Dallas Cowboys’ Laurent Robinson, right , celebrates his touchdown reception with Dez Bryant during the first half against the Buffalo Bills in an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011, in Arlington, Texas.

Dallas Cowboys’ Laurent Robinson, right , celebrates his touchdown reception with Dez Bryant during the first half against the Buffalo Bills in an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011, in Arlington, Texas.

When the Dallas Cowboys signed Laurent Robinson at the start of this season, they figured they were getting a serviceable third receiver. His career numbers warned them not to expect much: four NFL seasons, four touchdown catches.
Then Robinson got hurt in his first practice. He missed the opener and was cut days later, written off as another low-risk move that didn’t pan out.
But a week later, Miles Austin hurt his hamstring. Needing another receiver, the Cowboys brought Robinson back — and they may not be enjoying a midseason revival without him.
Robinson has matched his career touchdown total with four in the past three games, tying him for second on the club. He’s already set a career best with 441 yards, good for third on the team. His 27 catches are approaching a career high and are fourth on the Cowboys (5-4).
“It’s all about opportunity,” Robinson said Wednesday. “You’ve got to be patient and wait for your turn. My turn, I guess, is now.”
While rookie running back DeMarco Murray has deservedly commanded attention for what he’s brought to the offense, Robinson’s performance is almost as important and possibility more stunning. After all, Murray was a third-round pick and a star at Oklahoma. Robinson was the veteran averaging a touchdown per season.
“The more you play, the better you get if you go about it the right way,” Dallas coach Jason Garrett said. “He’s certainly taking advantage of this chance.”
Robinson’s role keeps changing.
He’s been the No. 3 receiver he initially was expected to be, and also a starter in place of Austin, opposite Dez Bryant.
Sure, he’s benefited by defenses worrying more about Bryant, tight end Jason Witten and, of late, Murray. But Robinson also is getting open and making catches.
“I’m just comfortable in the offense,” Robinson said. “I’m playing fast, not thinking too much, just going out there and playing confident.”
The 6-foot-2, 194-pound Robinson was a third-round pick by Atlanta in 2007. He spent two years with the Falcons, then the past two in St. Louis. Injuries kept him from fulfilling his potential.
He was with the Chargers in training camp when they held several joint practices with the Cowboys, followed by a preseason game. Dallas coaches liked what they saw and signed him after San Diego made him a late cut.
Once Robinson finally got onto the practice field in Dallas, Tony Romo was dealing with a broken rib. That made it tough to build a quarterback-receiver bond. Somehow, they did, as evidenced by Robinson catching seven passes for 116 yards in his second game with the Cowboys.
The bond has grown quickly. Over the past two games, eight balls have been thrown his way and he’s caught them all. That includes touchdowns of 58, 6 and 5 yards.
The short TDs are especially significant because both came on third downs. Dallas has struggled to finish drives inside the 10-yard line, and might have again had to settle for field goals without Romo trusting Robinson and Robinson rewarding him with the clutch catch.
“It’s hard to do what Laurent has done,” Witten said. “To come in the middle of the year at a skill position in our offense, a system that has been in place for five years, it’s not always easy to do. To make the plays that he’s made consistently, it really speaks volumes about him, his knowledge of the game and understanding coverages. He’s done a great job getting on the same page as Tony.”
Garrett, a former quarterback, said Robinson is “quarterback-friendly with how he runs routes.” The Princeton grad then gave a detailed explanation of what that means.
“Some guys just somehow someway present themselves to the quarterback where it’s easy to throw to him,” Garrett said. “Whether it’s just that they’re tight at the top of their route or they come out of their breaks at the right depth, come out of breaks at the right angle, they’re a big target, they’re consistent not herky-jerky.”
Then Garrett switched to a baseball analogy, comparing it to the baseball pitcher who’s ERA is drastically lower with a particular catcher.
“I don’t really know the specifics of why and how that works, but I know that at the end of it, they like throwing to him,” Garrett said.
Robinson had a far less technical description of his way of doing things: “I’m just trying to go out there and be in the right spot, catch the ball and make plays.”
As for his recent touchdown streak, Robinson said he hasn’t had anything like it since he was in college, at Illinois State. He also noted that was the last time he wore No. 81, which he’s wearing again in Dallas. Fans may remember Romo throwing a lot of touchdown passes to another No. 81: Terrell Owens.
“I’ve gotten a lot of heat, like, ‘Oh, you’re wearing 81,’” Robinson said, laughing. “I’m not thinking about that. I’m just trying to make plays.”

IRVING, Texas (AP)—The Dallas Cowboys have pulled off quite a midseason
transformation.

No longer are they a team that will only go as far as Tony Romo(notes) throws. No
longer are they trying to pull out victories late in the fourth quarter.

Dallas has turned into a balanced club that can break games open early, then
stay in control, all because of the emergence of a single player: rookie running
back DeMarco Murray(notes).

Since an injury to starter Felix Jones(notes) forced Murray to take on a bigger
role, the third-round pick from Oklahoma has averaged 150 yards per game and the
mere threat of him getting the ball has defenses jumping. Dallas has gone 3-1 in
that span, moving within a game of first place in the NFC East.

“I definitely think I get too much credit,” said Murray, who’s been as
humble as he’s been effective.

Murray’s breakout began with a franchise-record 253 yards against St. Louis.
He’s proven that he was no fluke by gaining 74 yards on just eight carries
against Philadelphia, then racking up 139 yards against Seattle and 135 yards
this past Sunday against Buffalo.

Consider this: he has three 100-yard games in the past month, while
predecessor Jones has two in his 41-game career. NFL rushing king Emmitt Smith
also had three 100-yard games as a rookie, but that was over 16 games; he never
had two in a row.

And this: Murray’s 601 yards rushing over a four-game span is 51 yards
better than Smith ever had over a similar stretch. His outburst has lifted
Dallas from near the bottom of the NFL in rushing to ninth-best. He’s up to No.
11 in the league despite having had only 14 carries the first four games.

“He is and should be inspirational,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “I
haven’t seen enough of DeMarco. I’d like to see five more years—at least.”

The Cowboys are 5-4 and play teams with losing records in each of their next
three games, giving them a chance to keep this roll going.

Each of their three Murray-infused victories has gotten more impressive. The
topper came Sunday with a 44-7 rout of the Buffalo Bills, a team that came in
5-3 and tied for the lead in the AFC East.

Dallas jumped ahead 21-0 and was hardly challenged. Romo set a franchise
record by hitting 88.5 percent of his passes, the defense went from solid early
to turnover-gobblers late and kicker Dan Bailey(notes) made three field goals. So why
does Murray get the credit? Because each of those can be traced back to the
running game.

Romo is no longer facing a secondary stacked to stop him. Now teams are
committing the usual front seven to stopping the run and often adding an eighth
man close to the line of scrimmage.

For a quarterback, it’s like the difference between driving on an empty
country road and a downtown highway during rush hour. Receivers benefit, too,
because there’s more room for them to roam.

“When (Murray) is bringing the safety down in the box because he is running
the ball so well, it opens it up for us on the outside,” said receiver Laurent
Robinson(notes), who found enough space to catch two touchdown passes Sunday.

Murray makes it work by finding creases regardless of how many guys are
chasing him. He’s turning plays that look doomed into short gains and getting
first downs out of plays that look like short gains. His season average of 6.7
yards per carry practically laps the field among featured running backs. The
next closest is Buffalo’s Fred Jackson(notes), who is at 5.6.

“When you can run the ball to eight-man fronts, it puts a dent in the
defense,” tight end Jason Witten(notes) said. “And then when you have the weapons we
have on the outside, and at quarterback, it puts a smile on your face. His
expectations have not been a good run here and a good run there. His
expectations and his standard have been high. That’s good to see, because a lot
of rookies aren’t that way.”

Offensive linemen love run-blocking, and having success at it sends their
confidence soaring. It’s no coincidence that this unit, considered a liability
early, has just gone back-to-back games without allowing a single sack.

“You see him every week: powerful runner, his vision is outstanding, he can
stop on a dime,” left guard Montrae Holland(notes) said. “You saw it at the end of
the first half when he reversed field. They had overplayed it. He turned back,
reversed it and picked up (25) yards. That’s a great back. I don’t think we did
anything there to help him out.”

The defense loves a ground game because that keeps the clock running and
helps them rest more on the sideline. The more they rest, the more effective
they can be.

That clearly happened Sunday, especially with Dallas up 28-7 at halftime and
using Murray to grind out the clock in the second half. Cowboys fans remember a
similar halftime lead that was squandered against Detroit earlier this season
because Dallas didn’t run enough to protect it.

This time, Murray got those second-half drives close enough to ask Bailey to
finish them off. He did each time, giving the special teams a piece of the
credit.

As Dallas looks ahead to playing at Washington on Sunday, there’s a chance
Jones’ high-ankle sprain has healed enough to allow him to start practicing.

He might even be active Sunday. He certainly won’t be the featured back. But
he might make a nice complement to Murray. Being a part-time player could
actually bring out his best. He had that role early in his career and in
college, when he split time with Darren McFadden(notes) at Arkansas.

“We just want to get him back into action,” coach Jason Garrett said
Monday. “He’s been a really good football player for us the past few years. A
dynamic player both in the run game and the pass games. We just want to get him
some touches.”

Jason Witten(notes) will probably surpass a milestone against the Buffalo Bills, on Nov. 13. Witten only needs two more receptions to move ahead of Ozzie Newsome (662) on the all-time receptions list for tight ends. After that, only Tony Gonzalez(notes) (1,108) and Shannon Sharpe (815) sit ahead of him.

With Jason Witten cementing his name as one of the best tight ends in NFL history, here is a look at the best tight ends in Dallas Cowboys history.

1. Jason Witten

Jason Witten was just what the doctor ordered for the Dallas Cowboys. It had been years since Jay Novacek spoiled the Dallas Cowboys by proving how important a tight end could be in the offense. Witten exceeded all expectations. As he prepares to move into third place on the all-time receiving list, he also has over 7,000 yards and 40 touchdowns in his career. No other Dallas tight end has over 3,800 yards and Witten needs only one touchdown to tie the all-time Dallas record for tight ends.

2. Jay Novacek

Before Jason Witten, Dallas fans believed they would never have another tight end as great as Jay Novacek. The big cowboy played for only seven seasons in Dallas and took part in all three Super Bowls, one of quarterback Troy Aikman’s favorite targets. While at Dallas, Novacek finished with 3,576 yards and 22 touchdowns. Before playing for Dallas, he also played for the Cardinals in both St. Louis and Arizona.

3. Billy Joe Dupree

Billy Joe Dupree currently is the Dallas Cowboys leader in touchdown receptions for a tight end with 41 and sits fourth on the yardage list behind Novacek, Witten and Doug Cosbie. He played for Dallas from 1973-1983, with his best year coming in 1976, when he caught 42 balls for 680 yards. In 1978, he totaled nine touchdown receptions as Dallas went to the Super Bowl, only to lose to Pittsburgh.

4. Doug Cosbie

Between Billy Joe Dupree and Jay Novacek, Doug Cosbie manned the position and was a big target for quarterback Danny White throughout the ’80s. He played for Dallas from 1979-1988 and left shortly after Jimmy Johnson took over the team. He chose to retire in 1989 rather than play for another team. He finished his career with 300 receptions for 3,728 yards and 30 touchdowns.

5. Eric Bjornson

Dallas thought they found a nice replacement for Jay Novacek in Eric Bjornson but he failed to make too much of a dent. After Novacek retired following the 1995 season, Bjornson got the chance to prove himself. He played two decent years, catching 95 receptions in 1996-97 for 832 yards, however he only finished with three touchdowns over those two seasons. Bjornson had the size and talent but he never made a dent for the Cowboys before leaving and retiring after one season at New England.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has followed the Dallas Cowboys since he was a child, his favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s. Through the great years of the ’90s and the hard times of the ’80s, Shawn never turned his back on America’s Team.

Source: Dallas Cowboys website

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Murray rushed for 139 yards on 22 carries and caught four passes for 47 more yards in Sunday’s 23-13 home win over Seattle.

An improved running game created more offensive balance against Seattle, helping Romo go 19 for 31 for 279 yards and two touchdowns. What’s more, Romo wasn’t guilty of an interception and wasn’t sacked.

Murray has shown that his club-record 253-yard output in his first extended play against St. Louis was no fluke. When Felix Jones returns from a high ankle sprain, Jones could wind up as Murray’s backup.

The news for the Cowboys from Sunday wasn’t all good. Wide receiver Miles Austin left in the second quarter with a right hamstring injury and didn’t return. Austin is expected to be out for as long as a month.

Missing all of last Sunday’s game with injuries were linebacker Sean Lee (left wrist), punter Mat McBriar (left foot), cornerback Mike Jenkins (right hamstring) and Jones.

Coach Jason Garrett said he was “hopeful” McBriar and Jones would be available for Sunday’s home game against Buffalo.

Rookie punter Chris Jones was signed off the practice squad for the Seattle game, averaging 43 yards on four punts.

Austin won’t be back anytime soon, sidelined by the latest in a series of hamstring problems that have plagued him throughout his six-year career.

With Austin out, more will be expected from wide receivers Dez Bryant, Laurent Robinson and Kevin Ogletree. The Cowboys could also call up one of three receivers from their practice squad.

Murray’s emergence has been a pleasant surprise for the Cowboys. A third-round pick from Oklahoma, Murray’s development was hampered by the lockout, then he suffered another setback with a hamstring injury in training camp.

But Jones’ injury created an opening for Murray, and he’s taken advantage with 466 yards over his last three games.

“He runs really, really hard,” Cowboys tight end Jason Witten said. “Obviously we have seen those big runs he’s had, but he turns 2- or 3-yard gains into nice 10-yard gains. He takes some big hits and he gets up. … He’s been a dynamic player for us. Our offense and really our team has been better and had success because of the way he plays.”

Witten wouldn’t offer any opinion on which back deserves to start when Jones is healthy again. But the seven-time Pro Bowl selection did say the Cowboys will be even more potent on offense when both are available.

“The more of those types of players you can have, the better you are going to be,” Witten said. “We are going to have a great 1-2 punch when Felix gets healthy. It’s going to put us in a great situation. Felix is the type of player who anytime he gets it, he can take 40, 50 yards on a normal run. But I think DeMarco gets his carries, for sure.”

With their 10-point victory over Seattle, the Cowboys bounced back from a 34-7 road thrashing at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles a week earlier. Even though Sunday’s win came over a team that isn’t a playoff contender, the Cowboys needed some positive reinforcement.

The Cowboys have a favorable upcoming schedule. After Sunday’s meeting with Buffalo (5-3), they are at Washington (3-5), home against Miami (1-7) and at Arizona (2-6).

After that, the opponents get tougher: home and home against the division-leading New York Giants, at home against Philadelphia, and at Tampa Bay.

Garrett isn’t making any predictions after a break-even first half of the season. That’s not his style.

“We’ve done a lot of things to build on over the first eight games, a lot we can be positive about,” Garrett said. “We’ve played a lot of young players and they’ve stepped into roles and done a nice job. That’s hard to do in the NFL. But we have to get better. The teams that win in this league, the teams that make the playoffs, are the teams that improve over the course of the season.”

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