HOW ‘BOUT THEM WOWBOYS?: Dallas Cowboys make sure La’el Collins has his moment in the sun; Rookie’s inspirational message sends shockwaves around Cowboys Nation | The trade-bait debate | A true-blue must-see video
Wow.
What else can you really say about what has happened here this week, particularly on Thursday afternoon at Valley Ranch. Continue reading →
DON’T FORGET THE X-FACTOR: Dez Bryant ready to "Get The W" for Tony Romo
IRVING, Texas – Dez Bryant’s going to play tomorrow night.
That was his message as the receiver, who was limited two days in practice this week and missed another day with a back injury, stood in front of his locker room and discussed how the team has to play for injured quarterback Tony Romo.
“Look how I’m standing,” Bryant said, as he stood straight up at his locker. “That should tell you enough. I’m ready to go. I’m good. I’m ready.”
For the first time this season, Bryant will be hauling in passes from a quarterback not named Romo. Bryant said everyone else has to step their game up more with Romo out.
“This is for everything,” Bryant said. “We’ve got to go out there and fight. We’re going to go out, lay it all out on the line and get this ‘W’ for Tony.”
Bryant said coach Jason Garrett’s rule is the next man up has to step up, and he’s confident the Dallas Cowboys will rally around Kyle Orton and do their best to get a victory and get into the playoffs, but he added that he feels for Romo, who’s his guy right now and will always be his guy.
“I want him to hurry up and get well, hope he has a speedy recovery, which I know he is,” Bryant said. “I’m going to try to get this W for him.”
Orton and the players around him have all expressed their confidence in his ability to get the job done. Bryant said he’s comfortable with Orton at quarterback and it shouldn’t be a huge issue.
With Bryant’s back, Sean Lee’s neck, Ernie Sims’ groin, DeMarcus Ware’s various injuries and a number of hamstring problems throughout the team, the Cowboys once again find themselves in a tough spot health-wise for their season finale.
Bryant said of course he’d like to be going into this one full strength, but this situation’s a reality the group has to accept and move on from.
“It’s something we have to deal with,” he said. “Just get in that treatment room and get better and come back on Sunday and get ready to play.”
NUMBER 90 REBRANDING: Cowboys DT Marvin Austin assigned Jay Ratliff’s locker and his jersey number
Jay Ratliff left the building only a week before his No. 90 and his locker went to another defensive tackle. Marvin Austin has taken over both after the Dallas Cowboys signed him Tuesday.
Austin spent two seasons with the Giants after they made him a second-round pick in 2011. He spent two games with the Dolphins this season before his release Oct. 15.
“It’s definitely a new beginning and a lot to build on,” Austin said.
Austin, listed at 6 foot 2, 312 pounds, still was pouring with sweat a half hour after practice. He admits he is not in football shape.
“Not good enough,” Austin said. “To be honest with you just the way they practice and the way they want you to go out there and play, I’ve got to keep working every day to get in shape to go out there and perform.”
Austin hopes defensive line coach Rod Marinelli can work the same magic with him as Marinelli has with several no names along the defensive line.
“His record speaks for itself and coach [Monte] Kiffin also,” Austin said. “The way that those guys coach, and the success they’ve had in this league, I have no excuses.”
GAMEDAY STATS AND QUOTES: 2013-2014 Dallas Cowboys vs. St. Louis Rams–Week 3
Stats and Notes:
Sunday’s win gave the Dallas Cowboys a 2-0 home record to start the season for the first time since 2007 and fourth time since 1999. The club also did it in 2006. When Dallas opened its home schedule 2-0 in 2007, the club beat the N.Y. Giants in the home opener, followed by a win over St. Louis – the same as this season.
The Dallas defense yielded 18 yards to the Rams offense in the first half of Sunday’s game. The 18 yards was the fewest Dallas allowed in a half since giving up 17 against Seattle (10/11/92) with Jimmy Johnson’s young squad.
The defense also held St. Louis to 1-of-13 on third downs. It was the 18th time since 1991 an opponent had one-or-fewer third down conversions. The last time was at Philadelphia (11/11/12) when the Eagles were one-of-10.
The Dallas Texas-2 defense registered six sacks, the most since six at San Francisco (9/18/11).
Gavin Escobar hauled in his first career touchdown catch on a 24-yard third quarter Tony Romo pass.
Jason Hatcher’s sack Sunday gave him 19.0 for his career to pass Bill Bates (18.0) and Lee Roy Jordan (18.5) and tie Anthony Dickerson and Jimmie Jones for 21st in team history.
Hatcher’s sack was also his third straight game with a sack – the longest streak in his career.
DeMarco Murray rushed for 175 yards Sunday – the second-highest single-game rushing figure in his career. His prior high was the club-record 253 yards also against St. Louis (10/23/11).
Murray’s 175 yards also tied Tony Dorsett (at Baltimore, 12/6/81) for the ninth-best single-game rushing yards figure in franchise history.
Murray carried the ball a career-high 26 times Sunday. His average of 6.7 yards-per-carry were good for his third-highest single-game average (minimum 10 carries).
When Murray tallies 20-or-more carries in a game, the Dallas Cowboys own a 10-0 record – including one non-start.
Murray now has five career 100-yard outings.
Caesar Rayford made his Dallas Cowboys debut playing in the defensive line rotation Sunday.
Tony Romo’s touchdown tosses Sunday gave him a scoring pass in each of the previous 15 games. It also gave him 183 career touchdown throws to pass Rich Gannon (180) and Steve Grogan (182) and tie Craig Morton for 47th in career touchdown passes in NFL history.
DeMarcus Ware had two sacks in Sunday’s game to up his career sack total to 115.0. He passed Harvey Martin (114.0) as the all-time (unofficial since Martin’s sack totals are pre-1982) Dallas Cowboys sack leader. Ware also broke a tie with Sean Jones for sole possession of 17th on the NFL’s all-time sack list.
Ware’s 2.0 sacks Sunday also upped his club record of multiple sack games to 28.
Kyle Wilber had his first career sack in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game.
J.J. Wilcox made his first career start Sunday when he opened up as one of the team’s starting safeties.
With his five catches for 67 yards, Jason Witten has now caught at least one pass in 74 straight games and trails only Michael Irvin (117 from 1990-98) for the team record. Witten’s last game without a reception was at the N.Y. Giants (11/2/08).
Witten’s five catches Sunday brought his career receptions total to 822 to pass Steve Largent (819) 22nd among all NFL pass catchers.
For his career, Witten now has 9,097 receiving yards and passed Tony Martin (9,065) to crack the top-50 and land in the 49th spot on the NFL’s all-time receiving yards chart.
Quotes:
Jason Hatcher:
Can you tell us this- We hear that you got in front of the team again in here after the game today?
I was just telling them how proud of them I was. We came out and played great tonight. I’m happy. I wouldn’t trade, I wouldn’t be in no other place. We’ve got great guys on this team and they responded well. They came out. We did what we were supposed to do. We were supposed to win this game and we won.
There’s also a report you had to get on to Romo too (separate series of questions)…
I love Romo to death man. I wasn’t getting on Romo. I love Romo to death. He came out and he balled out tonight. Did you see that? He balled out. They ran the ball, he threw the ball great, he’s the best quarterback in the league. So I love Romo to death. That’s my brother.
You all are good then?
Hell yeah. Where is Romo at? Tell him to come over here. I’m gonna hug his neck. We ain’t got no issues. Where’d you get all that from? I love Romo-Romo loves me. We are teammates, we’re brothers-brotherhood.
Editors note: This questioning relates to a post regarding Romo’s changing run plays to throw the ball vs. KC last week.
Sean Lee:
Sean , first of all, can we get your thoughts on Ware getting the all time sack record for the Cowboys?
I mean he’s one of the greatest pass rushers of all-time. To play with him has been an honor. Not only is he a great player, he’s a great leader, he’s a great person. So for him; it’s just a testament for how hard he works because everyday in practice he’s working on his game; he’s motivating guys. He’s a complete player and a complete person and it’s been fantastic to play with him.
Sean, when DeMarco’s controlling the ball like that, and you guys have a lot more time of possession, how does that help you guys as a unit when you’re able to get off to the sideline and get some rest and get back out there and fly around the football?
It’s great. DeMarco is an unbelievable running back and they did a fantastic job today: The offensive line and DeMarco. If you give DeMarco holes he can make great cuts and can take it all the way. He’s a complete back and so it was fun to see him break out a little bit today.
Tony Romo:
Are the ribs continuing to feel better?
Yeah, they’re feeling good. And I think the next game, they’ll be fine.
Did you sense the running game would be this successful today?
I don’t know that you ever go in thinking…I don’t know how many yards we rushed for? Yeah, that’s almost 200 yards, I mean that’s a lot at any level, especially the NFL. That’s just a credit to the guys up front and DeMarco and what they did today. That makes my job and everyone else’s much easier. We wanted to run the football today, and we did a good job of obviously having production to make it easy to do so.
How well did the offensive line play?
They did great. They created some big holes and they also gave me time throughout the game to do some different things and get to some certain guys that you normally wouldn’t get to. Like I said before, it makes everyone’s job easier when you have some good guys up front.
How do you feel Gavin Escobar is coming along?
He’s young. He almost had the one [touchdown] earlier in the game, like you said. I think he lost his shoe against New York on one where I think he would have had one. So, it was just a matter of time. He did a good job on the route today. He’s a big target, so that helps.
WASN’T NEED-TO-KNOW: Why the Cowboys waited until OTAs began to tell everyone about Tony Romo’s cyst
The Dallas Cowboys waited until OTAs began to tell everyone about Tony Romo’s cyst and that he wouldn’t be practicing since he had it removed from his back.
So why the big secret? Why not announce the procedure when it was performed on the $108 million quarterback, who would be held out the entirety of OTAs, not just for a practice or two? Routine stuff — surgery successful, expect a full, quick recovery, yada yada yada.
Romo’s reasoning: if it doesn’t help the team, why bother?
“I don’t feel it’s in anyone’s best interest just to come out and talk about anything that goes on,” he told reporters Tuesday at Valley Ranch. “It doesn’t help your football team. Predominantly, most of the decisions you make are about helping the football team, and that’s what you fall back on in those decisions.”
So Romo and the Cowboys decided not to say anything until they had to. They figured a 20-minute gaggle with reporters after the first practice would get the news just as well as a quick email blast.
“Well, I don’t talk to you guys very often,” Romo said. “I figured it was just easier than to schedule a press conference and say, ‘Hey, I had a minor procedure. All right. Goodbye.’
“It seems silly, honestly.”
TEAM PRECAUTION: Tony Romo has a minor procedure; working in a limited role during OTA’s
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo had surgery last month to remove a cyst from his back. It’s not considered serious, but Romo may miss the organized team activities scheduled in the next few weeks.
Of course, it’s only May, so the Dallas Cowboys are being cautious with Romo.
Romo has endured numerous injuries and ailments in his career — a broken pinkie, punctured lung, cracked ribs and sore back among them. He has returned from all of these injuries and played well.
Romo: Just A Minor Procedure (duration – 19:09) Click HERE to watch
Tony Romo speaks to the media LIVE from the Dallas Cowboys practice field about his medical procedure, expanded role in the offense, and other news topics from this offseason.
… Secondary audio link … click HERE.
Editors note: The audio volume is very low from both the video and audio sources.
RELATED: Tony Romo expected to return for minicamp June 11-13
Tony Romo is ready to get back on the field, but the Dallas Cowboys quarterback isn’t likely to get his wish until the team’s minicamp next month.
Romo had a minor procedure last month, getting a small cyst removed from his back. The stitches are out, and the area is healed, but the Cowboys are holding him out of the team’s organized team activities as a precaution.
“Like with all of our players, we’d rather have him out there participating than not, but we’ve always been very cautious with this time of year with our players, making sure they’re 100 percent healthy and get them back when they’re ready to go,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “So Tony’s going to be out the OTAs. I think there’s a possibility he could participate in the minicamp three or so weeks from now. He’ll certainly be ready for training camp.”
Romo, 33, began experiencing some discomfort in his back last month and had the area examined. Dr. Drew Dossett, a team orthopedic, performed the procedure to remove the cyst before the NFL Draft.
“We just had a minor procedure to remove a cyst. Just had to go get that done,” Romo said. “I feel a lot better. It was something that was there a little bit, kind of annoying. I’d rather feel 100 percent here. Hopefully I’ll be back for minicamp and be ready to go, but we’re just being smart now for the next couple of weeks.”
Romo is itching to get back. He has been given a bigger hand in the offense after requesting more responsibility.
“I think just through experience, the older you get as a football player and a quarterback. I think you gain a little bit of an understanding about the game and how you can almost develop, through experience, over time,” Romo said. “When you are a guy in your first few years, and I’ve probably been starting now for 6, 6 1/2 years maybe, you start to understand the game differently as time passes. Some of the things that are positive and can help your team win.
“For me, I believe in some things that I think can help us win football games. You have great communication with the coaches. We all talk about things and we go from there. Everyone is just trying to help the football team win.”
Kyle Orton is getting first-team reps in Romo’s absence. Young quarterbacks Nick Stephens and Dalton Williams are getting more work as well.
EDITORS NOTE: Tony Romo is present and actively involved on the field and is also working with teammates and coaches from the sidelines.
MEET THE STUDS: Dallas Cowboys’ top three 2013 Draft picks arrive at Valley Ranch for a tour and press conference (Special Feature)
Dallas Cowboys’ top three 2013 Draft picks arrive at Valley Ranch for a tour and press conference
Dallas Cowboys’ top three 2013 Draft picks inside Valley Ranch for a tour and press conference
Dallas Cowboys’ 2013 Draft pick WR Terrance Williams is greeted by Jerry Jones at the Dallas Cowboys Valley Ranch NFL Draft war room
MANY more photographs below …
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BOYS BACK TO .500: Win over Browns far from pretty; Cowboys take what they can get
Cowboys showed some resiliency coming back from 13-0 deficit, force overtime and then win on Dan Bailey’s 38-yard field goal
ARLINGTON, Texas — A wild 23-20 overtime win over Cleveland on Sunday afternoon at Cowboys Stadium is an example why there are skeptics whether the Dallas Cowboys are a viable playoff contender.
The standings say that’s the case. With six games left the Cowboys are only one game behind the New York Giants. But inconsistent play and glaring shortcomings raise doubt.
“A Hall of Fame pitcher told me a long time ago, ‘You have to somehow win a game when you don’t have your best stuff,” said Dallas coach Jason Garrett. “I don’t think we had our best stuff today, but we found a way.”
The schedule favors Dallas.
Climbing back to .500 for the first time in a month, the Cowboys (5-5) play four of their final six games at home. Only one team left on the schedule — Pittsburgh — has a winning record.
But against the Browns (2-8) the Cowboys trailed 13-0 at halftime and needed 10 first downs by penalty — nine called against Cleveland’s secondary — to escape with a win in a game Dallas’ beleaguered offensive line allowed quarterback Tony Romo to be sacked seven times.
“I’m not going to make any excuses for winning,” Romo said. “I know it’s hard no matter who you play. At the same time, we need to play better going forward if we’re going to do things we hope to achieve.”
Sparking the second-half rally was wide receiver Dez Bryant, who had a career day. The former Oklahoma State star collected 12 receptions for 145 yards, highlighted by a 28-yard touchdown that put Dallas up 17-13 with 6:46 to play.
That’s when the game, arguably the Cowboys’ postseason hopes, bounced back and forth.
“Anyone who was watching understood how important this win was,” Romo said. “You could feel it, the sense of urgency our team played with.”
A Dallas goal-line stand stopped the Browns three consecutive plays at the 1-yard line to protect the 17-13 lead with 1:42 to play.
The Browns, though, used all three timeouts to get the ball back at the Dallas 17-yard line following a 21-yard punt return and a Dallas horse-collar penalty.
Cleveland quarterback Brandon Weeden, the rookie from Oklahoma State, fired a 17-yard touchdown to Ben Watson to give the Browns a 20-17 lead with 1:07 left in regulation.
“We continue to battle,” Weeden said. “I don’t know why we’re not getting it done late. That’s the frustrating part.”
After Weeden’s TD pass, Dallas moved quickly down the field, aided by 50 yards on two penalties — a 35-yard pass interference and 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct. The Cowboys settled for a 32-yard Dan Bailey field goal with: 02 left in regulation to tie it.
After both teams failed to score on their initial overtime possession, Romo marched the Cowboys down for a game-winning 38-yard field goal with 6:07 left in the extra period.
Instead of a statement win for Weeden and the young, improving Browns, it was another frustrating loss. Cleveland has lost six games by seven or less points.
“Yeah, we’ve lost our share, but we’ve been in every game,” said Weeden, an Edmond Santa Fe product who had his entire family, numerous friends and OSU fans make the trip to watch him play. “You can’t say we don’t play hard or we don’t fight. We just haven’t been able to finish.”
That’s also been an issue for the Cowboys. But this time they found a way to escape.
Dallas’ owner Jerry Jones’ response was revealing when asked if the win could provide momentum to make a run at the playoffs.
“Well, it gives us a mathematical chance,” Jones said. “As it would turn out, I liked the way we came back today. To get to 5-5 this way, a kind of strange way to earn it, you could look at it negatively. But I hope it will be a doctorate’s degree for us going forward these next six games.”
Considering Dallas’ suspect offensive line suffered another injury (left tackle Tyron Smith), does Garrett feel the Cowboys can find “their best stuff,” facing a short turnaround before they host Washington on Thanksgiving Day?
“You just have to keep grinding,” Garrett said. “We can play better. This is a positive thing for our football team. Hopefully, we’ll get some guys back and get going again.”
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BURDEN LIFTED OFF SHOULDERPADS: With incident resolved, Dez Bryant to stay focused on being great football player
IRVING – Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant expressed relief and satisfaction that the ugly incident involving his mother has finally been resolved and he can move forward.
“I just feel better man, that it’s done and it’s over with,” Bryant said in the locker room a day after his attorney Royce West signed off on a conditional dismissal agreement with the Dallas County District Attorney.
If Bryant completes one-year of anger management classes and stays out of trouble for a year, the misdemeanor family violence charge will be dismissed.
“I am extremely excited we came to an agreement, and I’m just going to do what I need with my teammates, to be a great teammate, a great person and a great player as well, Bryant said. “I’m excited. I’m just ready to stay focused on football and you known, um, play some great football.”
The case puts Bryant in the cross hairs of the NFL’s personal conduct policy and commissioner Roger Goodell. He could be line for further discipline not just by the Dallas County district attorney but the NFL if doesn’t complete his year incident free.
Bryant said he’s not worried about that because he has no plans on getting in trouble.
He was already undergoing anger management classes and has a security detail with him whenever he goes out, as stipulated by his attorney Royce West and agent Eugene Parker.
What he’s most excited about is the burden it lifts off his shoulders, allowing him to focus mainly on football and being the best player he can be.
Bryant has caught 45 passes for 590 yards and three touchdowns in 2012.
After having the first injury free off season for the first time in his career, Bryant had hoped to have a breakout season but that was tainted in July when he was arrested for assaulting his mother Angela Bryant, a week before the starting of training camp.
Bryant went silent and didn’t talk to the media until after the Sept. 5 season opener against the Giants. And then it was only about football _ until Thursday when he spoke about the case for the first time.
“It bothered me a little bit," Bryant said. "It’s over now. I feel comfortable and I’m ready to stay focused on this football and keep my mind on that and nothing else. I feel I’m back to being Dez. I’m playing free.”
IT’S ALL ABOUT TIMING: Tony Romo on Dez Bryant; why Laurent Robinson was successful with the Cowboys
Tony Romo rarely goes into detail about the Cowboys offense. During his weekly interviews at Valley Ranch he routinely states how he doesn’t want to give anything away to opposing defenses, which results in generic answers.
Tuesday was an off day for the Cowboys, so Romo had some extra time to call into 103.3 [KESN-FM] and talk about a variety of topics, and the Cowboys offense was part of the discussion.
It’s no secret that the Cowboys are hurting offensively without the 11 touchdown receptions Laurent Robinson provided last season in his 14 games with the club. Many wonder why he and Romo worked so well in their only season together.
According to Romo, it’s because Robinson was usually in the right place at the right time.
“Laurent did a good job of … if it was a 12-yard curl route, he’d hit 12 yards and turn,” Romo said. “You don’t have to win by three yards every time. … Sometimes receivers will want to give the extra moves here and there and in some systems they allow you the freedom to do a lot of stuff.
“My thing is that our timing is pretty good as an offensive unit that you just need to be where you need to be on time. If you’re covered, you’re covered and I’ll move through to the next guy. If you’re not, then you’re not. But you can’t be places late. And that’s really what we preach as an offensive system and I think Laurent did a good job of that. But we got some pretty darn good guys now that do that.”
Dez Bryant is obviously someone that needs to be on the same page with Romo. While that hasn’t always been the case, Romo says Bryant has improved greatly since his rookie year and is continuing down the right path.
As a rookie, Bryant finished with 45 receptions for 561 yards. He improved to 63 catches for 928 yards last season. Through nine games in 2012, Bryant is on pace for 80 catches and 1,040 yards. However, after catching six touchdowns as a rookie and nine last season, Bryant has only three this season.
“Dez has come full circle from where he was a couple of years ago,” Romo said. “We go by catches whether or not someone has a good game as fans or as media, sometimes. But when we watch the tape, we go by how he blocked, did he get open? The coverages are going to dictate who’s going to get the ball. But does he run his route right? Is it precise? Is he quick in it?
“He’s come 180 degrees, almost full circle where he basically gets to a point where he understands the game. Let’s say he started off doing it 70 percent when he first got here. Then he got to 85. He’s really close to being a guy where it’s 100 percent. You got to go through some things sometimes but he’s a kid that wants it, that works hard, and he’s got a really bright future.
BRANDON CARR: Distractions? What distractions?
Dallas Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr is either the most focused player on the team or someone who enjoys having a little fun with media members prone to overreact to wins and losses. Or both.
Whatever the case, Carr paused during today’s teleconference before answering a question about whether the Cowboys (4-5) had put last week’s off-field distractions behind them with Sunday’s 38-23 victory over Philadelphia.
“What were the distractions?,” Carr responded.
A reporter mentioned ongoing speculation about the job status of coach Jason Garrett, as well as former coach Jimmy Johnson’s assertion that the Cowboys cultivate a “country club” climate in the team locker room, with minimal fear of repercussions for losses or poor play.
“My bad,” said Carr, who had a 47-yard touchdown on an interception return against the Eagles. “I guess I guess I wasn’t distracted. Sorry.”
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commentary, analysis, and daily/weekly shows with some of the
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OPPORTUNITY KNOCKING: New Dallas Cowboys LB Gary Guyton likely needed Sunday against Eagles
IRVING, Texas – Gary Guyton spent his first four seasons with the New England Patriots. He grew accustomed to a certain expectation of winning. He also grew accustomed to playing football for a living.
But when the Patriots chose not to bring Guyton back for the 2012-2013 season, he found himself looking for a job. But he knew that his experience, 229 tackles and 3 fumbles would come in handy for an NFL team eventually.
“I was just preparing myself,” Guyton said. “You never know what can happen.”
And sure enough, the Cowboys found themselves in need of a linebacker. After the season-ending injury to Sean Lee, the Cowboys also suffered injuries to Orie Lemon (placed on the IR) and Dan Connor. So this week they brought in Guyton.
“You just get the call and be ready to go,” Guyton said. “So I got the call saying ‘come in for a work out’ and I came and now I’m a Dallas Cowboy.”
Guyton has played in big games and understands the urgency. He wants to prove to the team that they went out and signed someone who was prepared for the opportunity.
“I’m just working out, running, doing the best I can. I (already) had my training in Atlanta. That’s where I stay.”
It’s not uncommon for a player who hasn’t been on an NFL team to struggle getting back into game shape when they are picked up. Even players that work out constantly learn that actual practices and games can be a whole different experience. Guyton claimed that there was one thing that he had to get used to, but it had nothing to do with being in shape.
“The helmet. My forehead is sore,” Guyton joked. “Just new people, new system. I’m just getting in here and working through it, working hard.”
Guyton was brought in not only because of his skills, but because he has four years of experience in a 3-4 defense. Since Guyton might be thrown into the fire early, it was important that there was not much of a leaning curve.
“It’s mostly similar so I’ve been through it,” Guyton said. “I’ve been looking through it. I understand the 3-4 defense and the basics of it.”
These few days of practice are very important for Guyton. The Cowboys would normally start Connor at linebacker in the absence of Lee, but Connor is still recovering from a neck strain and his limited participation in Thursday’s practice means that his status for Sunday’s game against the Eagles could be in jeopardy.
If Connor is to sit out, the Cowboys will be extremely thin at linebacker, meaning that they would need to give Guyton minutes as early as this Sunday.
Guyton understands that the he might play his first NFL game of the season in Philadelphia, but he knows not to get ahead of himself. A lot has to be done on his end before then just to be prepared.
“Just going through the basics right now and getting those down,” he said. “Just moving on through the playbook.”
FLASHBACK 2011: Dallas Cowboys can’t afford another repeat of McCoy’s historic performance
IRVING, Texas – It has been about 51 weeks, but the Cowboys haven’t forgotten.
Sure, so much has happened to this football since then and most of it hasn’t been memorable. And without a doubt, the Cowboys’ last visit to Lincoln Financial Field wasn’t a fun time, mainly because of one LeSean McCoy.
The Cowboys were trounced that night in Philly, 34-7, and McCoy was the biggest reason. He was also the fastest, the quickest, most elusive and most dominating.
While the Eagles aren’t exactly playing at a high level this season – entering the game with the same 3-5 record as the Cowboys – let’s not forget about 2011. The Eagles weren’t exactly setting the world on fire when these two teams met in Philly last year. In fact, they were a dismal 2-4 when the Cowboys showed up. But, the Eagles made it pretty clear they were going to get McCoy involved.
It turned out to be a good plan, considering McCoy totaled 200 all-purpose yards, including 185 on the ground, the sixth-highest single-game total in Eagles history.
In the rematch at Cowboys Stadium on Christmas Eve – a game that turned out to be one of the more meaningless regular-season matchups ever, McCoy rushed for just 30 yards on 13 carries as the Eagles won 20-7.
This year, McCoy ranks 10th in the NFL in rushing with 623 yards, but has only two touchdowns. He’s also dangerous out of the backfield with 30 catches for 148 yards and three scores.
“I think he’s outstanding,” Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said. “He has such great lateral quickness, such great elusiveness, speed, ability to get to the edge, ability to break tackles. He just makes so many great runs over and over again. It will be a challenge for us to corral him, get a lot of people around the ball and tackle him to the ground. That’s what we need to do.”
Seems to be harder than it sounds.
“You have to stop ‘Shady’ McCoy,” defensive end Jason Hatcher said. “He’s one of the top five backs in the league. He’s slippery. He cuts and plays like Barry Sanders. He’ll cut it all the way across the field to get yards.”
Linebacker Bruce Carter, who is coming off a 10-tackle game against the Falcons last week, said his experience on special teams might come in handy when facing a guy like McCoy, who is not afraid to change directions, especially in the open field.
“We just have to be disciplined, especially with our ends and outside linebackers,” Carter said. “You have to set the edge. He’s always got a counter move where he can cut it back. He can go the distance the other way. What (linebackers coach Matt Eberflus) told us, every play is like a kickoff return. You just never know.”
The Cowboys need Carter to be effective inside, especially with the injury situation at the other linebacker spot. Sean Lee is out for the season after undergoing toe surgery two weeks ago. His immediate replacement, Dan Connor, missed last week’s game with a stinger and hasn’t practiced in full this week. Second-year pro Orie Lemon suffered a hamstring injury and was placed on injured reserve.
The Cowboys have signed veterans Ernie Sims and Gary Guyton off the street the last two weeks.
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SEALING THE DEAL: Unbeaten Atlanta Falcons pull away from Dallas Cowboys in fourth quarter
ATLANTA — Unbeaten Atlanta scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to pull away from the Dallas Cowboys en route to a 19-13 win at the Georgia Dome Sunday night.
Atlanta moves to 8-0. Dallas falls to 3-5. The Cowboys play at Philadelphia next week.
“We didn’t do enough to win this game,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “We have to find a way to make enough plays to win. They are a very talented team. They won eight games for a reason."
Michael Turner scored on a 1-yard run and Matt Bryant kicked two field goals in the fourth quarter to break open a close game.
Turner finished with 102 yards on 20 carries, including a long of 43 yards. Matt Ryan threw for 342 yards, but no touchdowns. Roddy White had seven grabs for 118 yards and Julio Jones had five catches for 129 yards.
“They have a lot of weapons,” Garrett said. “They did a good job making moves in the open field and the yards after catch.”
Tony Romo passed for 321 yards and no interceptions. Miles Austin and Jason Witten each had seven catches and Kevin Ogletree had three for 96 yards and one touchdown.
The Cowboys defense, similar to the previous weeks, controlled the game, but wilted late with a couple of missed key tackles.
“I thought our defense did a good job early forcing them to kick field goals,” Garrett said.
Dallas got off to a good start when the defense forced a punt on Atlanta’s first possession.
Dwayne Harris returned the punt 33 yards to the Atlanta 31.
Seven plays later, Dan Bailey made a 23-yard field goal to make it 3-0 at the 10:46 mark.
Atlanta drove to the Cowboys’ 18, but on a third-and-2 play, Bruce Carter dropped Michael Turner for a 1-yard loss. On fourth down, Matt Bryant’s 37-yard field goal was wide right.
Dallas took over and struck quickly when Romo completed a 65-yard pass to Ogletree at the Falcons’ 18. Four plays later, Bailey made a 32-yard field goal for a 6-0 lead at the 3:42 mark.
Atlanta finally got on the board with a 45-yard field goal by Bryant on the second play of the second quarter to make it 6-3.
Dallas tried to answer by moving to the Falcons’ 37. On third-and-7, Ogletree dropped a pass from Romo. Then Bailey missed a 54-yard field goal wide left.
Taking over on its own 44, Atlanta drove to the Cowboys’ 36, but was forced to punt.
From their own 3, the Cowboys moved to midfield where they punted on fourth and inches.
Atlanta moved from its 12 to the Dallas 28 in 48 seconds where Bryant made a 47-yard field goal on the final play of the half to tie the game at 6-6.
“Obviously, we rather have touchdowns than field goals,” Garrett said.
Dallas punted away its first possession of the second half after working out from its 14 to the Atlanta 44.
Atlanta drove from its 13 to the Dallas 25 where Bryant barely missed a 43-yard field goal to the right at the 6:43 mark.
Dallas was on the move and faced a third-and-13 play at the Dallas 41, but a wide-open Miles Austin dropped the pass and the Cowboys punted.
Atlanta countered with the first touchdown of the game. The Falcons drove 81 yards in six plays with Michael Turner scoring on a 1-yard run on the second play of the fourth quarter to make it 13-6.
After another Dallas punt, Atlanta drove to the Cowboys’ 18, but a sack, short run and an incompletion forced Bryant’s 36-yard field goal to push the Falcons lead to 16-6 with 7:49 left in the game.
Now running out of time, Dallas went to its hurry-up, no-huddle offense and it paid off.
Dallas drove 78 yards in six plays for a touchdown. Romo threw 20 yards to Ogletree for the touchdown to make it 16-13 with 5:21 left in the game. Romo completed all six of his passes, including two to Jason Witten, who became the Cowboys’ all-time leading receiver on the drive, passing Michael Irvin.
With 5:21, Atlanta began its victory march by converting three third downs, including two on short passes to Jacquizz Rodgers, to put the game away. Bryant made a 32 yard field goal to make it 19-13 with 17 seconds left.
Four plays later, the game ended with a completion to Felix Jones at the Atlanta 21.
“We have to stay together and go back to work,” Garrett said.
COWBOYS COMMITT: Barry Church wants to reward organization for faith in him
IRVING, Texas – Barry Church is in the early parts of a comeback from Achilles’ tendon surgery, but the Dallas Cowboys safety has some peace of mind.
Last week the Cowboys signed Church to a four-year extension worth close to $9 million and an opportunity to add another $3 million through play-time escalators. He received a $2.5 million signing bonus.
“I’m glad they have a lot of faith in me,” Church said. “I was shocked a little bit. I thought I was going to have to come back from rehab and don’t have a deal or don’t have any security going into camp next year. They’re showing faith in me and I’m going to try to make it worth every penny for them.”
Church, who suffered the injury Sept. 23 vs. Tampa Bay on a non-contact play, said he will have the cast removed on Monday, “and then I can begin the real rehab.” He said he plans on being 100 percent by the time the offseason conditioning program begins next April.
He won the starting safety spot in the first week of training camp, allowing the team to cut veteran Brodney Pool, and had eight tackles, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery.
“He played really well and again is the kind of guy we want on our team,” coach Jason Garrett said.
Church will use former Cowboys cornerback Kevin Smith and current Cincinnati cornerback Leon Hall as inspirations in his rehab.
“Leon Hall did his last November and he was back in training camp and starting with the Bengals now,” Church said. “It’s not the same position but there’s a lot more running, but if he can do it I can do it too.”
RALLYING ROLLOUTS: Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo wants to ‘push’ Garrett’s style
During Sunday’s 29-24 loss to the New York Giants, the Cowboys might have played their best and worst offensive football of the season.
After three Tony Romo interceptions turned into a 23-0 New York Giants lead at Cowboys Stadium, the Cowboys rallied to pull ahead 24-23 with 3:43 left in the third quarter.
Between early in the second quarter and late in the third, the Cowboys scored on four-of-five possessions. The only possession that did not end with a score came with 13 seconds remaining before halftime and Romo kneeled out the clock.
We’ve questioned Garrett’s end-game play calling already this week – not running the ball to pick up a first down against a six-man box – and he said in his press conference Thursday the Cowboys‘ offense will probably be more balanced in the coming weeks.
According to Romo, he was pleased with the type of offense that Jason Garrett called to get Dallas back in the game.
“We really did a lot of things that I liked,” Romo said Wednesday on a conference call with media members in Atlanta. “I’m pushing coach to kind of get the offense more in that mode a little bit, which is nice. But styles make fights sometimes so we’ll look at different opponents and see different things.”
So, what did Romo like?
During those four drives, Romo was 17-of-23 passing for 252 yards and a touchdown. He also added a one-yard rushing score.
Of Romo’s 23 throws, he targeted Jason Witten 10 times and Miles Austin seven times. Dez Bryant had three passes thrown in his direction, John Phillips had two and James Hanna had one. With the Cowboys attempting to battle back from a four-score deficit, they only ran seven times on those four possessions, which included a Felix Jones four-yard touchdown.
Of Romo’s 17 completions, seven went for gains of 14 or more yards. Of his six incomplete passes, four came on deep throws.
If Garrett follows a similar gameplan Sunday night in Atlanta, Witten and Austin should be prepared to catch a lot of passes.
However, judging by what Garrett said Thursday, expect the Cowboys to be much more balanced than they were during those four drives.
“I just think we were efficient throwing the football,” Garrett said. “Obviously, Tony as the quarterback, appreciates that. We were able to throw the ball a lot of different ways against them and throw it to different guys and move the ball pretty consistently throughout the ballgame.
“But, at the same time, we got to be able to run the ball. We have to run the ball better than we did the other day and be a more balanced offense. We’ll continue to strive to do that well.”
Editors Note: Kevin Patra of NFL.com contributed to this post.
SPECIAL TEAMS CHANGE: Dez Bryant off punt return duty, for now
After two consecutive games with mistakes as a punt returner, Cowboys’ receiver Dez Bryant said those duties will fall to others Sunday against Atlanta.
Asked today if he was still a punter returner, Bryant said: “I don’t think so. But I promise you, man, I’m going to bet back in their ear. I’m going to get in their ear about that.”
Bryant, who has the team’s longest punt return of the season (44 yards), said he “wasn’t disappointed at all” when coaches told him they would continue to go with others in that role. Dwayne Harris and Cole Beasley replaced Bryant in that role last week against New York after Bryant fumbled a punt one week after being scolded by coaches for using poor judgment during a return against Carolina.
“I was very understanding,” Bryant said. “But like I said, I’m going to get back in coach’s ear. I think it will be hard for him to tell me ‘no.’ I’m going to continue to keep working at it. It’s not hard for me to catch a punt. I just need to feel it in and stop looking up field and think before catching the rock. That should be my first objective, to catch the ball and then go make a play.”
WIN-WIN CONTRACT SITUATION: Dallas cornerback "in a happy spot" in the Cowboys defense
Mike Jenkins was the subject of trade rumors during the off-season after his agent requested a trade, but the trade deadline came and went Thursday, and Jenkins still is on the Dallas Cowboys’ roster. Dallas never considered trading the cornerback despite having Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne as starters and Orlando Scandrick as their nickel back.
"We need him," executive vice president Stephen Jones said Thursday. "We need corners in case something happens. We’ve only got four corners."
Jenkins said Thursday he kept his mind off the trade deadline.
"I figured if it was going to happen, I would have heard something by now," Jenkins said. "So I just tried to stay focused on the week, learning what I needed to learn for this week and just going on with the Cowboys."
Jenkins has been a team player despite his reduced role on the defense, and he said he was not disappointed that he didn’t get a chance to go somewhere to start.
"I’m happy," Jenkins said. "The situation, I’m past that right now. I’m just happy that they’re playing me. I’m getting to play. I can’t complain. Coaches are communicating. I’m not left out of anything. So I’m pretty set. I’m good. I’m in a happy spot."
Jenkins missed the off-season work, training camp, the preseason and the season opener while recovering from reconstructive shoulder surgery. Since then, he has played only 85 of a possible 352 defensive plays, including but six snaps against Baltimore and one against Carolina. He also has played 22 special teams plays.
Jenkins has been targeted eight times, allowing only three receptions for 82 yards and no touchdowns, according to STATS, Inc.
"I feel like I’ve played pretty good," Jenkins said. "As far as the situation going in, I’ve been put in all around the field, just playing safety. I feel like I’m doing pretty good. I also feel like I can do a lot better, because I missed out from the preseason, and I just came straight into the season. I know there’s a lot of room for improvement."
Jenkins’ versatility should help him in contract negotiations next spring. He is in the final year of his rookie contract after the Cowboys made him the 25th overall pick in 2008, and he likely will seek a place where he can compete for the starting job. He has 47 career starts.
"Hopefully, a lot of guys see that I’m flexible," Jenkins said. "They can move me around. I can play anything. I think I have enough film as far as a corner standpoint. I just want people to know they can also move me around like the Charles Woodsons, put me in situations like that, and I can guard anybody on the field. So hopefully that helps me out in the future."
NEXT COWBOY UP: Orie Lemon ready to play if Dan Connor can’t
Orie Lemon had not played much on defense before Sunday against the Giants. Two plays is all, in fact.
But the Cowboys didn’t suffer when Lemon had to replace Dan Connor, who went out after 10 plays with a neck strain. Lemon played 23 plays and newly signed Ernie Sims 10.
"Orie did play some in the game," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. "Ernie Sims did play some in the game. I think those guys handled themselves well going into that situation."
Lemon, who spent all of last season and two games this season on the practice squad, was activated to the 53-player roster the day before the Cowboys’ game against Tampa Bay. He has been a special teams contributor in three games but had played only two plays on defense this season until Sunday.
He made three tackles against the Giants.
"It was good for me to get it against a good team like the Giants, being able to go in and do what I did," Lemons said. "I have a lot to work on, but I know what I’ve got to work on."
With Sean Lee out for the year with a toe injury, and Connor’s status undetermined for Sunday’s game against the undefeated Falcons, Lemon is preparing as if he will start.
"I know at any moment anything can happen, so I’ve got to be mentally ready for anything," Lemon said. "I study like I’m a starter, so I make sure if I do go in there, there won’t be any drop-off."
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