FanHouse

Cowboys Are Running Out of Wideouts, Is Anquan Boldin in Their Future?


Another preseason game, another injured wide receiver for the Cowboys. Terry Glenn hobbled his way out of town earlier this summer and Miles Austin could be out for three weeks after hurting his knee in the second preseason game.

And last night, Sam Hurd went down during Dallas' first possession, and according to the Morning News' Jean-Jacques Taylor, "[Hurd] wore a walking boot on his left foot and carried a Bible in his right hand. No one knows when he'll be back on the field."

As it stands, the Cowboys enter the regular season with Terrell Owens and Patrick Crayton and, well, that's it at wideout. There's tight end Jason Witten, of course, but it would be nice to have a little more depth beyond the starters, I'd think. Taylor writes that crappy luck has conspired against the Cowboys, but that doesn't mean Jerry Jones will run out and sign the first aged veteran to answer the phone.

'Adam' Pacman Jones Earns Reinstatement, Learns Good News at Dallas-Area Hooters


Earlier this month, "Adam" Pacman Jones took time out from getting torched by Terrell Owens to write a letter to pen pal/NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. In it, he asked to be reinstated for the 2008 season after being granted a partial reinstatement earlier this spring.

Following an exemplary record during the probationary period (Jones was awarded the perfect attendance certificate!), Goodell has decided that Mr. Pacman has served his debt to society and is ready to return to the civilized world of professional tackle football (cue noise makers). From the Dallas Morning News:
"It feels good man, you know, to get a second chance and I just have to take advantage of it," said Jones. "First and foremost, I don't want to let myself down, definitely my little girl down. I'm thankful for Jerry [Jones], the fans in Dallas and my teammates for believing in me. I need to keep doing what I've been doing to get reinstated, staying with myself and my teammates and staying away from those knuckleheads and just stay focused."
You see, that's why we have a penal system: to punish the evil-doers, reprogram them to do good deeds, and Utopia ensues. I mean, Jones is the same guy who loved strip clubs so much so that he actually patronized one in the hours before Goodell suspended him for the 2007 season.

Bob Hayes Changed the Game, but He's Not a Pro Football Hall of Famer

Bob Hayes was one of the greatest athletes in history, an Olympic gold medalist, the fastest man in the world in the 1960s and a good wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys.

But now that he's a seniors committee nominee for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, it must be said: He doesn't merit induction in Canton.

Hayes took the NFL by storm as a rookie in 1965, catching 46 passes for 1,003 yards and leading the league in touchdown catches with 12. In 1966 he was even better, with 64 catches for 1,232 yards and a league-leading 13 touchdowns.

But then something happened: Opposing coaches realized that they'd never be able to match up a defensive back one-on-one with Hayes, so they started to employ zone defenses. And that pretty much worked. Hayes' receiving yards steadily decreased, and after being a Pro Bowler in each of his first three NFL seasons, he never was again.

Cowboys Season Ticket Holders Are Going to Be Screwed on Thursday

It costs a lot of money to be a Dallas Cowboys season ticket holder. And on Thursday, that money will get you a fine seat for what will be worse than a glorified scrimmage. Season ticket holders would be just as well served taking a $100 bill and lighting it on fire.

Vikings coach Brad Childress announced yesterday that he is benching every one of his starters, plus his No. 2 quarterback, for Thursday's game in Dallas. Cowboys' fans won't see Adrian Peterson, or Jared Allen, or the Williamses, or any one of the Vikings' projected starters. Normally teams send their starters out for a brief series or two in game four of the exhibition season, then hand it over the backups. Childress is just speeding up the process.

Texans WR Harry Williams Carted Off Field With Neck Injury, Has Regained Movement



Texans wide receiver Harry Williams was having a great camp, and had a chance of making the team based on his special teams play. Those dreams were likely ended yesterday, when Williams suffered a neck fracture while trying to make a special team tackle in the the first quarter of the Texans-Cowboys preseason game.

Williams was paralyzed on the field, but regained feeling and movement while being transported by ambulance to the hospital. The fracture is of the C3 vertebra, and he will be have surgery in Dallas this weekend to fuse his spine. Team orthopedic specialist Dr. Walter Lowe and coach Gary Kubiak discusses the injury in more depth in the above HoustonTexans.com video. They believe his prognosis is good.

Cowboys v. Texans: What to Look for in Tonight's Fake Game

Tonight, the Cowboys and Texans will battle for the all-mighty and magical Governor's Cup. It's the big silver trophy awarded to the Texas team that wins their yearly matchup. I'm pictured with it and a large gentlemen who works for the Texans.

Though tonight's game is just a preseason game, the third pretend game is one that knowledgeable fans watch closely because the starters are left in the game longer.

Three Things to Watch From the Cowboy Perspective: (From my semi-reasonable Cowboy fan friend, Michael Whitehead, founder of sofantasyfootball.com, a terrific site to find thoughtful fantasy football information).

1. The Secondary. The biggest problem Dallas has had in recent history is the secondary. What has looked like sure wins has turned into disappointing losses in the second half of too many games. Pay particularly close attention to Adam "Pacman" Jones, as he will get the start, and will have a true test against Andre Johnson. Rookie Mike Jenkins, who started the previous two games will be used in nickel situations, an area that Dallas has truly struggled in for the past two seasons.

Terrell Owens Thinks Dallas Mis-Used Him in Playoff Loss to Giants

Eight months after the Dallas Cowboys' playoff loss to the Giants, Terrell Owens thinks the team's offensive strategy led to the loss.
"I feel I made the most of the opportunities," Owens said. "It was just like when I played in the Super Bowl with the [Philadelphia] Eagles, I told the coach if I am on the football field to treat me as if I am 100 percent. I don't think they [were] considering what I did in the game. ... I felt like I could have done more."

Remember that Owens didn't play in the regular season finale against Washington due to a high ankle sprain. He did play in the playoff game against New York two weeks later, nabbing four catches (all in the first half).

However, he gained just 49 yards and the team didn't use him as the down-field threat he had been all season long. Maybe he was hobbled and the coaches didn't feel the opportunity was there. Maybe Owens could have delivered even if he was a bit injured (remember Super Bowl XXXIX?).

In the two regular season games between the two teams, Owens dominated. He caught for 212 yards and four TDs in those games ... both Dallas wins.

Cowboys Might Not Have to Face Joshua Cribbs in Week 1, Next Stop: Super Bowl


After a rough start to the preseason, the Cowboys will need all the help they can get to make it to the Super Bowl, their preordained fate (such assumptions make the Giants very, very angry, by the way). Well, some good news on that front: their Week 1 opponent, the Browns, could be without one of their best players.

Returner specialist/receiver Joshua Cribbs suffered a high-ankle sprain during the Monday night thrashing three-point loss (thanks for keeping it close, fourth-stringers!) and he's likely out for the rest of the preseason and could miss the start of the regular season, too.

Well, at least according to Dallas Morning News writer/blogger/not-a-doctor Tim MacMahon. The Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting only that Cribbs will miss the final two games of the preseason, but MacMahon, an expert in the field of rolling one's ankles, offers his insight:
The story states that Cribbs could sit out the final two preseason games. I'm no doctor, but I do consider myself somewhat of an expert in high ankle sprain recovery times after covering the comebacks of Anthony Henry, Terrell Owens and Dirk Nowitzki from that dreaded injury during the last year.

A high ankle sprain typically sidelines athletes from 4-6 weeks. T.O. and Dirk came back quicker than that, but neither was close to 100 percent upon their return.

Jessica Simpson Is Not Good at Reading, Pump Fakes Romo Family on Pregnancy Test


Hi, guys! I have a very important announcement to make...

Jessica Simpson is not universally regarded as "smart". Maybe she is, maybe she's not. It doesn't matter because public perception has already been determined. Oh, and she's rich and attractive, so, yeah, I'll stop now before I make it sound like intelligence in women doesn't matter.

Anywho, the point being, she's such a fabulous reader of words and stuff that it appears she may have, according to many, many reliable sources (via SbB) misread a pregnancy test. Normally not a huge deal. Unless you go running to your boyfriend's parents to tell them. Ruh-roh.
"There was a huge fight on July 18 at the Romo home. Jessica and Tony thought she was pregnant and happily announced it to the family," a source told the National Enquirer.

"The news resulted in dead silence. Then Tony's dad Ramiro said, 'You're not married. This is crazy!' Tony's mom Joan joined in, demanding, 'How can you do this to us?'"
Well, no kidding. He's already rich and famous and set for life. If this happened at my house, my dad and I would exchange high fives followed by my mom fist-clenching and saying just under her breath "Grandkids!"

Not really. I wouldn't actually expect that. And I have no idea what Tony and Jess were expecting either; sprinting home to drop the news of a wedlock-ridden celebrity kid isn't usually the greatest move you can make. Next time I would recommend something a little more calm and practical. Like taking another pregnancy test.

Jerry Jones Interview: Romessica 'Good for the Franchise'


If you are a Dallas lover or hater, you have to read the D Magazine interview with Jerral Wayne Jones, aka Jerry Jones, owner of the Cowboys.

He answers just about every question you would want to ask Jones except his views on plastic surgery. Highpoints include a discussion of the firing of long time coach Tom Landry, his business background and growing the Cowboys, criticism of ticket pricing at the stadium, creating a succession plan for his children, and his philosophy on risk. It really is worth a read and is too lengthy to properly summarize.

He was even asked about whether quarterback Tony Romo's relationship with Jessica Simpson bothered him:
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