Cowboys Corner

Crayton's effort rewarded

Of all ironies, Patrick Crayton, demoted as punt returner when the Cowboys acquired specialist Allen Rossum during the bye week, was selected the NFC special teams player of the week.

 

Crayton returned an Atlanta fourth-quarter punt 73 yards for a touchdown, the first of his career.

Rossum tore his hamstring on his first kickoff return, putting Crayton back in business.

 

It was the first punt return for a touchdown for the Cowboys since Terence Newman returned one 56 yards against Detroit on Dec. 31, 2006, and the longest since Deion Sanders took one back 76 yards at Indianapolis on Oct. 31, 1999.

 

Jeff Caplan

Cowboys wrap up D-Ware

The Cowboys have called a news conference for around 4:30 this afternoon to make a player personnel announcement. That player would be defensive end DeMarcus Ware. The announcement is the finalization of a long-term contract. Ware's rookie deal expires at the end of this season and the Cowboys and Ware's representatives have been in talks for months. Break out your calculators and stay tuned for further details.

Jeff Caplan

Bennett jokes, but is he really laughing?

Tight end Martellus Bennett likes to joke around. So he did Tuesday at a press conference in Dallas to bring awareness to diabetes.

 

A little girl, Kendall Tubbs, who struggles with diabetes was set to toss a football toward Bennett and former NFL wide receiver Tim Brown. That’s when Bennett cracked his joke, a dig at his quarterback Tony Romo.

 

“I was like, ‘Hey, if she’s Romo she’s not going to throw it to me,” Bennett said. “It was just a little joke.”

But, like all good comedians know, behind every joke lies a tinge of truth. And the truth is that Bennett, expected be a threat out of two tight-end set, has been far more effective as a run-blocker than a pass-catcher with just four receptions for 40 yards in five games.

 

“A lot of people are trying to get me to say, ‘Hey, I want the ball,’” Bennett said. “Damn right I want the ball, but I go about it the right way. I go out and just do my job every single day so when my chances come, you never know when it’s going to be, I’m prepared to make plays.”

 

Jeff Caplan

 

Austin takes NFC Offensive Player of the Week award

In his first career start at Kansas City in place of Roy Williams (ribs), Miles Austin's 250-yard receiving performance garnered him the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award.

Austin finished with a career-high 10 catches for a club-record 250 yards with two touchdowns. Remarkably, entering the game, Williams and Patrick Crayton each had just 11 receptions in four games. Austin eclipsed Bob Hayes’ previous club record of 246 yards set 43 years ago on Nov. 13, 1966 at Washington.

Austin's two touchdown receptions went for 59 and 60 yards, the game-tying score and the game-winner in overtime, respectively. His 250 receiving yards marked the most ever by a player in their first career start and he became just the 15^th receiver in NFL history since the merger to reach 250 receiving yards in a single game.

And now, Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips has said Austin will play as much as he did in the KC game, although that might not mean he actually starts. Semantics.

Jeff Caplan

Todd Haley wonders what might have been...

The KC coach and former Cowboys assistant believes had the snap gone horribly wrong in the playoff game against Seattle that things could have turned out much differently.

"I have great memories of Dallas. The one memory I have that’s not great is the Seattle game because I truly believed in my heart of hearts that if we had kicked that field goal and won the game that we were going to give some people, the Bears specifically, some problems and who knows how that year would have ended up."

Jeff Caplan

Todd Haley wonders what might have been...

The KC coach and former Cowboys assistant believes had the snap gone horribly wrong in the playoff game against Seattle that things could have turned out much differently.

"I have great memories of Dallas. The one memory I have that’s not great is the Seattle game because I truly believed in my heart of hearts that if we had kicked that field goal and won the game that we were going to give some people, the Bears specifically, some problems and who knows how that year would have ended up."

Jeff Caplan

Not looking good for Roy Williams

Coach Wade Phillips said Roy Williams' bruised ribs haven't progressed much and it looks like the Cowboys' No. 1 receiver won't play Sunday at Kansas City. That takes 11 of the Cowboys' 32 catches on the season out of the lineup. Third reciever Miles Austin, who has just five catches on the season, will take Roy's spot.

Also, Felix Jones (knee) will miss his second straight game with hopes of returning after the bye week. And starting strong safety Gerald Sensabaugh (thumb) will be out. Pat Watkins will take his spot.

Some good news is center Andre Gurode (knee) will be ready to go.

Jeff Caplan

Cletis is coming (as long as he passes a physical)

One of the great names in the NFL will join the Cowboys today as long as he passes a physical.

Fourth-year cornerback Cletis Gordon is expected to fill the team's open roster spot. The Cowboys wanted to re-sign safety Marvin White, but the Lions snatched the former TCU player off waivers on Monday. The Cowboys cut White on Saturday to make room for running back Chauncey Washington to come up from the practice squad.

Washington has since been cut and Gordon, who played for Wade Phillips with the Chargers, is needed to bolster the secondary now that strong safety Gerald Sensabaugh will miss at least one game with a thumb injury. Pat Watkins will start in the defensive backfield with Ken Hamlin. Cornerback Alan Ball will likely slide over to back up at free safety. Ball split time at safety and cornerback during training camp and the preseason.

Jeff Caplan

Lions a pain in Cowboys' secondary

The Cowboys had planned to re-sign safety Marvin White,expecting him to clear waivers on Monday after the Cowboys released him Saturday to make room for running back Chauncey Washington. But, those plans were foiled by the Detroit Lions, who claimed White Monday afternoon.

That leaves the Cowboys exceedingly shallow at strong safety after the injury to Gerald Sensabaugh, who damaged the plate in his right thumb in Sunday's game and will need surgery to repair it. He thinks he'll only miss Sunday's Kansas City game, but coach Wade Phillips said he could miss up to six weeks.

With rookie Mike Hamlin still out with a healing broken wrist, Pat Watkins will start in Sensabaugh's spot, but that's really it as far as depth goes. Alan Ball, a former cornerback who know plays free safety is not big enough to play strong safety.

Jeff Caplan

Another trip and Flozell could face suspension

If Flozell Adams continues to commit infractions that the league deems dangerous, Adams could be dealing with more than fines. He's already racked up $25,000 in fines over the first three weeks for three different infractions, two being leg whips the past two weeks.

Bob Glauber of Newsday reports that the NFL has threatened to suspend Adams if he has repeated violations.

Adams tripped Giants defensive end Justin Tuck two weeks ago and Tuck injured his shoulder on the play when he fell on it. On Monday, Adams directed his outstretched leg toward Carolina's Julius Peppers, making contact with Peppers' shin.

Jeff Caplan