Dallas Cowboys' Felix Jones’ Uninspiring Play Gives Additional Meaning To Remainder Of Preseason on the Long Road to the Super Bowl

 By Ryan Bush

As late August threatens to give way to September, head coaches and general managers have begun to anticipate the first of two roster cut downs in order to reach the NFL-mandated 53-man roster.  Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett has been pelted with questions from the media this preseason surrounding the team’s wide-open battle at three of the five receiver positions, leaving little room for other discussion.  Cole Beasley’s seven-catch performance in San Diego on Saturday night has only intensified the ongoing debate among coaches, players, and fans alike.

Meanwhile, a developing story at the running back position has to have Garrett and general manager Jerry Jones a bit concerned as well.  Three weeks of training camp and two exhibition contests into the season and what once was thought to be a roster position set in stone has turned into a host of veritable question marks that is nothing but disconcerting.

Entering his fifth season in the league, Felix Jones traveled to California for training camp with a firm grip on the No. 2 halfback position behind last year’s rookie phenom Demarco Murray.  But one uninspiring practice after another, coupled with two sub-par performances against Oakland and San Diego, has left Jones’ role with the team very much in doubt. The speed that convinced the Cowboys to draft him twenty-second overall in the 2008 draft out of Arkansas seems to have disappeared, and his impressive agility right along with it.  And all this developing around two running backs, Murray and Olawale, that have made the most out of every carry.  Without a doubt, this could spell trouble for the Cowboys and Jones.

In a league that has adopted a dual-running back fold as the norm, the Cowboys were counting on Jones to be Murray’s sidekick in the backfield, spelling him intermittently throughout the course of each game.  Jones’ game-breaking abilities in the passing department made him a valuable asset as a third-down back in Jason Garrett’s offense as well.

The tone from the front-office suggests the Cowboys are prepared to be patient with Jones, who is coming off off-season shoulder surgery, and aren’t watching the waiver wire for any possible replacement.  

But how long their patience will last is the question?

Because,  it’s no secret that Garrett needs production from his No. 2 back and might be hesitant to expect Olawale to fill that role as a raw rookie in the case that Jones continues to flounder, making the final two exhibition games versus St. Louis and Miami, oh, so very important.

Cowboys Grab Important Win Over Bengals

The final score on Sunday at Texas Stadium read, Cowboys 31, Bengals 22.

Yes, the Cowboys ran their record to 4-1, but had few positives to show for it, in another up and down performance. Tony Romo completed 14 of 23 passes for 176 yards, but was also responsible for two turnovers. Terrell Owens, who spent the days leading up to the game clamoring for the ball to come his way more often, caught only two passes.

But, unlike the college game, the NFL doesn’t require you to be pretty, just so long as you bag a win. And, if nothing else, that’s what the Cowboys did.

Coming off a loss to the Washington Redskins, the Dallas offense looked focused as they staked their defense to an early 17-0 lead. Linebacker Greg Ellis intercepted Carson Palmer on the first play from scrimmage and returned it to the 17 yard line. The interception was the team’s first since Dec.22 of last year against Carolina, a span of 6 games. The good field position, led to a Nick Folk 30 yard field goal.

On their next possession, the Cowboys were faced with a 4th down & 4 from the Cincy 33, when rookie running back Felix Jones took a handoff and went around right end untouched for the first touchdown of the game. The score was Jones’ fourth in five games.

After another Bengals punt, Romo guided the offense 80 yards in 10 plays, and found tight end Jason Witten in the back of the end zone from 4 yards out to end the drive, and up the lead to 17-0.

The game’s momentum changed in an instant, when Frostee Rucker stripped Romo of the ball and Cincinnati recovered with 1:42 left in the half. A 15 yard facemask penalty on Marion Barber put the ball on the Cowboys 29 yard line. A Shayne Graham field goal a few plays later cut the lead to 17-6, and left the Texas Stadium faithful grumbling as the half came to a close.

After Romo and Co. opened the third quarter with a three-and-out, Carson Palmer directed an 11 play 72 yard drive that ended when he found T.J. Houshmandzadeh for an 18 yard score.
Later in the quarter, Romo lofted a pass toward Witten across the middle, but it was intercepted by Keith Rivers and returned 39 yards. Four plays later, Graham shaved the deficit to one, 17-16.

Graham’s ensuing onside-kick caught the Cowboys off guard, and the road team grabbed not only the ball, but, seemingly, complete control of the game.

But then...Maybe it was just another example of why the Bengals were owners of a winless record, or possibly Dallas’ “vaunted” defense flexed it’s muscle and decided to put a stop to it all. After the first two plays netted 15 yards, Chris Henry took a handoff and ran to the left side where he was hit by defensive tackle Tank Johnson and fumbled the ball. Anthony Spencer recovered for Dallas. Two plays later, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis could only watch, as Terrell Owens streaked into the end zone for a 57 yard score and a 24-16 Cowboys advantage.
To his credit, Palmer, who was obviously less than 100% due to an elbow injury suffered two games previously, found Houshmandzadeh for a 10 yard score, capping a 7 play 37 yard drive. His two-point-conversion pass intended for tight end Ben Utecht was broken up by safety Keith Davis.

After the kickoff, the Cowboys moved 65 yards in 10 plays, when they were faced with a 3rd & 11 at the 15 yard line. On the play, which may turn out to be one of the most critical plays of the season, Romo’s pass went through the hands of wide receiver Miles Austin and deflected directly to receiver Patrick Crayton in the end zone for a touchdown, and a 31-22 Dallas lead. The catch was Crayton’s only of the game and, not only clinched the victory but also, allowed Dallas to keep pace with Washington (4-1) and the New York Giants (4-0) in the tough NFC East.

Six Flags

This decade has seen the Cowboys take part in many wild games on Monday Night Football. We take a look at the top six.

2003: (The Lucky Leg Of Cundiff) Cowboys 35 Giants 32

Bill Parcells' return to the Meadowlands was a thriller. The Cowboys had led 29 -14 at one point, but had watched as the Giants came back and retook the lead with 11 seconds left 32-29. On the kickoff, the ball went out of bounds, giving Dallas possession at their own 40 yard line. Quarterback Quincy Carter fired a 26 yard pass to receiver Antonio Bryant on the sideline to set up a 52 yard field goal. Billy Cundiff, who had already kicked five through the uprights, did it again, this time from 52 yards, in a driving rainstorm. Cundiff's seventh field goal, a 25 yarder in overtime, sent the Cowboys home winners for the first time under the Tuna.

2004: Week 3 (Anderson's Pass) Cowboys 21 Redskins 18

Joe Gibbs' first meeting with the hated Cowboys since his return, was a good one. With the Cowboys leading 7-0 near the end of the first half, Washington had a first and goal at the Dallas 1 yard line. After a sneak by quarterback Mark Brunell and a run by Clinton Portis was stuffed, linebacker Dexter Coakley finished off the stand by deflecting the third down pass, forcing a Washington Field goal. The play of the game came with 13:00 left in the fourth quarter and Dallas leading 14-10. Running back Richie Anderson took a handoff and then launched the ball into the end zone where Terry Glenn caught it for a 37 yard touchdown. The Redskins responded by scoring and then converting a two point conversion to bring them within three 21-18. On their final gasp play Brunell completed a 46 yard pass to Rod Gardner at the 21, but safety Roy Williams knocked him down inbounds which ran out the clock and let Dallas escape with a victory.

2004: Week 13 (Julius Goes Wild) Cowboys 43 Seahawks 39

A 4-7 Cowboys team came into Seattle and literally stole a victory. The Cowboys led 29-14 midway through the third period behind rookie Julius Jones' strong running. But after two Testaverde interceptions, the Seahawks found themselves leading 39-29 with 2:46 remaining. Testaverde quickly led a scoring drive which ended with a 34 yard pass to Keyshawn Johnson in the back of the end zone and cut the lead to 39-36. Replays showed that Johnson was out of bounds but still no official review was called for from upstairs. The call stood. Tight end Jason Witten recovered the onside kick from Billy Cundiff which allowed Dallas one final shot at redemption. Jones delivered. He ran for 33 yards on the final march, including covering the last 17 on a draw play and running untouched into the end zone for his third touchdown of the game. He finished the game with 198 yards rushing, which was the second best rushing performance by a rookie, behind only Tony Dorsett's 206 yards against Philadelphia in 1977.

2005: Week 2 (4th Quarter Collapse) Redskins 14 Cowboys 13

The Cowboys had dominated the whole way. But they saw a 13-0 lead disappear in almost a blink of an eye. The Redskins scored a touchdown on a 4th and 25 with less than five minutes left, and after a Dallas punt, Santana Moss got behind the defense for a 70 yard touchdown reception. It was the first time that a Bill Parcells coached team blew a 13 point lead in the fourth quarter.

2005: Week 10 (Roy's Timely Pick) Cowboys 21 Eagles 20

The Eagles had dominated the Cowboys all night long. Drew Bledsoe had been intercepted once, not to mention getting sacked and knocked down almost every dropback. But things all changed in the final 3:44. The battered Bledsoe somehow still had enough gumption to lead Dallas down the field for a touchdown in a matter of 40 seconds. The 72 yard drive was capped by a 20 yard touchdown pass to Terry Glenn. But they still had to stop Philadelphia. And they did. Well, you might say Donovan Mcnabb stopped the Eagles' momentum all by himself. On second and 7, Mcnabb lofted a pass towards Reggie Brown in the right flat, but woefully underthrew it. Safety Roy Williams was waiting for it and returned it 46 yards for the game winning touchdown.

2007: Week 5 (Folk: The Ice Man) Cowboys 25 Bills 24

The first Monday Night Football game in Buffalo in thirteen years was a rowdy affair. Tony Romo, who had been torching all opposition coming in, turned in his worst performance as a pro. Six turnovers were applied to Romo's tab, yet the Cowboys still had a chance for a comeback late. A touchdown pass to Patrick Crayton cut the Bills lead to 24-22 with 25 seconds remaining. The two point conversion pass fell incomplete after Terrell Owens had the ball ripped out of his hands.

The onside kick was recovered by tight end Tony Curtis. After two short completions, kicker Nick Folk trotted out onto the field to attempt the game winning 53 yard field goal. The snap was good, the hold was good and the kick was good!!! But wait...Bills coach Dick Jauron had called a timeout before the snap, so Folk would have to re-kick. After the timeout, Folk repeated the previous kick: Plenty of distance and right down the middle. The Dallas sideline erupted in celebration as the crowd stood dumbfounded. The win ran the Cowboys' record to 5-0 for the first time since 1995.

Dallas Cowboys: Super Bowl Bound

Jerry Jones cringes at such titles or similar prognostications for his beloved Dallas Cowboys. He hates them. He hates them because he has made this same type of announcement before only to have the team fall flat on the face, their losing face. And Jerry doesn't like to lose face.

So, he's content to let others go out on a limb and speak for him what is obvious to all, the Cowboys are good, very good. And if not for one mediocre quarter of football against the Giants, your heroes could be wearing a Super Bowl ring.

But, alas, such memories are painful to bear. We are left, instead, to perform the work that the fear residing within Jerry Jones will not allow him to. Predict the glory to come, this year, not next year.

At least we will never have to acknowledge that we let our fear get the best of us, regardless of the outcome. True Texans possess that certain quality. Jerry should take note. After the Super Bowl, of course!

Who Is Mickey Spagnola? Should Jerry Jones Trade Him?

All Things Cowboys would like to offer a heartfelt thanks to Mickey Spagnola of DallasCowboys.com for not so prominently mentioning this obsure and "lame" blog in his latest column, A Bigger Fish To Fry. Such notoriety is completely unexpected at this juncture of our online sports enterprise. Unexpected, but not unwelcome. Once again, our thanks to Mickey.

With that said, I'd like to give our readers a hint as to who Mickey Spagnola really is. Having never personally met him, I only know him through his writing about the Dallas Cowboys. This reaches back to his days working for The Dallas Times Herald, having to endure the journalistic blossoming of Skip Bayless. (He referred to the passes of Danny White as "quacking ducks") Fortunately, Mickey had the positive professional influence of an august group of accomplished writers including scattershooting Blackie Sherrod and reserved Frank Luksa. He also worked along side of Randy Galloway, who may be considered accomplished but not quite august. (Randy understands!) This circus atmosphere prepared him for working for Jerry Jones, DallasCowboys.com and The Silver Star Network, where he has worked along side of Babe Laufenburg as a Preseason Game Analyst.

To put it concisely, Mickey Spagnola is the consumate professional. He knows his stuff, especially his Cowboys stuff. He is always prepared and never caught off guard, in spite of those around him. His tenure within the varied ranks of modern sports journalism speaks for itself. He exhibits a measured realism in his analysis of the Cowboys, a realism which stops short of tabloid hype. ( Of course, Dale Hansen might have provided the ultimate primer on journalistc no-nos while working for Jerry Jones.) This attribute is a treasured commodity in the midst of the ever present selfishness of journalists attempting to draw attention to themselves. For this reason alone, Mickey stands out simply because he's not trying to.

Because of this immense value of Mickey to the operations of Jerry Jones, I can't help but wonder if it's feasable to trade him for someone (maybe more than one "someone") with a little more flash. After all, Jerry likes flash. And flash brings attention. And attention brings cash flow! And cash flow makes Jerry smile. And Jerry likes to smile. And when Jerry smiles he looks for more flash.............. So maybe Mickey should be shipped off to ESPN, ABC, CBS, NBC or FOX for ..............Who?.......a loud mouth?..........a non stop motor mouth?...........a handsome camera presence?.........a nationally recognized and respected sports personality? I ask you, "Exacty who would that be?" After all, do these entities want to trade their contracted personnel? For the most part, no. They would tell you that they are currently satisfied with their arrangements and the stature of Mickey would upset that desired equilibrium.

So, as much as Mickey would add immense value to these other national operations, they can't afford to give up what they already possess. And Jerry will not ship him off unless it significantly enhances the weight of his back pocket. And Jerry doesn't keep anyone, I repeat, anyone, unless he really likes their performance and they add to his bottom line. And believe me, Mickey has done exactly that over the years.

That's why he's staying right where he is. Nope, the trade's not going to happen. I don't care what you may have read or heard on some legitimate web site, the great Mickey Spagnola stays put. He's too valuable and should be recognized as such, something even lame blog writers can do!

Jason Garrett Stays...What's the Fuss??????

Jason Garrett has decided to stay in Big D! That news seems to be a welcome relief for many fans. That news also seems to have gone against conventional Sports Writers Wisdom regarding the future of Garrett. Most were expecting a departure from the hallowed halls of Valley Ranch to a loftier head coaching perch elsewhere.

Personally, I never understood the train of thought regarding such an expected move. Since Jason was hired by Jerry Jones (before the hiring of Wade Phillips), I've said that Jason Garrett would be the Cowboys Head Coach sooner or later. Jerry has always liked Jason and his coaching faculties, especially since they were groomed at the feet of another man on Jerry's past Super Bowl payroll, Jason's father, Jim. Wade simply was the right man at the right time for Jerry to allow Jason to grow into the job.

Now that Jason is making almost as much as Wade Phillips and has also been handed the title of Assistant Head Coach, people are now speculating how long it will take for the next move upward to happen. That probably depends on Wade!