Lone Star Struck

The Dallas Cowboys are slowly getting healthy. Early on this season we have seen our share of injuries for the Cowboys but none major and it is something every team deals with. I would love to say that all the bumps and bruises are healed and everyone is 100% for this weekends up coming game against the tough Atlanta Falcons but alas that is not the case. However it does appear Running Back Felix Jones will be back in the huddle after dealing with a sprained knee. It remains to be seen how much he will be given but it will be nice to see the youngster out there. He will be wearing a knee brace for the game and has practiced with it all week so he should be fine. Coach Phillips Said Jones “Looks Fast” during practice.

Jones running mate Marion Barber and his banged up Quad are improving each week and should be the Cowboys number one back this weekend even though he has a broken thumb. He will wear a brace on that thumb and the good thing is it is not his main ball carrying hand. This will be the first time in a few weeks the Boys will have all three of their backs healthy enough to play together with Tashard Choice picking up the slack.

Newly signed Allen Rossum will get his first action in a Cowboys uniform this weekend as he will return both kicks and punts on Sunday. The return game has been an adventure early on this season and the Cowboys are hoping Rossum can turn it around and give them a new weapon on special teams. ESPN is reporting that having Rossum as an active player puts the Cowboys in a tough situation for the 45 man roster because they will have too many bodies and not enough spots. Safety Mike Hamlin’s broken wrist is healthy enough for him to play on special teams but Coach Wade Phillips is not sure if he is going to activate him. Dallas will use five of their roster spots on special teamers Rossum, punter Mat McBriar, Kicker Nick Folk, L.P. Ladouceur, and David Buehler.

Wide Receiver Roy Williams says he will play but is listed as probable on the injury report. Coach Phillips said he is “concerned for Williams health” and has been playing with discomfort in practice this week due to his bruised ribs. If he is able to go he will be wearing some kind of padding on his boo boo ribs, but I expect to see Roy out there.

Outside Linebacker Demarcus Ware did all the necessary individual and team drills this week but did skip a few because of the stress fracture he is dealing with in his left foot. ”We don’t want to overdue it with him,” coach Wade Phillips said. And last but not least we are all tired of the Patrick Crayton Miles Austin controversy. Both will play but Austin surely earned the spot of the number 2 receiver and Crayton will just have to stop whining about how Phillips may or may not have handled it. Wth the team getting stronger lets go out and “Earn” a big win against one of the NFC’s better teams.

Dallas Cowboys 26 – Kansas City Chiefs 20, in OVERTIME. Yes I did say overtime, a place Dallas really should of never been in this game. I will give credit to the Chiefs for their hard fought part of the game, they came to play. But the lack-luster performance of the Cowboys still has me very concerned for any legitimate run at the Super Bowl. This turned out to be a classic example of how the Dallas Cowboys now play their games, ugly. By the end I had handfuls of hair on the floor to pickup, and heard inappropriate words coming out of my mouth I didnt even know I knew (sorry kids). But they did get the win which in the big picture is the most important thing and we will take it.

However it does bring up the fact that they still have a lot of work to do, and there are changes that need to be made. If you look at just the stats of this game, 498 total yards (348 passing, 150 yards rushing) you would think this team was a model of efficiency. But 119 of those passing yards came on two receptions to Miles Austin, one being a 60 yard touchdown and the other being a 59 yard touchdown and both mainly because of the yards after the catch Austin was able to get after breaking tackles. Miles did a great job filling in for the ailing Roy Williams who didnt even make the trip to Kansas City. Tashard Choice taking the extra carries that would of gone to Felix Jones (knee) also did a nice job when called upon. Choice had 92 yards and a touchdown on only 8 carries.

One statistic that really gets under my skin, and seems to be a staple in every Cowboys game and season is the amount of penalties they have. 13 penalties for 90 yards, 13 for 90?! How can you expect to win with that many penalties and that many yards? If this game was against a team even slightly better than the Chiefs the Cowboys would of lost this game, that is unacceptable and shows a huge lack of discipline. As I continue to watch Dallas games I am starting to see a few things that add to my concern for this team.

Wade Phillips is one of the concerns. I have no ill will towards Wade Phillips, seems like a nice guy, probably easy to get a long with, but he may be too nice. He doesn’t seem like the Head Coach type. Obviously I dont know him, I am not at team meetings or practices but I get the feeling he doesn’t know how to yell, or especially motivate. It seems that his personality actually carries over to the team which could be hurting them. Eventually owner Jerry Jones will make a change at Head Coach for his team, not sure when but it will happen, it has to. Another observation I really noticed in this game was lack of composure in Tony Romo. He seems to over throw, or throw behind players at even the slightest feeling of pressure. He is a quarterback and needs to be able to throw accurately while under pressure and then take a hit.

Like I said earlier, the Dallas Cowboys have a lot of work still to do. The good thing is the season is still young, and there is plenty of time to make the changes necessary to become a dominate team. But it seems to me that these issues are the same issues we have been talking about for the past few seasons with no better results. Stop the penalties, Romo stand and deliver, Wade Phillips grow a back bone and motivate or move on, and I think the rest will fall into place. We have a bye week next week so lets get healthy, then we come back and take it to the Atlanta Falcons in Dallas. This will be a good test for the Boys to see how far they have come, lets get another win, and this time make it an unquestionable one.

Here it is Friday, a couple days before game time. This is usually the time where Cowboys fans, or football fans in general begin to get that itch, to get that feeling as the excitement starts to build for the upcoming battles of the weekend. Statistics are showing that interest in the sport are the highest they have been in twenty years or so, and you can feel it and see it everywhere you look. Right now Cowboys fans still have this feeling, but I think it is a bit more subdued as we are unsure of which way our team is going to go. We seem to be on the apex of our season right now and we are only four games in, teetering on the point where if it gets worse we will slide back down to another disappointing season. But if they are able to turn it around and take care of business the point at which they sit can become just a step as they climb back up to the top where we know they can and should be. It NEEDS to start this weekend against the the Kansas City Chiefs. A loss against this team can and probably will force the Cowboys down to another dreadful season.

Injuries are obviously a part of the game, and Dallas has had their share early on. Wide Receiver Roy Williams and Strong Safety Gerald Sensabaugh will not practice Friday and their status for the game this weekend is doubtful.

“We’ll wait and see [up until] the last minute on all those guys,” Phillips said before Friday’s practice. “They haven’t gotten a lot better, so you want to be well enough to play. You don’t want to play with injured players … and they haven’t gotten to the point, right now, where it looks like they will be ready.”

Miles Austin will take Roy Williams starting spot in the likely event he will not play, and as Kelly mentioned earlier in the week Safety Patrick Watkins would replace Sensabaugh in the secondary. Running Back Felix Jones also will not practice and has been ruled out for this weekends game, while Center Andre Gurode has improved and will most likely play. Tackle Flozell Adams and Running Back Marion Barber were full participants in practice, and the Barbarian should have a big day against the suspect Chiefs defense.

With Barber coming back we really need Tony Romo to step it up. We all know his play the last couple games (I hate to say it) has been horrible. We need him to be confident in his ability and in his team and try to stretch the field against the Chiefs. Tony is only 1-7 for 80 yards, a touchdown and an interception on pass attempts of 21 yards or more on the season. That is not good and it has to change and if he is able to do this it should open up the running game for Marion Barber and Tashard Choice.

You wouldn’t know it but the Cowboys are tied for fourth in total offense (3rd rush, 13 pass) and 26th in total defense (18th rush, 29th Pass). I think the lack of defense is what jumps out to me, that too has to change. So fans dont give up yet. The Cowboys are 8 1/2 point favorites as of right now and have a very winnable game this weekend. So before you jump off lets wait and see if the Boys can do what they are supposed to do to the Chiefs, and if for some reason they dont, I will be the first to clear the way down.

Well Cowboys Fans is it time to worry yet? I don’t know about you but I am really getting frustrated with this team. I am by no means ready to throw in the towel but as I am sure we all know, something has to change, something has to fire this team up, something has to give these guys a kick in the pants. I must say at least one thing is consistent, and that is their inconsistency.

At times you see them walk the ball down the field like they are playing against a college team, then for the next few drives they cant get out of their own way. It is hard to put the blame on just one player or one aspect of this team, it does appear to be an entire team issue. I love Romo don’t get me wrong, but it is hard to find much to list him as an “Elite” quarterback from what we have seen over the years, granted it has only been a few. Do we blame Romo? Maybe at least partially. How about Offensive Coordinator Jason Garret? A couple years ago he was thought to be an up and coming coaching prospect, or at least a successor to Wade Phillips. But there are times he makes me want to pull my hair out of my head as I scream at the television “Why?!?!, why did you call that play?!?!”

Then again, when they click and the team rolls down field you see the plays that are called and understand his potential. I guess I am just venting, there is still plenty of football to go for this season and plenty of time to right the ship. One thing I do notice is the lack of intensity, lack of heart. I will never abandon ship, I will ride it to the end whether that be the promise land and the Lombardi Trophy, or to the bottom of the abyss, I will be there the whole way. I just don’t know how much more we fans can take, it seems like we get close, expectations high then things like the Seattle Playoff game a few years ago, the Eagles game last year, and the other oh so close games just out of reach enough to raise my blood pressure.

OK, I feel a little better now, thanks for listening and sorry for popping off. I will keep the faith, ride the lightning, cheer and cry with all of you. Lets believe in our boys, we are due, our time is almost here.

Star light, star bright, the Cowboy’s Star I see tonight, wish I may, wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight. On the eve of another NFL season, I sit and stare at the most beautiful star known to man. This star however is not shining brightly in the sky above, but rather on the sleeve of a #16 Vinny Testaverde (quit laughing) practice jersey I have as part of my Cowboys memorabilia collection. As I send the wish off on it’s way, (I can’t tell you exactly what it was or it wont come true, but every Dallas Cowboys fan probably has a similar one as the new season approaches) I can feel the excitement continue to build, not just for the Cowboys but for football in general.

I need something fresh, something new to help cleanse the memory and sting of last season, especially how it ended so painfully to one of our most hated rivals, the Eagles. This year I am trying to keep my expectations to a minimum, unlike last year where I pretty much handed Dallas the Superbowl trophy before the season even started.

This season already has a different feeling to it, I think most of you know what I am talking about. Not sure what it is yet, but it is different, and I think for the better. T.O. is gone, Roy Williams the receiver is the number one man now in his place, while Roy Williams the safety is now a Bengal. Its not the lineup differences that fuel the feelings of change necessarily, but there is certainly something I feel I cant quite put my finger on.

Maybe its the quiet urgency that surrounds the Dallas Cowboys, still “Americas Team” for sure, but with such disappointments the last few years I think everyone is a bit stymied on their feelings. So I sit and reminisce about the glory days, hurt about the ones that got away and look forward to the ones still to come.

Now for all you Die Hard fans of the Dallas Cowboys, take this quick moment to Wish Upon the Cowboys Star. Make it a good one, and lets hope it brings success to our boys, and a trophy back to where it belongs.

With just mere hours until teams need to cut rosters to 53 for the season, Dallas and Wade Phillips will have some tough choices to make. I dont envy Phillips or any head coach this time of year for what they must do in cutting the fat and forming a team that will start the season. But like it or not, it is part of the job and part of the business.

Rookie Linebacker Stephen Hodge is one of those players fighting for a roster spot. However for Hodge his chances are slim and the options that the coaching staff have for him will result in another tough decision no matter what they choose. During the offseason Hodge had his knee scoped and has not been able to practice much because of it. That makes it tough for someone to make a team if he cant be evaluated properly. His persistent swelling in his knee is really complicating matters. Dallas can protect his rights by placing him on injured reserve and shutting him down for the season in hopes that he can be ready for next season. They can take a chance and release him hoping no other team picks him up, and then resign him to the practice squad. But because there are a few other injured players Dallas is waiting on, the chances of Hodge making the roster is slim. This is the tough side of the business.

Now on the other hand Dallas claimed Linebacker Curtis Johnson off waivers after the Colts cut him because of an injured hamstring and there is a good chance he will make the 53 man roster without ever getting on the field for the Cowboys because of the injury. He will not play in Fridays last preseason game. They really like the former Colt who played as a 4-3 defensive end but will be converted to an outside linebacker in the 3-4. “We knew about him coming out of college” Phillips said of Johnson who played 7 games with the colts last season. There is no way Dallas would pickup an injured player a few days before cuts if they didnt know what they where getting. They are high on his special teams abilities and after putting LB Brandon Williams on injured reserve, and LB Jason Williams nursing a high ankle sprain that will keep him out 4-6 weeks, Johnson should be back soon and should make the roster.

Wide Receiver Travis Wilson who has been on injured reserve was released and given an injury settlement… Backup offensive lineman Cory Proctor’s roster spot may be in jeopardy after Dallas signed 5 year veteran Duke Preston who plays the same positions. And it was Preston during practice snapping to Quarterback John Kitna not Proctor who didnt even get any work in during the drill… Fourth round pick Quarterback Stephen McGee is also sitting on that bubble. He is nursing a strained MCL and has been considered OK at best when he is able to participate and healthy. One thing going for him is the fourth round choice the Cowboys used on him, that may get him a spot for a little while anyway.

Lets see what happens in the next few days when the fat is cut, because a lot of the guys we have been watching in preseason wont be there for long, and you know there will be some surprises.

-Last week I did a piece “Know Your Cowboy” on Jason Williams, the rookie Linebacker from Western Illinois. It was something just to help the casual fan learn a bit on one of our up and coming players. Like most rookies the transition from college to pro takes time so Jason struggled in training camp and in the first preseason game against the Raiders.

Coach Wade Phillips attributes the slow start to “because he was thinking instead of playing”. However in his second preseason game against the Titans he started playing more instinctively, which forced an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone and resulted in a safety.

The Cowboys are not trying to overload the young player by putting too much on his plate. They like his physical style and his ability to run, so for the time being they want him to concentrate on special teams and become a “Good special teams player”, and take the time to learn the defensive side of the game a bit slower. Once they see his confidence building then they will incorporate him a bit more into the regular defense.

-Tony Romo on the hot seat? According to Dan Fouts of CBS Sports Tony is one of a few Quarterbacks this year on the hot seat.

“The pressure is really going to fall on Romo now, but that’s the way it should be. When you’re the Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback, with that tradition and history, it adds pressure. Deal with it.”

As Cowboy fans know, Tony Will be able to handle this pressure Fouts speaks of. He will just have to play and make everyone else shut their mouths. Seems like Romo and Roy Williams have got a lot of people to put in their places this season, and I cant wait to see them do it!

Fullback Deon Anderson could find himself jobless. Currently he is on the injured list after having arthroscopic knee surgery but is expected to be back in uniform by opening day. However his backup Julius Crosslin has been doing a good job filling in for Anderson. The Cowboys are not expected to keep more than one fullback on the roster because they plan on using more two tight end formations. If Crosslin continues to impress, Anderson could be the one looking for a new team, after it was expected Crosslin was the one to be cut.

Sporting News Today is reporting that Crosslin has been solid at the point of attack, playing with good pad level and leverage that opens running lanes. The coaches are also impressed by his hands and say he is doing a good job catching the ball. This was evident on a converted third and 1 play in Friday’s preseason game against Tennessee. Still a bit early to tell how this position battle will end but Crosslin has made the most of his opportunity with Anderson on the sidelines.

We all know and love Jason Witten, one of Tony Romo’s favorite targets. Sporting News is giving fans the opportunity to ask him a question with a chance to have it and Jason’s answer published in an upcoming issue of the magazine. For those interested send your question along with your hometown to yourturn@sportingnews.com.

With training camp coming to an end and the Boys departing San Antonio for the comfy confines of their new palace, I thought this would be a good time to write the first of what could be many brief bios of current Cowboy players. Just a little something to help the fans get to know your Cowboys a little better.

As I sit here and try to pick one of the many Cowboys to start with, I am watching Fridays preseason game versus the Titans. I just watched a beautiful nine minute eleven second, 90 yard drive end in a Marion Barber 1 yard plunge into the end zone for the first score of the game. This was a thing of beauty, a long drive mixing in a bit of Romo to Roy Williams and some pounding by the Barbarian, a sign of things to come for the season no doubt.

So it would seem the obvious player to start with would be Marion Barber after taking his stroll into the end zone. But … yes I did say but, I am also reading up on some of the players on the roster and I realize I do not know much about this years first draft pick, albeit a third round draft pick, but still our first draft pick.

With their first overall selection of the 2009 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys chose Jason Williams in the third round (69th overall). This 6 foot 1 inch 238 pound Linebacker out of Western Illinois is expected to be a starter (and a good one) on Special Teams and compete for the Nickle and Dime Linebacker positions, as well as be in the mix for substitutions in the regular defense.

In his college career he was a disruptive player tallying 14 forced fumbles, 289 tackles and 15 sacks. In 2008 he set a school record with 6 forced fumbles in one season and was voted an All-America first-team selection by The NFL Draft Report, The Sporting News, Associated Press, the Sports Network, College Sporting News and the American Football Coaches Association.

In his senior year last year he recorded 67 of his tackles (39 solo) and 4 sacks, showing that as he got older he got better. Hopefully as he transitions into the NFL he will continue to improve his game play and his numbers. This kid has strength and speed and in a few years you probably will see him replace Brookings or someone else as a starter in the defense. The Cowboys may have gotten themselves a steal with this stud.

Oh and by the way, another rushing touchdown, this one by Felix the Great, has the Cowboys up 14-10 at half time.

The Boys have left the Alamodome and are now preparing for some football in their new home. The consensus among the players is that this years camp was much tougher, and more focused than years passed, especially after last years circus.

Gone are the likes of Terrell Owens, and Adam “Pacman” Jones who always brought their own distractions wherever they went. And lets not forget about Jessica Simpson … or actually maybe we should. With her around it was clear to every fan that Romo’s head was never truly in the game. Hopefully this year he has his priorities straight, and his focus on the Lombardi Trophy. Oh yea and I almost forgot that other distraction that followed the entire team around last year, the HBO show “Hard Knocks”. It was fun to watch as a fan but if you think what it must of been like for the players being followed around all the time and every detail filmed. “It was a drama-free three weeks in San Antonio” reports KTBB.com, which is what we like to hear.

“This camp has been like two of the other camps put together. I haven’t heard anyone call this one cupcake,” linebacker Bradie James said.

Coach Wade Phillips wanted to push the team a bit more this camp, making sure they stay focused and to help them get stronger as a team.

“I am trying to do what helps this team. It’s a long season and the mental toughness is part of it,” Phillips said. “I say the mental part of it. When you get tired, that’s when the mental process comes in. I thought it was good for our guys. I think they have come through it well.

Phillips will have even more on his plate this season as he is also the teams defensive coordinator.

With camp ended the Cowboys stayed fairly healthy. They will be without Fullback Deon Anderson for some time after he had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee last week. But both corners Mike Jenkins and Terence Newman who have been a little banged up returned to practice and are set to go. Roy Williams wrist is improving and barring any set backs he should be fine as well.

Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett will have a three headed monster in Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice to get the ball to. The idea is that Barber with use his brute strength to soften and beat down the defense, then have Felix use his speed to fly by and around them. Choice will get a few carries a game as well to give Barber and Jones a break. Garrett is looking to get the ball to Felix 12-15 times a game and doesn’t care if its by air in the passing attack or handing it to the speedster.

With so many weapons, and as long as everyone can stay healthy, the tougher camp and the time spent together could push the Cowboys back into the elusive playoffs, then watch out!!

One thing the Cowboys and Tony Romo are concentrating on in training camp this season is cutting down on his turnovers, especially his fumbles. Romo’s case of Slippery Pigskin syndrome last year made any fan cringe at the sight of him carelessly running around the pocket with the ball unprotected in one hand trying to make a play. Don’t get me wrong we love the heart and effort, but he has to recognize when to eat the ball or throw it away.

So now if he can take what he is working on in camp into games he should be able to cut down on the 21 total turnovers he had last season, 14 being interceptions, 7 LOST fumbles and another 6 that were recovered by Cowboys.

It really hurt Dallas last year in the last game of the season against the Eagles with the winner heading to the playoffs. Romo fumbled twice in that very important painful game, and one of them was returned for a 73 yard touchdown.

Of course he did have a broken Pinkie finger part of last season that may have attributed to some of the fumbles but prior to that he had already lost 3 in the six games before his injury. The seven lost fumbles last season was more than he had as a starter in his first season and a half so I am willing to put most of the blame on that little broken digit.

The Associated Press reported on Sporting News that “early in off season workouts, Romo started talking about cutting down on risky throws and being quicker to take a sack or throw the ball away. He also said he was serious about getting a better grip on the ball while scrambling”.

This became evident on one play in practice when “surrounded in the pocket on one play, he pulled the ball in tight until just before throwing a completion. Romo did the same thing while rolling out to his right near the goal line a few snaps later, instead of holding the ball away from his body with one hand while running like he so often has done in the past”.

Head coach Wade Phillips is pleased on how his quarterback is progressing with this, as well as how he is maturing as a player.

“He’s a natural. He sees so many things and he has such a quick release, and he’s so accurate,” Phillips said. “He just makes fantastic plays. We see it every day on tape. … He makes a throw that you say, `Wow, what a play.’ That’s what the great ones do.”

Its a long season, but lets see how he does this Friday night against Tennessee in the Cowboys new stadium. We should see him play a few more series than he did in the Raider game, which will help him get ready for the games that count.

For the Dallas Cowboys and their fans the crack of pads, the ear splitting screech of whistles followed by the hollering of instructions usually signifies the approaching end to summer and the beginning of a new season. We are well into training camp with one pre-season game under our belts (shhh lets pretend that didn’t happen).

As is expected and normal across most camps, the Cowboys have had their share of bumps and bruises but (knock on wood) nothing serious. We all held our breaths with the news of Roy Williams’s wrist injury, but the sprain only kept him out of practice for a day. His status for Friday night’s second pre-season game is unknown right now, but I would be surprised if he doesn’t get in for a drive or two.

The secondary got stronger as well with Terence Newman and Mike Jenkins back in practice. Jenkins missed about a week with a sprained right ankle.

Sporting News Today is reporting that backup quarterback Jon Kitna and center Cory Procter have been having trouble with the snap through out camp and it actually carried over to the game against the Raiders which resulted in a 16 yard loss on one play, and a missed field goal on the drive. Obviously it is still early and is something they will continue to work on. Let’s cross our fingers and hope Kitna wont be needed this season anyway.

Bradie James is looking to become a nice compliment to DeMarcus Ware and help take some pressure of him when they attack the quarterback. The Dallas Morning News reports that James had two sacks against the number two offensive line and showed some speed in doing so.

With the dismissal of Terrell Owens the offense is looking to use a two tight end set as another weapon this season. We all know what Jason Witten can do, and now with second year man Martellus Bennett as the second tight end these two make it very hard for opposing defenses to cover. Bennett is a big strong target with good hands and knows how to block as well. This duo is going to be hard to stop, watch out!!

Let’s see how things fare for the Boys on Friday night in their new stadium against the Titans. It will bring us one step closer to the regular season and the hopes and dreams of the Super Bowl.