The Importance of #88 in Dallas

"Ultimately," HC Jason Garrett said, "he affected the game just by breaking the huddle."

Dez Bryant wears #88, which is a very important number in Dallas. From Drew Pearson to Michael Irvin, and now Dez Bryant, this number is worn by very athletic individuals; however, does Dez have the testicular fortitude to make even half the impact his predecessors did?

"Dez has to understand how important he is to the rest of the team," Michael Irvin was quoted saying. "Dez (Bryant) is tough. He works hard. All of those things are real. Right now what Dez has to understand is this, 'I am a primary right now. They've been waiting - I have to step up right now and assume this role.' And you've (Dez) got to put in the extra time, the studying and make sure whatever issues I'm having I've got to get them down pat, because now I am the primary. You have to make everything else in your life second."

This is what many receivers (Roy Williams, now a Chicago Bear) do not understand – You have to want the ball, every down, every play....”there is no one that can do it better” is the mentality these receivers must have.

Dez Bryant caught four passes (63 yards) on Monday night's game against Washington; however, he appeared to hurt his wrist and shoulder during the game; in addition to his bruised quadriceps he suffered in the September 11^th season opener against the NY Jets. In all likelihood Bryant will be listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions (2-0).

As of now, Dez Bryant has not reached the point of consistency, however short his career has been up to this point, Bryant has not reached the status of dependable and being available to his team every week. Conversely, Dez has had remarkable, big-time-wow moments, unfortunately, much of his story to this point has been about learning the playbook, struggling to make meetings, the 'mall incident', and injuries - these facts take away from the athlete he is and what he is capable of.

His days in Dallas have been hampered by injuries, but the same can be said for Michael Irvin early in his career. Irvin missed two games as a rookie (sprained ankle); he missed 10 games in 1989 after tearing an anterior cruciate ligament, along with the first 4 games in 1990 (rehab). After these injuries/disruptions however, Irvin played 92 games straight before a suspension in 1996.

One aspect of the game missed by young athletes is the fact that everything else comes second. These individuals have been given the chance of a lifetime, and need to understand that they owe it to themselves to be healthy, available, knowledgeable, as well as focused on the game. Anything else should not be accepted – by fans, teammates, as well as coaches.

The jump from collegiate sports to the pros is huge; however, with Bryant’s athleticism, build, as well as the work ethic he's shown, the only thing separating him from greatness is time.

Ribs, Rivalries, and Redskins

Not the prettiest win in history; however, this victory may have shown just how a leader Tony Romo is.

Will he play?, won't he play?, how mobile will he be?, as well as how well he would lead his team? Were all answered Monday night against the Redskins, the Cowboys' biggest rival (maybe the biggest rivalry in the NFL).

At the half, neither team had scored a touchdown; it seemed as if the defense was going to dictate this game. Both defenses played well – LaRon Landry, Washington's safety played his first game of the year after returning from an injury – and played well.

DeMarcus Ware had a strong performance, as he lead his defense with pressure and recorded 1 sack - Anthony Spencer also recorded a sack, which put the game away.

The Cowboys sealed their second comeback victory in as many weeks on Monday Night Football, with their ugly but gritty 18-16 win over an NFC East rival, tying them for an early division lead a (2-1).

Close games are becoming a regular agenda when it comes to the Cowboys "If you look at the statistics in the National Football League, two out of three games in the NFL last year were within one score in the fourth quarter. We play a lot of those games," Garrett said. "You have to understand and you have to believe you can make the plays when necessary.

This comment shows both the perseverance and confidence that HC Garrett has in (his) team. "We knew they were going to make a play and ultimately Spencer made the play to get the turnover late to seal the deal. It's hard not to get emotional in that situation." - Emotion and pride may have been something lacking two years ago in Dallas; however, now that pride has been restored,a complete team effort showed Monday night.

The Dallas Cowboys, humiliated with their 6-10 record just a year ago, now show mental and physical toughness in two wins over the 49ers, and most recently, the Redskins (2-1); in front of 91,017 in their home opener at Cowboys Stadium. Mental toughness was shown, especially by Dallas' rookie-record holder, Dan bailey, who kicked six field goals, which were enough to take the victory away from 'The Skins'

Physically, The Cowboys used the spare parts they had (with injuries on both sides of the ball, Dallas was forced to rely on their leaders in order to coach, fight, as well s lead their team to a victory.

Tony Romo (22-of-36, 255 yards, 1-interception) needed two pain-killing injections to play with the fractured rib, which limited him last week against the 49ers, as well as practice through the last few days. WR Dez Bryant (thigh contusion) RB Felix Jones (dislocated shoulder), and TE Jason Witten (bruised ribs) all combined for 238 yards; and CB Mike Jenkins re-injured his shoulder but returned to the game and finished it.

This was not an offense-explosion of a game; the Cowboys and Redskins tallied a combined 6-for-25 on 3^rd down, settling for 9 field goals between them, the only touchdown came from a 1-yard catch by Tim Hightower (RB Washington), which gave Washington a 16-9 lead with four minutes left in the 3^rd quarter.

After the game many said that the defense won the game for the Cowboys, and although Tony Romo kept the game manageable with his on-field coaching, the fact that Dallas' defense held the Redskins to zero touchdowns during the 4^th quarter, shows that their defense had much to do with this victory.

Healthier and more in sync, the Cowboys have the talent to once again get back to the playoffs, which is where these Cowboys plan to be.

League Notifies all NFL Teams about Faking Injuries

Clubs are reminded of the following league policy which is stated in a Supplemental Note to Rule 4 (Game Timing), Section 5, Article 4, on page 19 of the Official Playing Rules:

“The Competition Committee deprecates feigning injuries, with subsequent withdrawal, to obtain a timeout without penalty. Coaches are urged to cooperate in discouraging this practice.”

The Competition Committee has reviewed this issue several times, but has been reluctant to propose a specific rule, since assessing a charged timeout for every injury timeout would deprive a team of timeouts for strategic purposes. It also could encourage injured players to remain in the game at risk to themselves to avoid incurring a charged team timeout. To avoid the necessity of a rule with many unattractive qualities, teams are strongly urged to cooperate with this policy. We have been fortunate that teams and players have consistently complied with the spirit of the rule over the years and this has not been an issue for the NFL. We are determined to take all necessary steps to ensure that it does not become an issue.

Going forward, be advised that should the league office determine that there is reasonable cause, all those suspected of being involved in faking injuries will be summoned promptly to this office in New York to discuss the matter. Those found to be violators will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action for conduct detrimental to the game. Discipline could include fines of coaches, players, and clubs, suspensions or forfeiture of draft choices.