Dallas Cowboys News & Notes: It's Philly Week And Tony Romo Resumes Practice

Philadelphia Eagles At Dallas Cowboys Injury Report | Dallas Cowboys
Just a daily update on the injuries each team are dealing with. The Cowboys saw Romo's return but missed Barry Church. The Eagles have two players not participating in Jason Peters and DeMeco Ryans.

Without Joseph Randle, Cowboys Need Darren McFadden To Grind- Todd Archer- ESPN
Darren McFadden has the chance to be the every-down running back after he was unable to hold it down for most of his time with the Oakland Raiders.

This season, McFadden has 86 carries for 345 yards and two touchdowns, but in his two starts as Randle’s replacement, he has 49 carries for 216 yards.

Nine More Weeks Of Armageddon For Dallas Cowboys: Why One Game Can Change Everything -One.Cool.Customer- Blogging The Boys
The NFL's uniquely short season gives each game an importance that you don't find in many other sports. One game can change everything. Especially for the 2015 Cowboys.

Overreaction Monday is an actual thing in the NFL, where a win produces unbridled optimism garnered with rainbows and unicorns, and where a loss results in a state of apocalyptic panic. And these Overreaction Mondays can linger. Case in point: AsCowboys fans we have been collectively stuck in Overreaction Monday since Week 3, and the hits haven't stopped coming. Like a punch-drunk boxer who's taken hit after hit, our vision is blurry, we can't think straight, and opur incoherent rambling only makes sense to ourselves.

Joseph Randle’s Loss A Dream Come True For Former Aggie Star Trey Williams, A Lifelong Cowboys Fan -Clarence E. Hill- The Star-Telegram
The Cowboys didn’t take long in moving on from the troubled Joseph Randle but the back they got off Washington's practice squad is eager to fill a role.

"I was more than surprised. I can’t even explain it," Williams said. "My agent called me and put my mom on the phone. We just pretty much cried together. This is it. Growing up as a little kid, this is my favorite team. I can only just give thanks to God and just keep giving my all. It’s never going to change."

Sturm's Cowboys Defense Report: Sean Lee Awful Quiet Lately; Rolando McClain Looks Slow, Unsure -Bob Sturm- Dallas Morning News
Sturm calls out some defensive warriors and says it's time to get their rears in gear because this defense could be truly special.

I continue to feel some optimism for the 2015 Cowboys because I am seeing a defensive performance that passes most of the tests.  Yes, they are going to need some 3-takeaway games and a few 4-sack games wouldn't hurt, either.  But, overall, on a play to play basis, there isn't many things to complain about.

You would like to see your defense make plays and even score points, but the fundamental charge of any defense is to resist succumbing to the attacks of the opposition.  From just about every angle, the defense has hung in there on most challenges - the 2nd half vs Atlanta and the 2nd half vs New England were not good enough - and overall they did their parts well.

Tony Romo Throws In Dallas Cowboys Practice For 1st Time Since Injury- Todd Archer-ESPN
Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo took part in practice Wednesday for the first time since breaking his left collarbone on Sept. 20. Cowboys fans everywhere jump for joy.

He took part in pat-and-go in warm-ups, worked through some individual drills and threw passes during the routes-on-air portion of practice. Romo threw a variety of routes to Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley, Vince Mayle, Devin Street and Jason Witten during the portion of practice that was open to the media and did not have an incompletion.

Scout's Eye: Malcolm Jenkins' Role May Change With Dez In The Lineup -Bryan Broaddus- Dallas Cowboys
The Broad One scouts the Eagles to tell us who to be aware of in this game that could all but bury the Cowboys.

When the Eagles take the field Sunday night, I know that Jenkins will have a major role in their defensive scheme. With Beasley not having the success that he had enjoyed with Tony Romo, defensive coordinator Billy Davis might be inclined to put Jenkins on Witten and take his chances elsewhere. If he were to do that, then he has to think about how he is going to handle Dez Bryant -- who he didn’t face in Week 2.

With Two Games Left Until Tony Romo Returns, Is There Any Hope With Matt Cassel? - Tom Ryle -Blogging The Boys
For the first time since Tony Romo went down, they aren't facing a top NFL passer. Can the fledgling Cowboys finally get a victory?

For the first time, Cassel is trading series with a quarterback that is playing at a much more comparable level to his. He has a defense that is now in the top ten in passing yards allowed per game and showing a much improved pass rush with Greg Hardy playing and DeMarcus Lawrence starting to step up. Expect the Cowboys' staff to be trying to find a happy medium between the first two starts for Cassel, opening up the passing game more while still working on protecting the ball.

Cowboys Rookie DE Randy Gregory Back Physically, Not There Yet Mentally -Clarence E. Hill- The Star-Telegram
Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory has yet to make an impact since returning from a high ankle sprain that sidelined him for four games. On Wednesday, Gregory had one his best practices as he prepares for the Eagles.

"I am not there mentally 100 percent yet," Gregory said. "Physically, I am. But mentally for some reason, I don’t feel like myself. I can run 100 percent. I can do all my cuts. I can spin. I can do all that. In my head, I am not there yet. I am still trying to trust my leg that it will be all right."

Ranking All 32 NFL Offensive Lines This Season- Khaled Elsayed- Pro Football Focus
The Dallas Cowboys offensive line seems to be blocking pretty well, can anyone tell this to Matt Cassel?

The Cowboys’ investment in their line continues to reap dividends. First-rounders Smith, Zack Martin (92.9), and Travis Frederick (89.5) are all guys who should be hearing their name in All-Pro and Pro Bowl conversations. Now, if only they could get Tony Romo healthy.

Moore: Did Cowboys Err By Trusting Randle To Replace Murray? The Results Are In -David Moore- Dallas Morning News
What took place on the ground this season was always going to be a referendum on the Cowboys' decision to let DeMarco Murray walk while handing the ball to an unproven Joseph Randle.

The decision, to be fair, never came down to Murray or Randle. It came down to Philadelphia offering Murray much more on the open market than the Cowboys were willing to pay. The money the Cowboys didn't invest in the NFL's reigning rushing champion was diverted to free agent Greg Hardy to upgrade the pass rush in the defensive line.

Dallas Cowboys Add Running Back From Washington's Practice Squad- Todd Archer- ESPN
The Cowboys have claimed running back Trey Williams off Washington's practice squad to take the roster spot of Joseph Randle, who was cut.

Williams declared early for the draft after rushing for 1,343 yards and 18 touchdowns in three years with the Aggies. He also caught 38 passes for 330 yards and a touchdown and averaged 24.1 yards per kick return.

The Balance Cassel Must Find Against The Eagles' Opportunistic Defense -Rob Phillips- Dallas Cowboys
For the second straight week, quarterback Matt Cassel and the Cowboys’ offense are looking for ways to win a ballgame.

"They’re going to blitz a lot, they’re going to challenge you," Cassel said. "They have a huge turnover margin, so we’ve got to take care of the football but at the same time we’ve got to be able to take shots and move the ball down the field."

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