IRVING, Texas — Dallas quarterback Tony Romo is listed as probable for Sunday’s game at the New York Giants, but Cowboys owner Jerry Jones gave a more optimistic report.

Romo has a swollen throwing hand.

According to an ESPN.com story, Jones on Friday told KRLD-FM radio: “He (Romo) is going to be playing at full strength. It’s just a very big-time feel-good to know that we’re going to be going in with this kind of quarterbacking.”

The NFC East title will be at stake when the 8-7 teams meet.

Jones, also the team’s general manager, said of Romo: “He’s a top, top quarterback and he’s got a good team around him. In my belief, a very good team around him, so the stage is set for us to play well in a big game.”

Romo was limited in practice Friday, according to ESPN.

Meanwhile, running back Brandon Jacobs of the Giants ripped Dallas supporters.

“You know what it is: (The reason) a lot of people and a lot of guys on other teams hate the Cowboys is their fans,” Jacobs said. “Some of their fans are loud and obnoxious and just bad. Just everywhere you go, you got some Dallas fans, and they’re just running their mouth about Dallas.

“It’s not really the team and the star (logo) and all that ’cause they’re just like any other team if you ask me. But their fans are the ones who have me just really feeling the way I feel.”

Are they worse than Philadelphia Eagles fans?

“Yeah, they are … I’m just talking about everyday life,” Jacobs said. “Cowboys fans get on my nerves.”

Jacobs rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns to help the visiting Giants beat the Cowboys 37-34 on Dec. 11.

Cardinals’ Dockett is docked $30,000

NEW YORK — Arizona defensive tackle Darnell Dockett has been fined $15,000 by the league for hitting Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton below the knees last weekend and another $15,000 for a horse-collar tackle on Bengals running back Bernard Scott.

Dockett was called for 15-yard penalties on each play in the Cardinals’ 23-16 loss last Saturday.

Arizona hosts the Seahawks on Sunday.

Dockett was fined $7,500 in 2009 for pushing his forearm into then-Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck’s throat while Hasselbeck was down.

Washington safety Reed Doughty was fined $15,000 by the league for striking Minnesota’s Christian Ponder in the head and neck area as the quarterback slid. Houston defensive end J.J. Watt received a similar fine for hitting Indianapolis quarterback Dan Orlovsky below the knee.

Atlanta linebacker Curtis Lofton was fined $15,000 for unnecessary roughness for striking New Orleans receiver Marques Colston in the head and neck area.

Notes

• Standout Houston receiver Andre Johnson will play against Tennessee on Sunday after missing the last three games because of a strained left hamstring.

• Quarterback Tom Brady is listed as “probable” on the New England Patriots’ injury report for Sunday’s game against Buffalo. An injury to his left, non-throwing shoulder limited Brady’s participation in practice Friday for a second consecutive day after he sat out Wednesday’s practice session.

• Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and safety Troy Polamalu each attended practice Friday and are listed as probable for Sunday’s game in Cleveland.

Roethlisberger (high ankle sprain) missed last Saturday’s 27-0 victory over St. Louis. Polamalu (knee) did not practice until Friday but is expected to start.

• Miami running back Reggie Bush won’t play in Sunday’s game against the New York Jets because of an injured right knee. He has a team-high 1,086 rushing yards.

• The Green Bay Packers, who play Detroit on Sunday, will be without three key players on offense: running back James Starks (knee/ankle), receiver/kick returner Randall Cobb (groin) and receiver Greg Jennings (knee). Jennings has missed the past two games.

• Kicker Ryan Succop signed a $14 million, five-year extension with the Kansas City Chiefs.

• Kansas City quarterback Kyle Orton and about 20 other players, who weren’t identified by the plaintiffs’ attorney, are suing Chicago law firm Chuhak & Tecson for more than $10 million, claiming they received bad advice on investing in energy concerns.

IRVING, Texas (AP) — With tape still wrapped around his bruised throwing hand after practice, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo insists that he will be ready to play in what is essentially a playoff game against the New York Giants.

“Everything’s coming together like we thought, just each day it’s getting a little bit better,” Romo said Thursday. “We’ll be good to go this weekend.”

Romo wore the protective wrap on his swollen right hand, the one he banged on a defender’s helmet on the opening series Saturday against Philadelphia before coming out of the game. The wrap leaves his fingers and thumb free. He wasn’t wearing anything on the hand Wednesday.

The Cowboys go on the road to face the Giants on Sunday night, a matchup of 8-7 teams that will decide the NFC East and fill the NFC’s last playoff spot.

Romo, who played through a broken rib early this season, said he isn’t worried about whether he will feel normal Sunday.

“You have to go out there and practice all week and get yourself ready to go to the game on Sunday. I’m excited that we’re in this position and we have an opportunity to go and play in a big game like this,” he said. “This is when it gets fun. No matter what, you’re not going to sit one of these out.”

During the few minutes early in practice open to reporters Thursday, Romo came out of the locker room wearing the protective wrap and made a few soft tosses. He was also bantering with teammates.

“Tony did a little bit more today than he did yesterday. I wouldn’t constitute a full practice, but he’s making some progress,” coach Jason Garrett said. “The swelling still is there. … All the functional things that a quarterback has to do, he has to be able to do by game time, and he’s making progress in all those areas.”

Garrett said backup quarterback Stephen McGee, who finished Saturday’s game after Romo got hurt, got some work with the first-team offense again Thursday.

Even with the rib injury in Week 2 and not playing much last week against Philadelphia, Romo has already thrown for 3,895 yards and 29 touchdowns. He still has a chance for his third 4,000-yard passing season and his second year with at least 30 TDs. No other Dallas quarterback has reached 4,000 yards or 30 TDs in a season.

Romo threw for 321 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions in a 37-34 home loss three weeks ago against the Giants, who overcame a 12-point deficit in the final 3½ minutes.

Dallas might have already clinched the division had it won that game.

“It’s obvious that this is basically a playoff game. For us, it’s been great energy all week. Guys are ready to go, and they’re excited,” Romo said.

The quarterback’s bruised hand just adds another twist to the important game.

“A lot of quarterbacks throughout the league play through stuff every week,” Romo said. “Sometimes it can be magnified because you’re playing in a game that’s like this. … No one cares, and once you get out there, it’s about winning and losing, so that’s all it’s going to be about.”

Romo said he won’t decide until later this week about whether to wear tape on his hand during the game. He never said how much pain he was feeling, saying only that, “like anything, you just have to deal with it and overcome it.”

Notes: Just like last week, the Cowboys are easing Pro Bowl defenders DeMarcus Ware (neck) and Jay Ratliff (ribs) into practice this week. Neither practiced Wednesday, and were limited Thursday … RB Felix Jones (hamstring tightness) was limited again in practice, but Garrett said he’s looking good in the work he’s doing. … LB Sean Lee missed practice for the second day in a row because of illness.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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 (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 with Sammy Morris and Chauncey Washington. Neither was even with an NFL team at Thanksgiving.

Coach Jason Garrett is hopeful that Jones will be able to practice 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 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.

“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.”

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 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.”

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.