IRVING, Texas -- Cowboys starting running back Marion Barber has a strained quad muscle in his left leg and is questionable for Dallas' game against Carolina on Sept. 28. An MRI revealed the strain Monday. (Update, Sept. 22: Barber is out for one-to-two weeks, according to a report from NBC 5 in Dallas Tuesday.)
Barber was injured in the fourth quarter during a 35-yard run in the Cowboys' 33-31 loss to the Giants on Sunday night. Barber broke through the New York defense and appeared headed for the end zone when he pulled up lame, fell to the ground, and left the field pointing at his left leg.
He did not return to the game and finished with 124 yards rushing and a touchdown on 18 carries. If Barber is unable to play in Week 3, Felix Jones, who started in Sunday night's second half, would move up to the first team on the depth chart.
ARLINGTON, Tx. -- A new $1.2 billion stadium officially opened on Sunday night in this city that sits 30 minutes between Fort Worth and Dallas, as the Dallas Cowboys hosted the New York Giants.
The Cowboys announced that 105,121 were distributed for Sunday night's game -- though there were several empty seats in scattered sections throughout this palace -- making it the largest crowd to see a regular-season game in NFL history. The previous attendance record was 103,467 for a 49ers-Cardinals game in 2005 at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Sunday was supposed to be all about the Cowboys and the debut of their $1.2 billion home. Instead, the Giants spoiled the party.
Dallas prepared for the opening of the new Cowboys Stadium with a Diana Ross-headlined, private get-together on Saturday night. Former President George W. Bush conducted the coin toss, and the Cowboys devoted the entire halftime to celebrating their Ring of Honor.
All the festivities ended late Sunday, though, as the Giants grabbed a gritty 33-31 victory that ended when Lawrence Tynes made a 37-yard field goal as time expired.
"I don't know what they expected," Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce said. "I guess we were the ugliest person asked to come to homecoming, huh?"
ARLINGTON, Texas -- A shoulder injury knocked Giants defensive end Justin Tuck out of Sunday night's victory over the Cowboys late in the first half.
Cowboys left tackle Flozell Adams kicked Tuck in the knee as he moved past him, and as a result, Tuck fell hard on his left shoulder.
Tuck did not return, and Adams was penalized for tripping.
After the game Tuck said his shoulder was fine, though he could barely lift it, using his right arm to button his shirt. When asked about Adams' play, Tuck said, "It was bush league. He did it a few times in this game. I'd like to have the rest of the game to punish him for it."
The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the nominees for induction into its Class of 2010 on Saturday.
Wide receiver Jerry Rice and running back Emmitt Smith headline a group of 131 players, coaches and contributors that make up the list of modern-era nominees for election. Former Lions cornerback and current Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and former Broncos running back Floyd Little are the two senior nominees that were picked in August by the Hall of Fame's Senior Selection Committee.
The semifinalists will be announced on Nov. 27, and the modern-era finalists will be chosen on Jan. 7. The entire 2010 class will be revealed the day before the Super Bowl on Feb. 6 in Miami.
DALLAS -- Giants defensive end/tackle Chris Canty will miss Sunday's game against the Cowboys with a calf injury.
Canty had circled this game the moment he left the Cowboys to sign a free-agent deal in New York. Canty, a Bronx native who grew up in the Charlotte area, had battled a hamstring injury in training camp and was thought to be healthy enough for the regular season.
But Wednesday, Canty hurt his calf and missed practice the last two days.
With the Giants using numerous defensive linemen, missing Canty won't hurt as much. Using a rotation wears down offensive linemen.
If the Houston Texans want to be taken seriously in the NFL, they have to earn a wild-card berth or win the AFC South this season.
But on Sunday against the Jets, the Texans looked terrible.
They gained just 183 total offensive yards as their offensive line had problems containing New York's pass rush. Quarterback Matt Schaub, who insists he's healthy, completed just 18 of 33 passes for 166 yards. The Texans had no offensive touchdowns. Running back Steve Slaton averaged just 1.9 yards per carry and wide receiver Andre Johnson had four catches for 35 yards.
The Texans were beaten up in Week 1, though it doesn't excuse their miserable performance -- and things don't get any easier this week then they visit the Titans.
HOUSTON -- Just before kickoff between the Jets and Texans on Sunday, Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez was one of the last players to run off the field into the locker room.
But Sanchez made a detour to speak with a legend. The Jets' young phenom needed some last minute advice from Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath.
Sanchez asked Namath what he remembered about his first game as a rookie. Namath said he couldn't remember.
PITTSBURGH -- He stood behind a podium dressed in a collared shirt with blue jeans. Kerry Collins, the Titans quarterback, looked more like a country singer talking about an album that just isn't selling well.
Collins, instead, was talking about missed opportunities following a 13-10 overtime loss to the Steelers Thursday night.
"Yeah, it was a shame," Collins said. "We let that one get away. But on the road, against a good football team, if you make the mistakes we made, you're going to lose more ball games than you win. So it's disappointing. It's one of those things where you have to learn from it and move on."
But the Steelers, a noted run-first offensive team, looked slow during a 13-10 overtime win to the Titans on Thursday night.
Last season, the Steelers finished with the 23rd best rushing attack in the game. Willie Parker (791 yards) and Rashard Mendenhall (58 yards) battled injuries and it left Mewelde Moore, a third down man, to carry things. Yet, it didn't stop them from winning the Super Bowl.
To return to the Super Bowl, or at least make a deep playoff run, the Steelers need to run the ball effectively.
IRVING, Texas -- Cowboys starting running back Marion Barber has a strained quad muscle in his left leg and is questionable for Dallas' game against Carolina on Sept. 28. An MRI revealed the strain Monday. (Update, Sept. 22: Barber is out for one-to-two weeks, according to a report from NBC 5 in Dallas Tuesday.)
ARLINGTON, Tx. -- A new $1.2 billion stadium officially opened on Sunday night in this city that sits 30 minutes between Fort Worth and Dallas, as the Dallas Cowboys hosted the New York Giants.
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Sunday was supposed to be all about the Cowboys and the debut of their $1.2 billion home. Instead, the Giants spoiled the party.
ARLINGTON, Texas -- A shoulder injury knocked 
The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the nominees for induction into its Class of 2010 on Saturday.
DALLAS -- 
If the 
HOUSTON -- Just before kickoff between the 
PITTSBURGH -- He stood behind a podium dressed in a collared shirt with blue jeans. 
PITTSBURGH -- Maybe it was just one game.
