With an 8-6 record that has them a game up on the New York Giants and two on the Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys remain in the driver’s seat in the NFC East.

Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones, however, admitted to a Dallas radio station that he’s a little anxious about his team’s Week 16 home game against the 6-8 Eagles.

“Because it is the Eagles and after the butt-kicking they gave us up in Philadelphia, I’m scared,” Jones told KRLD-FM on Tuesday.

Jones is referring to the teams’ Week 8 game, when the Eagles throttled the Cowboys 34-7 in a front of a national audience on Sunday night. Jones has four good reasons to still be spooked by the team that gained 495 yards against his team on Halloween eve:

QB Michael Vick. It’s not a coincidence Vick’s two most efficient games of the season came against defenses coached by the Brothers Ryan. Cowboys coordinator Rob must go back to the drawing board after Vick picked his group apart (21-for-28, 279 yards passing, 2 total TDs, 50 yards rushing). And last week, Vick torched Rex’s Jets for similar stats (15-for-22, 274 yards, 2 total TDs, 32 yards rushing). Vick struggles more against cover 2 type defenses (see Chicago) than those that aggressively come after him, because he makes big things happen when he’s chased out of the pocket.

RB LeSean McCoy. The Cowboys’ run defense has been pretty good all season, with one notable hiccup. McCoy burned them for 185 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries in the first meeting. He now owns the Eagles’ record for touchdowns in a season (20 overall), and he has found the end zone in every game other than Week 11 against the Giants. McCoy causes Dallas problems because of the speed he has to consistently turn the corner.

TE Brent Celek. Like Vick, the Eagles’ tight end has made a living off of Ryan defenses this season. He had seven catches for 94 yards and a touchdown against the Cowboys in Philadelphia, and trumped that with five catches for 156 yards and a TD against the Jets. Looking at the challenges wide receiver DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin will present outside for the Cowboys’ cornerbacks, Celek should see the middle of the field open up for him again.

DE Jason Babin. Babin, whose troika against the Jets gave him a league-leading 18 sacks, was able to drop Tony Romo twice in Week 8. With DeMarco Murray (ankle) out and Felix Jones (shoulder) banged up, Romo may not be able to lean on the running game much in the rematch. That should allow Philadelphia to go into tee-off mode off the edge, with Babin working often against rookie tackle Tyron Smith.

–Story originally appeared on SportingNews.com.

IRVING, Texas (AP)

The Dallas Cowboys are running out of running backs.

Felix Jones missed practice Tuesday because of hamstring tightness, leaving the NFC East-leading Cowboys (8-6) with Sammy Morris and Chauncey Washington. Neither was even with an NFL team at Thanksgiving.

Coach Jason Garrett hopes that Jones will be able to practice this week and play in Saturday’s regular-season home finale against Philadelphia.

If not, Morris would be the likely starter a week after the 12-year NFL veteran was signed and made his season debut behind Jones with 12 carries for 53 yards against Tampa Bay.

”Sammy is the most logical choice, so he got a lot of the work (Tuesday), and we have another young back on our practice roster (Washington), so he’ll get a chance to do some of that too,” Garrett said. ”That’s kind of the plan right now, but we’re hopeful that Felix will be able to practice as the week goes on.”

Garrett didn’t say which hamstring was bothering Jones, who wasn’t in the locker room when it was open to reporters. Jones matched his career high Saturday night with 22 carries against Tampa Bay for 108 yards, giving him consecutive 100-yard rushing games for the first time in his four NFL seasons.

”He feels good,” Garrett said. ”He just had this little tightness in his hamstring, so we didn’t think it was a good idea to have him practice.”

Linebacker DeMarcus Ware (stinger) and nose tackle Jay Ratliff (rib muscle) also missed practice Tuesday, though both starters could practice Wednesday and are likely to be ready to play against the Eagles (6-8).

Ware, whose 16 sacks are third-most in the NFL, didn’t play the second half Saturday at Tampa Bay. Ratliff has been bothered by his injury the last two games.

But Jones being out of practice was a reminder of just how thin the playoff-chasing Cowboys have become at running back.

Rookie DeMarco Murray, the team’s leading rusher with 897 yards, went on season-ending injured reserve last week after he broke his right ankle against the New York Giants. That came after Phillip Tanner, another rookie running back, had been put on injured reserve a week earlier with a hamstring injury.

Washington, whose only four NFL carries came as a rookie for Jacksonville in 2008, was signed to the Cowboys’ practice squad Nov. 30. He had been out of football since being cut by St. Louis during training camp on Aug. 4.

Morris was home in New England when he got a call last week from the Cowboys and Garrett, his former teammate and coach in Miami. Morris had been working out, but hadn’t played since being cut by the Patriots at the end of training camp after playing there the last four seasons.

”Everything is kind of getting reintroduced, first day out here at practice was just getting used to running around and cutting, I guess as far as like reacting to somebody to cut, then it was on game day actually putting on pads,” Morris said Tuesday. ”The soreness was next, so I’ve got to work my way through it and get back out there.”

Asked what he expected his role to be if Jones isn’t able to go, Morris insisted it will be the same as last week in Tampa Bay.

”Help the team win. It’s not really complicated,” Morris said. ”Whether it’s five carries, or 25, it’s help the team win.”

The 34-year-old Morris played in all 16 games for New England last season, but hasn’t started a game since 2009. He was primarily a backup at running back and fullback who contributed on special teams for the Patriots, like he has most of his career.

Morris discounted the thought of being fresh just because he wasn’t playing the first 13 games.

”Nah, the fresh legs went out the window like five years ago,” Morris said. ”I’m really just trying to just make the most and do whatever I can to stay on top of the soreness, or tiredness, whatever it may be. … But there was just a general sense of something being new again.”

Especially considering that before the Cowboys called he was resigning himself to the thought that he had maybe played his last NFL game.

”It just shows you how fast things can change,” he said. ”I thought my life was going in this direction and it ends up going in the other direction.”

Garrett and the Cowboys have certainly found out how quickly things can change.

With Murray’s emergence, the Cowboys were working to develop quite a 1-2 combo with the rookie and Jones.

They may play their next game with Morris and Washington.

”It’s part of the game, why there are so many running backs in this league,” said Washington, who shared time with Morris in practice Tuesday. ”It’s a good opportunity, to get a rhythm with the first team. … It feels good, the coaches are putting back there just to step in, give Sammy some rest.”

IRVING, TEXAS The Dallas Cowboys are running out of running backs.

Felix Jones missed practice Tuesday because of hamstring tightness, leaving the NFC East-leading Cowboys with Sammy Morris and Chauncey Washington. Neither was even with an NFL team at Thanksgiving.

Coach Jason Garrett is hopeful Jones will be able to practise this week and play in Saturday’s regular-season home finale against Philadelphia (7-7).

If not, Morris would be the likely starter a week after the 12-year NFL veteran was signed and made his season debut behind Jones with 12 carries for 53 yards against Tampa Bay.

“Sammy is the most logical choice, so he got a lot of the work (Tuesday), and we have another young back on our practice roster (Washington), so he’ll get a chance to do some of that, too,” Garrett said. “That’s kind of the plan right now, but we’re hopeful that Felix will be able to practise as the week goes on.”

Garrett didn’t say which hamstring was bothering Jones, who wasn’t in the locker-room when it was open to reporters.

“He feels good,” Garrett said. “He just had this little tightness in his hamstring, so we didn’t think it was a good idea to have him practise.”

But Jones being out of practice was a reminder of just how thin the playoff-chasing Cowboys (8-6) have become at running back.

Rookie DeMarco Murray, the team’s leading rusher with 897 yards, went on season-ending injured reserve last week after he broke his right ankle against the New York Giants. That came after Phillip Tanner, another rookie running back, had been put on injured reserve a week earlier with a hamstring injury.

Washington, whose only four NFL carries came as a rookie for Jacksonville in 2008, was signed to the Cowboys’ practice squad Nov. 30. He had been out of football since being cut by St. Louis during training camp Aug. 4.

Morris was home in New England when he got a call last week from the Cowboys and Garrett, his former teammate and coach in Miami. Morris had been working out, but hadn’t played since being cut by the Patriots at the end of training camp after playing there the past four seasons.

“Everything is kind of getting reintroduced, first day out here at practice was just getting used to running around and cutting, I guess as far as like reacting to somebody to cut, then it was on game day actually putting on pads,” Morris said Tuesday. “The soreness was next, so I’ve got to work my way through it and get back out there.”

Asked what he expected his role to be if Jones isn’t able to go, Morris insisted it will be the same as last week in Tampa Bay.

“Help the team win. It’s not really complicated,” Morris said. “Whether it’s five carries, or 25, it’s help the team win.”

The 34-year-old Morris played in all 16 games for New England last season, but hasn’t started a game since 2009. He was primarily a backup at running back and fullback who contributed on special teams for the Patriots, like he has most of his career.

Morris discounted the thought of being fresh just because he wasn’t playing the first 13 games.

“Nah, the fresh legs went out the window like five years ago,” Morris said. “I’m really just trying to just make the most and do whatever I can to stay on top of the soreness, or tiredness, whatever it may be. … But there was just a general sense of something being new again.”

Especially considering that before the Cowboys called he was resigning himself to the thought he had maybe played his last NFL game.

“It just shows you how fast things can change,” he said. “I thought my life was going in this direction and it ends up going in the other direction.”

Garrett and the Cowboys have certainly found out how quickly things can change.

With Murray’s emergence, the Cowboys were working to develop quite a 1-2 combo with the rookie and Jones.

They may play their next game with Morris and Washington.

“It’s part of the game, why there are so many running backs in this league,” said Washington, who shared time with Morris in practice Tuesday. “It’s a good opportunity, to get a rhythm with the first team. … It feels good, the coaches are putting back there just to step in, give Sammy some rest.”

The Associated Press

Lots of blame has been thrown around after the Dallas Cowboys loss to the New York Giants on Dec. 11. Blame on the kicker, defense, coach and injuries have all risen to the top of the excuse pile. However, only looking at the negatives can cause a fan to lose track of the finish line. The season is not over and Dallas still holds their own destiny in the NFC East.

If Dallas wins out, the worst they can finish is a tie with the Giants and Dallas wins the tiebreaker. Both teams will have exchanged a win with each other. Both teams could conceivably have the same division record. The third tiebreaker is common games win-loss records, and if both teams win out, they remain tied there too. That brings us to conference record and Dallas has a game up on the Giants.

So, with Dallas still a favorite to win the NFC East, let’s look at what worked in Week 14.

Laurent Robinson moved back to the third receiver position but led the team in receiving yards with 137 on four receptions. He also caught his team leading eighth touchdown reception of the season. This was after he missed practice most of the week leading up to the game. Robinson has enjoyed a career revival in Dallas and should be a play maker for the Cowboys for years to come.

Tony Romo completed 21-of-31 for 321 yards and four touchdowns. He did not throw an interception and led Dallas into position for the game tying field goal in impressive fashion. Romo has only thrown two interceptions over the last six games and is guarding the ball well. With the running game in shambles, Dallas needs him to keep it up.

When DeMarco Murray fell to his season ending injury, Felix Jones got a chance to shine. He finished the game with 16 carried for 106 yards (6.6 ypc) and caught six receptions for 31 yards. That is the type of showing Dallas needs from the small speedster it they hope to survive the loss of Murray.

A lot of fans want to implode the team, but at this time, Dallas still controls their own destiny and the playoffs are a realistic goal.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: dallascowboys.com

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Jerry Jones had great news for Dallas Cowboys’ head coach Jeff Garrett and horrible news for the fan uprising that wants him gone. When asked if Garrett’s job is in danger, Jones responded by saying, “No. We’re just getting started here.”

That will probably send many fans screaming to their keyboards in anger, demanding Garrett’s head and wishing Jones would just go away. The thing is it won’t happen. Jones is here to stay. He took over the team and fired a legendary head coach in 1989, bringing in a college coach to take his place. That coach exceeded all expectations and led Dallas to two Super Bowl victories.

When Jimmy Johnson left, the team fell short the next year and a new head coach, another former college coach, came in and brought in just the right replacements to win a third Super Bowl. Since Barry Switzer left, no one has been very successful in Big D.

Chan Gailey arrived and did decent but was cut loose too early and Dave Campo drove the team to the depths of the NFC. Troy Aikman retired and Dallas found no one worth taking his place. Bill Parcells came in and did a decent job but he couldn’t even bring them back. Wade Phillips did the best of any of them when he finally found a franchise quarterback in Tony Romo.

Then, in the middle of a disastrous season, Phillips was let go. I don’t know if he should have taken the responsibility for the season. Dallas was coming off their best season since the Super Bowl years and was playing with a backup quarterback. However, Phillips was gone and Jason Garrett took over. Garrett finished the season with a 5-3 record and came into 2011 as the new head coach.

Now, with Dallas sitting at 7-6 and tied for the lead in the NFL East, everyone wants Garrett fired and Tony Romo chased out of town. This could only happen in Dallas. If the Cowboys fall completely off the boat in the last three weeks and lose two of the three final games, Jones might change his tune. Otherwise, it is a wait and see attitude in Dallas right now.

Jason Garrett and Tony Romo have the Cowboys in position to fight for the NFC East title. The doomsday button should not be pushed yet.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: NFL.COM

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

The Dallas Cowboys have not been ready-for-prime-time players so far this season.

“Football Night in America” hasn’t been good to America’s Team.

The Cowboys are 0-2 on Sunday night.

On the first week of the season, they showed us how to blow a fourth-quarter lead. Tony Romo’s late fumble and interception gave the Jets a 27-24 win.

Then six weeks ago in Philadelphia, the team never got off the bus. They trailed 24-0 at halftime and got whipped 34-7 by the Eagles.

Tonight, the Cowboys return to the big stage for the biggest game of the year.

A win over the Giants wouldn’t sew up the NFC East, but it would sure give Dallas the upper hand. A two-game lead with three games to play and a 3-1 division record compared with New York’s 1-3 would be hard for the G-men to overcome.

A loss also wouldn’t end all hope for the Cowboys,

but it would certainly put the Giants in the driver’s seat.

The two teams would be tied at the top of the division, but Dallas has to hit the road for two of its final three games. The Giants play their last three on their home field, including a New Year’s Day regular season finale against the Cowboys.

So, in my humble opinion, the NFC East title is on the line tonight at Jerry World.

In the NFL, you are only as good as your last game.

And if you were watching last Sunday, you have to believe the Giants are better than the Cowboys.

Dallas stunk in an embarrassing 19-13 overtime loss in Arizona.

Although the Giants also lost, they hung for 59 minutes with a Green Bay team that will probably go 19-0 and win a second straight Super Bowl.

The Cowboys that I saw on Sunday looked like a JV team compared with the Giants’ effort against the Packers.

The bookies have the Cowboys a 3-point favorite for two reasons.

One, they are at home, where they are 5-1 this year. The Giants, however, are 2-0 at Cowboys Stadium.

Two, the Giants’ defense is ranked 29th in the league.

It’s really hard to make predictions for a Dallas team that is so unpredictable.

Will we see tonight the Cowboys who absolutely dominated a Buffalo Bills team that, at the time, we thought was pretty good?

Or will we see the team that didn’t get off the bus and humiliated itself in Philly?

Will we get the flawless Cowboys who jumped on Detroit 27-3 or the clueless Cowboys who were outscored 31-7 by the Lions in the final 28 minutes?

The answer to those questions will decide the season.

Sports Editor Nick Gholson can be reached at gholsonn@timesrecordnews.com or 940-720-3447.

The Dallas Cowboys hold a one game lead in the NFC East but that could all fall by the wayside if the New York Giants beat them on Dec. 11. Despite the team’s winning record and current division lead, fans of the team find plenty to complain about. The biggest target right now is Jason Garrett and his play calling.

Now, on Dec. 5, some interesting information has popped up surrounding the fact that two teams have contacted Jeff Fisher with interest in bringing him aboard as their new head coach. While Garrett’s name has never appeared on any hot seat list, Dallas is one of the team’s mentioned when talking about Fisher’s eventual destination.

When trying to determine which two teams might have reached out to Fisher, Jason La Canfora of the NFL Network mentioned the following teams: the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, San Diego Chargers and St. Louis Rams. He mentioned that Fisher has strong ties with the Cowboys and Giants, while San Diego is a home town team and he has ties in the Rams’ front office.

Garrett has been a Dallas assistant since 2007 and moved into the interim head coach position in 2010. Since taking over as head coach, Garrett has built up a 12-8 record with the Cowboys. So far, he has the Cowboys at a 7-5 record in 2011 as they fight for the NFC East crown and a playoff spot.

Jeff Fisher’s only head coaching stop was with the Tennessee Titans. He took over as head coach in 1994 when they were still in Houston and he coached there for 17 seasons. Over his career in Tennessee, he took the Titans to the playoffs in six of those seasons. While Fisher is seen as one of the more successful coaches in recent years, he only finished with double-digit wins in six seasons and failed to even post a winning record in the other 11.

I don’t think trading up for Fisher would be a great move. He has been successful and coached his team to a Super Bowl appearance but has not been as successful as you would like. Garrett, on the other hand, finished 2010 with a winning record (5-3) and needs two more wins in 2011 to finish the year with a winning record. That makes Garrett more successful right now in my eyes.

Compare the two. Jeff Fisher took over midway through the 1994 season and finished with a 1-5 record. He then finished his first full season with a 7-9 record. Even if he doesn’t win another game this season, Garrett has been a more successful coach than Fisher was at the start of his career. I feel pretty good about sticking with Garrett and don’t consider Fisher an upgrade at this time.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: CBSSports

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

Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Melissa Kellerman was thrust into the spotlight Thursday when she was accidentally tackled on the sideline by tight end Jason Witten during the team’s game vs. the Miami Dolphins.

In fact, later that day, she had more than tripled her Twitter followers — to more than 1,000 — as a result of the incident, CNBC’s Darren Rovell reported. [Watch the video of her getting knocked down by Witten here.]

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On Friday morning, she tweeted twice about the knockdown, writing: “I’m not the best at Jason Witten trust falls ” and “Not hurtin’ today, like some of y’all thought I would be! Our TE isn’t as tough as he looks… That or I’m WAY tougher than I look. ”

But it seems the Dallas Cowboys organization didn’t approve of the messages. According to Rovell, Kellerman — a student who is in her fourth year with the team — was forced to delete her account by the NFL franchise.

“Shame on the Cowboys for pulling cheerleader @MelissaRae off Twitter,” he tweeted from his own account. “Not allowing these girls to capitalize is criminal.”

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He also claims that the Cowboys didn’t allow interviews with Kellerman afterward.

“If Cowboys don’t trust the cheerleaders to speak for themselves, why do they even interview them for the squad?” he wrote.

Meanwhile, Yahoo Sports’ Chris Chase points out the Cowboy cheerleaders do get plenty of chances to “speak for themselves” in CMT’s Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team, a long-running reality show spotlighting the audition process. Like Rovell, he slammed the Cowboys for their move.

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“It’s alright when the team controls the message but not when a cheerleader begins to get a following and has the stage to herself?” he wrote. “This should have been a win-win for everyone involved. Witten looked chivalrous when he helped up Kellerman, she became endearing with her laughter and positive attitude. Both the franchise and the cheerleaders looked good after this. Now, only Kellerman does.”

The Dallas Cowboys beat the Washington Redskins to complete a 2011 NFL sweep over their biggest rivals. With the win Dallas moves closer to the division leading New York Giants while Washington falls further down the pack. Here is a look at the stars of the game for the Cowboys.

Tony Romo(notes)

Romo was almost perfect against the Buffalo Bulls, and while his completion percentage was down, he was still perfect when it came to turnovers. After being much maligned for throwing too many interceptions, specifically against the Detroit Lions, he has now gone three games in a row without an interception. He has thrown 12 touchdowns and only two interceptions since the Lions game and is playing great football. Despite what anyone says, Romo is as responsible as anyone for the Cowboys success right now.

DeMarco Murray(notes)

Felix Jones(notes) made his return, and while some thought he would end up as the starter again, Murray kept the job. Murray ran 25 times for 73 yards while catching a team high six passes for 32 yards. Murray now has 747 rushing yards on the season and has become prominent in the passing game as well with 16 receptions for 115 yards in the last three games. Murray is the Cowboys’ starter now and Jones will just have to deal with his spot service.

Dez Bryant(notes) and Laurent Robinson(notes)

While Jason Witten(notes) led the team in receiving yards, most of it came on one reception and he was held down the entire first half of the game. However, Bryant and Robinson combined to catch seven balls for 102 yards and two scores. As a combined force, they helped Romo the entire game and Robinson should remain a solid force in this offense as long as Dallas retains him.

Dan Bailey(notes)

Dallas finally has a kicker they can trust. Bailey has not missed a field goal since Week 2 and has only missed one so far in his rookie season. In the Redskins win, he hit the winning field goal in overtime and was also perfect on his extra points.

Dallas Defense

For the third week in a row, Dallas’ defense struggled, giving up a lot of passing yards to Rex Grossman(notes). Luckily, the return of Sean Lee(notes) has locked up their run stuffing defense again. Tashard Choice(notes) came out wanting to prove himself, made a big run for nine yards on his first carry of the game and showed off to the Dallas sidelines. He finished the game with six carries for seven yards.

While they gave up the big passing plays, the Dallas defense also forced two fumbles and Orlando Scandrick(notes) intercepted Grossman once. The defense also sacked Grossman three times with Ware getting his 14th of the season. Gerald Sensabaugh(notes) led the team with nine tackles and one of the forced fumbles.

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: Yahoo! Sports

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

In this important Week 11 NFC East matchup for the team in blue, the Dallas Cowboys face the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field. In a game that is full of high-stakes for Dallas, both the Cowboys and Redskins have several key injuries that will factor into this huge game.

Out for Cowboys: WR Miles Austin(notes), CB Mike Jenkins(notes), FB Tony Fiammetta(notes)

Austin will miss his second straight game with a hamstring injury, meaning Laurent Robinson(notes) will be another major factor this week. Also out with a hamstring injury, Jenkins will now miss his third straight game. Fiammetta is typically the team’s starting fullback and will be out with an illness.

Out for Redskins: LB Keyaron Fox(notes), WR Santana Moss(notes), WR Niles Paul(notes)

Moss, the team’s No. 1 receiver, is still out with a hand injury and will miss his fourth straight game. With the recent season-ending injury to Leonard Hankerson(notes), the Redskins will likely start Jabar Gaffney(notes) and Anthony Armstrong(notes) at wide receiver. Fox and Paul are both backup players who have contributed little so far this season.

Doubtful for Cowboys: QB Jon Kitna(notes)

Listed as doubtful with a back injury, Kitna has not thrown a pass since Week 2 against the San Francisco 49ers. Tony Romo(notes) is not listed on the injury list, meaning Kitna will most likely not factor in this game.

Doubtful for Redskins: None

Questionable for Cowboys: RB Felix Jones(notes), G Kyle Kosier(notes)

Still ailing from his ankle injury, Jones is questionable for the game but is expected to return from a four-game absence. That being said, rookie DeMarco Murray(notes) will remain No. 1 on the depth chart, as he leads all NFL running backs with 6.7 yards per carry. Kosier is the team’s starting right guard and will most likely be replaced by Derrick Dockery(notes) if he is unable to play.

Questionable for Redskins: T Jammal Brown(notes), G Maurice Hurt(notes), S LaRon Landry(notes), T Sean Locklear(notes)

Landry is questionable for Sunday’s game against the Cowboys with an Achilles injury. An important defender in the Redskins secondary, Landry also missed the first two games of the season. The three offensive linemen who are listed as questionable include the team’s starting left guard (Hurt), right tackle (Brown), and backup tackle (Locklear) and would cause huge problems if all three could not play.

Probable for Cowboys: LB Sean Lee(notes), P Mat McBriar(notes)

After missing Weeks 8 and 9 with a wrist injury, Lee returned to the field with a club over his injured wrist to make four tackles against the Buffalo Bills last week. McBriar is healthy enough to attempt punts with the nerve damage in his left foot, but the Cowboys will have Romo hold field goal and extra point attempts to minimize the stress on their punter.

Probable for Redskins: S Oshiomogho Atogwe(notes), RB Tashard Choice(notes), S Reed Doughty(notes), LB London Fletcher(notes), TE Logan Paulsen(notes)

Atogwe and Fletcher, two of the team’s main contributors on defense, should be healthy enough to play. If Landry is unable to play, Doughty will likely play in his place. Newcomer Choice will likely get his first opportunity to see action for the Redskins after overcoming a hamstring injury and Paulsen should be available if needed with his minor shoulder injury.

Sources:

NFL Injuries, Yahoo! Sports

Santana Moss Game Log, Yahoo! Sports

Jon Kitna Game Log, Yahoo! Sports

Cowboys-Redskins Preview, Yahoo! Sports

LaRon Landry, three O-linemen questionable for Sunday, Washington Post

Sean Lee Profile, Yahoo! Sports

Tony Romo remains the holder, ESPN Dallas/Fort Worth

More from this contributor:

2011 NFL Teams with Toughest Strength of Schedule from Weeks 11-17: Fan’s Take

2011 NFL Teams with Easiest Strength of Schedule from Weeks 11-17: Fan’s Take

Five San Francisco 49ers with Great Games in 27-20 Win Over Giants: Fan’s Take

New York Giants Vs. San Francisco 49ers Week 10 Injury Report Assessment: Fan’s Preview

Five San Francisco 49ers with Great Games in 19-11 Win Over Redskins: Fan’s Take

Austin Chang is a lifelong football fan and contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @_austinchang.

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When Melissa Morrison tried out to be a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader in 1995, she didn’t tell anyone about it until she made the team. When her daughter, Maegan, tried out in May, there was no way she could keep it a secret from her friends and classmates. In fact, the whole TV-viewing public knew about it.

When the CMT show “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team” debuted in 2006, it brought another level of notoriety to the most iconic cheer team in the world, and Maegan got swept up in it during the sixth season, where she made it to the final round before being eliminated.

“The tryouts are pretty much the same, but the competition is way harder because it’s a television show,” said Melissa, 38, who cheered during the Cowboys last championship season, in a Tuesday interview at Starbucks. “I never had somebody critique me and possibly say mean things just to rattle you. It was testing to see who could handle the pressure. Maegan had a TV crew around her pretty much the entire time, the big pole with the fluffy microphone, and every time something happened they wanted to know her reaction.”

“Now that I think back, I was constantly stressed out with people texting me asking ‘How did it go?,’ ” said Maegan, who at 18 was one of the youngest of the 400-plus cheerleaders to try out. “I didn’t want to let people down.”

When Maegan moves to Arlington, Texas, next spring to try out again, “I think I’m going to deactivate my Facebook during that period of time. I need to focus a lot more.”

Although she didn’t make the team — a feat that would’ve made her only the fourth “legacy” (cheerleaders whose moms had also been on the team) — Maegan went through a lot of trials just to get to the final round of about 60 women. She graduated from Smith-Cotton High School, where she was a member of the High Voltage Dance Team, a semester early in December 2010. She battled a kidney infection during the preliminary round. And she missed her graduation ceremony because she was in the semifinal round.

Never before had Maegan been so scrutinized as during the Cowboys cheerleader tryouts, even though she had grown up in her mom’s dance studio in Sedalia — Melissa’s Dance and Cheer Academy, which closed last year — getting the watchful eye that comes with being the coach’s kid. The new Cowboys stadium, which opened in 2009, features the world’s second-largest high-definition video screen; cheerleaders can’t hide anything.

“In the finals, you go out on the field and do the choreography with the veterans and they watch you on the big screen,” Maegan said. “So let’s say they’re talking about your stomach. Well, the TV crew is all connected, so they’ll zoom in on your stomach while you’re dancing and just talk about it. I was so nerve-racked. You just have to smile.”

Despite not making the team, Maegan — who is thinking about an eventual career in dance therapy — is still a Cowboys fan, as is her mom. Melissa grew up as a Chiefs fan in Huntsville, but when she moved to Fort Worth, Texas, and couldn’t get the Chiefs on TV, she gravitated toward the Cowboys, marveling at the fact that the whole city shut down on game day. Although Maegan — who moved to Sedalia when she was 3 — has performed at Chiefs halftime shows as part of the studio team, being a Cowboys cheerleader has always been her goal.

“The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders started it all,” Maegan said. “They’re America’s sweethearts and the most known cheerleaders in the whole world, and that’s always been my dream. People are like ‘What about Oakland? What about the Chiefs?’ And I’m like, ‘No, they don’t have their own TV show, they don’t have an amazing kick line, they don’t have the best outfits, they don’t have the prettiest girls.’ I just want to be a part of it.”

Still, the Morrisons point out that they don’t actively dislike any NFL team. A bit of controversy surrounded the Cowboys cheerleaders on Sunday when Buffalo Bills receiver David Nelson gave his touchdown ball to his girlfriend, Kelsi Reich, a Cowboys cheerleader.

Maegan and Melissa didn’t have any problem with Nelson’s gesture.

“Actually, you can’t date football players from your own team, but I guess dating players from the other team is fine,” Maegan said. “I’d probably blush if somebody were to give me a ball. Kelsi talked about (Nelson) when we were trying out.”

“It was done in a tasteful manner,” Melissa said. “She just stared at the camera and was like, ‘What am I supposed to do with this?’ ”

But Melissa leaves no doubt where her loyalties lie, noting that the Cowboys won 44-7: “It’s not like (the Bills) beat them.”

Bills wide receiver David Nelson is dating the enemy.

Nelson is dating Kelsi Reich, a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. Most weekends it’s fine, Reich can cheer for the team she works for and her boyfriend.

But this weekend, when the Bills face the Cowboys, she’ll have to cheer for her boy on the inside.

But Nelson understands, he told Inside The Bills:

“She works for the Dallas Cowboys and roots for the Dallas Cowboys, but I know she’ll have some inside joy if I do well,”

The Dallas Cowboys are working to complete a deal to return their training camp to Oxnard. Chief Operating Officer Stephen Jones said the team looks forward to returning to California next year. The deal would be for at least three years.

The Cowboys have trained in Oxnard five times, the last in 2010 when they split camp between Oxnard and San Antonio. Camp this year was in San Antonio.

Union proposes study of HGH levels in players

The NFL players’ union has proposed conducting a study of players that accurately reflects the natural level of HGH in their systems.

The union has claimed its players might have a higher natural level of human growth hormone than the general population, and it also has balked at testing procedures approved by the World Anti-Doping Agency that the league has recommended. Instead, the NFLPA is proposing “a comprehensive HGH testing program that begins with a population study” of players to establish a test standard “that accurately reflects the population of NFL players.”

When the lockout ended last summer, the collective bargaining agreement included provisions for HGH testing if the union approved the process. Instead, the NFLPA has asked for more information, which it says it has not received.

League, union agree on retiree payments

The NFL and players’ union have reached agreement on how to distribute $620 million to retired players through a legacy fund created by the new collective bargaining agreement.

Cowboys put Buehler on IR

The Cowboys put kicker David Buehler on injured reserve because of a groin injury, ending his season. The move was made one day after Buehler aggravated the injury. The kickoff specialist had been back for two games after sitting out the previous four.

With Buehler limited at the start of the season because of the injury, rookie Dan Bailey took over kicking field goals. Bailey has made 20 of 21 attempts, including his last 19 in a row — a Cowboys rookie record.

Buehler, a third-year player from USC, was 24 of 32 on field goals last season, when he had 22 touchbacks on kickoffs. He led the NFL with 29 touchbacks as a rookie in 2009.

Etc.

James Anderson, the Carolina Panthers’ starting strong side linebacker and leading tackler this season, rolled his ankle in practice and was taken to the locker room, leaving the team with four healthy linebackers. Earlier in the week, Thomas Williams became the third linebacker to go on injured reserve after hurting his neck in a loss to Minnesota. Backup Jason Phillips has a calf injury. Also, running back Mike Goodson has a pulled hamstring and will undergo an MRI exam. … Cleveland Browns starting safety T.J. Ward’s foot remains in a cast, and he probably will sit out Sunday against St. Louis. Ward was injured in the fourth quarter last week at Houston. Coach Pat Shurmur said “there’s a good chance” Ward will sit out this week.

Today the Seattle Seahawks take on the Dallas Cowboys in a game that both teams classify as “must-win.” That’s an understatement though, because the team that loses this game is almost playing themselves right out of the race to the playoffs. Sure, either team will have to still show a lot of improvement to have a shot in the NFC, but it all begins in Dallas on Sunday (Nov. 5).

The Seahawks are now 2-5 this season , and the schedule isn’t about to get any easier. The Seahawks statistically have one of the worst offenses in football now with just 206 passing yards and 77.7 rushing yards per game. That ranks No. 24 and No. 31 respectively in the league, and shows that it is truly the offense holding back Seattle from winning more games. That has to change early and often against Dallas, especially if Tony Romo(notes) is ready to have a bounce-back week of his own.

The Dallas Cowboys, however, are a top 10 offensive team, averaging 280 yards passing and 115 yards rushing per game. Romo has a new running back to play with in DeMarco Murray(notes), and his 6.9 yards per carry is a stat to get very worried about. He will also be looking to spread the ball around between Jason Witten(notes), Dez Bryant(notes), and Miles Austin(notes), possibly turning this into his best passing week of the year. That’s if he can figure out how to decipher a much improved Seahawks defense.

Seattle has one of the best rush defenses in football, giving up just 3.2 yards per carry and 102 yards per game. The pass defense isn’t too bad either; allowing just 237 yards through the air. Dallas fans would argue that their team is better at just 94 yards on the ground and 234 yards passing given up each game. That’s going to turn into an interesting battle though, because both defenses have a lot of pride in what they have been able to do this year. Now it could really propel both teams in Dallas, but everyone knows that the key to this game will be whether DeMarcus Ware(notes) can get through the line or if the Seattle offensive line can figure out a way to contain him.

Big plays are going to decide this game, and it might all come down to which team can take care of the ball. Kickoff is at just after 10 a.m. PT, and the game will be live on Fox.

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References:

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*Ryan Christopher DeVault is a lifelong fan of the Seattle Seahawks that continues to hold out hope that the team is heading in the right direction with a new coach, a weak NFC West, and some great young players on defense.

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