Cowboys football blog

Let the unveiling begin, Cowboys opening stadium in style

Former Cowboys halfback Calvin Hill recalls stepping onto the field for the first time at Texas Stadium in 1971.

The sun shone through the hole in the roof, casting a metallic glow on the blue seats. As Hill and defensive tackle Bob Lilly gazed at the spongy plastic turf under their cleats, they were struck by the pristine conditions of their new surroundings.

"I wonder if we can spit on this stuff," Lilly said.

Players from that 1971 team took much pride in protecting their turf. As the first tenants of Texas Stadium, many felt responsible for staging a show worthy of their new home. They did not want to be the first to lose a game there.

Thirty-eight years later, the Cowboys officially begin a new era tonight at Cowboys Stadium. They play the New York Giants in the first regular-season game at the $1.15 billion palace. Continue

Romo looks sharp in opening day win

As Tony Romo made the short walk from the podium back to the locker room, a soldier holding a digital camera called out to him.

Mr. Romo," he said, "do you have a second?"

In the dimly lit hallway inside Raymond James Stadium, the flash of the camera bounced off the walls as the soldier, who called Romo, "his all-time favorite player," and the quarterback smiled widely.

Opening the season with a 34-21 win over Tampa Bay, piling up a career-high 353 passing yards, throwing touchdown passes of 42, 66 and 80 yards and demoralizing the opposition will engender those kinds of feelings. Continue

Now or never for coach Phillips

Wade Phillips’ shocking declaration following the exhibition finale against the Minnesota Vikings that the Dallas Cowboys had won the preseason NFC East title was promptly met with rolled eyes and thrown-up hands.

It was simply another example of coach "Golly Gee Whiz" pumping sunshine to a throng of media and a fan base that has grown frustrated with the power of positive thinking.

And considering all the questions hanging over the Cowboys after last year’s fall from Super Bowl talk to a 9-7 playoff-less finish, no one really cared about the final game of the preseason won by a fluke touchdown by the survivor of a reality show.

Yet, there was Phillips yukking about a preseason championship. Last season, it was him claiming "we won the first half" or equating a wild-card bye with a win to reach the second round of the playoffs. And then there was "the best team lost" offering after the playoff loss to the New York Giants in 2007. Continue

Jason Garrett must prove worth

The Dallas Cowboys’ three Garrett brothers — John, Jason and Judd, each one a year older than the next — had to rewind two decades to their Princeton playing days for the last time all three wore the same team colors.

Judd joined the Cowboys’ scouting department last year. John, the tight ends coach, came aboard with Jason in 2007, yet it was Jason’s surprising decision to return to Valley Ranch for the 2008 season that ultimately guaranteed the Garrett reunification.

Branded a genius for his deft handling of mercurial receiver Terrell Owens, celebrity-hound quarterback Tony Romo and the rest of the high-flying 2007 Cowboys offense, Jason Garrett, a red-hot head-coaching prospect, appeared on the brink of taking over the Baltimore Ravens. Continue

Cowboys look sharp in loss to 49ers

As far as preseason games go, the Cowboys accomplished just about everything they wanted Saturday, except for the final score.

The Cowboys lost to San Francisco, 20-13, at Cowboys Stadium partly because the substitutes struggled and partly because the starters could not put the Niners away.

The first-team offense put up 195 yards in the first half, converted 5-of-8 third-down tries, displayed the run-pass balance it wanted and had another 90-yard scoring drive. Continue

WR Roy Williams injured

A damper was put on what had been a widely successful open practice at the new Cowboys Stadium on Thursday when receiver Roy Williams suffered a shoulder injury following a hard collision with cornerback Orlando Scandrick at the goal line.

X-rays showed no fracture. Williams’ status is uncertain for Saturday’s preseason game against San Francisco.

A Cowboys practice record crowd of 26,460 watched Williams go for a football near the end zone only to be hit by Scandrick. Williams crumpled to the ground and immediately grabbed his left shoulder.

The Cowboys’ preseason game Saturday is supposed to be a dress rehearsal for the regular season. Continue

Coach Phillips not impressed with preseason loss

It was a pleased Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones holding court at halftime in the press box at Oakland Coliseum on Thursday night. The Cowboys trailed 10-7 en route to a 31-10 loss to the Oakland Raiders.

Clearly, he couldn’t have been pleased at the end of the night. The backups were sloppy and sorely outplayed as the Raiders totaled 456 yards, including 176 on the ground. The effort raised concerns about depth on the offensive line, defensive line, at linebacker and in the secondary.

Asked about coming through the game injury-free, a miffed coach Wade Phillips said, "It didn’t look like this team put up much effort to be injured. If you don’t win past the first quarter, you don’t like it. I didn’t like it." Continue

Cowboys' CBs day to day after mild injuries

Projected starting cornerbacks Terence Newman and Mike Jenkins were injured on Saturday, bringing a scare to the Dallas Cowboys’ training camp less than one week before the preseason opener against the Oakland Raiders.

Neither injury is considered serious — Newman suffered a strained groin and Jenkins a sprained right ankle. Both are listed as day-to-day.

But considering Newman’s injury history and Jenkins’ bid to be a first-year starter, it is enough to cause some concern.

"Terence Newman has a slight groin sprain that is going to keep him out precautionary-wise," coach Wade Phillips said. "He’s had some problems in the past, not the same injury, but we want to be very careful with that. So we are holding him out." Continue

Phillips happy with camp early on

Fridays usually make a lot of people happy. Count coach Wade Phillips among them.

With the tempo getting faster and the physical nature more intense, Phillips was pleased with the Cowboys’ third day of training camp today at the Alamodome.

Actually, he had some pretty descriptive words of today’s session.

“Today’s practice was crisp and pretty violent in some respects, so I was glad to see that,” Phillips said. “The players are getting used to the pads and they’re ready to start hitting more than they did (Thursday). I think you progress when you have practices like that.”

Defense? Wide receivers? He was up on both. Roy Williams had a strong day, including a tip-toe catch along the sidelines that drew applause — and some good words — from Michael Irvin. Continue

Cowboys set to open camp

Wade Phillips is getting tough? Roy Williams isn’t talking? Martellus Bennett thinks he’s a comedian? Tony Romo, suddenly single, is emotionally drained?

Oh, boy, those are just the off-season story lines.

Everything ratchets up Tuesday when the widely anticipated make-or-break 2009 campaign, one that owner and general manager Jerry Jones has demanded must match the sparkling standard of the franchise’s new $1.15 billion home in Arlington, officially begins.

The Dallas Cowboys kick off training camp in San Antonio at 3 p.m. Tuesday with a state-of-the-union address from the eternally effervescent Jones along with the perpetually prosaic Phillips, the team’s third-year head coach whose seat is easily the hottest on the coaching circuit. Continue