[UPDATE] Marion Barber was seen practicing today, and is now listed as questionable for Week 3. [END UPDATE]
Should the Cowboys be without starting running back Marion Barber for Monday night's home game against the Panthers, Felix "the Cat" Jones says he will be ready to carry the load. This should make for an interesting game, as it could be the first time we get to see Jones in a starting or heavily expanded role.
Yes, Barber will be missed. But now is the time to shine for the Cowboys' first pick in the 2008 draft.
"I believe [the running game] can be the same," Jones said. "The offensive line did a great job. They created holes for us to run through. We just need to go out and play hard and keep doing what we're doing and keep moving the ball."
We will know more about Barber's status as the week progresses. As Todd Archer points out, Marion "the Barbarian" is still looking to play.
Here's Barber's response when he was asked about his status for the Carolina game: "If I'm good today, I'm going to be good tomorrow and then I'm going to be good up until Monday."
More VRR after the jump.
If Barber can't go or is limited, and Jones gets the nod, Tashard Choice will also move into a more expanded role.
Choice has only four carries for 18 yards through two games, but he proved last December he can contribute if needed. He might get another chance against Carolina.
"I knew I wasn't going to get the ball nearly as (much as) those guys," he said. "Whatever chance I get I've got to make the most of mine."
Who is this Chauncey Washington fellow the Cowboys signed to the practice squad yesterday? He is a running back with return capabilities who was drafted in the seventh round by Jacksonville last year. A former Jaguar himself, special teams coach, Joe DeCamillis, is said to be familiar with him.
At USC, Washington got a bit lost in the backfield rotation between Reggie Bush and Lendale White. I've heard he's fast. Here's a little highlight reel for you.
Rick Gosselin digs kickoff specialist David Buehler.
With Buehler handling the kickoffs, the Cowboys have already have four touchbacks, and they have vaulted to eighth in the NFL with an average opponent starting point of the 22.9-yard line. That's 6-plus yards per possession better than a year ago. That will add up over the course of the season, making your defense better because offenses must conduct longer drives to score.
Jerry Jones has seen what Tony Romo can do the week after a bad game. More often than not, the Dallas QB shows resilience.
"You'd like for him not to have a day like that," Jones told KRLD-FM in Dallas-Fort Worth, "but when everybody is pointing fingers, when it didn't go good, then you want someone who can walk into that huddle in the next snap at practice, the next snap in the ballgame and walk out there and cut and shoot and play like they just won the Super Bowl. That's a great quarterback."
In 2006, Romo followed a 58.8 passer rating in a loss to New Orleans with a 113.9 rating in a win over Atlanta. Last season, he had a 113.8 rating in a win over the Giants after recording a 44.9 rating the week before in a loss to Pittsburgh.
It seems fitting that Keith Brooking joined the Cowboys the season the team plays the NFC South. He has 11 years of experience playing in the division.
In his 19 games against the Panthers, Brooking had a combined 169 tackles, 2.5 sacks and six pass breakups. He had 10 double-digit tackle games. It would be fitting if Brooking could break the Cowboys' sack and/or takeaway streak Monday night against his former divison rival.
"Let's don't panic about one loss," he said. "We're 1-1. Man, I'd love to be 2-0. Let's don't make it bigger than what it is and let's also not make it smaller than what it is. There's a fine line there, and it all starts with that "A" word everybody talks about. And that's accountability."
Moving on from the Chargers to the Cowboys this offseason, Igor Olshansky has yet to get use to all the media scrutiny 'round these parts.
Olshansky was being bombarded with questions about the Cowboys’ lack of sacks and turnovers and if he’s confused about the defense’s troubles. Olshansky politely articulated reasons and his hopes for improvement. But, finally, he felt he had to put things in perspective.
"This is only two weeks and I realize this is the Dallas Cowboys, America’s Team and everyone wants to write a novel after every game, you know what I mean?" Olshansky said. "This is game two. We’re going to get past this, we’re going to go out there and we’re going to win."
Sure, Cowboys Stadium is gigantic; nevertheless, the amount of "party passes" sold Sunday night sounds extreme.
Team spokesman Brett Daniels said the Cowboys and Arlington city officials were discussing possible limits on the number of standing-room tickets, which was one of the buzz-generating features at the stadium and a rarity in the NFL. Daniels said the team had sold about 8,000 standing-room tickets for the second game Monday night against Carolina. That's a far cry from 30,000 - and that's probably a good thing.
Want the latest power rankings for NFL Week Three? Our own One.Cool.Customer has compiled them together in a nicely organized FanPost.
A BTB hat tip to you, sir!
Let's keep this one in our back pockets for Week 13, shall we?
Uh-oh. Brandon Jacobs is apparently mad at Cowboys right tackle Marc Colombo. I didn't see it, but apparently the two had a little altercation following the game.