Cowboys News

Cowboys count on untested Free
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November 20
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Seven years after he was a senior honor roll student at Lincoln High School in Manitowoc, Wis., Doug Free is out to prove he can make the grade at right tackle for the Dallas Cowboys. Free is set to make his first NFL start when the Cowboys host the Washington Redskins on Sunday. He'll be filling in for Marc Colombo, who broke his left leg and tore ligaments in his left ankle in last Sunday's loss to the Green Bay Packers. "You step in for a guy, everybody expects a little bit less of you maybe, but I don't want it to be that way," Free told reporters Thursday in Irving. "I want to step in and do as well as I can. We have a great thing going here, and I don't want it to change at all." ..."
Pain management: Injuries testing Dallas Cowboys
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November 20
Dallas Morning News
 
"The Cowboys were probably the deepest team in the NFL last week. They were missing only one player. This week they are deep in scramble mode because of injuries to offensive tackle Marc Colombo and safety Ken Hamlin. The starters are being replaced by players making their first starts on Sunday against Washington. Doug Free will be at right tackle. Alan Ball will play free safety. The Cowboys will conduct business as usual. Break out the violins. "It's not a woe-is-me league," Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said. "No other team's going to feel sorry for you, so you can't feel sorry for yourself." In the NFL, it's not how many injuries you have. It's how effective you are at replacing ..."
Jerry Jones favors more touches for Felix Jones
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November 20
Dallas Morning News
 
"Cowboys owner-general manager Jerry Jones reaffirmed his confidence in the "special qualities" of Felix Jones, saying he favors giving him more chances. "I certainly understand balance," Jerry Jones said on Thursday. "But I'd sure like to see him with the ball more." Through runs, receptions and kickoff returns, Felix Jones has averaged 9.4 plays and 104.6 total yards per game this season. As a rookie last season, Jones averaged eight plays and 80.7 total yards. Jones has been less of a factor since spraining a ligament in his left knee. In four games since returning from the injury, Jones has averaged nine plays and 86 yards total offense. Jerry Jones said that based upon input from ..."
Dallas Cowboys CB Mike Jenkins learns the art of game film
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November 20
Dallas Morning News
 
""Darren Woodson was probably the best I've been around," secondary coach Dave Campo said. "He just understood the game. A lot of it is understanding the game, 'Well, if they get into this formation, there's not a lot of difference between this formation and they can run this same play.' That's the NFL." As a rookie, Mike Jenkins put in the time in the meeting room or at home. He would spend hours watching this receiver or that run that route or this route. He would rewind and rewind and rewind. But he never really knew what he was looking at or what he was looking for. "It's about the same time now but it's more quality because I know what I'm looking at. Last year I didn't know what I ..."
Cowboys' Austin no longer a secret
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November 20
Washington Times
 
"It wasn't that Miles Austin ended up at Monmouth University because he flew below college football's recruiting radar. "He was off the radar," Monmouth coach Kevin Callahan said. "It was just one of those things," said Mark Fabish, a former Monmouth assistant who discovered and recruited Austin. "It worked out great." Great for the school immediately - and for Austin eventually. He became a star receiver for the Division I-AA Hawks, leading the team to successive 10-win seasons in 2003 and 2004. It remains the best two-year stretch since the small, private university first fielded a team in 1993. Callahan is the school's first and only coach. Located a Frisbee toss from some nice Atlantic ..."
Zorn says Portis 'very doubtful' to play
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November 20
Washington Post
 
"Coach Jim Zorn stopped short of ruling Clinton Portis out for Sunday's game at Dallas, but he said the Redskins' star running back is "very doubtful" to play. "But I don't want to count him out," Zorn said Wednesday after practice. Portis wasn't present at practice and is at risk of missing his second game since suffering a concussion - the second of his career -- on Nov. 8 in Atlanta. Zorn said Portis worked out early Wednesday morning -- to get "a little sweat going," Zorn said -- and Portis experienced some blurriness. Portis attended the weekly team meeting but left Redskins Park to visit a Washington doctor and missed the running backs' position meeting. Zorn laid out a timeline that ..."
Redskins' Rogers expected to start vs. Cowboys
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November 19
Washington Times
 
"Washington Redskins cornerback Carlos Rogers practiced with the first-team defense Wednesday and is expected to start Sunday, a week after he was benched in a win over the Denver Broncos. "To me, if you're any type of fighter, you're going to respond and fight, and I think that's what he's going to do," secondary coach Jerry Gray said. "The guy has too much talent and too much athletic ability and too much fight not to be on the football field." Rogers' day against Denver ended after he was beaten for a 40-yard touchdown reception by Brandon Marshall, who used a double move similar to one used by Philadelphia's DeSean Jackson in Week 7. Rogers sat out the final 54 snaps. Before practice at ..."
Cowboys needed to throw
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November 19
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett on Wednesday defended his one-dimensional play calling in Sunday's 17-7 loss to Green Bay, noting that "game circumstance" dictated he employ a pass-happy attack. With the Cowboys trailing by three scores much of the fourth quarter, Garrett called for passes on the final 27 plays. Dallas finished with a season-low 14 rushing attempts, a total padded by three Tony Romo scrambles. Romo attempted 39 passes. "That gets you out of whack," Garrett said of playing from behind. "You want balance." But the Cowboys abandoned the run well before the fourth quarter. With his team nursing a 3-0 lead, Packers defensive end Johnny Jolly flew past backup ..."
Felix Jones is Cowboys' forgotten man
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November 19
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Dallas Cowboys running back Felix Jones received plenty of attention after his first game at Lambeau Field. Reporters crowded around the rookie in the locker room, eager to hear details of his electrifying 60-yard touchdown run, a play that sparked the Cowboys to a 27-16 win over Green Bay in Week 3 of the 2008 season. But nearly 14 months later, Jones entered that same locker room as the team's forgotten man. Jones had only five touches - three carries for just six yards and two kickoff returns for only 38 yards - in Sunday's 17-7 loss to the Packers. Two weeks ago in the 20-16 win over Philadelphia, he returned five kickoffs for 105 yards but had only four carries for just 10 yards. In ..."
Two backups will get their shot for Dallas Cowboys
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November 19
Dallas Morning News
 
"Doug Free and Alan Ball will make the first starts of their careers Sunday against Washington. Free will replace injured Marc Colombo (broken fibula) at right offensive tackle and Ball will take Ken Hamlin's (ankle sprain) spot at free safety. The Cowboys' veteran line prides itself on continuity and communication, but depth has been a concern. Colombo has started all 57 games since he signed with Dallas as a free agent before the 2006 season. Offensive line coach Hudson Houck said the team considered a number of options, including moving right guard Leonard Davis to tackle, but "the best one is exactly what we're doing." Free took over for Colombo after he suffered a fractured fibula ..."
Cowboys' Garrett says focus is still on balance
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November 19
Dallas Morning News
 
"Jason Garrett agrees with the premise. The Cowboys were out of whack with their run-pass distribution in the loss to Green Bay. The offensive coordinator explains it wasn't by design. He believes the team has been balanced all season and went on to define its offensive identity. That identity was compromised once Dallas fell behind the Packers by 17 points in the fourth quarter. Garrett ended the game calling for a pass on 26 of the team's final 27 plays. The one run was by Tony Romo on a quarterback sneak. "Unfortunately, some game circumstances got us in a situation where we had to throw a ton at the end, and it gets us out of whack," Garrett said. "That's not what we're trying to do. "I ..."
Haynesworth, Cowboys' Gurode meet for first time in 'real' game since incident
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November 19
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Gerry Fraley
"The plastic surgeon did remarkable work on Andre Gurode. There are no signs of the facial wounds that required 30 stitches to close three years ago. If there are scars on Gurode's psyche, he keeps them well hidden, too. On Sunday, the Cowboys' home game against Washington serves as the backdrop for a potentially emotional reunion. For the first time since the public assault of Oct. 1, 2006, Gurode is scheduled to play in a real game against his assailant: Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. "It's something that happened in the past, and we'll move forward," Gurode said when the issue came up Wednesday. Sure. No one on the field that day in Nashville will ever forget what ..."
Cowboys are approaching a crucial point
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November 18
Washington Post
 
"As his Dallas Cowboys teammates dressed and packed their belongings hurriedly at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field 10 days ago, quarterback Tony Romo sat on a stool in front of his locker and finished up the last of his interviews. The Cowboys had just beaten the Eagles on the same field where their previous season had ended in embarrassing fashion. They had reached the halfway point of this season as a surprising success: first in the NFC East and on a four-game winning streak. Without wide receiver Terrell Owens, the Cowboys' offense was thriving, and an interviewer was doing his best to prompt Romo into a grand pronouncement about how the victory was a vindication. Romo refused to ..."
Rash of penalties unusual for Cowboys' Witten
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November 18
Dallas Morning News
 
"Cowboys tight end Jason Witten is caught in a sudden flurry of penalties. Witten has been called for three penalties - two for pass interference, one for a false start - in the last two games. That is the norm on a highly penalized team such as the Cowboys, but it is abnormal for Witten. Before this, he had only three penalties in his previous 11 games. The consecutive interference calls puzzle Witten and the Cowboys because he is not a repeat offender. Witten had played 56 games since his last interference penalty, during the 2006 season opener against Jacksonville. The interference call during Sunday's loss at Green Bay came in the third quarter, with the Cowboys trailing by three ..."
In no rush to run: Dallas Cowboys neglecting ground game
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November 18
Dallas Morning News
 columnist David Moore
"Count to three. Now stop. Follow these instructions, and you too can call rushing plays for the Cowboys in the second half. Jason Garrett knows the drill. Score only seven points in a loss, and questions arise about the competency of the offensive coordinator. Why run a season-low 14 times against a Green Bay defense you carved up for 217 yards on the ground last season? How can Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice each have only one carry in the second half? "I think we need to be more balanced, certainly," head coach Wade Phillips said. These Cowboys are all about balance. But the Packers loss underscores what has been an erosion of the running game. A team that led the NFL ..."
If this isn't Free's time, Dallas Cowboys should cut him loose
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November 18
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Jean Jaques Taylor
"If Wade Phillips doesn't trust the players on the Cowboys' roster, then he needs to cut them and sign some players he does trust. Doug Free, a three-year veteran, is supposed to be the backup for both tackles. With Marc Colombo presumably out for the rest of the season with a broken left leg and torn ligaments in his ankle, Free should move into the starting lineup. Now, Phillips isn't sure he wants to do that. He's contemplating moving Leonard Davis to right tackle and using Montrae Holland or Cory Procter at guard. Then why is Free on the team? If Phillips is afraid to use him now, then he'll never use him. And if he'll never use him, then the Cowboys need to get rid of him. It's ..."
Cowboys will need backups to step up
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November 17
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Four weeks ago, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones identified offensive line depth and safety as his biggest concerns. With right tackle Marc Colombo likely out for the year after undergoing surgery Monday to repair ligaments in his left ankle, and free safety Ken Hamlin out at least two weeks with a high ankle sprain, the Cowboys will soon find out if Jones' fears are justified. "We won't be the only team that's going through this," linebacker Bradie James said. "Guys have got to step up. When your No. 1 guys are down, you got to have the backups come in and play like they are No. 1s so you don't miss a beat." Colombo and Hamlin went down in Sunday's sloppy 17-7 loss to Green Bay, which ..."
Dallas Cowboys must forget loss, take care of business
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November 17
Dallas Morning News
 columnist David Moore
"This week is unlike the previous five at Valley Ranch. The Cowboys must confront doubts and injuries that were largely absent during their winning streak. They must prove Sunday's loss to Green Bay was a disappointment, not a defining moment. A favorable schedule should allow the team to do just that. Curse the play-calling of offensive coordinator Jason Garrett - a popular topic on talk radio - all you want. Wail about the clueless officials and lament the Cowboys' inability to leave Lambeau Field with a two-game lead over Philadelphia in the NFC East standings. Here is what the Cowboys face over the next 10 days: home games against Washington and Oakland. If the Cowboys take care of ..."
Packers' only long drive pays off against Dallas Cowboys
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November 16
Green Bay Press Gazette
 
"The Green Bay Packers sustained only one offensive drive on Sunday, but it was the one they needed. Punchless and mistake-prone for the better part of three quarters against the Dallas Cowboys, the Packers had generated only three points and 144 net yards before embarking on a 15-play, 80-yard touchdown march that pushed their lead to 10-0 with 13 minutes, 14 seconds to go. Those 15 plays didn't erase the ugliness that preceded them — seven penalties enforced for a net loss of 64 yards, three sacks, four other plays that lost yardage, six punts and two field-goal attempts in eight drives. But by the time Aaron Rodgers plunged in for a 1-yard touchdown, the Packers had chewed more than 8½ ..."
Titans, Bengals stepping up; Cowboys, Broncos take step back
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November 16
Chicago Tribune
 columnist Sam Farmer
"Do not adjust your picture. But you might want to adjust your Super Bowl picks. The Cowboys, who had won four in a row, were nearly shut out Sunday ... by a Packers team that lost to the winless Buccaneers a week earlier. The Broncos, who looked indestructible as they rolled to a 6-0 start ... now seem to be imploding just like they did at the end of last season. The Titans lost their first six games and appeared to be playing for the No. 1 draft pick in 2010 ... then reversed their field with three consecutive wins behind Vince Young, version 2.0. And the Bengals, fresh off a 4-11-1 season ... have successfully swept the Super Bowl champion Steelers for the first time since 1998. Ignore ..."
Cowboysthe ball
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November 16
San Antonio Express-News
 
"The unseasonably mild weather was the lone exception. Everything else about the Dallas Cowboys' experience at Lambeau Field on Sunday screamed that it was already December for the NFC East leaders. In a performance reminiscent of some of their recent late-season meltdowns, the Cowboys lost 17-7 to the desperate Green Bay Packers before 70,894 fans. "We had everything today," said Tony Romo, who oversaw a wretched offense. "We had breakdowns in protection. We had penalties. We had drops and me throwing an interception. We had different areas throughout the game where we all had things we wanted back." One week after grabbing the division lead with a fourth straight win, a stirring 20-16 ..."
Dallas Cowboys' offense derailed in 17-7 loss
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November 16
Dallas Morning News
 
"Assistant head coach Jason Garrett and quarterback Tony Romo have combined to run the Cowboys offense from start to finish in 38 games. Their performance during Sunday's loss to Green Bay will be ranked as No. 37. The Cowboys produced only one score and a season-low 278 total yards, with 147 of the yards coming after Green Bay had gone ahead 17-0 in the fourth quarter. In their time together, Garrett-Romo has had fewer yards and points only once: six points and 240 yards in a 10-6 loss to Philadelphia on Dec. 16, 2007. The common theme to the fizzles? Garrett-Romo was outmaneuvered each time by a savvy and blitz-happy defensive coordinator. The late Jim Johnson ran the Philadelphia ..."
Dallas Cowboys' secondary lacking on key drive of 17-10 loss
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November 16
Dallas Morning News
 
"Through 2 ½ quarters, the Dallas Cowboys' secondary held strong against Green Bay's quick-throw offense. Then the roof caved in on Dallas' defenders. The Packers went 80 yards in 15 plays on a chaotic drive that included all sorts of craziness. At one point, only one starter was in Dallas' defensive backfield. The drive ended with the Packers leading, 10-0, with 13:14 left in the game. The crumbling of Dallas' secondary began when cornerback Mike Jenkins injured his arm trying to tackle Donald Driver after a 10-yard gain on the second play of the drive. Cornerback Terence Newman went off briefly with cramps. And safety Ken Hamlin was injured five plays after Jenkins, tackling Ryan Grant ..."
Road isn't so easy for Dallas Cowboys after 17-7 loss
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November 16
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Tim Cowlishaw
"Losing at Lambeau Field isn't necessarily the end of the world, even if you sometimes feel you can see it from here. The Cowboys' four-game winning streak is over. Not only did they lose to the Green Bay Packers, a team that just lost to what had been a winless Tampa Bay team, but the Cowboys barely scored. What we thought had grown into one of the NFL's most prolific offenses was stopped in its tracks here Sunday afternoon. What some thought was an easy path to a 9-2 record by the end of Thanksgiving Day disappeared faster than you can say "play not reviewable" in a 17-7 loss to Green Bay. As losses go, this was a bad one for Dallas. I wouldn't say that their cloak of invincibility was ..."
Call that hurt Dallas Cowboys in 17-7 loss was correct
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November 16
Dallas Morning News
 
"Trailing 10-0 in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys needed some breaks to go their way, especially after Green Bay recovered a Tony Romo fumble after a sack at the Dallas 3. From the looks of replays, Felix Jones had possession of the loose ball before Johnny Jolly ripped it free while he was on the ground. Wade Phillips threw the red challenge flag to make sure the Cowboys would get the ball back because of the down by contact rule. Then referee Jeff Triplette remembered the play cannot be challenged. "My mistake," Triplette said told a pool reporter after the game. "That's not a reviewable aspect of a play. A recovery of a loose ball in the field of play is not reviewable by rule, so we ..."
Williams has big day in Dallas Cowboys' 17-7 loss
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November 16
Dallas Morning News
 
"Roy Williams had his first 100-yard receiving game since coming to the Cowboys. "I'd rather have my usual two for 27 with a win, know what I mean?" said Williams, who had gone 18 games since his last 100-yard receiving game. Williams caught a 9-yard touchdown pass with 38 seconds left on a perfect fade pass over cornerback Tramon Williams, something that he and Tony Romo have had difficulty connecting on this season and last. It helped the Cowboys avoid their first shutout since 2003, but there was no celebration. "Yeah, who cares?" Williams said. Williams did not care about his five catches for 105 yards. Nor did he give much thought to his third touchdown reception of the season. All ..."
Dallas Cowboys take a step backward with 17-7 loss
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November 16
Dallas Morning News
 
"This loss had nothing to do with the Cowboys being a little too full of themselves. It had nothing to do with eating the cheese, a phrase former coach Bill Parcells loved to use whenever he felt his team was in danger of a mental letdown. The Cowboys lost in the land of cheese Sunday because they ran into a desperate Green Bay team that rose to the occasion. They left Lambeau Field with a 17-7 loss because their normally prolific offense fell flat against an inspired Packers defense led by cornerback Charles Woodson. The Cowboys remain alone in first place in the NFC East thanks to San Diego's dismissal of Philadelphia. But the momentum this team built with a four-game winning streak is ..."
There can be an ugly win
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November 16
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 
"The Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys have played many compelling games in their venerable rivalry, but what took place late Sunday afternoon in a nationally televised game was not one of them This game was so ugly you actually looked forward to hearing referee Jeff Triplette explain another ruling on a challenge. If you like your football with no rhythm, tons of penalties, injury delays, few big plays on offense, coaches' challenges and confused officials, then this was the greatest game played this season. "That sounded like an infomercial from Jeff Triplette," Fox game analyst Troy Aikman said after one detailed explanation. "Good god," Aikman said in the fourth quarter after ..."
Knocked off their high horse
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November 16
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 
"It's been a long time since a top-tier, all-but-certain playoff team with a Pro Bowl roster and high-profile talent came into Lambeau Field as the favorite, met the Green Bay defense and rolled out like this. Confused. Dazed. Humbled. But that's how the Dallas Cowboys' offensive players looked and felt before they made the hastiest of exits out of the once again inhospitable Lambeau on Sunday night, their four-game winning streak halted and their quarterback sacked more - that's right, more - than Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay's 3-4 defense lived up to its ranking more than the Packers did their uncertain reputation and whipped Burlington's Tony Romo and the Cowboys, 17-7. "I don't ..."
Line makes some gains
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November 16
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 
"The Green Bay Packers started Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys with their sixth combination along the offensive line. There were still plenty of sacks (four), hits on quarterback Aaron Rodgers and penalties related to the offensive line (five), but the unit that started the 17-7 victory might garner a longer look. Mostly because rookie T.J. Lang might be able to find a home at right tackle. "Yeah, that'd be nice," Lang said when asked if he'd like to stay in one spot. "Seems like every time I kind of settle into one spot I'm kind of bumping around. But that's part of the game; you've got to be ready to play anything. It'd be nice to stay over there, but I don't know what the plan ..."
In the nick of time
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November 16
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 columnist Bob McGinn
"This is why that hoary old cliché, "On any given Sunday," still has meaning in the National Football League. It's also what 53 players, 20 assistant coaches and one head coach can do with clear minds and big hearts. Performances as unified and inspired as the Green Bay Packers turned in Sunday don't come along more than every few years. They need to be counted out by just about everyone in the state, they need to be ripped from stem to stern all week long and they need to be playing a powerful opponent no one expects them to defeat. The Packers didn't just whip the Dallas Cowboys, 17-7, on a 47-degree afternoon at Lambeau Field. After taking responsibility early in the week for their ..."
A pair of fresh outside forces
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November 16
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 
"The Green Bay Packers caught a glimpse of their future on defense and undoubtedly liked what they saw. Starting two rookies at outside linebacker, the Packers played one of their finest games of the season, holding the Dallas Cowboys to seven points and a season-low 278 yards. They allowed the Cowboys to convert just 3 of 12 third downs and forced three turnovers. There's no question it was a group effort, but it came with two rookies in the lineup, one of whom was making his first start. Together, Clay Matthews and Brad Jones had eight tackles, a sack and two tackles for loss. Matthews, who was starting for the sixth time, played like a man on fire, attacking his assignment with even more ..."
Woodson has his hand in everything
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November 16
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 
"If there was a team meeting on defense this past week to talk about the importance of the Green Bay Packers' game against the Dallas Cowboys, cornerback Charles Woodson missed it. On purpose. "I believe in self-motivation," he said Sunday night, shortly after he motivated the Cowboys to get out of town as quickly as possible. It's no secret that Woodson is on a mission to get a Super Bowl ring before his clock strikes midnight, and backed into a wall with the rest of his teammates, he decided to live another day. Devising a game plan that seemed almost completely centered on Woodson, defensive coordinator Dom Capers rode his star cornerback to a near shutout. "It was one of the better ..."
Stats flat, but Rodgers sparkles
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November 16
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 
"Aaron Rodgers has forged higher passer ratings than he did Sunday a total of 15 times in his brief career as a starting quarterback. Seldom, however, has Rodgers been a more effective player than he was in his 25th start as the Green Bay Packers turned back the Dallas Cowboys, 17-7, at Lambeau Field. Rodgers hasn't always demonstrated what it takes to defeat an opponent. This time, he most assuredly did, and with it took a step in his development as the successor to Brett Favre in the National Football League's smallest city. "From a management standpoint, I thought he did a very good job," coach Mike McCarthy said. "I told him that this was the most comprehensive game plan I think we ever ..."
Phillips' fate hinges on December showing
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November 15
San Antonio Express-News
 columnist Tom Orsborn
"Bradie James gushed last week while discussing what a fantastic job Wade Phillips has done this season setting a no-excuses tone for the Cowboys. Jerry Jones also praised Phillips, but Jones declined to discuss whether the team would exercise its option to extend Phillips' contract beyond this season. James and Jones got it right. Phillips deserves a lot of credit for the Cowboys being in first place in the NFC East at the season's midway point. But Jones also nailed it when he remained mum about an extension. Phillips' name didn't come up during conversations about who should be coach of the year at the halfway mark, but it should have. What other coach had to deal with the collapse of ..."
Romo is Cowboys' 'Mr. November'
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November 15
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Tony Romo wants to put himself in a hairy situation. The Dallas Cowboys quarterback has vowed to stay away from the barber until the Cowboys lose again. Considering his history of November excellence and the fact Dallas (6-2) finishes this month with home games against Washington (2-6) and Oakland (2-6), he has got a good chance of entering December with flowing locks if the Cowboys beat Green Bay (4-4) today. "It will be a good problem to have if it gets too long," Romo said. "It's just something I said, and someone is holding me to it." With last week's 20-16 win over Philadelphia, Romo raised his November record to 13-1 and matched Bob Griese and Steve Young for the most consecutive ..."
Phillips' faith in young players paying off
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November 15
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Wade Phillips is the anti-George Allen. Allen, who guided the Los Angeles Rams and the Washington Redskins during an NFL head coaching career that lasted from 1966-1977, was known for stocking his rosters with veterans. Inducted posthumously into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002, Allen deeply distrusted rookies and younger players. He made that abundantly clear during the early 1970s, when he stocked the Redskins with so many aging vets the club became known as the "Over the Hill Gang." Unlike Allen, Phillips has no problem putting inexperienced players on the field. That was evident last week in Philadelphia, where undrafted free agent receiver Kevin Ogletree and fourth-round outside ..."
Dallas Cowboys playing their roles to perfection
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November 15
Dallas Morning News
 
"The Cowboys needed a first down against Philadelphia in last Sunday's fight for first in the NFC East. On third-and-9, and a hostile crowd wailing, the Cowboys sent in the perfect player for the pressure situation. Never mind that undrafted rookie Kevin Ogletree could count his career catches on one finger when he broke the huddle. He has carved a niche with the Cowboys as "bubble screen" specialist. He gained 19 yards to set up Dallas' first score and later converted another third down on the same drive. "Just maximizing opportunities," Ogletree said. "Just trying to make a play whenever I get a chance." What's most unique about Ogletree is that he isn't unique. He's one of many role ..."
Packers present another challenge for Dallas Cowboys
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November 15
Dallas Morning News
 columnist Tim Cowlishaw
"If you missed Wednesday's point-counterpoint between Todd Archer and David Moore, you have only yourselves and an understandable lack of faith in two veteran beat writers to blame. Just to review, Archer thinks the Cowboys are elite, but as a lifelong soccer fan, he's overly impressed with the Cowboys' ability to score more than once a game. Moore denies the Cowboys elite status, but then there are few things that really excite the wily Moore other than the 'I' key on his laptop. Anyway, Archer and Moore were somewhat limited in the space they were given to discuss this topic. Fortunately, I have recovered nicely from Thursday's examination of a torn rotator cuff (would I make that up?) ..."
Dallas Cowboys are tough to rein in
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November 14
Green Bay Press Gazette
 columnist Eric Goska
"Everything is bigger in Texas.

Scoreboards are bigger. The new Cowboys Stadium boasts a video board |60 yards long. Offensive lines are bigger. The five starters for Dallas weigh an average of 326 pounds and stand |6-foot-6. Plays result in bigger gains. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett has his unit averaging better than 6½ yards per snap, the only group in the NFL to be so productive. This is the team that will hitch up their horses in front of Lambeau Field for three hours Sunday. The Cowboys' offense might singlehandedly have the Packers circling the wagons come sundown. Dallas is one of four teams averaging better than 400 yards a game: New Orleans (426.9), New ..."

Cowboys' defense to focus on run first
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November 14
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Despite the fact Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers has been sacked a league-high 37 times, the sack-happy Dallas Cowboys won't enter Sunday's game thinking it's a sure thing they'll get to him. Rodgers has excellent mobility and the Packers have a strong ground game, two factors that could offset a Cowboys defense that has recorded at least three sacks in the last six games. "We've got to play the run tough and win first down," defensive end Igor Olshansky said Friday. "If we can get them in third and long, DeMarcus Ware and Jay Ratliff can get their sacks and make their dances." The Cowboys always have been tough on first down under Wade Phillips. This season, they're yielding 4.5 yards, good for ..."
Rodgers' pain not lost on Dallas Cowboys' Romo
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November 14
Dallas Morning News
 columnist David Moore
"Forget about Brett Favre for a moment. Aaron Rodgers is in danger of being reduced to the chalk outline that was David Carr's rookie season. Fail Sunday, and the Green Bay quarterback will also become lost in the shadow of one of Wisconsin's favorite sons. Rodgers and the Cowboys' Tony Romo are similar. Both have Favre's improvisational flair. Both are mobile quarterbacks who buy time with their feet to make plays with their arm. Both followed legends. The difference is that Rodgers replaced a legend that resurfaced in the same division and has already beaten the Packers twice this season. Romo started his first game for the Cowboys more than six years after Troy Aikman retired. Still, ..."
Dallas Cowboys' Jones will no longer return kicks
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November 14
Dallas Morning News
 
"Running back Felix Jones acknowledged that he probably will not be used as a kickoff returner in Sunday's game at Green Bay. Coach Wade Phillips has said that as Jones' plays on offense increase, his special-teams duties would decrease. The Cowboys have worked out rookie Kevin Ogletree and running back Tashard Choice on kickoffs this week. "If that's what the head man says," Jones said. In the last three games, Jones has averaged only 21.4 yards on seven kickoff returns. Jones will continue to wear a brace on the left knee that was injured earlier this season. He practices without the brace to strengthen the knee but uses the brace in games for protection. He hopes to eliminate the ..."
Defensive line ready for battle of the bulk
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November 14
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 
"It'll be bulk on bulk Sunday at Lambeau Field when the Green Bay Packers' defensive line tries to muscle up and make amends against the offensive line of the Dallas Cowboys. Last season, the Cowboys basically manhandled the Packers up front en route to 217 yards on the ground and a 27-16 victory in Green Bay. To win, the Packers can't let that happen again. "There were a couple plays where they got off and got the best of some people sometimes," defensive end Cullen Jenkins said. "Controlling the run has to be No. 1, and it starts up front with the D-line. We've got to make sure we control the line of scrimmage. They've got some great backs. We can't let them get after us." Based on the ..."
Same game, different views for Packers, Cowboys
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November 14
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 
"If you were tracking the fortunes of the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, their lines on a graph chart would pass each other going 100 mph. Down like a high-speed elevator go the Packers, up like a rocket flare go the Cowboys. At the halfway point of the season, the motives for victory Sunday at Lambeau Field couldn't be more dissimilar even when you consider the ultimate goal for both teams is to win the Super Bowl. For the Cowboys, Sunday represents a chance to elongate the springboard lift they got from a critical road victory over NFC East rival Philadelphia last week, and for the Packers it is the ultimate survival challenge after a devastating loss to previously winless Tampa ..."
Fine line separates Romo from Rodgers
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November 13
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and his Sunday counterpart, the Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers, are virtually identical, on paper. Both stand 6-foot-2. Romo weighs 226 pounds; Rodgers is 220. Each has a strong right arm and legs that serve them well. Their season statistics are strikingly similar. A Wisconsin native, Romo has a free-wheeling style often compared to Packers legend Brett Favre, while Rodgers has the more unenviable task of having to replace Favre. Even their golf games are close. Yet, on the field they seem so different. Rodgers, who will be 26 on Dec. 2, appears taller and brawnier in the pocket. Romo, 29, seems more athletic, a superior scrambler, swashbuckling ..."
Cowboys hope to put pressure on Packers' line
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November 13
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"DeMarcus Ware didn't have a sack in the first four games. He has five in the four games since. The Dallas Cowboys' linebacker, who led the league with 20 sacks last season, is tied for 14th this year. Minnesota defensive end Jared Allen and Denver outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil are tied for the league lead with 10.5 each. "[Getting sacks] always comes with pressure," Ware said Thursday. "The more pressure you're able to get, [the more] you're able to get your [sack] numbers up. It's all about how much a team wants to pass the ball. "It's a long season. We'll see." For the third consecutive week, the Cowboys are facing a team with unrest at offensive tackle. The Seattle Seahawks were ..."
Dallas Cowboys' offensive line has formed a united front
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November 13
Dallas Morning News
 
"Center Andre Gurode, his right ankle still healing, returned to practice with the Cowboys on Thursday. He plans on playing Sunday at Green Bay. The code demands it. The Cowboys' offensive linemen live by a simple code of honor. If you have all your limbs, you can play. "If you're not there, we know you can't play," Gurode said. "You do your best to be there. Every guy has something different. It's the NFL. The last time we were healthy was the off-season." Durability on the offensive line is a strength of this team. The Cowboys have started the same line - tackles Flozell Adams and Marc Colombo, guards Leonard Davis and Kyle Kosier and Gurode - in every game this season. Only six ..."
Dallas Cowboys pass rush wary of Packers' offensive line
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November 13
Dallas Morning News
 
"The Cowboys figure to extend their sack streak Sunday when they face Green Bay. The Cowboys have had at least three sacks in six straight games, and the Packers' Aaron Rodgers has been sacked more than any other NFL quarterback. "We're all kind of tired talking about it, but it's something we can improve on," Rodgers said. "It's what's holding our offense back from being a No. 1, 2 or 3." Cowboys sack leader DeMarcus Ware isn't salivating, at least publicly, over Green Bay's struggles up front. But he knows that Packers left guard Daryn Colledge and right tackle Allen Barbre have allowed seven sacks each, the second-highest total in the league. "They know how good we are, and they'll be ..."
Brushing up on history
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November 13
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 
"Long before Miles Austin emerged as one of the hottest wide receivers in the National Football League, the Green Bay Packers knew about him. Austin has been on a tear since earning his first career start against Kansas City Oct. 11, cutting up the Dallas Cowboys' last four opponents for 531 yards and six touchdowns on 22 receptions. It started with his amazing performance against the Chiefs in which he caught 10 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-20 victory. For 30 other teams it appeared to be Austin's coming-out party, but not for the Packers, who had brushes with his potential greatness all the way back in 2007, when he was still just a kick return specialist trying to make ..."