rolando McClain, who starred in college at Alabama, ended one Tennessee drive slipping his hand just underneath a Locker pass for an interception early in the fourth. He might have had a touchdown if not for an official whistling the play dead as an incompletion, which was overturned after a review.
The Cowboys also forced the Titans to turn it over on downs after facing first-and-goal at the Dallas 6 with 6:22 left.
Whisenhunt is the Titans' third head coach since their last playoff berth in 2008, and hope was high for a team coming off a big victory at Kansas City.
But the Titans could not have looked much worse for the first 30 minutes.
Quarterback Jake Locker, who had a 111.4 passer rating in the opener, missed receivers both too short and too high. He had 26 yards with a passer rating of 7.6 at halftime.
Barry Church's first-half interception of Locker set up a series of runs by Murray, the last good for a touchdown from the 3 to give Dallas a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter.
Bailey kicked first-half field goals of 48, 44 and 51 yards and Dallas led 16-0 at the half.
Tennessee scored 10 points in the third quarter, the touchdown coming on a 61-yard pass completion from Locker to tight end Delanie Walker, who bounced off Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne and outran defenders to the end zone to make it 16-10.
Locker finished 18 of 34 for 234 yards.
"We just dug ourselves too big a hole," Locker said.
Sports on 09/15/2014