Dallas Cowboys 2014 Season Thread

[LU4LIFE]

"Dallas may have found the ideal 3-technique D-tackle and that guy is Tyrone Crawford. In his first action in over a year after having microfracture knee surgery he played 22 snaps and he had a positive impact on the game."

 

I don't know I might just be reading this wrong, but it was Anthony Spencer who had the micro fracture knee surgery not Crawford. Crawford tore his achilles.

[eagle eye]

There are allegations that Cowboys safety CJ Spillman is under investigation for sexual misconduct at the Cowboys team hotel prior to the team's departure for St Louis for the Rams game two weeks ago. In his daily presser Garrett was asked about the incident and Jason Garrett correctly stated that there is an investigation going on but no charges have been made nor any arrests so until further information breaks Spillman will continue to practice and play. “You have to be careful with just accusations and allegations in this situation,” Garrett said. “When someone is officially charged or arrested for something, that’s when it becomes a different situation in our minds. For now, he’s a member of our football team and will take part in everything we do to this point.”

Good for Jason Garrett for keeping a cool head and not succumbing to the lynch mob who wants to burn every player who is even hinted at for abusing women. Despite numberous questions on the subject even after he said he would not comment on anything related to the investigation Garrett kept his cool way past where I would have. The media just can't accept no for an answer. Again, good for Jason Garrett.

 

D-coordination Rod Marinelli said yesterday that with the Bruce Carter quad injury it will not mean that Justin Durant and Rolando McClain will have to move to compensate. Someone else will fill Carter's WILL LB spot and it's pretty clear that either rookie Anthony Hitchens or veteran Kyle Wilbur will step in. Wilbur is a bit of liability in coverage so it may be Hitchens. He stepped in and played MIKE LB for the Rams game when Rolando McClain was out due to a groin pull and he after a shaky start he got progressively better. Hitchens has actually practiced at all 3 LB spots. The Cowboys have certainly got mileage out of their 4th round draft pick in this year's draft so far.

 

DE Anthony Spenser played in his first game in over a year last Sunday and he came through it without any apparent setbacks in the 22 snaps he played. He is anxious to get back into action this week and hopefully build upon last week's game with more snaps against the Texans. It is hoped that Spenser will get back to his 2012 Pro Bowl level play and infuse a little life in Dallas' pass rush.

 

Everyone was at practice yesterday except for Bruce Carter and the guys on PUP or IR/Due to Return. Tony Romo had missed practice on Wednesday which seems to be his normal routine nowadays. Henry Melton, still nursing a hammy was limited. Terrell McClain has been in practice all week. He had missed last week and last week's game due to a concussion he suffered in the Rams game. Every day Dallas is getting healthier and healthier every day (I am now knocking frantically on every piece of wood in sight!) We will still have to wait until November for 2nd round pick DeMarcus Lawrence to make his debut but that's okay. We've been holding down the fort so far just fine. We won't turn down the help but right now we're okay.

 

One last item. I should have posted it earlier and since nobody else has I do it now. DeMarco Murray has been a beast for Dallas in the first month of the season. He was leading the NFL in rushing BEFORE Dallas took the field against New Orleans last Sunday evening. His efforts in September were recognized by the NFL this week when he was named Offensive Player of the Month. In the four games played he rushed for 534 yards on 99 attempts for a 5.4 YPC average with 5 TDs scored. He is almost 200 yards ahead of the 2nd place rusher, NY Giants Rashad Jennings, who has 341 yards rushing. Projected over 16 games Murray could gain 2136 yards on the season. It won't happen but it's fun to dream!

Edited October 3, 2014 by eagle eye

[eagle eye]

Back and forth I've gone. Will Houston win? Can Houston win? Watt, Johnson and Foster are hurting one way or another. They haven't run the ball well since Foster injured his hamstring. The passing game will suffer if Andre Johnson's ankle won't let him play or slows him down a lot. JJ Watt has a thigh issue. He's probable how effective is he going to be? The odds seem so stacked against Houston it's hard not think they are ripe to pull an upset. Couple that with the huge win Dallas had last Sunday night against similar odds could they come out flat this week? Holy crap this is driving me crazy. I just don't know if I trust the Cowboys to be consistently good every week. The Cowboys haven't won 4 in a row since 2009. Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com says this is just the kind of game the Cowboys win. He says they usually beat who they are supposed to beat. Usually. Dallas is bucking past faults this season. They have a dominating offensive line and they have the current NFL leading rusher. They have a defense that is much better than anyone even dreamt of in the preseason. They aren't great but they hit and they hit hard. They have a star in the making with new middle linebacker Rolando McClain. There is a lot to be excited about there's just this thing where the Cowboys seem to shoot themselves in the foot when things are going well. This is a new and improved Cowboys team it's just hard to drink the Kool-aid without a little trepidation. I can do nothing except throw that Kool-aid back like a shot of whiskey and declare the final score---

 

Dallas 31 Houston 10

[eagle eye]

Man, I knew it. I knew this game was going to be the way it was. I predicted as much and even though I took the Cowboys there was no way I should have had Dallas 21 points better. I knew this game would be a total b*tch. First, the Texans defense that showed up was the one that was there for their previous 3 wins. Stifling is a good word to describe the relentlessness of the pass rush that harassed Tony Romo all day. The one guy everyone was scared of, JJ Watt, did not make a play of any significance though and the one time he could have Tony Romo, obviously using The Force, sensed impending doom was bearing down on him and he spun to his right and out of harm's way then set up to connect on a 43 yard TD pass to Terrence Williams. Classic Romo there, and I can't believe it took me this long to realize Romo is a Jedi. The Texans got a stellar effort from all including Arian Foster who obviously is pretty much healed from that hamstring issue he had. Andre Johnson had a decent day but Ryan Fitzpatrick is no help. Either that or Bill O'Brien won't call too many pass plays so he can't toss up INTs. I think Houston sort of played above their ceiling and Dallas played, in some cases below theirs. DeMarco Murray had his obligatory 1st quarter fumble and Tony has to chuck up a ball he has no business throwing and was picked off in the end zone. That's at least 6 points lost forever. Add in a fumble on a punt by Dwaine Harris and Dallas lost the turnover battle 3-1. Toss in the drop of a pass on the goal line by Terrence Williams and Dallas left at least 13 points in the lockerroom. Dallas' O-line was holding their own most of the day in pass protection despite multiple blitzes by the Texans. Where they really shined was in the run game where they helped DeMarco Murray join Hall or Famers Jim Brown and OJ Simpson as the only players in NFL history to rush for over 100 yards in their first 5 games of the season. Murray had 136 yards on 31 carries and added 6 catches for 56 yards. Murray probably needed to soak in the whirlpool after the game. It was a gut check game that Dallas tried like the dickens to give away but they persevered. That and a miraculous catch by Dez Bryant in overtime with the Texans Jonathan Joseph draped over Bryant like a shirt. Dez is no doubt a beast among beasts. Maybe Dallas is a beast just waking up. Maybe this win, as Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com said, was the most impressive win of the season. Better even than the blowout of the Saints last week. I just know there are a heep of Texans fans I don't have to listen to crap from today. And buddy, that ain't a bad thing.

[eagle eye]

Dallas made some practice squad moves today. Here's the article from DallasCowboys.com about those moves.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/article-NickEatman/Practice-Squad-Moves-Include-Signing-Preseason-Standout-WR/6a5df875-4658-4dbf-a326-feb8881df676

 

The Cowboys returned to practice today with 4 notable absentees. Tony Romo again sat out a Wednesday practice and as long as Dallas keeps winning there's no reason to break a lucky routine. Linebackers Bruce Carter (quad), Rolando McClain (groin) and Cameron Lawrence (unknown) sat out practice today. For a recap of the day here's DC.com's David Helman to tell us about it.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/article-DavidHelman/Practice-Update-3-Linebackers-Sit-Out-Romo-Rests-Again/e9c7cf77-5cb9-4060-b0f1-8d17636079a5

 

All season Tony Romo has referenced the Seattle Seahawks and the way they play as a model for the Cowboys. Sunday will be chance for Dallas to see if they can compete with the big boys on a big boy stage in front of a screaming big boy crowd in Seattle. What you like to hear from your quarterback is just what Tony Romo said today in reference to travelling to Seattle for a game against the Seahawks in that viper pit of a stadium. Romo said he is looking forward to the challenge. Pure and simple. Let's strap it up and go play. Love it. He isn't letting the fact that the crowd there holds the record for loudest crowd in the world. That's in the Guinness Book folks. Let's not forget about the fact Seattle is 17-1 in their last 18 games in Seattle. I'm sure Romo knows it and he doesn't care.

 

“I think we’ve seen plenty of times that one game isn’t going to define your season at this point. However, there are very important games and you know this game is a game that is a great test for us,” he said. “It’s going to be good to see our team come out with great energy and great enthusiasm and really see how we stack up.”

 

If you aspire to be great you have to play great teams---and beat them. The competitor that he is, Romo wants to know if they are in the same league with the defending champs. That's a healthy attitude. An attitude that belies his own greatness. Romo is a great quarterback but nobody will recognize it until the Cowboys win a ring. Or two. As Gene Hackman said in The Replacements, "The best always want the ball." Romo wants the ball.

[eagle eye]

This week is eerily like the week before the Saints game. Everyone is picking the Seahawks and it's not even something folks need to take much time thinking about. Even the DallasCowboys.com beat writers are all picking the 'Hawks. Now, the Seahawks are the defending champs, I get it. But, they aren't invincible. See Week 2 when San Diego smacked them around in San Diego to the tune of 30-21. They aren't infalible either. Last year in their march to the Super Bowl Houston had them beat until Matt Schaub air-mailed a gift pick-six to Richard Sherman. I don't understand why there is no faith that Dallas can win this week.

Granted, it won't be easy because--well--they are the champs but Dallas has shown a grit and determination that they really haven't shown, especially on defense, in the recent past. But, MIKE LB Rolando McClain practiced yesterday and he's at least 50-50 on his ability to play Sunday. McClain ups Dallas' chances immensely especially if he's not slowed by the groin injury. If he can play and be effective for most of the game I like Dallas' chances. Stopping Russell Wilson and that read option and stopping Marshawn Lynch are the keys to stopping the Seattle offense. I want to see Rolando McClain plant Wilson 4 or 5 times the way he planted Ryan Fitzpatrick last week. That was a hit. Dallas has the capability to succeed against the Seahawks defense. The question really is how will Dallas be able to stop the Seahawks offense.

It's going to be a good game I believe and Dallas can win if they do what they did against New Orleans and that is go down and score first. Maybe even score twice before Seattle knows what hits them. Take that so-called 12th man out of the equation and Dallas can win this game. The crowd noise isn't new to Dallas and despite the fact Seattle is 17-1 in their last 18 home games I am going total homer here but I am believing in these Cowboys. Final Score?

 

Dallas 24 Seattle 23

[eagle eye]

I just screamed like a little girl and I don't care who saw/heard/knows about it! So I blew the score prediction. It's 30-23 instead of 24-23. Big friggin whoop. Terrence Williams made the best catch of the season on that 3rd and 20 on the game winning drive. Holy crap on a cracker that was a catch! It is going to be catch 1A and Dez' catch last Sunday is 1B. Or maybe 1AA. I don't know and I can't think straight. 5-1! Who would have believed this 6 weeks ago. It's fitting that Rolando McClain got the final INT to ice the game. Jerry better sign that dude ASAP. Don't forget about Justin Durant who played his ass off! The D-line was solid, no dominant. Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch were non-factors in this game. If not for a blocked punt for a TD, a fumble by Romo that led to a field goal and muffed punt Seattle wouldn't have even been in the game in the 4th quarter. Dallas held Seattle without a 1st down in the 2nd quarter. NOT ONE 1ST DOWN. Dallas went into a viper pit and faced the defending World Champs and didn't just win the game they beat the hell out of the Seahawks. I'm not forgetting DeMarco Murray gaining 115 yards to stand with Jim Brown as the only players in NFL history to rush for 100+ yards in the first six games of a season. There is one bummer depending on how bad it is, Doug Free was injured late and the way he was caught in a pileup at the line of scrimmage I'm afraid it may be an ACL. God, I hope not. Dallas' line is a huge strength on this team so maybe this is the time Zach Martin has to move to tackle. I am still hoping for the best for Free and I'm beyond ecstatic about this win.

To make matters even better Arizona has beaten Washington which means the Redskins are now 1-5 on the season. Dallas now has a 1/2 game lead on Philly who play the Giants tonight. The Giants are currently 3-2 so Dallas could have a full game lead in the division with a Philly loss and the Giants coming to the Death Star next week. Damn, this is going to be a good week. Boo-yah!

[eagle eye]

Man, what a week for all hell to break loose a my day job. I've been busier than heck at work and too tired to pop at home. This week of all week's right? First of all, the mess with RB Joseph Randle being caught shoplifting at Dillards and the Cowboys response. I just would've added to the multitude of folks who decried Randle for being a lame brained idiot. There is still no explanation that I have seen WHY he did it but he did take full responsibility for his actions. (Big whoop, he was caught and arrested, who could he blame?) Jason Garrett had a stern talk with Randle Monday night and Randle had to face his teammates in the lockerroom on Tuesday and apologize for making himself and the team look bad. Garrett also said Tuesday Randle would be fined a "signifacant" amount. We don't know what that was but speculation was that the fine would around $30K or a game check which is the same thing. Randle has never been in any type of trouble like this before and he's absolutely contrite and embarrassed by the situation. I would really like to know why a guy making a high six figure salary needs to steal 80 bucks worth of underwear and cologne.

 

The Cowboys did a big revamp of their website. It has a new look and it's all pretty good overall. They are saying there are still some bugs to work out but it's an improvement in the old site.

 

On Wednesday the Cowboys had their daily injury report which included Tony Romo but it wasn't just his back listed as it has all season. Added to the list was an ankle and his ribs. The ankle is not really known where that came into play but it may have been done on the same play where Seattle LB Bobby Wagner plowed into Romo as he let a pass go in the first half of the game last Sunday. That was the play that left Romo with sore Ribs this week. Romo is no stranger to rib injuries as he suffered broken ribs the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Fortunately, Romo was back at practice Thursday with no noticeable after-effects of the rib or ankle problems.

 

Also on Wednesday the Cowboys were missing DeMarco Murray who was sick with flu-like sympoms. He was back at practice on Friday and is good to go. Rolando McClain did not practice Wednesday or Thursday but the Cowboys knew he would be out. It was not related to the groin injury he's been battling the last 3 weeks, he had to go to Alabama to take care of family issues there. He was back at practice Friday and he's good to go as well. Anthony Spenser (knee) and Tyron Smith (ankle) missed out on Wednesday and Thursday practices but they returned Friday and will be in the lineup on Sunday. LB Bruce Carter will be out this week again as he recovers from a bruised thigh but he promises to be back next week to face the Redskins. Finally, we found out some good news and that Doug Free did NOT tear an ACL against the Seahawks even though it looked like he could have. We found out Monday that he broke a bone in his foot which will keep him out 3-4 weeks and certainly out this week. Jermey Parnell (that's right JERMEY not Jeremy) will be in the lineup at right tackle as long as Free has to miss.

 

Speaking of Tyron Smith, he was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week this week for his work against the Seahawks. He is the first NFL O-lineman to win this award since Brian Waters of the Chiefs (and last year of the Cowboys) in 2004.

 

DeMarcus Lawrence was at practice on Wednesday and he said his broken foot is feeling excellent. He still has a screw in the foot and it is still to be determined if it will be removed but he also said it was great to get back on the field again. He was put on the IR/designated for return list at the beginning of the season so he isn't eligible to play until Week 9 but he can practice and it won't cost the Cowboys a roster spot until he is activated.

Josh Brent is nearing his return to the Cowboys lineup. Teammates say he is going to be a beast at the 1-technique and he should rotate with Nick Hayden when he's able to return after Week 10. There was casual speculation that Brent could step into Terrell McClain's spot. T-Mac was signed this past off season as a free agent from the Texans and it was hoped he would be able to solidify the D-line but he has clearly not lived up to expectation. Releasing him would not be a big cap hit and if Brent is that good despite not playing for a year and a half it may be worth it. Brent was really an average player in the 3-4 defense under Wade Phillips and Bill Parcels but the 4-3 may be taylor-made for him. I'm rooting for the guy. He made a huge mistake and he's paid the price the law said he needed to pay without a gripe. He will carry the guilt for the death of his friend and teammate Jerry Brown for the rest of his life. The love and forgiveness Jerry Brown's mother showed Brent and her plea for leniency for him was touching to say the very least. You hope Brent succeeds and uses his success to fuel work with others and he makes his life worth something to honor Brown and his family.

 

Finally, I want Dallas to win tomorrow against the Giants. I want to see Eli's pouty face all afternoon but with division games it often doesn't matter what the situation they always seem to be close games. It doesn't matter that on paper Dallas should beat the pants off the Giants because in the past when Dallas was the underdog they managed to win in spite of the odds. Eli has always torched the Cowboys but this year it could be different. Different because Dallas is playing defense to a level they haven't in years. The Giants lost their best receiver in Victor Cruz against the Eagles last Sunday night and the Giants are playing backups at cornerback. Their O-line is shaky and .......well, you get the idea. But, it's still the Giants, it's still a division game and who knows how flat Dallas may be after the biggest win in years last week. You never know especially since the Giants are probably embarrassed and a little pissed off at the whoopin' they took from Philly. 28-zip is not fun under any circumstances. I think Dallas has the better team and as long as nobody gets hurt Dallas will win but, mark my words, it won't be easy. Final Score?

 

Dallas 30 NY Giants 27

Edited October 18, 2014 by eagle eye

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys did what they should have done--they won. Not because as fans we wanted them to win but because Dallas is flat better than the Giants. As a divisional game and big rivalry game the Giants played beyond their capabilities. The Giants are pros and they are proud men and they didn't want to lose a second divisional game in as many weeks. Especially since they were humiliated last week in Philadelphia. They played hard and they do have playmakers. Eli, Odell Beckham, Larry Donnell, Jason Pierre-Paul are all talented. It's just that the overall talent level isn't what it was when they won 2 Super Bowls in 4 years. It's looking more and more like Dallas time is possibly at hand.

I know it's only Week 7 but the Cowboys are standing with the best record in the NFL at 6-1. There are several teams that are 5-1 including Philly and the other team that entered the weekend 5-1, the San Diego Chargers, lost a tough game against the Kansas City Chiefs to fall to 5-2. Dallas is standing on top of the hill looking down on everyone else. How freaking long have we been waiting for this? All those people who said Dallas would be lucky to win 7 games this year have to be trying to digest a big old piece of humble pie right now.

DeMarco Murray has 913 yards rushing to lead the whole NFL in rushing by a 350 yard margin. Tony Romo is playing at a higher level than he's ever played and he's played at high levels in the past. Yesterday he was 17-23 for 279 yards, 3 TDs and 1 pick. The pick came after Dez Bryant tripped over his own feet leaving the defender alone to clean up the play. Since the San Francisco game when Tony was clearly not well his passer rating is 116.7 and yesterday his QB rating was 135.7. He was perfect in the second half going 9-9 for 166 yards and a TD and he missed getting a second by about 12 inches when Dez couldn't quite stretch far enough to cross the goal line. It didn't hurt one bit to see last year's 2nd round pick Gavin Escobar finally doing what he was drafted to do. All those who were chalking Escobar up as a wasted pick need to tap the breaks a bit. Dez wasn't Dez until last year. Before that he was a very talented guy who was still learning his position. I think Escobar is in the same boat. He's starting to pay the dividends the Cowboys expected and he's only going to get better.

Dallas isn't saying it but I think they are in a place where they aren't satisfied to "take what the defense gives". No, I think the Cowboys attitude is, "I don't care what the defense thinks they'll give us, we're taking whatever the hell we want. We are going to do what we want to do regardless of the defense." Dallas is imposing their will on other teams. Some would call it domination. I would not disagree.

The defense has got the hang of the Tampa 2 and Rod Marinelli has shown to be a better teacher than his mentor, Monte Kiffin, and he has the unit playing way beyond all expectations of what everyone in the world except for the players and coaches in the locker room thought they would be. While they have experienced injuries, some quite devastating (think Sean Lee) but few have been the season ending ACL or Achilles type. (I am knocking on every piece of wood in sight while typing this post). The addition of MLB Rolando McClain has been a revelation. Want to bash Jerry Jones? Don't forget to thank him for talking McClain into playing football in Dallas. With McClain it will allow Sean Lee to come back and play the SAM which will mean a lot less wear and tear on his body and hopefully keep him on the field. The defense is a bunch of no-names who play really well together. This is a real complete team and we haven't seen that since 1996.

I'm not crowning the Cowboys Super Bowl champs but it's nice to feel like they will be in the playoffs this year. It's nice to see the media giving them props for being good. And it's nice to see the team win like we want them to. And before you think the team will get the big head take a look at the link below at Jason Garrett's post game speech and how he nearly tears up when awarding new TE coach Mike Pope a game ball. There's a lot of love in that room and it starts with the coach. I am a Garrett fan and I believe the plan he instituted 3-1/2 years ago when he accepted the head coaching job is coming to fruition and the results look pretty damn good so far.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2014/10/20/jason-garretts-locker-room-speech-after-win-over-giants

[eagle eye]

As usual there is something to talk about and as usual I'm a couple of days late talking about it. My day job is really cramping my style.

 

The big news, of course, comes on the heels of discussions on the Cowboys podcasts Talkin Cowboys and The Lunch Break by fans who want the Cowboys to elevate DE Michael Sam to the active roster to try to help generate some pass rush. The point became moot on Tuesday when Dallas released Sam and signed LB Troy Davis and they resigned DL Ken Bishop who has been on and off the Cowboys practice squad several times this year.

 

For the 4th week in a row DeMarco Murray has won the Fed-Ex Offensive Player of the Week Award. This week he's being rewarded for his 28 carry 128 yard effort against the NY Giants. The string of awards for Murray began with the Cowboys win over New Orleans and has continued through last week's game. This week's win makes the 5th week this season Murray has won the award as he had won the first POTW award in Week 2. Nobody has won as many POTW awards except for LaDanian Tomlinson who won 5 times in 2005 while with San Diego and an impressive 8 times in 2006.

 

Bruce Carter returned to practice today for the first time since straining his quad in the game against New Orleans 4 weeks ago. He was listed as "Limited" in the official practice report but he told reporters that he did all the drills and special teams work. He feels like as the days go by he will get more and more reps. He feels he will be good to go against the Redskins on Monday night.

 

Speaking of Monday night, because of the added day before they play their next game Jason Garrett gave the team an extra day off meaning the Cowboys were off Monday and Tuesday. The players returned to their normal routine on Wednesday meaning they met to evaluate game film and lift weights and get their running done. Today was the normal Wednesday meaning Tony Romo took his usual day off from practice. Now, it's not a total day off as he participates in walk throughs and meetings and things but when practice is taking place he's with trainers doing exercises to strengthen his back.

 

Tony Romo has moved into fourth place among NFL QBs behind only Brady, Brees and Manning. Russell Wilson who had been No 4 fell one spot to number 5 meaning Romo and Wilson swapped places in the Week 7 rankings.

 

DeMarcus Lawrence is practicing this week as he moves closer to his Week 9 return. He's been recovering since he broke a bone in his right foot late in training camp and he has been on the Injured/Scheduled to Return list since the final cut downs a week before the season began. Dallas has a meager 7 sacks on the season and it's hoped that Lawrence can inject a little adrenalin into the Cowboys pass rush. Dallas has been getting pressure on opposing QBs (except for Eli last week) but they just can't turn the pressure into sacks. It doesn't help to see former Cowboys DeMarcus Ware with 7 sacks by himself playing for the Denver Broncos. A lot of people were upset the Cowboys allowed Ware to go in free agency despite Ware's willingness to take a pay cut to stay in Dallas. To be fair, Dallas was patient with Ware who played through 2 injury riddled seasons that saw his production drop off dramatically. It would be a huge validation of the move to let Ware go if DeMarcus Lawrence can be the impact player he was drafted to be.

 

Last December Tony Romo kept the Cowboys playoff hopes alive with a valiant performance to lead the Cowboys to victory despite a herniated disc in his back. I have dealt with a bad back recently and it hurts like hell and can almost cripple you. For Romo to perform the way he did was nothing short of heroic. In this article from DallasCowboys.com Romo recalls the injury and the game in Washington a mere 11 months ago and how he has recovered to be the same Romo we saw as recently as 3 years ago. What isn't mentioned is that Romo may have been suffering for a while with a troublesome back because it has been 3 years at least since we've seen Romo take off and run the way he has a few times this season. In actuality, Romo may finally be really and truly healthy for the first time in a long time. No wonder he's played so well.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2014/10/23/fully-recovered-romo-recalls-back-injury-against-redskins

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys held their normal Friday practice today and the only players missing were T Doug Free and DE Jack Crawford. LB Bruce Carter practiced for the 3rd day in a row so I would have to assume he's good to go Monday night. The trademark of successful teams in the NFL is the overall health of their team and this season is the first one in a long, long time Dallas has enjoyed good health at this point in the season. I'm not saying what happens going forward but right now they are healthy and if this run of luck continues there's no telling what may come in December and January. I won't speculate into the distant future again. It's bad luck and my knuckles are sore from knocking on wood. I don't want to jinx anything. I'm going to do what all Cowboys fans should be doing right now and that's enjoy the success. Stop and smell the roses kind of thing, ya know? We have been waiting a long time for the Cowboys to look this good and I just want to enjoy it.

 

Maybe one reason DeMarco Murray is having such a beast of a season is because of his preparation for the season in the spring. At the time it was time for players to choose workout partners Jason Witten was on site and offered Murray his services so to speak. The older player mentored the younger one teaching him how to take care of his body in the off season as well as during. The younger player pushed the grizzled vet and often left him sore as hell the next day. Here's an article from DallasCowboys.com about the two teammates making each other better players.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2014/10/24/offseason-training-witten-prepped-murray-big-workload

[eagle eye]

It's almost kickoff and I still am procrastinating making this post because I am more afraid of the outcome more than I was about the Giants last week. I just sort of knew Dallas was going to win but I am on pins and needles about this. Even more than the Eagles or Giants in this long time divisional rivalry things tend to go according to Hoyle. That is to say they pretty much like they should according to who is the better team. But this Redskins rivalry---that's a different story altogether.

 

Mid seventies on Thanksgiving Roger Staubach is knocked out of the game with a concussion (yes they had that back then but they just said he had his bell rung!). In comes Clint Longley and he leads Dallas to an improbable come from behind victory featuring two long bombs for TDs to Drew Pearson.

 

1987-NFL players strike is going on but QB Danny White and a bunch of the Cowboys crossed the picket line and played against the Redskins replacement players. The Replacements won. This was the inspiration for the Keanu Reeves movie The Replacements. It was no coincidence that the teams involved in the last game in the movie were Washington and Dallas.

 

1989-Dallas first season under Jerry Jones ownership. Troy Aikman was the first pick in that year's draft but in Week 9 Aikman was out due to a separated shoulder suffered the week before. Supplemental draft pick Steve Walsh was on the field in Washington for the Cowboys and in that miserable 1-15 season he led Dallas to an improbable win, their only win, of the season.

 

See what I mean? There's history here people. No matter who is up or down weird stuff happens. The thing is, Washington might be 2-5 but they are better than that record would indicate. Top ten in offense AND defense the Redskins have been losing because Kirk Cousins keeps throwing the ball to the wrong jerseys. Cousins isn't in. RGIII has been out and won't play tonight. Colt McCoy is under center and his game is ball control and intermediate passing. He has receivers in DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon that are run after the catch type of receivers. They have a good tight end in Jordan Reed and good running back in Alfred Morris. On the other hand there is a reason Dallas is 6-1. Top end QB, top end WRs, 2 top end TEs and the No 1 rushing back in the NFL by a long shot shooting for a record 8 100 yard rushing games in a row to begin a season. The wild card is that Dallas' defense has played head and shoulders better than anyone ever thought possible. Dallas is good and everyone KNOWS that Dallas is going to win. After all Colt McCoy is making his first NFL start in 3 years and he wasn't impressing anyone then. All the signs are there. There is an upset brewing. Or maybe I'm just paranoid. Is this the Clint Longley thing coming back 30 years later but in the Redskins favor? Yin and Yang? Crap. Final score?

 

Dallas 27 Washington 17

[eagle eye]

I remember why I hate the Redskins.

[eagle eye]

Turns out I wasn't paranoid after all. It was Halloween 5 days early in Arlington. Tony Romo looked off all evening. His passes for the most part were not his usual accurate darts. Quite a few ended up sailing high making them difficult, if not impossible, to catch. DeMarco Murray was on top of his game gaining 141 yards on 19 totes and he added another 80 yards on 5 pass receptions. He did fumble in the red zone after gaining about 25 yards on a swing pass as he struggled for yardage. He lost the fumble at the 5 yard line of the Redskins and ended the Cowboys first scoring threat. Joseph Randle also fumbled in Cowboys territory but Dallas was able to intercept a Colt McCoy pass in the end zone to keep the score 3-0 in favor of the Redskins. After a Washington punt Dallas marched right down the field and scored on a short pass to Dez Bryant who stretched to the max to cross the goal line for the score. It was back and forth the rest of the half but the Redskins opened the second half with an 8 play TD drive of their own culminating in a 5 yard TD run by Alfred Morris putting Washington up 10-7. Then, on 3-11 on Dallas' next possession Tony Romo was sacked by Keenan Robinson who kneed Romo in the back in the process. Romo laid on the turf for several minutes and we didn't know how badly he was hurt. He rolled to his side and eventually stood up and walked off the field under his own power. He was taken into the locker room for x-rays leaving backup Brandon Weeden to take up the Cowboys reins. After a quick 3-and-out by the Redskins Weeden did what any self respecting back up would do. He handed the ball off to DeMarco Murray who romped 51 yards down to the Redskins 6. After running for 3 yards to the Redskins 3 on first down the Cowboys inexplicably passed the next two downs. Many people are asking why Dallas wouldn't just run the damn ball especially since both of Weeden's passes were incomplete. The first was on Weeden the second should have been caught by Dez for a TD but he just flat dropped the ball. Dallas had to settle for a field goal tying the score at 10.

The Redskins took the next possession Washington closed out the 3rd quarter and began the 4th with an 8 play TD drive ending in a Colt McCoy keeper for the TD. The question was how would Dallas, and more importantly, Brandon Weeden respond? Well, to make a long story short he killed it! Meaning he led Dallas on 8 play drive ending in a 25 yard TD pass to Jason Witten. Score tied 17 all. After a long drive by Washington finally culminated in a punt by the Redskins after McCoy was sacked by DE Jeremy Mincey on a 3rd and 1 at Dallas' 32 which moved the 'Skins back to the Dallas 41 which was outside Washington kicker Kai Forbath's range. Dallas had just under 2 minutes left in the game and Tony Romo came back from the locker room to lead the final drive. Trouble was, Washington downed the punt at the Cowboys 3 meaning Dallas had to go at least 60 yards to get into range of a Dan Bailey field goal. After one first down on a pass to Terrence Williams out to the Cowboys 23. This coming after the Redskins 5th sack of Romo which caused a fumble which Dallas recovered. Dallas punted and the Colt McCoy knelt down to send the game into overtime.

The Redskins won the coin toss and took the ball down to the Cowboys 22 before the defense stiffened and held the Redskins to a field goal. The Cowboys had it all before them. They had to score either a TD to win the game or kick a field goal to keep the overtime going or fail and lose the game. Dallas was not under any time constraints with the most of the quarter ahead of them so they ran DeMarco Murray on first who gained 8 yards. And for the second time in the game Dallas refused to run again. 2nd and 2 Dallas tried a swing pass to Murray with was stopped for a 1 yard loss. 3rd and 3 Romo dropped back to pass to Jason Witten which was broken up and on 4th down Romo had to avoid the Redskins rush. He came out of a jam like only Romo can, he set his feet and fired an uncatchable pass toward Dez Bryant. Game over.

 

This game had upset written all over it and I wasn't wrong when I said so yesterday before the game. Colt McCoy took care of the ball except for the one pick which was just a bad decision by him. In all he completed 17 of 18 passes to DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon and Jordan Reed. He ended up the night tossing the rock for 299 yards and 1 pick and no TDs although he rushed for one. The Redskins defense confounded Romo and the offense with countless blitzes that the Cowboys just couldn't make them pay for. With his two possessions under center Brandon Weeden led the Cowboys to 2 scores. There was debate even on the telecast last night whether or not Weeden, being the hot hand, should have finished the game. I think I would have let Weeden finish the game since his was the hot hand in the second half. Dallas made a lot of mistakes to keep the Redskins in the game. With Murray's fumble and Dez's dropped TD Dallas left at most 11 points and at least 7 points on the field. Either way, it was enough for Dallas to win the game outright. Dallas has overcome mistakes in their 6 game winning streak but last night they just couldn't do it. I knew this series is rife with weirdness and last night was one of the weirdest. You literally can't ever tell what's going to happen when these two teams meet.

 

Injury update:

>Tony Romo had an MRI today and will undergo further testing tomorrow but Jason Garrett said he believes Romo will be good to go against Arizona this week.

> LB Justin Durant who was the Cowboys leading tackler last night with 10 stops tore his bicep muscle late in the game. Many feel that the injury means the end of the season for Durant but the Cowboys are still non-committal about his status. Garrett remembers when Ken Norton Jr played through a torn bicep on the way to a Cowboys Super Bowl back in 1993. If Durant is out then Kyle Wilbur and Anthony Hitchens will fill his spot.

> Also late in the game RT Ronald Leary pulled a groin muscle and was replaced by Mackenzy Bernadeau. His status going forward is unclear right now.

 

Questions arising from this game.

> Can Dallas come back and win against the Arizona Cardinals next week? Did Washington's blitzing give the rest of the league the blueprint for beating them?

> What is the status of Tony Romo going forward? If Dallas loses Romo things won't look good for the Cowboys.

> What happened to the good tackling team that Dallas was through the first 7 games? Dallas was not a good tackling team last night.

> Is this game just a loss or is it Dallas coming back down to earth after a great start? Only time will tell.

 

Despite the loss DeMarco Murray was nominated yet again for the Fed-Ex Ground Player of the Week. It is Murray's 6 overall nomination and 5th in a row. Murray won his fourth in a row last week and he has won 5 of 7 awards this season.

[eagle eye]

It's official. LB Justin Durant's season is over. Today Dallas placed him on IR with a torn bicep.

 

Ronald Leary was at practice today but he didn't do too much. Romo was also a non-participant but that is normal for him. Jason Garrett said that Romo is day-to-day as he deals with the back contusion he suffered in the Washington game. I have no doubt he will play Sunday against Arizona.

 

Rolando McClain missed practice today with a shoulder problem. Not much news about him so I sort of feel like he's not too bad. Dallas needs McClain in the lineup so this may be a bit precautionary.

 

With the loss of Justin Durant Dallas felt the need to fill his roster spot with another linebacker so Dallas has signed 9 year vet Tim Dobbins. Dobbins was drafted by San Diego in the 5th round of the NFL draft. He spent 3 seasons in San Diego followed by stints in Miami, Houston and Atlanta before coming to Dallas.

 

RT Doug Free wasn't at practice today but Jason Garrett said he was hopeful Free would be able to practice as the week progresses.

 

DeMarcus Lawrence practiced today but not with the team. He spent his time working on the side getting special attention from Rod Marinelli and Leon Lett. Lawrence is able to make his NFL debut this week against Arizona after being on the Short Term IR because of a broken foot suffered late in training camp. Lawrence was the 34th pick in this year's draft and he was a player that Dallas thought enough of to move up in the 2nd round to be able to draft him. It also cost Dallas their 3rd round pick so to say expectations are high is a bit of an understatement. One thing for sure, Dallas could use a shot of adrenaline for their sluggish pass rush. As for how much Lawrence will play I would guess he plays on 3rd down in this first week back on the field. Dallas will bring him along slowly until he gets into game shape is my feeling on this.

[eagle eye]

Romo is still day-to-day. I still think he's going to play but I really think that knee in the back hit Romo in the kidney. A muscle bruise wouldn't be this much of a thing. I know stuff like this still hurts but not like a bruised kidney. We may have to consider the possibility of Brandon Weeden leading the Cowboys against the Cardinals. Romo did not practice today but Garrett remains hopeful Romo will play. I still think if he can Romo will play but a bruised organ isn't something to play with. We'll see.

 

Some of the impotence of the Dallas pass rush can be traced to DL Henry Melton. Melton was a Rod Marinelli guy who made a pro bowl under him in Chicago but he entered the year recovering from ACL surgery. He showed more spark this past Monday against the Redskins and it may be a signal that he's rounding into his old self and that his ACL stuff may be fading into a distant memory. Cowboys fans can only hope.

 

According Bryan Broaddus of DallasCowboys.com Melton may not be the only item of hope for the Cowboys pass rush. Today he posted an item on the Cowboys official site that he believes DeMarcus Lawrence will have an immediate impact. He stated, as I believe too, that Lawrence will be worked slowly into the mix since he has missed all the season so far after breaking a bone in his foot in training camp. That, and the fact he is a rookie and has never played a down in the NFL yet. Despite all that Broaddus really feels like Lawrence will make an impact in the Dallas pass rush. Here's Broaddus' take on Lawrence and Cole Beasley going against Arizona.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2014/10/30/scout%E2%80%99s-eye-look-lawrence-make-early-impact-big-chance-beasley

 

The jury is still out on whether or not DeMarco Murray will earn his 5th consecutive Fed-Ex Ground Player of the Week but he has been named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for his over 500 yards rushing and pushing his record of consecutive games of 100 or more yards to 8 games during the month. Murray also won the award for September so to say Murray's year so far has been pretty good is huge understatement.

[eagle eye]

The latest news from Cowboy-land---

 

In the Saturday walk through Tony Romo was there and participated. He is officially listed on the injury report as questionable. The likelihood that Romo will play is not good considering he has not practiced one minute this week. Brandon Weeden will start if Romo can't go and he's probably the Cowboys best bet because he's taken all the reps in practice this week. You feel like he'll do okay after he led the Cowboys on 2 scoring drives in relief of Romo against the Redskins. This won't be Weeden's first rodeo as a starting NFL QB after he got 22 starts at the far less talented and infinitely more unstable Cleveland Browns. Weeden did look good Monday night and he could very well do good things against the Arizona Cardianal tomorrow.

 

It's official. Dallas has activated DeMarcus Lawrence and he will make his NFL debut with the Cowboys at home against the Arizona Cardinals tomorrow. Lawrence has been practicing the past two weeks when he became eligible to do so. Last week he practiced as a member of the scout team and this week it was reported that he practiced with the 2nd team. It is expected that he will play primarily on passing downs and probably get between 20-25 snaps during the game as he works his way into game shape.

 

Cowboys RB Joseph Randle and Dez Bryant got into a heated arguement at Cowboys practice on Friday. The arguement, broken up by TE Jason Witten on two seperate occasions, apparently began when it was learned that Randle said something while he was being booked for his shoplifting charge that Dez "didn't miss no games for slapping his mama.". This was a reference to Dez's 2012 incident in which he was accused of assaulting his mother. The matter was dropped and no charges ever filed. Randle seems to have issues and with a big mouth he may not be one of the 'right kind of guys' Jason Garrett is always talking about in reference to the Cowboys. It could very well be Randle's days are numbered after he threw one of the star players under the bus.

[eagle eye]

The latest news out of Dallas is that the reason Tony Romo's back hurts so bad is because he has 2 fractures of the transverse process bones in his back. It just sounds like it hurts doesn't it? The transverse process is the bone on either side of the spinal column joints. If you look at the bones in the spinal column they are a series of joints with bones sticking out on the left and right and single bone sticking out away from the spinal chord. I'm doing a crap job of describing this so take a look at this article from fansided.com that explains the condition way better than I can. I also has a diagram of the spinal column which clarifies the water I've muddied up. The bottom line is the condition is not as bad as it seems but it probably hurts like holy hell. Knowing this I would rather Romo sit and let himself heal for the next 3 week. It's actually a perfect time because Dallas has Arizona then Jacksonville in London and then they have their bye week. Romo would have, counting this week and entire month to get better. Dallas can beat Jacksonville without Romo and I'm feel like they could beat Arizona too based on what I saw last Monday night. Even if Dallas goes 1-1 in the next two games they go into the bye with a record of 7-3 which ain't bad. If they manage to beat Arizona they would be 8-2 which is even better. The important thing is that Tony Romo would have a real chance to heal properly and be ready to lead the team into the hardest part of their schedule.

 

http://fansided.com/2014/11/01/transverse-process-fracture/

[eagle eye]

The Good? Romo is out. He is going to get a chance to heal. The Bad? Romo is out. The Ugly? LG Ronald Leary is out with a groin injury. (Cue appropriate Ennio Morricone music.) So, Dallas has two missing starters on the O-line, Leary and RT Doug Free, and their starting QB. They just lost the team's leading tackler in Justin Durant for the season and WILL LB Bruce Carter broke a finger in practice late this week. Carter will play today. Dez Bryant and Joseph Randle got into a heated arguement this week when it was discovered that Randle made comments about Dez being accused of hitting his mother in 2012 at his booking following his arrest for shoplifting underwear and cologne at a Dallas area Dillards. All is normal at Valley Ranch. Destruction and chaos as usual.

The good thing is the backup for Leary will be veteran Mackenzy Bernadeau. He started all last year on the right side and he should fall right in on the left. Free's backup Jeremy Parnell will start his second consecutive game following Free's injury three weeks ago. It's a good thing because both Bernadeau and Free have been around and are quite familiar with the job at hand. Obviously, there will be a bit of a drop off but both should be able to take care of business. The loss of Romo hurts but the upside is because Romo took a lot of time off during off season work and training camp plus every Wednesday practice so far this season Weeden has gotten a ton of practice snaps he otherwise wouldn't have gotten. He looked good in the two drives he played in against the Redskins leading the team to two scores. So, it's not like you have to knock off a lot of rust. Add to that the fact that he's taken all the practice reps this week you have feel like Weeden is ready. The Cowboys looked at drafting Weeden a couple of years ago so he's a guy they wanted and they like him as a player. Win-win if your starter is out. The real loss is Durant. He's emerged as perhaps the best player Dallas had on defense and he was elected a team captain to boot. It will be time for MIKE LB Rolando McClain to step up even more than he has. Bruce Carter can make the defensive calls but McClain is going to have go into beast mode. The good thing is he has the capability to do it. He is likely a little pissed about missed tackles in the Redskins game so it wouldn't be a bad thing if he comes into the Death Star ready to commit a bodily crime on the Cardinals. It's a scenario that looks like Dallas is behind the 8 ball. I haven't seen the odds but they could be underdogs to the 6-1 Cardinals. Good. I think Dallas plays better when challenged. Just like the bad feeling I had last week going into the Redskins game I have the opposite feeling about today's game. I think the team will rally around itself and ride DeMarco Murray to his ninth straight 100+ yard game. It will be like Clint Eastwood riding off at the end of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. He killed the bad guy and pissed off his nemesis and rode off into the sunset a winner. Final score?

 

Dallas 24 Arizona 20

[eagle eye]

I am not the only one to be blindsided by how horrendous Brandon Weeden was. It was a nightmare revisited. I swear Weeden had a flashback to his Cleveland days where he sucked most of the time. According to DallasCowboys.com writer Brian Broaddus he never saw this crap coming at all. Weeden kept saying all week he was just going to keep the train on the tracks meaning he planned on being just a guy who was trying to let the 'stars' on the team shine. Trouble was he played like he didn't have a license to run the train. There is a feeling that Romo will play this week in London and that's good IF he's truly healthy enough to be able to do so. The Cowboys are now sitting at 6-3 a half game behind Philadelphia in the NFC East. There may be a bit of a panic mode as Dallas is now in the throws of a 2 game losing streak. IMO they gave away the game with Washington with an off game by Romo the primary culprit and now a brain fart game by Weeden may have the team (see Jerry Jones) in a little bit of a panic. In two weeks the Cowboys have gone from the elite of the NFL to a team scrambling to get a win to right the ship. They may have lost two players on defense in Tyrone Crawford who was playing very well up to this point in the season and Rolando McClain both with a knee issue. There should be more on this but the Cowboys have to catch a plane to London this evening. Team, coaches, owner and cheerleaders as well as the beat writers for the web site are all leaving the country so news about injuries may be a little late coming out. Lord I would hate for Dallas to lose either player but the loss of McClain would be a real kick in the gut for this defense. They would be down to where they were last year when injuries decimated the D-line and they signed guys sitting on their couch to not only provide some depth but to play---a lot. You could argue that Dallas, if McClain's knees keeps him out any amount of time, that the best 3 linebackers on the team are not playing again this season. How many defenses could compensate for that? Sean Lee, Justin Durant and Rolando McClain out means that this over-achieving bunch of fighters digress into a woeful bunch of also-rans. Again. Three weeks ago Dallas was one of the healthiest teams in the NFL but now they are down 40% of the starting O-line and are playing backups at all three linebacker spots. If a team needed a bye week it's the Cowboys. They just need to get out of London with a win. From where I sit right now beating Jacksonville ain't no sure thing the way it did two weeks ago. Before the Washington game I'll bet most Cowboys fans looked at wins over Washington and Jacksonville. Conceding a loss to Arizona Dallas would still mean the Cowboys head into the bye at a very healthy 8-2. But, two losses puts the Cowboys at a less healthy 6-3 and the worse thing is Jacksonville has grown into a team with a QB and defense. They are no easy out any more. Now we are HOPING Dallas can beat the Jaguars and if Weeden is the QB we might be BEGGING for a win. Edited November 3, 2014 by eagle eye

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys are taking every player on the 53 man roster with them it seems like. Injured players like Tony Romo, Rolando McClain and Tyrone Crawford are going but the Cowboys are hoping they will be able to play this week. Josh Brent, who won't be eligible to play until after the Cowboys bye week next week is going. T Doug Free and G Ronald Leary are going because it is hoped one or both of them can play. Free seems the most likely.

 

BTW, Dallas gave Brent a 1-year contract extension this past week. They may have seen something in this guy since he began practicing with the team two weeks ago. It may also be Jerry Jones making good on his promise not to abandon Brent that he made to former practice squad member Jerry Brown's mother after he was killed in the car accident that happened while Brent was driving drunk. It was her support and empathy for her son's friend and a genuinely touching act of forgiveness that may have kept Brent from going to prison for a long period of time as she begged for leniency and forgiveness for Brent during his intoxication manslaughter trial.

 

Here's a link to an article from DallasCowboys.com about the Cowboys arrival in London.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2014/11/04/cowboys-excited-showcase-international-series-wembley-stadium

[eagle eye]

Today Tony Romo did what he usually does on Wednesday. He attended the team walk through and while the team was bussed off to a London suburb to practice Romo stayed behind to get treatment on his back. Nothing new about this. It's what has been going since the season began. We'll see where Romo spends tomorrow, at practice or at the hotel getting treatment. It was reported on the Bleacher Report that the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that Romo it's about 80% sure that Romo plays this week. Take that with whatever grain of salt you like.

 

At practice today the missing 2/5's of the starting O-line was back at practice. Ronald Leary (groin) and Doug Free (broken foot) were back at practice. Only Tyrone Crawford, Nick Hayden, Tony Romo and Rolando McClain were the only no-shows. McClain is nursing a bad knee as well as the groin problem he's been dealing with all season. Jason Garrett said that McClain's absence isn't all that unusual and that he's been showing up more as the week goes on. He is still listed on the injury report and he is not guaranteed to play this week.

 

Here's a good article about the Cowboys first 24 hours in London and how they are trying to get into a normal routine in preparation for this week's game in very abnormal circumstances.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2014/11/05/cowboys-getting-focused-after-acclimating-london

[eagle eye]

Okay, don't sweat the little stuff now, Romo is playing. He practiced both Thursday and Friday and the official injury report lists him as probable. MIKE LB Rolando McClain isn't as clear a picture. He has missed practice all week so far and the fact that he missed Friday's practice means it doesn't look good for him tomorrow.

Rookie Anthony Hitchens will fill in for McClain like he did in Week 3 against the Rams. In the first half of the game he looked a bit lost but as the second half progressed he got better. Not bad for a rookie. DC Rod Marinelli complemented Hitchens Friday by saying that filling one of the linebacker positions is difficult in the system Dallas runs but Hitchens has played all three spots this season which is amazing. Hitchens was the Cowboys 4th round pick in this year's draft and he was earmarked as the guy they envisioned as the MIKE LB backup. They didn't know at the time how much experience he would get after losing Sean Lee and now Rolando McClain. Hitchens has done a good job for what he's been asked to do. Bruce Carter will shift from the SAM to the WILL while Kyle Wilbur will play the SAM.

Dallas will have T Doug Free back and G Ronald Leary back as well which means the O-line will be back to full strength to protect Romo. DE Anthony Spencer will play as well as TE James Hanna and S Barry Church both of whom have been nursing bumps and bruises.

Tyrone Crawford is out for this week.

[eagle eye]

We begin with a rousing chorus of "Hail, Brittannia!" as the Cowboys have spent the past week preparing for their game with Jacksonville in jolly old London. Such a long trip to play a football game is enough to be a huge distraction with what you would think is a huge departure from their normal routine. And it has been. From the 9 hour flight from Dallas to London, to the sight seeing which included a tour of the Tower of London and a private look at the Crown Jewels and historic artifacts that represent the long and rich history of the British Isles. The Cowboys had meet and greets to help promote the Cowboys and American football so you'd think, "When do they practice?". Never fear on that part. Jason Garrett has been determined to maintain their usual practice schedule and he's done it religiously. Down to Romo's missing the Wednesday practice and returning for the rest of the week. Romo is listed as probable for the game and you know he's playing. As for the team meetings and activities they have been basically the same. Even in interviews players have said it's great to be in London but when all is said and done they are on a business trip and winning the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars is the reason they are there. Mickey Spagnola of DallasCowboys.com said in a podcast from London on Friday after the Tower of London tour that at practice Jason Garrett's eyes were like lasers and if he didn't see the right effort or the team wasn't getting things right he was all up in their grill. Jason Garrett is on a personal mission to keep this team focused and ready as they possibly can be for this game. Some might say, "It's just the Jaguars, man. They're 1-8 for goodness sake!". Just remember, a lot of people dismissed the Washington Redskins three weeks ago and we all know what happened then, don't we? The Jags have some good players and it would be Dallas' luck that QB Blake Bortles or RB Denard Robinson or WR Allen Hurns has a breakout game just because it's the Cowboys. Dallas is a better team, especially with Romo on the field, than Jacksonville and they should win but I'm afraid of games like this. The one thing Dallas has in it's favor is the embarrassment from last week's game against Arizona. Most of that is on Brandon Weeden but there were enough under achievers last week to share the sting of that loss.

Dallas needs to feel urgency in this game because the difference in 7-3 if they win and 6-4 if they lose is huge. The Cowboys need to right the ship and get back on a winning track as they head into their bye week because when they come back they go on the road to face the Giants and 4 days later they play Philly on Thanksgiving. Think about what this means to their season. 7-3 heading into the short week of division games and if Dallas can win both of them they are at 9-3 and on the inside track to win the NFC East. But, it all starts with Jacksonville. Dallas needs to win and it won't be easy. Especially on defense with Rolando McClain all but ruled out of the game. Justin Durant is gone for the season so the defense will have to rally around each other. We are hoping for more impactful plays from DeMarcus Lawrence who had his first taste of NFL action last week. Let's hope he can put extra pressure on Blake Bortles. The pass rush and stopping the run will be keys to helping the linebacking corp and it will also help the secondary chasing around a bevy of young, good receivers the Jags will put on the field.

I don't foresee this as an easy game. I hope I'm wrong but it could very well be a bit of a dogfight. The weather forecast is good. Clear and 48 degrees at kickoff. The crowd in London will definitely be pro Cowboy so despite the fact that Jacksonville is officially the home team the Cowboys will be enjoying a home crowd. I am worried Dallas is ready, but I'm not because of the effort by Jason Garrett and his staff to keep focused. I'm worried about the linebacker play but all have played together all season and they were able to beat the Rams with basically this group but it was a close game. Damn it, I'm just a worry-wart but that's the fun isn't it? Final score?

 

Dallas 31 Jacksonville 25

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys didn't have all that much trouble with Jacksonville after all. The final 31-17 score wasn't nearly that close. Dallas is enjoying the bye week at 7-3 and doubly enjoying the opportunity to chill and heal up a little bit. Romo suffered no set backs that were reported, check. LB Rolando McClain suited up but did not play so he will essentially get 3 weeks to get to feeling better with his knee and groin issues. The Cowboys will lose CB Tyler Patmon for 3-4 with sprained MCL but in two of those weeks he won't miss a game. It was a great trip to London for the Cowboys capped off by a dominating win over an inferior team which is what good teams are supposed to do. Check and check.

 

Yesterday Dallas announced that DL Josh Brent was named to the 53 man roster. To make room for Brent LB Tim Dobbins was cut by the team. Brent has been out of football since December 2012 when he had a car accident that resulted in the death of his close friend and teammate Jerry Brown. Brent was convicted of Intoxication Manslaughter this year and he was sentenced to 180 days in jail. The last 45 were spent on probation at a rehabilitation facility. A few weeks ago Brent was allowed to begin working out with the team and he has worked a lot on the scout team facing off against the likes of Travis Frederick and Zack Martin and Ronald Leary. Jason Garrett inferred that both Brent and Travis Frederick have both benefited from the work meaning both players have been challenged. Some have expressed concern about Brent's weight but officially no word on what the Cowboys expect in this regard has been said. It remains to be seen it Brent will be active next week against the Giants but it's early yet to worry about that.

 

Tyrone Crawford missed the game in London with a sprained MCL. Usually that means 3-4 weeks to give the injury time to heal. His being out could open the door for Josh Brent to be activated.

 

Dallas has officially named the new practice facility/headquarters being built in Frisco Texas. The name of the facility will be The Star in Frisco. Here's an article from DallasCowboys.com about the naming and some details about the new multi-purpose facility. Multi-purpose? Yep, the facility will include more than the team and cheerleaders HQ and practice facility. Check out the article for more details.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2014/11/11/cowboys-announce-name-team%E2%80%99s-new-frisco-home-surrounding-development

 

Tony Romo and DeMarco Murray were both nominated for the FedEx Air and Ground Awards this past week. In about 3-1/2 quarters, technically a 1/2, the game Romo threw for 245 yards and 3 TDs notching a season high 138.8 passer rating while Murray got back on the 100+ YPG wagon with 100 yards even on 19 carries for 5.3 YPC average. You would think Dez Bryant would be up for some kind of award after he set a Cowboys record for receiving in one quarter with 158 yards and 2 TDs in the 2nd quarter of the game with the Jaguars.

 

One thing to worry about is the Cowboys special teams. In the game against the Jaguars they had a field goal attempt blocked which makes 2 in the last two games as Arizona blocked a field goal just before half time the week before. That and the Cowboys have not been able to do much in their punt and kick return games for a while. Returner Dwayne Harris has been far less dynamic that he was last season. This will need to be fixed as Dallas goes into the 6 game stretch run which includes 4 division games. One each against the Giants and Redskins (need some payback in that one) and two against the Eagles with games against Indianapolis and Chicago sandwiched in there too. If Dallas hopes to make the playoffs and possibly win the division they cannot be handicapped by poor special teams play.