Cowboys Corner

Wade tells his players to win one for someone

In his pregame speech, Cowboys coach Wade Phillips implored his players to dedicate the game to someone. It was spurred by the deaths of Jay Ratliff's grandparents, who died in a house fire.

"You play for yourself certainly, and you play for a lot of people and a lot of things, but if you can pick out somebody specifically and dedicate the game to them, I think it’s important to do every once in a while," Phillips said. "It’s not about yourself. It’s not about yourself only. I just tried to get that point to them. Now how many of them listened and how many of them did it?"

Several players said after the game they had done just that.

Roy Williams dedicated the game to his father, who was celebrating his birthday Sunday.

Phillips said he dedicated the game to his father, Bum, who coached the Houston Oilers and still is an icon in Houston.

"I told them I was going to coach for my dad," said Phillips, who tied his father with 82 career victories. "I think the world of him, and I was going to try to coach my best for him and our team. I told them that, too. It’s about people. It’s not just a football game. It’s not just a Madden game. It’s about people."

 

Phillips gave the speech once before, as interim coach in Atlanta, when he dedicated the game to Brownwood High School coach Gordon Wood shortly after Wood died in 2003. The Falcons beat Tampa Bay.

 

"It was a personal thing for him, and I thought well shoot, I’d like to dedicate this game to Gordon Wood," Phillips said. "I told the players the same thing, they ought to dedicate it somebody. I don’t know if it works or doesn’t work, but I think it’s important people-wise. That’s the way I live my life."

 

-- Charean Williams

 

 

 

 

 

Williams stars against Texans

Roy Williams had only 64 catches for 868 yards and eight touchdowns in his 27 games with the Cowboys before Sunday's. He had only one 100-yard game -- 105 yards in a loss to Green Bay last season.

On Sunday, he had his best game as a Cowboy with five catches for 117 yards and two touchdowns.

"Big game for Roy," Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said. "But we expect that, and I know he expects that."

The Cowboys gave up three draft picks, including first- and third-rounders, to the Detroit Lions at the 2008 trade deadline and signed him to a five-year extension worth $45 million, with $20 million guaranteed.

Williams will have a hard time living up to what it cost the Cowboys to get him, but on Sunday, he showed why Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was willing to commit so much to him.

"I am happy for Roy," Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo said. "He comes to work. He works real hard, and this is great to see. He had a great camp this year. He did a good job in the preseason, and I don't think this is any big secret, he's just doing what he's been doing day in and day out. He was in the right spot, and he made a couple of really big plays and that might have been the difference."

Williams said this off-season he began practicing faster, and that's made all the difference. He has 12 catches for 191 yards and two touchdowns this season.

"I practice better; I practice faster," Williams said. "That has helped the timing with Romo. That is how I practiced in the off-season. It's a big change for me."

Williams, so far, looks like a changed receiver.

-- Charean Williams

 

Cowboys let Romo call the plays... sort of

The Cowboys beat the crowd noise and the Texans by having Tony Romo pick his play. Jason Garrett gave Romo a pair of plays to call in the huddle, and Romo audibled to the one he liked after seeing the Texans defense.

"It was really great to see Romo early in the game, calling his own plays," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "He was so effective doing it. ...I've got to give Jason Garrett and Wade [Phillips] a tremendous amount of credit for incorporating that as part of the game plan."

The Cowboys had 385 yards. They ran for 101 on 27 carries, and Romo completed 23 of 30 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns.

"He played great," tight end Jason Witten said. "He got us in so many great looks. We were calling two plays and were playing off what the defense was giving us. That starts with him and how he manages that, and that’s not always easy on the road."

-- Charean Williams

 

Anthony Spencer fined $5,000 for grabbing Jay Cutler's facemask

Linebacker Anthony Spencer was fined $5,000 by the NFL for pulling the facemask of quarterback Jay Cutler while recording a sack in the 27-20 loss to the Bears last Sunday.

Spencer was not penalized on the play.

Jenkins still limited but ready to play against Texans

Cornerback Mike Jenkins has been limited in practice all week with a bruised knee but he will play against the Texans on Sunday.

Jenkins doesn't know how the knee will react as he hasn't done anything full speed.

He said its still sore. But he is ready to give it a go.

"I really don't know yet," Jenkins said. "I haven't gone a full go yet. "We didn't want to get to the point where I went too hard and I wasn't able to play at all. We're going to try it out Sunday. Right now, I feel good."

Jenkins said he will be on the first bus to the game and give it good workout pre-game so he can see where is and if has any limitations.

It goes without saying that he will need to be at his best to contain Texans Pro Bowl receiver Andre Johnson.

 

 

Ratliff back from grandparents funeral with renewed spirit

Nose tackle Jay Ratliff returned to the practice Friday and will play against the Texans Sunday with a heavy heart and a renewed spirit after burying his grandparents early this week in Hihara, Ga.

 

Willie, 84, and his wife Arletha, 74, died in a tragic house fire last Wednesday.

Ratliff’s grandfather was a double amputee and World War II veteran. His grandmother was found in the bed with him holding him. She apparently decided if she couldn't get him out then she was going to die with him, Ratliff said.

 

"That's one thing about my family," Ratliff said. "We love hard. We love very hard. That's what I'm trying to bring to this team. I love each and every one of these guys. I will play my heart out for them.

If there is any thing they need I will go it."

 

Ratliff played against the Bears last week following their deaths. His father thought it was best for him to be around his teammates and he believed that's what his grandfather would have wanted.

But he admitted it was a struggle because of what his grandfather meant to him. 

 Ratliff said it helped being with his teammates last week. But he has been overwhelmed by the love and support shown by his teammates and owner Jerry Jones. There has been an outpouring of flowers, phone calls and text messages from teammates and coaches. Jones gave the use of his private jet to go to the funeral.

 

"I came back motivated because of the support of the team and what Jerry did," Ratliff said. "I don't know if he realized how much it meant to my family."

 

 Ratliff is mostly motivated by the memory of his grandfather. He said he will carry his spirit with him on the football field. He also plans to live the rest of  his life to the fullest just as his grandfather did

 

 "His blood runs through my veins," Ratliff said. "I'm  am very proud of that. He never ever complained about anything. He was a double amputee. He lost his sight. So many things went wrong with him. I can honestly say I never heard him complain. His attitude, his spirit _ none of that changed. He was a strong guy physically. But mentally and spiritually he was strong. He made up in his mind he was going to live his life to the fullest every single day. I think that's what I'm going to do for the rest of my life, live my life to the fullest no matter what. Just find the best in myself."

 

Clarence Hill

Scott Chandler signed, Deon Anderson waived

Former Southlake Carroll star Scott Chandler realized a life-long dream Friday when he was signed from the practice squad to the active roster.

Injured fullback Deon Anderson was released to make room for Chandler, who will be the third tight end behind Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett.

"I'm really excited," Chandler said. "I've always been a Cowboys fan growing up. This is the place I want to be, so I'm really excited to have an opportunity."

Chandler, a two-year veteran, played in college at Iowa and began his NFL career with the Chargers in 2007. He has spent most of his time on the practice squad and has been active for only one game in his career.

He went to training camp with Giants but was cut at the start of the season and joined the Cowboys practice squad.

The Cowboys felt they needed another tight end to help with short yardage situations. Anderson would have been out be at least another two weeks with a sprained knee. He will be given an injury settlement.

But more importantly, the Cowboys have liked what they seen in rookie fullback Chris Gronkowski, who is growing as blocker and is a better receiver out the backfield than the injury prone Anderson.

Anderson missed eight games in 2007 and two in 2008 due to injuries. The Cowboys have also been looking to part ways with him since he was accused last February of pulling a gun on a man outside an Addison restaurant.

 

 

The unlikely fullback survivor

Chris Gronkowski has two brothers in the NFL -- Dan with the Denver Broncos and Rob with the New England Patriots.

Chris, however, is different in one way. Each of his brothers was drafted. Chris was not.

But he’s made an impact. Chris inherited the role as starting fullback last week when veteran Deon Anderson, who recently had minor surgery on his knee, was waived injured.

Gronkowski is now the only fullback on the roster. But he’s not celebrating.

 “It’s kind of a payoff for hard work,” Gronkowski  said. “It’s not like they cleared the way. They can always bring someone in at any time, so you’ve got to be on top of your game. You got to keep working.”

Gronkowski began his college career at the University of Maryland, but transferred to Arizona, where he played two years. The free agent has impressed the Cowboys not only with his blocking, but also with his pass receiving and running ability.

Gronkowski has one touchdown this season, which is one more than Marion Barber, Felix Jones, Tashard Choice and Jason Witten combined.

But his main purpose is to block for the running backs and to help protect the quarterback, which can be a challenge. Last week, for instance, Gronkowski found himself blocking Brian Urlacher, who has been one of the premier linebackers in the league for a decade.

“It’s something I never thought would happen,” Gronkowski said. “It’s a pretty cool feeling playing against someone like that you grew up watching. It was good.”

-- Jan Hubbard

Ware wants more sacks

It took DeMarcus Ware five games before he got his first sack last season. The Cowboys All-Pro linebacker didn’t wait as long this season, sacking Donovan McNabb in the season opener.

 

But after two games, Ware has only one sack.

 

“Number-wise, it’s not up to par how it should be,” Ware said. “You look at pressure-wise, I’m getting there. I’m getting pressure on the guy. Those things I have to be aware of, getting more sacks in the game, getting more pressure in the game, but also making those big plays, because we haven’t been having them in the recent weeks.”

 

The Cowboys have only two sacks this season. Anthony Spencer took down Bears quarterback Jay Cutler once last week for the team’s other sack. Dallas does have 10 quarterback pressures, including six by Ware.

 

"I think the main thing is to get the quarterback and create some type of pressure back there," Ware said. "I think I did that effectively but still you have to get the guy down."

 

Ware had a league-leading 20 sacks in 2008 and 11 last season. He has 65.5 in his five-plus seasons in the NFL.

 

-- Charean Williams

Defending the kicker

Without even being prompted, Cowboys coach Wade Phillips defended his kicker Thursday. David Buehler has missed two of his four field-goal attempts this season, and he missed four in practice Wednesday before the media’s access period ended.

 

On Thursday, Buehler did not kick during the 30 minutes the media is allowed to watch practice.

 

“As far as our field-goal kicker, you go out and you watch a few kicks and decide whether a guy can kick or not. It’s really not how we do it,” Phillips said. “I mean, the guy kicks over a hundred balls a week, and we have every one of those filmed, and he’s working to try to get better as we’re working.

 

“I’m just saying for people that go out there and see five kicks and say the guy can’t kick or isn’t kicking good, I don’t think you have enough information, and I’m not sure you have the expertise anyway to evaluate that. That’s what we do. We try to evaluate those things on every player, including kickers, and that’s what we’ve decided to go with. Now, have we made mistakes? Yes, we have made mistakes in the past, but I think our overall track record on who can play, who can’t play is pretty good.”

 

-- Charean Williams