Two news items from Wade Phillips' press conference:
*Starting fullback Deon Anderson had surgery to repair torn meniscus in his knee and will miss 2-4 weeks.
Anderson dressed out for practice Wednesday but was held out. Without him, the offense is down to one healthy fullback (Chris Gronskowski) and two tight ends (Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett). A roster move is possible before Sunday's game; the Cowboys do have two tight ends on the practice squad: Martin Rucker and Scott Chandler.
*According to Phillips, "It looks good" for starting offensive lineman Marc Colombo and Kyle Kosier to return Sunday. If so, Phillips said they'd probably rotate in backups Alex Barron and Montrae Holland as a precaution. Colombo and Kosier are coming off knee injuries, and although the haven't been limited in practice this week, this is their first on-field work in nearly a month.
An encouraging sight took place at Valley Ranch Wednesday when both Marc Colombo and Kyle Kosier walked out together to the practice field.
It was the first time since mid-August that either one has practiced with the team. Colombo suffered a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery on Aug. 16, while Kosier sustained a sprained MCL on Aug. 18. Both players missed the final three preseason games, along with Sunday's opener in Washington.
Obviously, Colombo's possible return has been a focal point, especially after Alex Barron's holding-tirade last week in Washington. But having Kosier back should help, too. Many offensive players have said in the past Kosier is one of the team's most underrated players.
Hopefully, Wade Phillips will provide some insight as to how they performed in practice, during his press conference around 4:15 p.m. (CDT) this afternoon.
Also, the Cowboys did have a few players not in uniform, including outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, who didn't practice because of the neck strain he suffered at the end of Sunday's game.
Fullback Deon Anderson was out there early in practice but is not participating in full because of a knee injury. Rookie linebacker Sean Lee was not in uniform because of a reported hamstring injury.
Interesting note as the offense moves forward this week: Miles Austin had the most catches (10) Sunday night against the Redskins, but Dez Bryant had the most targets (12).
Bryant caught eight for 56 yards, including two on the final drive. Twice more he was thrown incomplete passes.
"The guy I thought performed pretty well for his first game in almost two years," head coach Wade Phillips said. "I think it was just part of the game. It wasn't too big for him, and Tony thought he was open and threw it to him."
Romo clearly admires Bryant's ability and already trusts him in clutch situations. It's still a work in progress -- Bryant appeared mixed up on a couple of pre-snap formations -- but a good start just short of the one-year mark since he last played a game.
It will be a crowded group at midfield each week as the Cowboys have voted on this year's captains, appointing seven players.
The voting led to three offensive, three defensive and one special teams captain.
On offense, Tony Romo, Jason Witten, and Marion Barber were appointed captains, with Bradie James, DeMarcus Ware and Keith Brooking serving as defensive captains. Sam Hurd is the team's special teams captain.
The voting was done by the players, with each guy getting their own vote.
Plenty of former Cowboys have taken their shots at wide receiver Roy Williams as he's produced disappointing numbers over the last two years.
Generally, Williams let the comments roll of his back, whether they were from Troy Aikman, Delon Sanders, Emmitt Smith, or Michael Irvin. But the latest comments from his Hall of Fame predecessor have gotten under Williams' skin.
Speaking on the NFL network, Irvin said that with Williams in the game, the Cowboys are down a man
"With Roy Williams on the field, they're playing 10 vs. 11," Irvin said. "Now, if they put the young boy Dez Bryant in? You better believe I'll take Dallas."
Williams says he has no ill will torward Irvin, but he's highly motivated by this comment.
"I know Dez is his boy and all that, so I'm just going to let that ride," Williams said. "It is what it is. That lit my fire, yeah, that did. It just lit me up, in a motivational way."
"Mike can come to my house and we can go eat dinner or whatever. It's not like I want to fight him or I don't like him now. He can come to my house, we can go hang out or whatever, but that just got me going."
