Cowboys Injured Players Set To Return To Practice; Including Dez Bryant
by Dave Halprin on Aug 31, 2010 9:54 AM CDT
in Dallas Cowboys General
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PrintFinally, we're getting some good news on the injury front. The Cowboys are set to practice today in anticipation of the final pre-season game against the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night. Along with that practice comes the return of some of the regulars who have been laid-up for varying lengths of time by injury. The mothership reports:
Head coach Wade Phillips said four players, including rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant, will be back to practice on Tuesday at Valley Ranch. Phillips also said safety Gerald Sensabaugh (shoulder), linebacker Keith Brooking (shoulder) and defensive end Marcus Spears (sprained MCL) will begin working out with the team.
Obviously the big news is the return of Dez Bryant. The Cowboys aren't saying whether he'll play against the Dolphins but just the fact that he's practicing again should settle the question of whether he'll be ready for the season opener. With the Cowboys offense sputtering in pre-season, maybe a shot of Dez is just what they need to juice things up.
Also, the return of Marcus Spears is good news. No one has hammered Spears more than I have in his time in Dallas, but watching teams run all over the Cowboys in pre-season has made me want to see how much impact Spears can have on the defense. Last season I thought was probably his best in Dallas, he was tough against the run. Like Kyle Kosier on offense, it may be a case of not knowing what you got until it's gone. I didn't think the play of Jason Hatcher was bad, in fact, I liked that he created some pressure on the QB in pre-season. But having Spears back in the rotation should benefit all.
Gerald Sensabaugh returns sooner than reported, more good news. While the Cowboys have found some talent in some young safeties, having Sensabaugh back is a comforting feeling. Keith Brooking's return is no surprise, he was being held out soley for precautionary reasons.
Now, we just need to get some positive reports on Kyle Kosier and Marc Colombo. And to finish out the injury report, backup o-lineman Sam Young is expected to miss 3-6 weeks with an MCL sprain.
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thank God spears is coming back ...
we really missed him
couldn't agree more
my inclination is to be hard on him, but the reality is that he and Igor do a good job of helping eat up O linemen so our LBs can make tackles. I am really missing Spears right now. Although we have seen glimpses of good production from the backups, they aren’t near as effective at stopping the run.
missed him bigtime.....
great to have him back……
Davie Wilson
how bout them cowboys!!!
by scotscowboyfan on Aug 31, 2010 12:47 PM CDT up reply actions
Look atthe size of Bryant's hands in that photo
He makes the NFL ball look like a nerf ball.
I hope he can inject some excitement into this team’s moribund offense.
"You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you."
- John Wooden (God rest his soul)
SuperDez can catch the ball,
but how much have we seen him run after the catch? Last year, Austin made a habit of taking a 5-8 yard catch and turning it into a TD. Hopefully, Bryant is just as hard to tackle.
Pirates Vs. Ninjas? Psh......Cowboys, baby.
Having watched games between OU and OSU
I always feared Dez. Not only because he could catch the ball but because he was near impossible to bring down with one defender. I don’t think it was just because it was college either. It won’t be as easy, but it won’t completely disappear from his game now that he’s a pro. He was a man amongst boys and now he’s a man amongst men, but I don’t know a single 3rd, or even 2nd CB that I can imagine hanging with Dez. He will have Miles YAC yards in the next couple years if not this year.
Semper Fi Do or Die
Projected 2010 Record: 12-4. You heard it here first
by Jeremiah_24 on Aug 31, 2010 10:38 AM CDT up reply actions
Agreed Jeremiah
I live in Oklahoma and having seen Dez in person gives me a great deal of comfort about the abilities of this young man. Defenses cannot cover Austin, Dez, and Witten as well as all the guys not mentioned previously.
While Dez does not have burner speed, he isn’t slow. His size and athleticism should help around the Red Zone as well.
+1
His size and athleticism should help around the Red Zone as well.
That’s what I’ve been preaching. He is a fantastic asset to a team that admittedly struggled inside the 20’s.
Semper Fi Do or Die
Projected 2010 Record: 12-4. You heard it here first
The day after the draft I already had my jersey ordered.
If I can like my college archrival enough to do that I have a strong belief the guy will be successful
Semper Fi Do or Die
Projected 2010 Record: 12-4. You heard it here first
I remember Aikman going into games knowing he was going to be blitzed ...
Two or three completions to Michael Irvin later … and suddenly the blitzes relaxed a bit.
Dez has potential to make teams pay, and so does Austin. When you only leave 5 in the secondary, missed tackles and YAC can be all kinds of fun :)
Original Pet-Cats: Duane Thomas, Roger Staubach, Walt Garrison, Charlie Waters, Bob Lilly
I'm more worried whether Romo will have the protection he needs to get the throw off
the answer so far is what we’ve all been fearing…
FREE THE OGLETREE!!!
I really believe they have a gameplan to keep him upright,
they have just been waiting for the season so it isn’t exploited week one. The Skins are preparing two weeks for Dallas, but they don’t have anything really to gameplan for. Maybe I’m just wearing my blue tinted glasses, but I don’t care. I expect a lot of rollouts, draws and screens to slow the defenses down. If we keep them from pinning their ears back we should be fine.
Semper Fi Do or Die
Projected 2010 Record: 12-4. You heard it here first
by Jeremiah_24 on Aug 31, 2010 10:41 AM CDT up reply actions
If they want to be successful...
they have to find a way to get the ball deep downfield or defenses will do what they did last year and stack the run and blitz with impunity.
"You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you."
- John Wooden (God rest his soul)
Partially agree
they have to find a way to get the ball deep downfield
Attacking short underneath routes is effective as well IMO. It takes less time and moves the chains. If you get your blitzes exploited over and over without bringing down the QB you have to leave more coverage back.
Semper Fi Do or Die
Projected 2010 Record: 12-4. You heard it here first
by Jeremiah_24 on Aug 31, 2010 11:35 AM CDT up reply actions
It's not effective if teams don't respect you deep
They will rub Witten off of the line and keep everything in front of them.
Dallas has to throw the ball further than 12 yards.
It’s the single biggest thing Dallas can do to create space underneath for the backs and TE’s while helping their sluggish running game.
"You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you."
- John Wooden (God rest his soul)
Not sure I agree with this...
San Francisco used slants to Taylor and Rice to counter the blitz. As I posted above, YAC can be just as deadly, and we have the guys to do it in Miles and Dez.
Original Pet-Cats: Duane Thomas, Roger Staubach, Walt Garrison, Charlie Waters, Bob Lilly
well...
as our 11-5 record shows, we can still put up enough points to win with that strategy.
But as you say, against the better Ds, we really need to get the ball downfield to beat the blitz
That was with the #2 defense in the NFL
I’m not so sure you’re going to see Dallas perform at that level this year foyes.
"You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you."
- John Wooden (God rest his soul)
with the weapons we have
we should see a lot of 1 on 1 coverages. while our WR are not track stars, it is not silly to think they can beat single coverage deep at times.
Yeah, we're not going to make a living off of it, but we need to do it enough to keep defenses honest
"You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you."
- John Wooden (God rest his soul)
McMahon says
Colombo expected to practice next week.
If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.
MacMahon.
If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.
by GhettoBear04 on Aug 31, 2010 10:31 AM CDT up reply actions
And that Kosier is likely to miss the opener,
but may start rehabbing this week.
If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.
by GhettoBear04 on Aug 31, 2010 10:32 AM CDT up reply actions
shot of Dez will be great if only the O-line could block
They have been terrible for the most part. Columbo and Kyle need to come back soon!
by torchindefenses on Aug 31, 2010 10:32 AM CDT reply actions
Wait....
I leave the country for a week and a half to come back to Raf being MIA?? What’s going on?
Semper Fi Do or Die
Projected 2010 Record: 12-4. You heard it here first
by Jeremiah_24 on Aug 31, 2010 11:32 AM CDT up reply actions
http://www.cowboysnation.com/
His new blog
Don't believe everything you think.
Your causes are cute!!!
:(
very sad to hear that he won’t be here any longer, but at least I can continue reading his stuff.
Semper Fi Do or Die
Projected 2010 Record: 12-4. You heard it here first
in the sense that avoiding injuries is actually the #1 goal of preseason, Houston was actually our best game so far!
LOL ... scott, next time I need a PR man, I'm calling the spin-doctor
Original Pet-Cats: Duane Thomas, Roger Staubach, Walt Garrison, Charlie Waters, Bob Lilly
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