The Cowboys can't get out of their own way this week. I know most of you are upset with the media and think they are causing this supposed rift among the team, but I don't agree with that assessment. Seriously, the media, while exploiting the situation for ratings and eyeballs, is not making up all of the stuff that is going on. The Cowboys are a team on the brink, the locker room obviously has some issues, but they can save themselves with one simple act - beat the Giants.
If they win, they can concentrate on the playoff push and some of the problems they're having will recede into the background. At least until they lose again. I've already stated what I think, if the Cowboys do not reach their ultimate goal of the Super Bowl or even getting deep into the playoffs, there's going to be chaos anyway. So while some of the stuff going on is unsettling, it can't trump what happens on the field. If the Cowboys start winning, all of this junk will go on the back-burner. If they start losing, they were going to have a meltdown anyway and this stuff will just be part of the bigger picture of re-structuring the Cowboys for their move into Jerry World next year.
For those of you who don't want to read about this aspect of the Cowboys, I'm sorry, but it's news and I feel obligated to cover it on this blog which covers all things Cowboys. So feel free to pass on these types of posts if they are not your bag.
Make the jump if you want to read the latest which includes an alleged confrontation between T.O. and Jason Witten in the locker room.
So what's the latest and why am I going back to this subject again? From the Star-T:
..but it didn't come without a near altercation Friday between Owens and Jason Witten in the Cowboys' locker room. According to two sources, the two exchanged words before being separated. Both players acted as if everything was fine when the media was allowed in the locker room. But Owens was still clearly miffed.
What the? Hmm, makes you wonder about this report, hat tip to BTB-reader quincyyy, from PFT. I have a few issues with that report. One, are we actually supposed to believe that the song Backstabbers by the O'Jays just happened to be playing when Andre Gurode and Roy Williams supposedly called out Jason Witten for ratting to Ed Werder about T.O. I mean come on, that's stretches the boundaries of believability. Also, why the heck are they trying to bring Bill Parcells into the discussion? That was just plain stupid. The whole PFT report is very questionable.
Meanwhile, T.O. is sort of miffed and confused about the whole thing.
"I'm trying to figure out how I made headlines and I don't even say nothing," Owens said. "I haven't even said nothing. These are rumors of what I've said. I haven't said nothing of the such."
But, the whole situation took on such a level of importance that Wade Phillips felt the need to call a team meeting to clear the air somewhat on all the rumors, anonymous sources and the Cowboys players feeding the press.
"I have talked to the team, I have been with the team, I think the team has talked together. We have all talked together," Phillips said. "There is enough talking. We need to get it done. That's the most important thing. All this talk, or non-talk, whatever. We have to go out and do it on the football field. Part of it is practicing and meetings today. I think they have a good attitude about what they are doing and ready to go."
No disagreement there, it's all about what they do on the field Sunday. As previously stated, win and this stuff becomes an afterthought, lose and it will probably build on itself.
Then there's Terence Newman who managed to take a shot at the coaches on Friday.
"When coaches make mistakes around here, there's nothing said about it," Newman said on ESPN. "They just go and try to defuse it and try to put that blame on somebody else rather than owning up to it."
When asked Friday afternoon to elaborate, Newman didn't back off.
"If you preach accountability, you should at least adhere to it," he said. "So that's just my biggest thing."
Yikes, come on T-New, and the rest of the Cowboys, just quit talking to the media for a little while. You are not helping yourselves. If the players absolutely feel the need to air their dirty laundry, it should be done in the offseason. Preferably they would keep it all in-house but if they can't manage that, at least wait until we aren't in the middle of a playoff push.
Tony Romo, being the one guy in the middle of all this mess who has the intelligence to not talk to the media, did talk to somebody this week. He called the QB of the Montana Grizzlies before their playoff game in Division II to offer some advice. The one thing we know he said:
"He said a lot of nice stuff, including 'good things happen when you throw to the running back.'"
Oh no, I can see a new controversy claiming that Romo favors Witten and doesn't dump the ball to the running backs enough. I kid! But Barber and Choice should pin that quote to Romo's locker.
The injury situation; the only things we really know are Adam Jones and Montrae Holland won't play.
CB Pacman Jones (neck) and LG Montrae Holland (ankle) are out. RB Marion Barber (toe) and WR Miles Austin (knee) are questionable. The rest of the Cowboys on the injury report, including both starting safeties, are listed as probable.
Giants WR Domenik Hixon (ankle/foot) and DT Fred Robbins (shoulder) are questionable. RB Brandon Jacobs (knee) is out.