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Cowboys' Bryant could be in a for big day versus Chargers - Keith Whitmire, FSSouthwest
Dez Bryant says he doesn't pay attention to the fact that the Chargers have allowed a league-high 340.7 passing yards per game, and have allowed a 100-yard receiver in each of their first three games.
"I'm telling you the truth, I really don't pay attention to it," the Cowboys' receiver said. "We go out and we practice and we watch them on film and we try to see where we can attack them out, find that weakness and attack them."
League Leaders: Romo, Rivers Among NFL’s Top 5 QB Ratings - DallasCowboys.com
The DC.com staff pull five stats for each team, and point out out that Sunday's meeting will feature two of the top five passers in the league this year: Romo is ranked fifth in passer rating (103.9), Rivers is ranked second (116.2).
Scout’s Notebook: Big Day For Hanna? - Bryan Broaddus, DallasCowboys.com
Broaddus likes Hanna in the matchup with the Chargers and thinks Hanna could be in for a big day in the passing game:
"In studying the Chargers this week, I like what this “12” personnel package could bring to the game, especially with James Hanna. Jason Garrett and Bill Callahan will look to create matchup problems with this Chargers defense, and Hanna should be able to do just that. Chargers defensive coordinator John Pagano might be forced to bring pressure with his linebackers in order to provide a consistent pass rush, which means Jason Witten, Hanna and Escobar will be required to run shorter routes to help Romo get the ball off. Hanna has yet to have one of those games that, before the season, we all felt he was capable of. It’s just a hunch, but it could happen Sunday afternoon."
Barry Church playing faster off Achilles injury - Todd Archer, ESPN Dallas
Church says he feels like he's playing faster this season, and jokingly said somebody may have sprinkled some "magic dust" on the Achilles he tore almost exactly a year ago. Ultimately though, he credits Kiffin's new scheme.
"It’s a lot simpler than last year so as players we’re not having to think as much," Church said. "We’re just locked in on what we have to do and that allows us to play a lot faster."
Dez Bryant still receiving treatment on his back, but says ‘I feel great’ - Jon Machota, DMN
The Cowboys have not listed Bryant on the injury report this week, and Bryant himself says he's feeling great after fully participating in two practices so far this week.
Cowboys ready for WR by committee - Todd Archer, ESPN Dallas
Miles Austin missed his second day of practice, and it's looking more and more likely that he'll not play on Sunday. Enter "WR by committee," as Archer calls it: Terrance Williams, Dwayne Harris, and Cole Beasley have the trust of Jason Garrett.
"We have a lot of confidence in those guys," Garrett said. "Sometimes you do it by play. Sometimes you do it when one guy needs a little bit of a break during the game. Other times you do it kind of by personnel packages. We’ve done it that way in the past, and we suspect we’ll do it that way again."
Doug Free experiencing career revival, acknowledges he’s been ‘playing good’ - Rainer Sabin, DMN
Free's turnaround from last year's performance is nothing short of remarkable, and Free himself acknowledges that he's been "playing good": "I have been playing good," the Cowboys right tackle said.
"Still, there are a lot of things you’ve got to keep focusing on, keep working on. It’s never a one-and-done kind of thing. You’ve got to prove yourself each and every week. It’s a continual thing."
Bill Callahan on Brian Waters: We know the quality of play he brings to the game - Charean Williams, Star-Telegram
The Cowboys appear ready to start Brian Waters for the first time this season.
"We thought there would be a natural progression to a lineman coming into training camp," Callahan said. "For the veteran linemen playing that first preseason game of 10-12 snaps or 14 snaps and then playing a quarter and then playing a half. We believe the progression has helped him. We just didn’t want to throw him out there and force him into a situation he wasn’t physically ready for. Now, is he mentally tough enough to do that? Sure, he could do that. But I think in all fairness to him and our team, we want him to be in the best possible condition so he could play at the highest level."
Sean Lee: Time to start stacking wins - Keith Whitmire, FSSouthwest
Lee says it's time for the Cowboys to put together a good start to the season and get to 3-1 for the first time since 2008.
"Since I've been here, we've had a tough time," Lee said. "We've had shots to go 3-1 and we've had some tough losses. We have to find a way to build that consistency."
"And we understand it's building throughout the year and stacking games together, what all the great teams do. It's what we have to do."
What 3-1 would mean for the Dallas Cowboys - Todd Archer, ESPN Dallas
The Cowboys have the chance to go up 3-1 in this young season, with it gain some separation as Jason Witten points out.
"You’re only worried about yourself but this is when you get separation," tight end Jason Witten said. "We’ve found ourselves the past two years playing for divisions in Week 17 but you always look back and say, ‘If we had that one,’ or ‘If we had that game early on in the season.’ That’s the way it always is. Every team has that. We’re just trying to create an atmosphere and a mindset of, ‘Let’s go do that.’ I think we’re all tired of talking and we know the results have got to happen. It’s not anything we can just say. We’ve got to see the results."
Cowboys OL Cohesion - The Smash Mouth - Rotoworld.com
Lance Zierlein highlights the success of Dallas' running game in his Week 4 Smash Mouth column.
Kyle Shanahan: Read option plays no longer 'easy' - NFL.com
The Redskins took the league by storm with read option plays in 2012, but it's not working so well anymore. Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan says the shock factor is gone.
For Giants, pass rush struggles may be larger problem - New York Giants Blog - ESPN
The Giants rank at the bottom of the league with just three sacks in three games. Kieran Darcy argues that the Giants won't win many games until they get their pass rush fixed.
Eagles O-line braces for Denver after K.C. manhandling - csnphilly.com
The Eagles O-line had a hard time keeping the Chiefs off Michael Vick’s back and Vick had a hard time adjusting, completing only 43 percent of his passes, throwing two picks and getting sacked six times.