SB Nation - Andre Gurode

Cowboys @ Redskins Injury Update

Aaron Novinger — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 04:07:22 -0000

More photos » by Sharon Ellman - AP

Martellus Bennett has missed the last two games, but will be ready to roll into FedEx Field to battle the Redskins.

Fortunately, the Cowboys will have TE Martellus Bennett back because Deon Anderson has been out this week with strep throat. Bennett's presence allows the team to use John Phillips at fullback.

Tight end Martellus Bennett (concussion), safety Ken Hamlin (ankle), cornerback Terence Newman (knee), safety Gerald Sensabaugh (thumb) and linebacker DeMarcus Ware (wrist/neck) took part in a full practice.

Make the jump for the rest of the injury report.

RT Marc Colombo and SS Pat Watkins must be super fast healers. It's possible both could be available for the Week 17 game vs. Philly.

Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips hasn't ruled out starting right tackle Marc Colombo (ankle/leg) or safety Pat Watkins (knee) for the Jan. 3 finale against the Eagles.

"It's going to be close," Phillips said.

Here's how the Redskins' injury report shapes up:

Devin Thomas, WR - No Practice (Ankle)

Andre Carter, DE - Limited Practice (Biceps)

Cornelius Griffin, DT - Limited Practice (Shoulder)

Anthony Montgomery, DT - Limited Practice (Hip)

Stephon Heyer, OT - Full Practice (Knee)

DeAngelo Hall, CB - Full Practice (Knee)

QB Jason Campbell has a left shoulder stinger but will start.

Enough of this injury stuff. Time to get down to serious business. The Cowboys and Redskins are bitter rivals; yet, the question remains: Which team has the hotter cheerleaders?

Pro Bowl voting has come to an end for the fans. DeMarcus Ware received the most votes for OLBs, which is great. The other Cowboys didn't fare too well, though. Here's how they finished.

Sam Hurd finished second at the special teams position with 132,137 votes.

Miles Austin finished third at wide receiver with 454,616 votes. Fullback Deon Anderson (91,472) also finished third at his spot.

Tight end Jason Witten (334,105), center Andre Gurode (206,802), left tackle Flozell Adams (180,818) and punter Mat McBriar (118,945) finished fourth in at their respective positions.

Strong safety Gerald Sensabaugh (91,268), free safety Ken Hamlin (64,476) and inside linebacker Keith Brooking (105,269) finished fifth at their respective positions.

The players and coaches finish their voting this week. Teams will be announced on Tuesday.

The VRR: Cowboys Hope to Tell the Saints it Ain't Happening

Aaron Novinger — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:21:53 -0000

More photos » by Sean Gardner - AP

Could it be a scary night for the Cowboys in the Louisiana Superdome? Not if they play like a playoff team.

Browse more photos »

Dome, dome, dome, dome...

When the Cowboys travel to the Superdome to face those undefeated Saints, who have the number one offense in the league with the number one QB in the conference, they must go in thinking two words: "UP" and "SET".

The home loss against San Diego last week was a heartbreaker, but Dallas now has this one last chance to play up to the level of one of the league's top teams - the elite team in the NFC, in fact. A win can do wonders, but it won't be easy. The dome teams are doing quite well this season.

This year, three indoor teams have either secured homefield advantage for at least one game or are on the verge of doing so. The Colts, Saints and Vikings should soon consume both two No. 1 seeds and the NFC's No. 2, respectively.

Times may have changed but it remains to be seen if these teams aren't haunted by their indoors postseason history. The Colts are 4-3 in home playoff games, the Saints are 2-3 in the Superdome in the postseason, and the Vikings are just over .500 (5-4) in the Metrodome come playoff time.

This season, the three teams are a combined 37-2 overall and own a perfect 20-0 inside their domes.

More VRR after the jump.

Sure, they face an undeated team. But the Cowboys are also trying to prevent a three-game losing streak. Just win, baby!

Snapping out of this skid will be tough. Dallas is headed to New Orleans for a Saturday night game against the undefeated Saints and a Superdome crowd that's sure to be, uh, boisterous. The Cowboys could lose that game and still get in the playoffs. But a third straight defeat would clinch a 13th straight December without a winning record and would leave them ripe for a knockout.

"We're not down, we're not out,'' receiver Roy Williams said Tuesday. "We're still going to play. Got a tough week this week and a bunch of naysayers around the country, but in this room, we know what we can do.''

A victory could be the springboard they need. A 3-0 finish is the only way the Cowboys are guaranteed to salvage the division title.

Like the great competitor he is, DeMarcus Ware wants to play despite soreness in his neck.

"Just taking it day-by-day and go from there," Ware said before practice on Tuesday morning. "Neck is a little sore right now so you have to be cautious with that. But at the end of the day, treating it and trying to get ready for this week."

[snip]

Ware said the injury scared him, but will do whatever the doctors say before getting back on the field. "It's really important," he said about listening to the doctors.

"Since not only are you talking about the team standpoint of being able to go out there and make plays and try to win a game this week. But also you got to think about the player's health. He can go out there and he might get paralyzed, hurt himself even more. Which one is more important: longevity or right now."

If DWare can't go, it will be interesting to see how well rookie Victor Butler handles his first starting gig in the pros.

"With D-Ware, you lose a leader," said the 22-year-old linebacker. "Not only a verbal leader, but he leads by example. With a guy like that out, you just have to step up everywhere. Special teams have to step up, individual guys have to step up to make the team better — myself, Steve Octavien. Guys have to step up and elevate your level of play."

While Martellus Bennett (concussion) will miss another game, Ken Hamlin has returned to practice and should get the start in New Orlearns.

Phillips said he believes Hamlin, who calls the defensive signals, will help the Cowboys make adjustments against the Saints' complicated offense. However, Phillips acknowledged that it could be difficult for a safety missing a month to return against the NFL's top-ranked offense.

"I don't think he'll make any mental mistakes back there," Phillips said. "Physically, how quickly he'll react to things and get back in the swing of it, I don't know for sure. I think he will, but he may be a little rusty."

The Saints' RB/PR/WR, Reggie Bush, could give the Cowboys headaches if they're not ready for his unique skill set.

The Saints may be targeting the nickel linebacker or the nickel cornerback. So Bobby Carpenter and Orlando Scandrick must be ready to chase the former Heisman Trophy winner in pass coverage. On first downs, when the Cowboys are in their conventional 3-4 defense, the Saints may decide it's a safety's turn to cover Bush. So Ken Hamlin or Alan Ball may wear the bull's-eye.

If the Cowboys go light Saturday night and lean on their nickel and dime packages out of respect for the NFL's third-ranked passing attack, the Saints may opt to hand the ball to Bush. Few are better in the open spaces a spread formation creates. Bush rushed for 83 yards on six carries against the Rams.

Against the high-scoring Saints, the Dallas offense needs to make plays to stay competitive. Other than Miles Austin, Felix Jones is a player who can score from any point on the field. But that doesn't mean the Cowboys will use him more than Marion Barber.

The Barber of September is better than the others but not the Barber who is in the midst of another three-month slide. A year ago, Barber ran for 311 yards with 4.4 yards per carry in the first four games and 574 yards with 3.4 yards per carry for the remainder of the season.

He is on the same path this season and has been at the center of costly plays in each of the last two games: a lost fumble late in the first half of the loss at the Giants and failing to score on three tries from the 1-yard line in Sunday's loss to San Diego.

Jones is going in the other direction, averaging five yards over his last 36 carries. He has the big-play capability that the pedestrian Barber lacks. The Cowboys have been reluctant to use Jones for more than about 10 carries per game out of concern he will break down.

Nah, there won't be much difference in the backfield. Look for the Cowboys to try to control the ball some with Barber. Yes, they need points, but they also need to keep Brees and the offense off the field.

Phillips was asked if he's considered reshuffling his running back rotation in an attempt to spark the team. Starter Marion Barber failed to get in the end zone against the Chargers despite three carries from the 1-yard line in the second quarter.

"Marion ran the ball really hard and really well except we didn't get him in on the goal line," said Phillips, who essentially blamed that failure on the offensive line. "Those plays down there dropped his average (to 3.4 yards per carry) or he would've had a big average... I don't know that that's really the answer."

Nick Folk's recent failures have David Buehler thinking about his long-term career goals.

"Eventually, to have longevity in this league, I need to be able to kick field goals," Buehler said. "I'm not going to be a kickoff specialist my whole career. So I need to fine-tune that and be able to be a reliable field-goal kicker."

Buehler said he's been kicking a few field goals in practice, but not many and not as seriously as he needs to now.

"Most of all, it's mental," he said. "I mean, going out there and getting back into that rhythm and doing the consistent motion every single time. ... I'm going to be there if need be. Who knows when they'll need me, if they'll need me at all."

DC.com posted an interview with K David Buehler here.

The Tony Romo of old VS the Tony Romo of today.

In four December contests last season, Romo threw five touchdowns and was intercepted six times. Through two games this month, he's thrown five touchdowns without a single interception.

Since his poor outing in Week 2 against the Giants, Romo has thrown 18 touchdowns and just four interceptions while averaging close to 280 passing yards per contest. Friends, that is flat-out elite quarterbacking.

Alex Marvez lists Miles Austin as his third biggest bargain player in the NFL.

Miami and the New York Jets should be kicking themselves. Neither franchise signed Austin to a tender offer as a restricted free agent when he could have potentially been lured away from a Cowboys team with cap challenges. He drew interest from the Jets before they backed off, while a Dolphins front office that comes largely from Dallas should have known Austin was set to blossom in his fourth NFL season. He has already posted career-highs in catches (52), receiving yardage (928) and touchdowns (9) while becoming QB Tony Romo's favorite wide receiver.

Austin is playing under a one-year, $1.545 million contract that would have required any suitor to surrender a second-round draft pick if the Cowboys didn't match a tender offer signed elsewhere. Austin will never come as cheaply again to other NFL teams or, for that matter, the Cowboys.

This is the last week to vote for the Pro Bowl. While DeMarcus Ware looks like a shoe-in, these other Cowboys could use a few more votes.

Sam Hurd is second among special teamers, while Miles Austin and Deon Anderson are third at wide receiver and fullback. Tight end Jason Witten, tackle Flozell Adams, center Andre Gurode, inside linebacker Keith Brooking, kicker Nick Folk and punter Mat McBriar are fourth at their positions. Safeties Ken Hamlin (free) and Gerald Sensabaugh (strong) are fifth.

No sign of nose tackle Jay Ratliff in the defensive tackle race, which is somewhat surprising.

Here's the link to the official Pro Bowl Ballot.

Updating the Pacquiao/Mayweather venue fight.

No definite venue has been agreed upon although reports are that, among those bidding, the MGM Grand in Las Vegas is the frontrunner. Texas' Dallas Cowboys has made a strong $25 million dollar bid to steal it away, but MGM is said to be putting together a deal that will reach over $30 million.

Tennessee Titans Morning Links: Vince Young And Chris Johnson Will Take You Higher Edition

August West — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:53:18 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

Vince Young is ready to show Houston what a winner looks like.

Browse more photos »

The great part about having a talent like Chris Johnson on the roster is that when things are clicking, you could pretty much tell the defense what play is coming, and often enough they wouldn't be able to stop it:

As NFL analyst Rich Gannon visited San Francisco 49ers defensive coaches prior to their Nov. 8 game against the Titans, it didn't take him long to figure out their chief concern.

Protect the edges. Don't let Chris Johnson get to the outside.

"Then," Gannon said, "on the first play from scrimmage Johnson gets the ball and runs to the outside for (14) yards.''

Chris Johnson is at number 8 on PFW's MVP Meter... behind Adrian Peterson?

If Mario Williams wants back in the spotlight, then he better not try lining up against Michael Roos, because Roos has completely owned the former no. 1 draft pick his whole career. WHile Williams has had flashes of success against us, it's never come one on one against Roos.

Must read article of the day: The AP polled 160 players (almost 10% of the league) with various questions about concussions and related issues. The results are fascinating and a little scary.

Follow us through the jump for more great links about all kinds of goodness...

Can we win out to save the season? FOX analyst and star of a soon-to-be-canceled sitcom Michael Strahan isn't saying yes, but he won't say no either.

More on Bud's double barrel debacle from USA Today.

Bud is reuniting all of the surviving members of the original Houston Oilers team for Sunday and then the game Monday Night.

So Albert Hanyesworth is now friends with his stomping victim, Andre Gurode. Apparently they've gotten to hang out at the Pro Bowl a few years and really get along swell, which I'm sure just tickles Redskin fans pink. I think Washington and Philly may be the rare fanbases where stomping on a Cowboys player's bare face would actually bolster your resume.

The big news in college football yesterday was the rapid outing of Kansas head coach Mark Mangino as an allegedly sadistic, physically abusive and racist mound of fatty corpuscles. Titan reserve linebacker Mark Rivera played for Mangino, and plans on giving a formal interview to the administration within the next few days. Because of the nature of the allegations and investigation Rivera wouldn't talk to the media first, but some of his teammates are, and they pretty much make Mangino look like a tough-nosed head coach who at times just had no sense of common decency... and these days things like this will probably get you a rightfully forced resignation:

"One day, [Mangino] said in front of the entire team, 'Are you going to be a lawyer or do you want to become an alcoholic like your Dad?' " Brown said.

Every time you read a great Titans-related story on the web and don't share it with the MCM community through the fanposts, fanshots or by emailing me at mcmaugustwest@gmail.com Matt Schaub gains one health point. Is that what you want?!!!!?!?!

The VRR: Can the Cowboys Regain their Balance Against the Redskins?

Aaron Novinger — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:04:37 -0000

More photos » by Jim Prisching - AP

When the Cowboys host the Redskins this Sunday, many eyes will be watching how Jason Garrett divvies up his runs and passes.

Browse more photos »

The first time the Cowboys hosted an NFC East rival in their new stadium, the offense featured a devastating rushing attack that mixed both power and speed. Marion Barber ran 18 times for 124 yards and a score. Felix Jones averaged 13.7 yards on seven carries and picked up a score of his own. Tashard Choice didn't have a big game, but you could tell the coaches were trying to get him involved. Typically, that's how many of us imagined the Dallas ground game producing for the rest of the year.

Much has changed since that Week Two game against the Giants. It all began with a strained quad, and then a sprained knee, a fractured thumb. But it was okay. Miles Austin saved the day, and then Tony Romo got hot. Their success has helped make up for the fact that the Cowboys no longer lead the league in rushing.

Choice has maintained his injury bug repellent, and the team is still ranked 8th in rushing - averaging 130 YPG. That's great, but the worry is that the rushing YPG is slipping every week. The worry is that the Dallas offense is growing unbalanced. The worry is that too many passing plays draw more hits on the quarterback, and can effectively lose the time of possession battle. Losing that can wear out a defense.

Shouldn't it be the Cowboys' offense doing that to opposing defenses this back half of the season?

More VRR after the jump.

Last season, in a loss to the Redskins, the Cowboys' RBs had 8 carries. Last week, in a loss against the Packers, they had 11. What does offensive coordinator, Jason Garrett, have to say about this?

Garrett said it was because of "game circumstance," mentioning that the Cowboys trailed by three scores with 10 minutes remaining in the game. But the Cowboys abandoned the run after the first quarter, when Marion Barber had four carries for 27 yards.

Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers told reporters after the game that Green Bay, which sacked Tony Romo five times, could blitz aggressively because the Cowboys were so one-dimensional.

"You don’t want to be one-dimensional in anything you do," said Garrett, whose offense has run pass plays 62.7 percent of the time this season, including sacks and Romo scrambles.

"You don’t want to just be an inside running team. You don’t just want to be an outside running team. You don’t just want to be a dropback team. You want to be able to move the quarterback, you want to be able to run the ball, play-action, drop back. "The more you can do, the harder it is on the defense. At the same time, you need to have an identity. Identity is important, too. You don’t want to be all things to all people, but you want to be good at a lot of different things."

Clarence Hill takes the opposite approach to the Cowboys' lack of rushing attempts: the running game has simply been ineffective.

Their running attempts and yards have a diminished dramatically since the start of the season. That is a more of a product of Marion Barber and Felix Jones being injured. Neither has had the same burst since returning to the lineup. Barber missed one game. Jones missed two. Barber has started to look more like his old self of late.

But Jones looks uncomfortable and tentative. He has not been a game-breaking threat. Consider that he has had only two runs longer than 10 yards the last four games since returning from the sprained knee and they were just 12 and 11 yards each. He has not had a run longer than four yards against the Eagles and Packers the past two weeks.

Jones needs to be game-breaking good for the Cowboys to be truly special on offense. He hasn’t been that lately.

Barber didn't get much of a chance to perform...apparently because of his thumb.

Running back Marion Barber saw his time limited against the Packers because of problems with a fractured left thumb that was causing him trouble on pass protection at Green Bay. Barber had four carries in the first half for 26 yards, but he carried it just one time for minus-1 yard in the second half. The Cowboys went with Tashard Choice because he could handle the blitz pickups.

"We use Marion because he's such a dominant blocker," coach Wade Phillips said, "but he was having problems so we took him out."

If Barber can't get the job done in pass protection, the coaches are more apt to go with Choice rather than Felix.

When Barber's broken left thumb prevented him from blocking effectively in the second half Sunday, the Cowboys turned to Choice to protect Romo.

"He is a better pass protector than Felix, and he picks up the blitzes better," Phillips said of Choice. Hamstring and toe injuries forced Jones to miss 10 games last season, time he could have used honing his blocking skills.

"He's just not as adept at it yet," Phillips said. "(Choice) knows his assignments well and does a good job of blocking."

We may have seen a decrease in handoffs, but we have seen an increase in the "Razorback" lately.

According to Stats & Information, the Cowboys are fifth in the league in terms of Wildcat plays with seven. Tashard Choice had a touchdown run out of the Wildcat against the Eagles in Week 8.

The Cowboys will need to run the ball against the Redskins. They are first in the league in pass defense, giving up an average of just 162.7 YPG.

Romo will be facing the top-ranked passing defense in the league as well as one of the NFL's most improved pass rushes. The Redskins had 24 sacks last season to tie for the third-worst mark in the league, and have already matched that total. Linebacker Brian Orakpo, the No. 13 overall draft pick, leads all rookies with seven sacks and veteran Andre Carter has eight. Last season, the Redskins failed to sack Romo.

"Last year I felt we had some QBs feel very comfortable in the pocket," coach Jim Zorn said. "And this year we are making quarterbacks uncomfortable in the pocket."

That pass rush could be even more potent with Doug Free expected to make his first career start Sunday at right tackle for Dallas in place of Mark Colombo, who had started 57 consecutive games. Colombo had surgery after he broke his left leg and suffered ligament damage in his ankle against Green Bay.

Look for DE Andre Carter and rookie Brian Orakpo to again spearhead the Redskins' pass rush.

Orakpo already set a club record for sacks in a season by a rookie with seven, three more than any other rookie in the league.

With 15 sacks between them, Carter and Orakpo rank as the No. 3 tandem in the league behind the Colts' Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis (17.5) and the Vikings' Jared Allen and Kevin Williams (17).

"That's what they drafted me for, to make big plays," Orakpo said. "[Andre's] a guy I've looked up to and admired. That's what keeps great pass rushers hungry and able to improve - it's competing. You don't ever want one guy doing all the workload."

Andre Gurode has no ill-feelings about the 2006 game when Albert Haynesworth stomped on his face. The violent injury necessitated 30 stitches along with plastic surgery.

"It's good that he moved passed it. I moved passed it," said Gurode, a Pro Bowl pick the past three seasons. "He is a great player."

Haynesworth calls Gurode "one of the best centers in the game. ... He has good movement. He is big. He is strong."

Gurode opted against filing criminal charges against Haynesworth, who publicly and privately apologized to Gurode in the days after the October 2006 game in Nashville. Now that they will be on the field together again, Gurode knows there will be plenty of reminders of what happened, from the questions being asked to the video replays sure to be on TV.

"I expected when he signed with the Redskins and we played them that it was going to be brought up," Gurode said. "It's something in the past and you can't let what happened in the past define who you are today."

Haynesworth (ankle) may be questionable for Sunday's game. RB Clinton Portis (concussion) will not play.

Bob Cohn asks if Portis' best football is behind him.

But a decline would not be unprecedented or unexpected because Portis' durability and ruggedness might be catching up to him. Going into the season, only four active runners had more career carries. All of them - Edgerrin James, LaDainian Tomlinson, Fred Taylor and Jamal Lewis - have seen better days.

You may have read earlier that Doug Free will get the start at RT for Marc Colombo. The new face on the first-team defense was also announced today. Alan Ball has been named the starter at FS for the injured Ken Hamlin.

Coach Phillips makes it sound like Ball can "ball".

"He's so aggressive," Phillips said. "I mean we've seen him on special teams and he's very aggressive. And he tackles well. He's not a big guy but he tackles well. It's a concern. Their running game is a concern because they have a strong running game. They had 174 yards last week against Denver, who we know can play the run pretty well."

Special teams dynamo, David Buehler, did not practice today because of a pinky toe injury. Todd Archer said that Buehler was "limping noticeably".

Some of the Cowboys have begun the holiday season by helping to serve Thanksgiving dinner at the Dallas Salvation Army homeless center.

SB Nation's power rankings dropped the Cowboys just two spots - from 7 to 9.

Where has Jason Witten gone this year? While Romo still targets him plenty, Witten's yards per catch are at a career low, and he's been a non-factor at the goal-line. With teams keying in on Miles Austin and Roy Williams generally hit-or-miss, the Cowboys will need more from Witten if they're going to develop some offensive consistency. (And losing RT Marc Colombo to injury won't help either)

Cowboys at Green Bay Packers: 5 Questions With Blogging The Boys

Brandon — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:00:33 -0000

by Donna McWilliam - AP

2 months ago: Dallas Cowboys safety Ken Hamlin, left, cornerback Terence Newman (41), cornerback Mike Jenkins (21) and linebacker Bradie James (56) celebrate Newman's interception that he returned for a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers in the second half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Monday, Sept. 28, 2009. The Cowboys won 21-7. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

View full size photo »

Blogging The Boys is one of the best NFL sites on SB Nation. I had the chance to ask their editor, David Halprin, 5 questions about the Cowboys. He did the same, and my answers are posted over at Blogging The Boys.

Brandon: I read a comment recently that the Cowboys pass defense has been playing better in recent weeks, but then I look back two weeks ago and saw that QB Matt Hasselbeck had a pretty good game against them. Are they having problems with their pass rush or pass coverage? Or have there been signs of improvement?

David: Hasselbeck didn’t have that good of a game. He threw for under 250 yards and had 2 TDs, but one of them was in garbage time after the outcome was pretty much decided. They also passed a lot because the running game was weak, so he had a lot of attempts but not a great yards per attempt average.

The pass defense has improved as the year has gone on, part of the reason is the pass rush has come on strong after a slow start. We sacked Hasselbeck three times and got McNabb three times, plus a whole lot of pressures. In addition, CB Mike Jenkins is really starting to play well, and having Gerald Sensabaugh back from injury helps solidify the safety position. After a very bad start on defense, the Cowboys have been steadily improving each week.

Brandon: What's the over/under on sacks of QB Aaron Rodgers? Who's do you expect to be lining up over the left tackle? (He should expect to have 2 to 5 sacks in this game).

David: I’ll let you guys set the over/under on sacking Rodgers, you have much more experience watching Green Bay’s offense. I will say the Cowboys have been getting a very good pass rush recently and sacks are a big part of the defensive game-plan. Wade Phillips is a "pressure" defensive coordinator. The Cowboys will flip-flop DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer depending on strong and weak-side formations, but sometimes if they find Ware is winning a particular battle consistently, they leave him in place. If LT is your weakness, then I’m sure the Cowboys will try to get Ware that matchup as often as possible.

Brandon: Patrick Crayton should have a good game returning punts against the Packers' awful punt and kick coverage, but how about Felix Jones? Will it be Jones having a big day on kick returns or will they hand those duties off to Kevin Ogletree?

David: We’ll have to see but it looks like the Cowboys want to get Kevin Ogletree involved more. Last week we saw him catching a few screens and other short patterns and this week, he and Tashard Choice might be the guys on kick returns. At this point were not sure.

Brandon: In the last two weeks, the Packers have allowed 5 TD passes in the red zone. Who is the Cowboys best receiving option in the red zone?

David: Before the emergence of Miles Austin, a lot of the Cowboys TDs were coming by way of the running backs. A lot of the time on the ground. The Cowboys modus operandi seems to be spread the ball around and hit big plays in the passing game for TDs, but when in close try to use the backs and the offensive line’s size. So really, there isn’t a top target in the redzone. Miles Austin has the bulk of the receiving TDs, but a lot of his scores have come from long-range.

Brandon: It appears that Andre Gurode and Ken Hamlin will play on Sunday. Are there any other notable injuries? Or anyone else playing through them?

David: Right now, the only guy not expected to play is return-specialist Allen Rossum, who we signed mid-season but immediately got injured and has been out for a few weeks. Other than that, we’re pretty healthy.

Cowboys Injury Update

Aaron Novinger — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:43 -0000

In his press conference today, Coach Phillips said that Ken Hamlin and Andre Gurode practiced today on a "limited" basis and were moving around pretty well. He expects them to put in a full practice tomorrow.

Also, the Cowboys worked out Pat McQuistan's twin brother, Paul, today.

McQuistan, a third-round pick of Oakland in 2006, was cut by the Raiders earlier this week. He started some games for the Raiders, playing tackle and guard, but spent most of last season on injured reserve.

More Cowboys @ Packers injury news after the jump.

Here is the week's injury report for both teams, courtesy of packers.com.

Green Bay Packers
Player	Pos.	Injury	Wednesday Participation	Thursday Participation	Friday Participation	Friday Status
Jake Allen	WR	Quadricep	Full Participation	Full Participation
Allen Barbre	T/G	Concussion	Limited Participation	Full Participation
Brandon Chillar	LB	Hand	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate
Jermichael Finley	TE	Knee	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate
Korey Hall	FB	Calf	Full Participation	Full Participation
Cullen Jenkins	DE	Ankle	Limited Participation	Limited Participation
Aaron Kampman	LB	Concussion	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate
Derrick Martin	S	Concussion	Full Participation	Full Participation
Jordy Nelson	WR	Knee	Limited Participation	Full Participation
Brady Poppinga	LB	Quadricep	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate
Aaron Rodgers	QB	Feet	Limited Participation	Full Participation
Mark Tauscher	T	Knee	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate
Charles Woodson	CB	Hip	Limited Participation	Full Participation


Dallas Cowboys
Player	Pos.	Injury	Wednesday Participation	Thursday Participation	Friday Participation	Friday Status
Marion Barber	RB	Thumb	Full Participation	Full Participation
Andre Gurode	C	Ankle	Did Not Participate	Limited Participation
Ken Hamlin	S	Groin	Did Not Participate	Limited Participation
Allen Rossum	CB	Hamstring	Did Not Participate	Did Not Participate
Gerald Sensabaugh	S	Thumb	Full Participation	Full Participation
DeMarcus Ware	LB	Foot	Full Participation	Full Participation

The VRR: Hot Cowboys Prepare to Take on Cold Packers

Aaron Novinger — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:36:53 -0000

by Mel Evans - AP

Miles Austin has had success in the past against the Packers. Perhaps, we will also get to see some more success in the Tashard Choice-featured "Razorback".

View full size photo »

Because both the Cowboys and the Packers finished third in their respective divisions in '08, they are once again facing off this season. With the weather expected to be in the high 40's at Lambeau Field, there won't be much for a frozen tundra. But judging by Green Bay's 38-28 loss at Tampa Bay last week, the Packers will bring in a cold front of their own.

Hopefully, the red hot Cowboys' defense can continue to freeze another NFC offense. ~~David Carr~~ Aaron Rodgers is getting sacked left and right this season. DeMarcus Ware and Jay Ratliff ought to be licking their chops.

Rodgers has spent a lot of time on his back side — Tampa Bay dumped him six times Sunday. The Packers have given up a league-high 37 sacks, seven more than Kansas City and 20 more than Dallas.

"Well, it has to stop," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said after the demoralizing Tampa loss. "You can’t sit here and keep taking sacks."

Injuries have added to the problem on the offensive line. The movement will likely continue this week with rookie T.J. Lang possibly getting the start at right tackle after Mark Tauscher re-injured his knee in his first start at right tackle at Tampa Bay.

More VRR after the jump.

The Cowboys look to have an advantage over the Pack's special teams, as well.

The Packers are hurting on special teams. They rank dead last in net punting and are one of four teams to give up a blocked punt. While the Cowboys have thrived on field position, the Packers have not. They rank 26th in opponent starting field position, 24th in punt return and 17th in kickoff return.

The Star-T scouts Rodgers.

OLB Aaron Kampman is missing practice and may not play against the 'Boys.

Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy is pessimistic about outside linebacker Aaron Kampman being able to play against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

Kampman emerged from Sunday's loss at Tampa Bay with a concussion and will miss his second consecutive practice on Thursday. McCarthy said on a conference call that the Packers will treat Kampman cautiously because of the nature of the injury.

Much of Miles Austin's potential was evident in games against Green Bay.

Miles Austin has had some pretty good games against the Green Bay Packers in his four-year career. In 2007, Austin didn't have a catch but returned six kickoffs for 166 yards.

Then last season, Austin had just two catches -- but they went for 115 yards, including a spectacular 63-yard score that was the first of his career. Austin almost had another touchdown in that game but was caught on his way to the end zone for a 52-yard gain.

"If I look back at that game, I look at the touchdown, rather than the other one," Austin said.

The Cowboys got Kevin Ogletree involved last week via bubble screens. Makes you wonder what they have in store for him this week.

The bubble screen calls for the receiver to take a step forward before darting back toward the quarterback to catch the ball.

"We've been working on it in practice," Ogletree said. "If there's a play the coaches design and call for me, I'm just going to give it my maximum effort."

That the No. 5 receiver made such a big contribution underscores a major reason the Cowboys (6-2) will ride into Green Bay (4-4) this weekend possessing the NFC East lead and a four-game winning streak: Everybody's pitching in offensively.

"We have so many people contributing," coach Wade Phillips said. "You don't have to count on a running back to make 150 yards for you to win, or one receiver having two or three touchdowns."

Tashard Choice is digging his role as a Razorback quarterback.

"Just another way we can get the football, man," Choice said. "It was cool to be in the game. And for the coaches to call it [and be] comfortable with it, that was really important."

The Miami Dolphins are the only NFL team that uses the Wildcat formation on a consistent basis. Choice says he watches film of how the Dolphins use the scheme.

"Ronnie Brown is perfect for it. He's awesome," Choice said of the Dolphins' running back. "One of top three backs in the league, to me, running the football. He's patient and he makes people miss. That's what really makes it."

Does everybody on the team refer to the formation as the "Razorback"?

Most teams have nicknames for their "Wildcat" formations. In the case of the Cowboys, "Wildcat" QB Tashard Choice was asked what the official name of the formation was. Choice's answer was simple.

"It's called TC, that's it."

Ken Hamlin (strained groin) and Andre Gurode (ankle) were held out of practice today.

On Wednesday, Hamlin was suited out but later worked strength and conditioning coaches, who were running with return specialist Allen Rossum, who is expected to miss another game with a hamstring injury.

As for Gurode, he suffered a ankle injury in the Eagles game and missed two snaps, before returning on the next series.

The rest of the Cowboys' injury report.

Steve Wyche begins his "Best free-agent moves" article by talking about three Cowboys: Keith Brooking, Igor Olshansky, and Gerald Sensabaugh.

Safety Gerald Sensabaugh, defensive end Igor Olshansky and linebacker Keith Brooking have been the glue at each level of the defense that is now allowing stars Terence Newman, Jay Ratliff and DeMarcus Ware to hit their strides.

"(With) Igor and myself, Wade (Phillips) knew what he was getting because he coached us in San Diego and Atlanta," said Brooking, the Cowboys' leading tackler who spent his previous 11 seasons with the Falcons. "Sense (Sensabaugh), he's in the same boat, except I don't think they knew he was such a playmaker. It's working because this means something to the guys. Not just us three, but to all 11 guys on the field."

Sensabaugh (Jacksonville), Olshansky (San Diego) and Brooking were deemed expendable by their former teams. But their experience, toughness and desire were inherent qualities that have allowed them to mesh with the guys in place and fill voids that were areas of concern. Adding experienced pieces to prime parts is a long-held formula to success, but some teams, especially those in need of "franchise" talent or marquee appeal, spend for the big dogs that don't always help the overall cause.

The offseason moves the Cowboys made to achieve better team chemistry have worked since the season began.

Linebacker Bradie James said the sense of community began in training camp. He said that was evident in crunch time against the Eagles Sunday.

"This year, so far, has been definitely the best team atmosphere," James said. "With the characters we have on this team, guys are really just playing for one another, understanding the goals we have, sticking by each other's side. You want to know as players what you can count on and who you can rely on when the funk hits the fan and we know that we can definitely rely on each other."

Matt Mosely takes a look back at the Cowboys' first half of 2009, and then looks forward to the rest.

There's no reason the Cowboys can't win at least 11 games. After a trip to Green Bay, they come home to play the Redskins and Raiders. The worst they'll do in that stretch is 2-1, and I think they have a great chance to come out of this stretch 9-2. I think 11 wins will seal the division race -- and the Cowboys are headed in that direction. Will they win a playoff game? Yes, I think they'll finally break through and get a win. I'm very interested in that game in the Meadowlands in early December. I have a sneaking suspicion that the Giants will have turned it around by then.

Jason Witten spent Tuesday going back to school.

Witten picked up the fourth-grader and his family in a limo Tuesday and took them to Akin Elementary School in Wylie ISD. The Cowboys tight end was welcomed by screaming students and teachers chanting "Cowboys! Cowboys!"

Weaving around the fans shaking sparkling blue pompoms, Witten went straight up the middle of the crowd in the school cafeteria to speak about good health as part of the NFL Play 60 campaign. The program encourages youths to exercise at least an hour a day.

Cowboys Stadium could soon host a Manny Pacquiao title fight.

"Keep an eye on this Pacquiao fight Saturday," Jones said. "That's a big one. Keep an eye on that. Some big things might happen if he could win that one."

Last week rumors began of a possible matchup between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather at the stadium should Pacquiao dethrone Cotto at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

NightLink: What Happens to Tommie?

Dane Noble — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:00:38 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

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After seeing our oft-troubled defensive lineman tally another strike against his name yesterday, today we are left with wondering what happens next. Tommie Harris spoke today about his actions against Deuce Lutui.

I was embarrassed, especially for my actions. I apologized to him yesterday, called Larry [Fitzgerald] and had a chance to apologize to him,'' Harris said at his locker this afternoon. "I just wanted to apologize to my fans first off, and the little kids out there that saw that action. I shouldn't have behaved in that manner, and I apologized to my teammates, and I'll make up for it.

Coach Lovie Smith said that he will wait and hear from the league, and that the team would support whatever the league's decision will be.

Typically in situations similar to this, the league will hand out fines. But, the more aggressive acts, like Albert Haynesworth stomping on Andre Gurode, can lead to suspension.

Where do you all stand on this? How should the league and the team deal with Tommie, and what do you think this does as far as Tommie's future with the Bears?

Tommie's contract:

2009: $620,000 (+ $6.67 million roster bonus due 2/27),

2010: $1.235 million (+ $2.5 million roster bonus due in June),

2011: $2.3125 million,

2012: $2.5 million,

2013: Free Agent.

The VRR: Cowboys Bring Down Their Third Consecutive Bird Team

Aaron Novinger — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:39:55 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

T-E-A-M! Once again, the Dallas offense and defense unite in victory.

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Since their bye week, the Dallas Cowboys have achieved home victories against the Atlanta Falcons, the Seattle Seahawks, and then hit the road to take down the division rival Philadelphia Eagles. They outscored these three bird teams 95-54. This run through the NFC aviary exemplifies how well the offense, defense, and special teams units in Dallas have come together to launch the team atop the division with a 6-2 record.

While scrolling through stories regarding last night's 20-16 victory over the Eagles, I noticed many writers use the same four-letter word when describing the Cowboys: team. Sure, Dallas did not play a perfect game, but it seems as if the coaches are getting the most out of each of their players. In turn, the players are responding by being in position to execute their playcalling. Simply put - the Cowboys are, all-together, clicking.

More VRR after the jump.

Pairing up a good pass rush with some nice coverage in the secondary is always a good recipe for defensive success.

Cowboys nose tackle Jay Ratliff and outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware overwhelmed the Eagles' offensive line and stayed in quarterback Donovan McNabb's face throughout the game. McNabb was only 16-of-30 for 227 yards and he threw two interceptions. He appeared completely out of rhythm for much of the evening -- and the secondary played a large role in that. If you take away the deep ball from the Eagles, they're not much to look at. It's not like they can turn to a power running game.

"We took it personally that no one was giving us any respect," Jenkins said. "We've been shutting receivers completely down, but people weren't talking about it. I think we made a statement tonight. To come into their house and walk away with a win ... I think it's a big statement."

'Twas a quiet night for the Eagles' young WRs.

Although speedy wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin looked as if they could break a huge play at any moment, they never did. The Cowboys' secondary held them in check while a fierce rush and a heavy blitz maintained serious pressure on McNabb that produced four sacks and two interceptions.

Jackson, who had at least one 50-yard play in five of the first seven Eagles games, was limited to two catches for 29 yards. Four Dallas wide receivers caught passes for more yards.

Again, Jason Garrett, Tony Romo, and Miles Austin combined to break the opposition's heart at a crucial point in the game.

Austin beat Brown badly off the line of scrimmage to make the catch all alone at the 24. He then cut inside to race untouched into the end zone, where he celebrated by firing the ball into the net behind the goal post.

"They had a double move there," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "Sheldon played a heck of a game, but they got him on a double move there."

Romo helped sell it with a pump fake. "I thought they had been jumping it a little bit throughout the game, so we went with it," Romo said. "They bit on the fake, a couple of guys went to it, and I just gave him the ball and he did the rest."

The four-play, 55-yard drive that ended with Austin’s score began after the Cowboys made their biggest defensive play of the season. On fourth-and-one from the Dallas 45, Donovan McNabb tried to sneak it over right guard only to get stopped cold by Marcus Spears with 10:49 left. The Eagles challenged the spot, but the play was upheld, costing them their final timeout.

With the game on the line, when you need just one more first down, go to Jason Witten.

"That’s just the way it is . . . I understand it, we have to get it blocked," Witten said. But on the third-and-3 late in the fourth quarter, Witten knew the final pass was going to him."Yeah, that was the play," said Witten. "I knew I was going to get the chance to make it."

And he did, catching his seventh passes of the game for 43 yards. But it was those last five yards that put the game away. When it comes to wanting the ball, Witten really is no different than any other receiver. He feels like he’s good enough to make the play when it counts.

The "spread" offense continues as Romo hit seven different receivers.

One game after Romo spread the ball around to 10 pass-catchers, seven caught balls Sunday totaling 307 yards, Romo’s fourth 300-plus-yard game of the season. And, yes, his perfectly placed 49-yard bomb to Austin in the fourth quarter was the back-breaker.

But Romo’s best achievement might have finally been getting him and struggling receiver Roy Williams on the same page. Williams caught a season-high five balls for 75 yards. Most impressive was the percentage Romo completed to him. Romo threw his way eight times, completing five. Entering the game, the two had connected just 38 percent of the time.

Razorback > Wildcat.

"It was good to see us get that working tonight," center Andre Gurode said. "To us (linemen), it's really not anything different. We're still blocking like any play. But we knew it's something that can be successful."

(Leonard) Davis, who paved the way on the three rushing plays, said the always-vocal Choice gives him a personal pep talk before each play in the huddle.

"He goes up to me and says . . . 'Big Leonard, I'm running it up right behind you . . . I'm running it behind you,'" Davis said of Choice. "He gets excited about it. I already know before we run the play, I already know what the results are going to be. It's just something you have to study the look and how they're going to scheme against it. It's like any other run play -- when we have the numbers, it's going to be hard to stop."

Another new offensive weapon came through for the 'Boys: WR Kevin Ogletree.

Twice Ogletree snatched third-down screen passes from quarterback Tony Romo, for 20 and 17 yards, to put the Cowboys inside the Eagles’ 5-yard line both times, setting up the first touchdown and a field goal late in the first half.

Ogletree also recorded the first run of his career, picking up 6 yards on an end-around, a play used mostly for Patrick Crayton and then last week for Miles Austin for the first time.

Some Cowboys bumps & bruises:

Felix Jones strained his neck. Andre Gurode sprained an ankle. Mike Jenkins "jammed" his wrist. All are expected to be fine. Also, Anthony Spencer suffered a groin injury, which we should learn more about in Coach Phillips' press conference today. It doesn't sound too worrisome, though.

Philly writer, Bob Ford, uses last night's game to question the strength of the NFC East.

"We battled our tails off," Reid said. "It was two heavyweights swinging at each other, a tough, hard-fought game."

That might be how he saw it, but the two teams combined for three turnovers, 11-for-27 third-down efficiency, and more than 150 penalty yards. These teams looked like welterweights at best. It has been difficult all season to figure out how good the Eagles might be. Until last week, when they thumped the Giants, their only meeting with a legitimate opponent had ended in a loud defeat against the New Orleans Saints. They also managed to lose to the Oakland Raiders along the way, which is the textbook definition of being unpredictable.

The Cowboys split their first four games, losing to the Giants and the Denver Broncos, and have now won four straight.

The Giants, meanwhile, won their first five games, have lost their last four, and head into their bye on fumes.

The question is whether these are three very good teams taking turns pounding each other, or whether these are three inconsistent teams that show up sometimes and not others. Watch a game like last night's and it's tempting to say the latter. Apologists and head coaches will tell you that tackle football is a messy business and that motivated opponents can make any team look sloppy. There's some truth there, too, but it doesn't account for stupid penalties and unimaginative play-calling.

Here's a cool, new website to check out if you plan on attending a sporting event. It's stadiumjourney.com. They even have an awesome review of Cowboys Stadium...he, he.

The Cowboys' Offensive Line: The 'This-Ain't-Their-First-Rodeo' Factor

Mike Fisher — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:00:30 -0000

More photos » by LM Otero - AP

Romo and the Cowboys' 1,627 pounds of etched-in-granite.

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Timing. Chemistry. The "This-Ain't-Our-First-Rodeo'' Factor.

Understanding of the importance of all this when it comes to offensive-line play tends to get avalanched as an NFL season trudges on. ... buried under everything from the excitement of a new toy (Miles Austin's record-setting hat-trick!) to how a team is doing when its quarterback start wearing his ballcap front-side-to-the-front (Tony Romo, undefeated!).

But then along comes the Seattle Seahawks, a 38-17 thrashing of that beleaguered bunch, and a distinct contrast in success levels when you compare their offensive line to your offensive line.

The jump-out number from Seattle: They are seven games into their season and they have been forced to dress out five different left tackles. In their last 23 games, they have utilized 14 different quintet combos as starters.

Now compare-and-contrast: Dallas' offensive line, left to right, is almost etched into 1,625 pounds of granite: Flozell Adams, Kyle Kosier, Andre Gurode, Leonard Davis and Marc Colombo. With the exception of a Kosier injury a year ago, those fellas have been side-to-side-to-side-to-side-to-side for two years.

They don't move out of the lineup ... but they do move the people in front of them.

That fivesome has turned the lights out on some of the NFL's greatest defensive-front standouts (Carolina's Julius Peppers, Atlanta's John Abraham, Seattle's Patrick Kearney) in bodyguarding Dallas' stars to four wins in the team's last five games. Most of the credit for the Cowboys' 5-2 record naturally goes to Romo and Austin and the people who habitually follow the final gun by being led to Pam Oliver.

But just as timing matters when it comes to quarterbacks and receivers (you see Romo's perfectly-synched coordination with every other pass-catcher and you begin to assume that it is Roy Williams who is doing something wrong), timing matters in the offensive line. At 411 yards per game, Dallas is the NFL's second-best grass-eaters ... and this offensive line is the constant there.

Chemistry matters, too. As every good Cowboys fan knows, Colombo, Davis and reserve Cory Procter are in a heavy-metal band called "Free Reign.'' Offensive linemen are often a tight group - tight enough to go bowling or fishing together - but I assume it takes a special bond for these guys to lie to each other about their musical gifts.

Kidding!

And the "This-Ain't-Our-First-Rodeo''Factor? This is Flozell's 12^th year, the ninth season for Gurode and Davis, the eighth season for Colombo and Kosier. They are grinders and they are survivors. ... and I'll give two examples to prove it:

One, you know the financial problems many athletes subject themselves to because of crazy spending? I do not believe that will ever happen to Flozell Adams. Friends of his testify that on a recent visit to Las Vegas, Flozell ended the trip having lost $50. On the entire plane ride home, a mumbling-to-himself Adams just couldn't let it go ... 50 bucks - gone!

Flozell Adams' latest contract, from February 2008, paid him a $15-million signing bonus ... but still ... 50 bucks - gone!

Not exactly flashy.

Two, a Marc Colombo story that I think illustrates what these five guys are all about: On a recent Cowboys day off, Colombo opted to spend the day with his lovely wife Jessica. They are members of the Four Seasons Golf Resort in Las Colinas, so that was their destination. Marc Colombo for some golf? A fancy lunch? Maybe a spa and pedicure?

You know better than that. What Marc Colombo did on his off-day at the Four Seasons Golf Resort typifies the style of this Cowboys offensive line that is heavy on timing, chemistry and understanding of how to get as far as it has.

He found the gym. And spent the day in the weight room.