Dallas Cowboys News

[DC_fan]

Jason Witten Has Injuries, But Enough To Keep Him Out Against The Falcons?

The Dallas Cowboys will face the Atlanta Falcons this weekend without Tony Romo and Dez Bryant, but will they also be without Jason Witten? During Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Witten was limping slightly at times, even coming to the sideline on occasion. He still finished the game, but afterwards it was confirmed that Witten is playing with sprained ankles and a sprained knee. A new report from league sources to ESPN's Ed Werder has Witten as being uncertain for the game on Sunday.

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten is receiving treatment for two sprained ankles and a sprained knee, and it is not a certainty he will be available for Sunday's home game against the Atlanta Falcons, league sources told ESPN NFL Insider Ed Werder.

"[Witten] will be day-to-day all week, but he's not a lock [to play] at this point," a source told Werder.

I would take this report with a grain of salt. Mainly because Witten is as tough a player as I've ever seen play the game and has only missed one start in his career. The man plays through any kind of injury and pain on a routine basis. After the game he called his injuries "typical football stuff." If it did come to pass that the Cowboys had to play without Witten, then Brandon Weeden's job would get that much harder. The Cowboys defense would really need to take over the game. But if I was betting money, I'd expect #82 to be on the field Sunday.

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2015...ut-enough-to-keep-him-out-against-the-falcons

He will play. There is no tougher player in the NFL then Witten.

 

[Shorty]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...13367192&campaign=fb-nf-sf13367429-sf13367429

So we got Cassell, apparently he was cheap but I'm not sure about how good he'll be if Weeden stinks.
Supposedly though Moore has been activated and according to that article, looks to be 2nd string.

I like Kellen Moore I watched his BSU years and he is one of the most accurate passers you will ever see so I like his potential but he needs a very solid OL because he's not one that reacts well to being hit.

 

[DC_fan]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000536885/article/cowboys-trade-for-bills-qb-matt-cassel?campaign=tw-nf-sf13367192-sf13367192&campaign=fb-nf-sf13367429-sf13367429

So we got Cassell, apparently he was cheap but I'm not sure about how good he'll be if Weeden stinks.

Supposedly though Moore has been activated and according to that article, looks to be 2nd string.

I like Kellen Moore I watched his BSU years and he is one of the most accurate passers you will ever see so I like his potential but he needs a very solid OL because he's not one that reacts well to being hit.

Cassel has had his chances over the years with amore then just a few teams. He may be a good fit for the Cowboys system but that doesn't mean he is going to succeed.

Moore at 26 hasn't thrown a serious NFL pass yet. So I am not sure that says a whole lot about him.

 

[DC_fan]

Preview


Dallas Cowboys 2-0 (1-0) v Atlanta Falcons 2-0 (1-0)
Venue: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
Date: Mon September 28th
Time: 3am
Expected Weather: Cloudy and 31 Degrees Celsius
TV coverage: No TV coverage here in Australia. Available on NFL Gamepass

History:
All-time results: Cowboys lead series 16-9
Streak: Falcons won last game
Last ten games: Cowboys lead 6-4
Last Cowboys win: 2009
Cowboys biggest win: 47-14 in 1966
Last Falcons win: 2014
Falcons biggest win: 26-7 in 1990
Results in Dallas:Cowboys lead series 9-3
Streak: Cowboys won last game
Last ten games: Cowboys lead 7-3
Last Cowboys win: 2009
Cowboys biggest win: 37-7 in 1967
Last Falcons win: 2003
Eagles biggest win: 27-13 in 2003

Series Notables
·The Cowboys have defeated the Falcons in five of the last eight meetings, including three straight from 1995-99

A Cowboys win would
·Up the Cowboys 2015 record to 3-0 for the first time since 2008, and the 16th time overall
·Improve the Cowboys all-time NFC South record to 55-26

On this day 27th September
Dallas has played five times on this date and their record reads 3-2. Beating the Redskins in 2004 in the most recent game on this date.

Head Coaches
Jason Garrett (Cowboys) 44-32
Dan Quinn (Falcons) 2-0

Team Statistics


Offense
Passing: Cowboys 303 yds (5th) Falcons 318 yds (3rd)
Rushing: Cowboys 94.5 yds (19th) Falcons 80.5 yds (22nd)
Points: Cowboys23.5 (16th)Falcons25 (12th)

Defense
Passing: Cowboys 204.5 yds (9th) Falcons 313.5 yds (29th)
Rushing: Cowboys 53 yds (1st) Falcons 80 yds (9th)
Points:Cowboys 18 (5th) Falcons 22 (13th)

Player Statistics
Passing: Brandon Weeden (Dal) 7 comp, 7 att, 73 yds, 1 tds, 0 int, 0 sks & 149.7 rating
Matt Ryan (Atl) 53 comp, 80 att, 661 yds, 3 td, 2 int, 3 sks & 93.8 rating
Rushing: Joseph Randle (Dal) 34 atts, 116 yds, 3.4 ave & 0 tds
Devonta Freeman (Atl) 22 atts, 43 yds, 2.0 ave & 1 tds
Receiving: Jason Witten TE (Dal) 15 rec, 116 yds, 7.7 ave & 2 tds
Julio Jones WR (Atl) 22 rec, 276 yds, 12.5 ave & 2 tds
Scoring: Dan Bailey (Dal) 4 fg, 5 xp, 0 tds for 17 pts
Matt Bryant (Atl) 5 fg, 5 xp, 0 tds for 20 pts
Sacks: Tyrone Crawford DT & Anthony Hitchens LB (Dal) 1 a piece
Vic Beasley DE & Kroy Biermann DE (Atl) 1 apiece
Intercepts: Sean Lee LB 1
William Moore S & Ricardo Allen S (Atl) 1 apiece

Injury Report

Dallas Cowboys
Tony Romo, QB Out
Dez Bryant, WR Out
Randy Gregory, DE Out
Jeremey Mincey, DE Out
Ronald Leary, OG Questionable
James Hanna, TE Probable
Kyle Wilber, OLB Probable
Ryan Russell, DE Probable
Jason Witten, TE Probable


Atlanta Falcons
Tevin Coleman, RB Out
Devin Hester , WR Out
Brooks Reed, LB Out
Kroy Biermann, DE Probable
Justin Durant, LB Probable
Malliciah Goodman, DE Probable
Julio Jones, WR Probable
Paul Soliai, NT Probable
Paul Worrilow, LB Probable

Likely Cowboys line up
Offense
QB: Brandon weeden #3
RB: Joseph Randle #21
WR: Devin Street #15 & Terrance Williams #83
TE: Jason Witten #82 & Gavin Escobar #89
LT: Tyron Smith #77
LG: Ron Leary #65 (La’el Collins #71)
C: Travis Frederick #72
RG: Zack Martin #70
RT: Doug Free #68



Defense
LDE: DeMarcus Lawrence #90
DT: Nick Hayden #96
DT: Tyrone Crawford #98
RDE: Ryan Russell #99
OLB: Sean Lee #50
MLB: Anthony Hitchens #59
OLB: Kyle Wilber #51
LCB: Brandon Carr #39
RCB: Morris Claiborne #24
SS: Barry Church #42
FS: J.J. Wilcox #27


Result:
With both teams having problems in the running game, it should be an all-out passing game. Which will place a lot of pressure on Cowboys quarterback Weeden. The Cowboys have been good on defense and I expect that to continue here.

Dallas 21 Atlanta 17

 

[DC_fan]

Dallas Cowboys 2015 "Player of the Year" points vs Atlanta Falcons (Wk 2)

Offense
Joseph Randle RB 3
Jason Witten TE 2
Lance Dunbar RB 1

Defense
Sean Lee LB 3
Anthony Hitchens LB 2
Tyrone Crawford DL 1

Leader board for the 2015 season

Offense (Emmitt Smith Trophy)
Joseph Randle RB 6
Jason Witten TE 4
Tony Romo QB 3
Brandon Weeden QB 2
Tyron Smith OT 1
Terrance Williams WR 1
Lance Dunbar RB 1


Defense (Bob Lilly Trophy)
Sean Lee LB 6
Tyler Patmon CB 4
Tyrone Crawford DT 4
Anthony Hitchens LB 2
Barry Church S 1
JJ Wilcox S 1

 

[DC_fan]

Preview - Dallas Cowboys 2-1 (1-0) v New Orleans Saints 0-3 (0-1)
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Date: Mon September 5th
Time: 11.30am
Expected Weather: Indoor stadium, weather not a factor
TV coverage: ESPN & 7Mate

History:
All-time results: Cowboys lead series 16-11
Streak: Cowboys won last game
Last ten games: Saints lead 8-2
Last Cowboys win: 2014
Cowboys biggest win: 40-3 in 1973
Last Saints win: 2013
Saints biggest win: 2-0 in 1989
Results in New Orleans:Saints lead series 7-6
Streak: Saints won last game
Last ten games: Saints lead 7-3
Last Cowboys win: 2010
Cowboys biggest win: 24-6 in 1976
Last Saints win: 2013
Saints biggest win: 49-17 in 2013

A Cowboys win would
· Up the Cowboys 2015 record to 3-1 for the second straight season and 22nd overall, while also moving its record in the NFC to 3-1
· Improve Cowboys all-time NFC South record to 55-27
· Increase Cowboys road win streak to 11 games to establish the longest road win streak in team history and tie for the third-longest in NFL history

On this day 4th October
Dallas has played seven times on this date and their record reads 2-5. Their last victory on this date was in 1998 when they beat the Redskins.

Head Coaches
Jason Garrett (Cowboys) 44-33
Sean Payton (Saints) 86-55

Upcoming Cowboy milestones


Passing
Career
Brandon Weeden needs six completions to pass Wade Wilson (58) for 20th position on the Cowboys Career Passing Completions list
Brandon Weeden needs thirty-three passing attempts to pass Kevin Sweeney (106) for 20th position on the Cowboys Career Passing Attempts list
Brandon Weeden needs two touchdown passes to pass Anthony Wright, Steve Beuerlein and Steve Walsh (5) and move in to equal 17th position with Randal Cunninghamon the Cowboys Career Passing touchdowns list

Receiving
Jason Witten needs two touchdown receptions to pass Jerry Smith (60) for 4th on the NFL’s all-time receiving touchdowns list amongst tight ends.

Team Statistics


Offense
Passing: Cowboys 275.3 yds (7th) Saints 294.3 yds (4th)
Rushing: Cowboys 105.3 yds (17th) Saints 76.0 yds (27th)
Points: Cowboys25.0 (11th)Saints20.0 (19th)

Defense
Passing: Cowboys 229.7 yds (13th) Saints 271.0 yds (23rd)
Rushing: Cowboys 88 yds (8th) Saints 126 yds (26th)
Points:Cowboys 25 (20th) Saints 28 (27th)

Player Statistics
Passing: Brandon Weeden (Dal) 29 comp, 33 att, 305 yds, 1 tds, 1 int, 3 sks & 98.8 rating
Drew Brees (NO) 54 comp, 86 att, 610 yds, 2 td, 2 int, 6 sks & 82.0 rating
Rushing: Joseph Randle (Dal) 48 atts, 203 yds, 4.2 avg & 3 tds
Mark Ingram (NO) 39 atts, 127 yds, 3.30 avg & 2 tds
Receiving: Lance Dunbar RB (Dal) 21 rec, 215 yds, 10.2 avg & 0 tds
Jason Witten TE (Dal) 21 rec, 181 yds, 8.6 avg & 2 tds
Mark Ingram RB (NO) 16 rec, 152 yds, 9.5 avg & 0 tds
Brandin Cooks TE (NO) 16 rec, 190 yds, 11.9 avg & 0 Tds
Scoring: Dan Bailey (Dal) 4 fg, 9 xp, 0 tds for 21 pts
Zach Hocker (NO) 5 fg, 3 xp, 0 tds for 18 pts
Sacks: Tyrone Crawford DT, Sean Lee LB & Anthony Hitchens LB (Dal) 1 a piece
Hau’oli Kikaha LB (NO) 2
Intercepts: Sean Lee LB & J.J. Wilcox S (Dal) 1 apiece
Zero (NO)

Injury Report


Dallas Cowboys
Tony Romo, QB Out
Dez Bryant, WR Out
Randy Gregory, DEProbabale
Jeremey Mincey, DE Probable
Ronald Leary, OG Probable
Andrew Gachkar, LB Probable
Kyle Wilber, OLB Probable
Ryan Russell, DE Probable
Jason Witten, TE Probable


New Orleans Saints
Jahri Evans, G Out
Cameron Jordan, DEProbable
Drew Brees, QBProbable
Jairus Byrd, S Probable
Brandin Cooks, WR Probable
Brooks Reed, LB Out

Likely Cowboys line up
Offense
QB: Brandon Weeden #3
RB: Joseph Randle #21
WR: Devin Street #15 & Terrance Williams #83
TE: Jason Witten #82 & Gavin Escobar #89
LT: Tyron Smith #77
LG: Ron Leary #65
C: Travis Frederick #72
RG: Zack Martin #70
RT: Doug Free #68



Defense
LDE: DeMarcus Lawrence #90
DT: Nick Hayden #96
DT: Tyrone Crawford #98
RDE: Jeremy Mincey #92
OLB: Sean Lee #50
MLB: Anthony Hitchens #59
OLB: Kyle Wilber #51
LCB: Brandon Carr #39
RCB: Morris Claiborne #24
SS: Barry Church #42
FS: J.J. Wilcox #27


Result:
The Cowboys had a tough loss last week to the Falcons. Even with Brees returning for the Saints I think the Cowboys should get away with this game. But it will be close.

Dallas 24 New Orleans 20

 

[DC_fan]

Cowboys inactives for the Wk4 game against the Saints

QB #16 Matt Cassel
WR #13 Lucky Whitehead
OL #71 La'el Collins
TE #87 Geoff Swaim
WR #88 Dez Bryant
DE #94 Randy Gregory
DE #99 Ryan Russell

Bold signifies injured

 

[DC_fan]

RB Christine Michael, DE David Irving Active For Week 4 vs. New Orleans



NEW ORLEANS – Christine Michael will be active for the first time this season when the Cowboys face the Saints on Sunday Night Football.
The Cowboys released their pregame list of seven inactive players Sunday evening, and Michael wasn’t among them for the first time since he was acquired in a trade on Sept. 6.

The full list of inactives is Lucky Whitehead, Matt Cassel, La’el Collins, Geoff Swaim, Dez Bryant, Randy Gregory and Ryan Russell.

None of those names are particularly surprising, especially since there’s been speculation all week that Michael might replace the rookie Whitehead on the 46-man game day roster. The third-year running back has been inactive the first three weeks of the season, but there has been steadily-increasing talk that he might earn an opportunity in New Orleans.



Collins is sitting for the second time this season after the healthy return of Ron Leary to the lineup. The veteran starter strained his groin in Week 1, opening the door for Collins to play against Philadelphia and start against Atlanta.

With Leary back in the lineup tonight, however, Collins is once again the odd man out – largely thanks to the fact that fellow backup Mackenzy Bernadeau has the position flexibility to play both guard and center.
Kellen Moore will be the Cowboys’ backup quarterback for the second-straight week, as Cassel has once again been designated as inactive.

Cassel was acquired in a trade with Buffalo two weeks ago, but he hasn’t suited up for Dallas yet while he acclimates to the offensive system.

Russell was active last week against the Falcons, but the return of Jeremy Mincey from a concussion and the addition of David Irving this past week gives the Cowboys seven active defensive linemen without Russell’s services.

The Saints’ inactives are wide receiver Joseph Morgan, quarterback Garrett Grayson, cornerback Kyle Wilson, defensive end Obum Gwacham, defensive tackle Kaleb Eulls, guard Jahri Evans and tight end Michael Hoomanawanui





http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/10/04/rb-christine-michael-de-david-irving-active-week-4-vs-new-orleans

 

[DC_fan]

Dallas Cowboys 2015 "Player of the Year" points vs New Orleans Saints (Wk 4)
Offense
Darren McFadden RB 3
Brandon Weeden QB 2
Cole Beasley WR 1

Defense
Anthony Hitchens LB 3
Damien Wilson LB 2
DeMarcus Lawrence DE 1

Leader board for the 2015 season

Offense (Emmitt Smith Trophy)
Joseph Randle RB 6
Brandon Weeden QB 4
Jason Witten TE 4
Darren McFadden RB 3
Tony Romo QB 3
Cole Beasley WR 1
Tyron Smith OT 1
Terrance Williams WR 1
Lance Dunbar RB 1


Defense (Bob Lilly Trophy)
Sean Lee LB 6
Anthony Hitchens LB 5
Tyler Patmon CB 4
Tyrone Crawford DT 4
Damien Wilson LB 2
DeMarcus Lawrence DE 1
Barry Church S 1
JJ Wilcox S 1

 

[DC_fan]

Lance Dunbar gone for the season

RB Lance Dunbar is gone for the season after tearing the ACL in his left knee. Has not been a good season with injuries for the Cowboys.

 

[DC_fan]

2 Players Waived To Help Make Room For Return Of Hardy, R. McClain

IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys waived defensive tackle Ken Bishop and linebacker Keith Smith on Monday, which helps create roster space with key defenders Greg Hardy and Rolando McClain set to be activated from the Reserve/Suspended list.

Placing running back Lance Dunbar on injured reserve would create another open roster spot. Head coach Jason Garrett said the team anticipates MRI results to confirm a torn ACL for Dunbar that will require surgery.

Bishop was active for three of the first four games, and Smith was active for all four. Neither recorded any defensive or special teams statistics.

Garrett said he expects Hardy and McClain to be full practice participants in their impending return from separate four-game NFL suspensions, and the team will monitor their progress.

Hardy participated in training camp and preseason games before his suspension took effect, while McClain spent the preseason rehabbing from a knee scope.

“We have to watch them and see how they’re doing and how they’re handling the work and adjust accordingly,” he said.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/10/05/cowboys-waive-2-players-hardy-r-mcclain-get-set-return-suspension

 

[God-King Dean]

*wrong thread*

 

[DC_fan]

Why Sean Lee is the ideal defender to take on Pats' Gronkowski

Sean Lee must go through the concussion protocol this week in order to play against the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots on Sunday.


Lee is a Pro Bowl-worthy player who has never been to a Pro Bowl. But this is the type of game that a player can build his reputation. I'm pulling for him to play against the Patriots for purely selfish reasons.

I want to see Sean Lee matched up against New England's all-world tight end Rob Gronkowski.

Tom Brady will throw to Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola when he wants to complete passes. But when he wants to make plays, he looks for Gronkowski. At 6-6, 265 pounds, he's a wide receiver in a tight end's body. He set NFL season records for tight ends for yardage (1,327) and touchdowns (17) in 2011. Gronkowski has gone to three Pro Bowls in his first five seasons and, like Lee, injuries have kept him from Hawaii in other seasons.

Gronkowski caught five passes for 94 yards and three touchdowns in this season's opener against Pittsburgh, then caught seven passes for 113 yards and a touchdown in the second week against Buffalo and four passes for 101 yards in the third week against Jacksonville. With the unbeaten Patriots coming off a bye, Gronkowski has had a week to rest up now for the Cowboys.

Gronkowski is averaging 19.3 yards per catch. That's almost seven more yards per catch than Julio Jones and five more than Antonio Brown. He's a matchup nightmare for defenses. The Patriots like to flank him, and when they do, he proves too big for cornerbacks and safeties and too fast for linebackers.

The ideal defender for Gronkowski is someone with the size of a linebacker, the speed of a safety and the hands of a cornerback. Someone like Lee.

He's the best playmaker on the Dallas defense and also the best coverage linebacker. He has the chance to run with Gronkowski and, at 6-2, 238 pounds, a chance to be physical with him as well.

Lee intercepted four passes in 2011 to lead the Cowboys and broke up eight others. He again led the team with four interceptions in 2013 even though he missed the final three games of the season with a neck injury.

Lee also has an interception this September, picking off Sam Bradford in coverage of tight end Zach Ertz in a victory at Philadelphia.

Lee gives the Cowboys their best chance of survival in a game of pitch-and-catch between Brady and Gronkowski. If he plays, that is. It goes without saying the Cowboys will need him against Gronkowski.

How special is Gronk? Jason Witten is a 10-time Pro Bowl tight end for the Cowboys closing in on 1,000 career catches. He has 19 100-yard games in his 13-year career. Gronkowski has had 17 100-yard games in his six seasons. He had a six catch, 160-yard, two-touchdown game against Washington in 2011 and a nine-catch, 149-yard, three-TD game versus Chicago in 2014. He's scored touchdowns of 52 and 50 yards in his career.

If you can't cover Gronkowski, you're not going to beat the Patriots.

The Cowboys need Lee on the field to have that chance.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/dallas-cowboys/headlines/20151006-gosselin-why-sean-lee-is-the-ideal-defender-to-take-on-pats-gronkowski.ece

Not for one moment am I suggesting that the TE's the Cowboys have played so far this season are in Gronkowskis league, but they have done a pretty good job in handling them.

In the four games played, opposing TE's have caught 16 passes for 126 yards at an avg of 7.9 yards a catch and just one touchdown.

If Dallas want to have a chance against the Patriots then these are close to the figures they will hope to hold Gronk too.

 

[DC_fan]

Byron Jones: Slowing Gronkowski a ‘tough, tough challenge’
IRVING
Rob Gronkowski is arguably the toughest matchup for defenses in the NFL today.

The New England Patriots tight end received MVP consideration last season after catching 82 passes for 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s Tom Brady’s favorite target, especially in the red zone. Gronkowski has 16 touchdowns in his past 18 games.

It’s an unenviable task to guard Gronkowski, and part of that responsibility will fall to rookie defensive back Byron Jones.

“He’s one of the best tight ends I’d say,” Jones said. “Athletically, his catch radius, his ability to fight for the ball. So it’s going to be tough, a tough challenge for me.”

Jones won’t be alone in trying to slow down Gronkowski, of course. As Jason Garrett said, “Rob Gronkowski isn’t Byron Jones’ problem. He’s our problem.”

Gronkowski is a tough task for any team to slow down. He hasn’t been contained yet this season -- he had five catches for 94 yards and three TDs against Pittsburgh; seven catches for 113 yards and a TD against Buffalo; and four catches for 101 yards against the Jaguars.

The Cowboys have contained tight ends for the most part this season, allowing only 13 catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. But none of those tight ends them are on Gronkowski’s level.

“We’re just going to find ways to give him different looks,” Jones said. “Try to find a way to get this guy slowed down. ... He’s a special player in this league no doubt. We’re just going to find ways to try to slow him down.”

For his part, Jones is continuing to gain confidence in his rookie season. He had two nice open-field tackles to end a Saints drive in the first half last Sunday.

“You’d be surprised, being a first-round pick you’d like you’d have all the confidence in the world, but it takes some time to feel it out,” Jones said. “I’m feeling a little bit better about myself and about where I’m going.”

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/sports...orner-blog/article38074968.html#storylink=cpy

 

[DC_fan]

Suspension over, Cowboys DE Greg Hardy meets the media; here's what we found out

IRVING — Greg Hardy broke his silence and spoke publicly for the first time since joining the Cowboys nearly seven months ago.

There was much to address.

The Pro Bowl defensive end chose to deflect questions about the contentious legal road he’s traveled to become eligible for Sunday’s game by invoking God’s name and redirecting the conversation to his prowess as a football player. He put the focus on the sacks he intends to collect rather than answer direct questions about an episode 17 months ago that led to his initial conviction on two counts of domestic abuse.

Hardy was at ease as he stood at his locker Tuesday afternoon and met with reporters for 12 minutes. He was affable, not the least bit defensive and quick to joke. That led to an uncomfortable moment when he alluded to the beauty of Gisele Bundchen, the wife of New England quarterback Tom Brady, and said he hoped she would bring her sister and all her friends to the game this weekend.

“You understand my deflective nature,” Hardy said at one point before that crack.

On this day he chose deflection over reflection.

“What’s that?” Hardy asked. “Now that I’m back, I don’t reminisce. I don’t look back.”

Remorse? Hardy said the only thing he regrets is not being here for his teammates the first four games of the season as he served his suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. He called the ordeal that precedes his return to the field “the most awesome period of my life.”

In response to a question about his leadership on the field, he spoke of how the emphasis is to become a better team and everything else is “hearsay” and “irrelevant.”

The club signed Hardy in March. Head coach Jason Garrett, who constantly talks about wanting the right kind of guy to wear a Cowboys uniform, said he believed Hardy could become the right kind of guy.

What kind of guy is Hardy?

“I consider myself a guy,” Hardy said. “I’m coming here, meeting these kind of people. Definitely they are directing me towards to being a whole other person I didn’t think I could be, a different kind of player as a leader and a different kind of player as an energy guy on the field, 24-7, just for the team.”
A second chance

One of the first questions asked of Hardy was what message he would deliver to those critics who charge he doesn’t deserve this chance.

“God Bless You,” he said. “God Bless you is the message.”

Asked if he understood the searing criticism he’s received, asked if he got it, Hardy replied, “You get God, right. It’s like an all-inclusive thing, you know what I mean? God Bless you too.

“Anyone else?”

On May 13, 2014, Hardy was arrested when an argument between him and his girlfriend at the time, Nicole Holder, escalated and resulted in both parties placing calls to 911. A judge found Hardy guilty two months later and gave him 18 months probation after suspending a 60-day jail sentence.

Hardy was under contract with the Carolina Panthers at the time. He played one game last season before he was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list, meaning he received his $13.1 million salary even though he didn’t play.

Hardy and his attorney appealed under North Carolina law, asking for a jury trial in a superior court. Charges were dismissed earlier this year when the accuser failed to appear and prosecutors were unable to locate her.

Commissioner Roger Goodell ruled in April that Hardy would serve a 10-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. The two-month investigation was headed by Lisa Friel, a former Manhattan prosecutor in charge of the sex crimes unit in the New York County district attorney’s office for more than a decade.

Goodell informed Hardy that the investigation concluded the player used physical force against Holder in at least four instances that included placing his hands around her neck and applying enough pressure to leave visible marks, shoving her against a wall and throwing her on a futon covered with at least four semi-automatic rifles.

An appeal reduced the suspension to four games. Hardy and his representatives held open the option challenge the reduced suspension in a court of law, but decided against it.

Why?

“Because I’m a Cowboy,” Hardy said. “We do what is best for the team.”

Sunday will be Hardy’s first NFL regular season game in 14 months. He was asked if the last year has been difficult on him.

“It’s hard to get a sack when you’re not on the football field,” Hardy said. “That’s my main purpose. Football is to get back there and get a sack and make a difference for the team and I wasn’t able to do that.

“Man, once you put the helmet on, you really only have thoughts of winning. It’s a contagious kind of thing. It’s a Cowboys kind of thing.”

Hardy expressed regret for not being here for his teammates during the 2-2 start and said, “the worst feeling in the world is not being there for somebody you care about or somebody that needs you.” He made it clear his focus is on sacks, not his behavior off the field, and said this has been the most awesome period of his life because he’s with the Cowboys.

“I’m thankful for another day to get sacks, man,” Hardy said. “Any day I can wake up and rush the quarterback is an awesome day.

“It’s all about football. That’s what they (Cowboys) paid for. And I love my fans, so I would not dare let them down.”

When Hardy was asked if he intended to speak out against domestic violence or involve himself with a local shelter, he talked about sticking to the game plan and not doing anything different. He’s excited his return is against the World Champion Patriots.

“I love seeing Tom Brady, he’s cool as crap,” Hardy said. “Have you seen his wife? I hope she comes to the game. I hope her sister comes to the game, all her friends come to the game. One of my favorite games of the year, guys.”

A reporter mentioned that he was sure the wife of Jacksonville quarterback Blake Bortles was attractive as well.

“Is she?” Hardy asked. “This kind of information is important. That’s how I select my Pro Bowls.”

With that, Hardy’s first interview with the local media came to an end.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/dallas-cowboys/headlines/20151006-suspension-over-cowboys-de-greg-hardy-meets-the-media-here-s-what-we-found-out.ece

I like Hardy the player, but not Hardy the man.

 

[DC_fan]

Preview Dallas Cowboys 2-1 (1-0) v New England Patriots 3-0 (1-0)
Venue: AT & T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Date: Mon September 12th
Time: 7.30am
Expected Weather: Sunny and a very warm 34 degrees Celsius
TV coverage: 7mate

History:
All-time results: Cowboys lead series 7-4
Streak: Patriots won last four games
Last ten games: Cowboys lead 6-4
Last Cowboys win: 1996
Cowboys biggest win: 44-21 in 1971
Last Patriots win: 2011
Patriots biggest win: 48-27 in 2007
Results in Dallas: Cowboys lead series 4-1
Streak: Patriots won last game
Last Cowboys win: 1996
Cowboys biggest win: 44-21 in 1971
Last Patriots win: 2007

Saints biggest win: 48-27 in 2007
A Cowboys win would
· Up the Cowboys 2015 record to 3-2 for the 16th time overall and the first time since 2009
· Improve Cowboys all-time AFC East record to 29-17

On this day 11th October
Dallas has played nine times on this date and their record reads 6-2-1. They have won four straight on this date.

Head Coaches
Jason Garrett (Cowboys) 44-34
Bill Belichick (Patriots) 236-118


Upcoming Cowboy milestones

Passing
Brandon Weeden needs seven passing attempts to pass Kevin Sweeney (106) for 20th position on the Cowboys Career Passing Attempts list

Receiving
Jason Witten needs two touchdown receptions to pass Jerry Smith (60) for 4th on the NFL’s all-time receiving touchdowns list amongst tight ends.
Terrence Williams needs 7 receptions to become the 42nd Cowboy player to top 100 receptions.

Games played
By playing against New England , Mackenzy Bernadeau will be participating in his 100th career game
With a start against New England, Nick Hayden will be making his 50th career start

Team Statistics


Offense
Passing: Cowboys 261.5 yds (8th) Patriots 359.3 yds (1st)
Rushing: Cowboys 107.8 yds (16th) Patriots 87.0 yds (27th)
Points: Cowboys23.8 (15th)Patriots39.7 (1st)

Defense
Passing: Cowboys 256.0 yds (19th) Patriots 251.7 yds (18th)
Rushing: Cowboys 91.8 yds (9th) Patriots 117 yds (24th)
Points:Cowboys 25.3 (19th) Patriots 23.3 (17th)

Player Statistics
Passing: Brandon Weeden (Dal) 45 comp, 59 att, 551 yds, 2 tds, 1 int, 5 sks & 108.8 rating
Tom Brady (NE) 96 comp, 133 att, 1,112 yds, 9 td, 0 int, 6 sks & 119.6 rating
Rushing: Joseph Randle (Dal) 59 atts, 229 yds, 3.9 avg & 4 tds
Dion Lewis (NE) 30 atts, 146 yds, 4.9 avg & 2 tds
Receiving: Jason Witten TE (Dal) 25 rec, 238 yds, 9.5 avg & 2 tds
Julian Edelman WR (NE) 30 rec, 279 yds, 9.3 avg & 2 tds
Rob Gronkowski TE (NE) 16 rec, 308 yds, 19.3 avg & 4 tds
Scoring: Dan Bailey (Dal) 6 fg, 11 xp, 0 tds for 29 pts
Stephen Gostkowski (NE) 7 fg, 14 xp, 0 tds for 35 pts
Sacks: Anthony Hitchens LB (Dal) 1.5
Jamie Collins LB (NE) 3.5 & Chandler Jones DE (NE) 3
Intercepts: Sean Lee LB & J.J. Wilcox S (Dal) 1 apiece
Duron Harmon DB (NE) 2

Injury Report


Dallas Cowboys
Tony Romo, QB Out
Dez Bryant, WR Out
Brice Butler, WR Out
James Hanna, TE Questionable
Andrew Gachkar, LB Probable
Sean Lee, LB Probable
Ryan Russell, DE Probable


New England Patriots
Trey Flowers, DE Questionable
Bradley Fletcher, CBQuestionable

Likely Cowboys line up
Offense
QB: Brandon Weeden #3
RB: Joseph Randle #21
WR: Devin Street #15 & Terrance Williams #83
TE: Jason Witten #82 & Gavin Escobar #89
LT: Tyron Smith #77
LG: Ron Leary #65
C: Travis Frederick #72
RG: Zack Martin #70
RT: Doug Free #68



Defense
LDE: DeMarcus Lawrence #90
DT: Nick Hayden #96
DT: Tyrone Crawford #98
RDE: Jeremy Mincey #92
OLB: Sean Lee #50
MLB: Anthony Hitchens #59
OLB: Andrew Gachkar #52
LCB: Brandon Carr #39
RCB: Morris Claiborne #24
SS: Barry Church #42
FS: J.J. Wilcox #27


Result:
The Cowboys defense, more precisely their pass rush will decide this game. Stop Brady then Gronkowski should not be a problem.
Dallas 27 New England 24

 

[DC_fan]

Dallas Cowboys 2015 "Player of the Year" points vs New England Patriots (Wk 5)

Offense
Darren McFadden RB 3
Darren McFadden RB 2
Cole Beasley WR 1

Defense
Greg Hardy DE 3
DeMarcus Lawrence DE 2
Corey White CB 1

Leader board for the 2015 season

Offense (Emmitt Smith Trophy)
Joseph Randle RB 9
Darren McFadden RB 5
Brandon Weeden QB 4
Jason Witten TE 4
Tony Romo QB 3
Cole Beasley WR 2
Tyron Smith OT 1
Terrance Williams WR 1
Lance Dunbar RB 1


Defense (Bob Lilly Trophy)
Sean Lee LB 6
Anthony Hitchens LB 5
Tyler Patmon CB 4
Tyrone Crawford DT 4
DeMarcus Lawrence DE 3
Greg Hardy DE 3
Damien Wilson LB 2
Barry Church S 1
JJ Wilcox S 1
Corey White CB 1

 

[DC_fan]

Source: Jason Garrett has informed QB Brandon Weeden he's no longer the starter

Jason Garrett has spoken to Brandon Weeden and informed the quarterback that he is no longer the team's starter, a source said.

That means Matt Cassel will start when the Cowboys return from their bye week to face the New York Giants on Oct. 25.

Brandon Weeden lost all three games he's started _ the longest streak during Garrett's 77 games as head coach _ in place of the injured Tony Romo. His worst performance came in Sunday's loss to New England, when he failed to find the end zone and presided over an offense that went three-and-out six times on the team's first seven possessions.

The Cowboys acquired Cassel from Buffalo on Sept. 22. He has more experience as an NFL starter than Weeden and has been to a Pro Bowl.


He was active for the first time in a Cowboys uniform Sunday.

"Well, he's certainly comfortable enough,'' Garrett said during his news conference earlier this week. "We wouldn't have put him in that situation to be the backup quarterback with a possibility of going into the game if something were to happen to Brandon.

"He's worked hard, he's a veteran player, he's a smart guy, he's been here for a little bit. There are always levels of knowing something. The more you're around something the more experienced you are with the people doing it together, the better you're going to be at it. But he's certainly comfortable with our system.''

Garrett said in his Monday news conference that the determination of who will start at quarterback would be made "as the week goes on.''

Weeden completed 95.2 percent of his passes for 237 yards and led the team to 35 points in his first four quarters in replacing Romo.

He has completed 66.2 percent of his passes for 502 yards while leading the team to 26 points in his last 10 quarters. He has also been sacked eight times in that span after not being sacked in his first four quarters.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/dallas-cowboys/headlines/20151013-source-jason-garrett-has-informed-qb-brandon-weeden-he-s-no-longer-the-starter1.ece

Weeden has had his chance. Its now up to Cassel to show what his got to offer.

 

[DC_fan]

With change to Matt Cassel, Cowboys need others to play better

IRVING, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett is not one to make quick, emotional decisions.

He also doesn't believe in making change for change sake, so Garrett's decision to replace Brandon Weeden with Matt Cassel, as a source told ESPN's Ed Werder, should not be viewed casually.

"I think you want to have substance to change, that's with scheme, that's with personnel, that's at all positions," Garrett said Monday, the day after the Cowboys' third straight loss. "You want to make changes that make sense.

"If you just start changing things for the hell of it, everybody starts looking around like, ‘What are these guys doing?' We have core beliefs. We have convictions about how we want to do things, what we want to accomplish in all three phases of our football team, why we want to play guys, why we want to do certain things. If we make any changes to those things, there has to be a valid reason for it."

Weeden was not the entire problem with the stagnant offense.

The Cowboys scored 28 points on Weeden's first four drives as the starter against the Atlanta Falcons but only 26 in the past two games against the New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots.

Weeden is paying for the sins of the entire offense. He hasn't had Dez Bryant. He hasn't had a strong running game. He hasn't had receivers winning enough on the outside. He hasn't had a defense that was able to sustain a 28-17 halftime lead or give him a chance to beat the Saints in overtime with New Orleans scoring on the second play of the extra session.

But he was not blameless. He followed the take-what-they-give game plan against the Falcons, checking it down even when they needed to get the ball down the field. Against the Saints, he was unable to connect on red zone throws after a 67-yard completion to Brice Butler. Against the Patriots, he forced a throw that was intercepted and should have had a second pass picked off.

As he stood outside the Cowboys' locker room after Sunday's loss to the Patriots, Weeden said he understands how the game is played when it comes to his position.

"I have to say the right things," Weeden said. "The quarterback has to play well to give the team a chance to win. That's been my goal these three starts. The first couple of weeks I felt I did that."

Even if Cassel has more experience than Weeden, the move is not a sure thing success will follow. He has been with the Cowboys for less than a month, learning his third offense in two seasons.

He could have Bryant when the Cowboys play the Giants if Bryant's surgically repaired foot is healed enough for him to practice next week.

That will help, but Bryant can't be expected to be Bryant after such a long layoff.

The Cowboys will still have to prove they can run the ball consistently, too. They opened up with big runs for Weeden against the Falcons but couldn't sustain it. They opened with big runs against the Saints but couldn't sustain it. The longest run against New England was 14 yards.

The feeling was that the Cowboys had to do something -- anything -- even if Garrett doesn't believe in change for change sake.

The goal for Cassel is the same as it was for Weeden: Keep the Cowboys afloat until Tony Romo returns.

http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas-cowboys/post/_/id/4746167/with-change-to-matt-cassel-cowboys-need-others-to-play-better

The receivers need to step up, especially Terrence Williams who has had a disappointing season so far. The team needs to make much better use of TE Gavin Escobar who seems to get forgotten about. The OL needs to better hold their blocks to allow Cassel sufficient time to find an open receiver.

 

[DC_fan]

Cowboys Working Out RB LaMichael James

Ross Jones of Fox Sports reports that the Cowboys are bringing in free agent RB LaMichael James for a workout on Wednesday.

This is the first reported interest in James since he was cut loose by the Dolphins a few weeks into the regular season.

James, 25, was taken in the second-round of the 2012 draft, but was unable to carve out a role with the 49ers. The Dolphins later added him to their practice squad a few days after he was waived by San Francisco.

Miami wound up promoting James him to their active roster just in early September before waiving him to make room for RB Raheem Mostert.

Last year, the 49ers had James active for just 10 games, which had a lot to do with him being slotted as the No. 4 running back on their depth chart. James wound up playing just 28 snaps this season and totaled 59 yards on 12 carries.

http://www.prosportsdaily.com/Headlines/ExternalArticle?articleId=377531

This is a sure sign of problems within the running game. I would like to see more playing time for Christine Michael. Against the Patriots he had one run for 6 yards.