Cowboys Injury Update Thread...

Injury report: Bryant moving better, Spencer sits out

Defensive end Anthony Spencer was not present during the media portion of practice Friday as the Cowboys continue to manage his rehab from preseason knee surgery.

Spencer, who was limited in Thursday's practice, is still on target to play against the Rams on Sunday.

The same is true for receiver Dez Bryant,who ran more in practice Friday than he has all week. Bryant suffered back spasms last Sunday against the Chiefs. He sat out Wednsday's practice and did light rehab work on Thursday.

Bryant has maintained all along that he would play against the Rams and now seems set to do so.

Linebacker Ernie Sims, who missed the Chiefs game with a groin injury, did rehab work with the trainers during the media portion of practice.

Clarence Hill

Jerry Jones says Cowboys' and Spencer's doctors thought he'd be 'right as rain' by now, but he's close

The Cowboys are still taking it easy on Anthony Spencer during the practice week, and he is in pain. But he is “real close to right,” owner Jerry Jones said on his radio show Friday morning.

The veteran defensive end missed practice Wednesday and was limited on Thursday as he continues to recover from knee surgery on July 25, eight weeks ago.

“I understand our doctor, his doctors, thought he’d be right as rain right now,” Jones said on KRLD 105.3 FM “The Fan.” “And it’s not a setback. It’s just these things are different for different people. We’re going to get relative to where we think we are with his injury now.”

Spencer said bone is still making contact with bone in his knee. He had arthroscopic surgery to clean it out but loose cartilage is still a problem, Spencer said this week.

“Now, he has pain,” Jones acknowledged. “But again, we don’t have a player out there for the most part that’s not playing with some pain. And I’m not being cavalier about it. It’s just a fact of life.”

Jones said the defensive coaches remain excited about the possibilities with Spencer and DeMarcus Ware.

“I know that our defensive coaches are excited about Ware and Spencer, saying such things as, ‘We’ve never had it coming from both sides like these guys are capable of doing.’ I don’t think we’re having to be compromised at all in the near term here with Spencer.”

-- Carlos Mendez

Despite Tony Romo’s bruised ribs, Jerry Jones says Dallas Cowboys QB is 100 percent
By Jon Machota
jmachota@dallasnews.com
12:04 pm on September 20, 2013 | Permalink

Tony Romo didn’t look like himself during the fourth quarter last week in Kansas City. Short throws the Dallas Cowboys quarterback normally makes to his left routinely sailed wide of his intended targets.

Romo, who suffered bruised ribs in the season opener, received a shot before last week’s game and plans on doing the same on Sunday.

So, percentage-wise, where is Romo’ health entering Week 3?

“A hundred,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Friday on the G-Bag Nation show on 105.3 The Fan [KRLD-FM]. “I don’t know that any player feels good after the first ballgame. But he’s in good shape.”

Romo hasn’t missed any practice time and he said on Wednesday that his ribs are feeling better.

Thank God we have Jerry around to update us on such matters.

Miles Austin suffers a hamstring injury

September, 22, 2013

By Calvin Watkins | ESPNDallas.com


ARLINGTON, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys starting wide receiver Miles Austin left Sunday's game against the St. Louis Rams with a hamstring injury. Austin suffered the injury while making a catch, ruled out of bounds, early in the third quarter.

Team officials said Austin's return is questionable, but he didn't have his helmet with him as he stood along the sideline in the late stages of the third quarter.

Austin has two catches for 22 yards.

Austin has a history of hamstring injuries and does extra stretching in an attempt to prevent them from reoccurring.

The Cowboys have gone to great lengths to prevent these injuries during training camp and regular-season practices, from monitoring how much running a player does with an electric device, to limiting snaps in practice to keep players fresh.

Austin endured hamstring injuries all of last season but still finished with 66 catches for 943 yards and six touchdowns.

Miles Austin suffers hamstring injury

September, 22, 2013

By Calvin Watkins | ESPNDallas.com


ARLINGTON, Texas -- Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin tweaked his hamstring in the third quarter of Sunday's victory over the St. Louis Rams. Austin was hurt as he jumped up to make a catch, ruled incomplete.

Austin, who did not return, finished with two catches for 22 yards.

He has a history of hamstring injuries and does extra stretching in an attempt to prevent them from reoccurring.

The Cowboys have gone to great lengths to prevent these injuries during training camp and regular-season practices, from monitoring how much running a player does with an electric device, to limiting snaps in practice to keep players fresh.

Austin endured hamstring injuries all of last season but still finished with 66 catches for 943 yards and six touchdowns.

"We decided to keep him out of it," Garrett said. "We'll just evaluate it over the next couple of days."

In a surprise decision, defensive end Anthony Spencer was inactive for the game with a sore left knee. Spencer has experienced knee soreness all week, including Sunday morning, which prevented him from trying to workout in pregame warmups.

"It's just real frustrating for this to be the same, lingering problem," Spencer said. "It is what it is. I'm just handling it the best way I can."

Spencer said he's undergone second and third opinions on his knee and things have not improved. Spencer has some ligament damage on the inside of his knee and there is some bone-on-bone issues, but Spencer said last week he doesn't need microfracture surgery. If he had that, he would miss a year.

"Hopefully it gets better, I felt pretty good going into the [Week 2 game at Kansas City]," Spencer said. "I haven't done that much work with it so, it's just sore from the game, I believe, and I'll play it by ear. Hopefully it gets better and if it doesn't then we'll keep going and do what we got to do to get going for the games."

• Wide receiver Dwayne Harris suffered a hip injury in the first half and did return but he didn't field punts. He was replaced by Cole Beasley, who was active for the first time this season.

• Cornerback Morris Claiborne played with a harness to support his left shoulder and didn't report any problems.

• Defensive end DeMarcus Ware, who suffered a stinger in last week's game at Kansas City, left the game briefly, but returned with no problems.

Ware hopes stingers are under control
September, 23, 2013

By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Stingers have been a problem for Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Ware for the past few years, but he thinks he might have found a solution to the problem in the second half of Sunday’s 31-7 win against the St. Louis Rams.

Forced to the sideline briefly in the first half when the buzzing started down his left arm again, Ware changed his neck padding for the second half.

“I didn’t have one last year, then this year it’s like all of a sudden, ding, and I did it again (Sunday),” Ware said. “I think I’ll be alright. I’ve just got to be cognizant of it. I got an adjustment to my neck (pad) and it went away. It was fine. It was too far back, but now I put on the old brace and it was fine.”

Injury report: Austin, Harris miss second consecutive practice, Ware listed as limited

Miles Austin and Dwayne Harris were listed as not participating in practice Thursday, a second day on the sideline this week for each receiver. Austin has a hamstring injury from the Rams game, and Harris has a hip pointer, also from the game.

Defensive end DeMarcus Ware, dealing with a neck stinger, was listed as “limited participation” for a second consecutive day.

“I’m not worried about it all,” he said. “I feel good when I’m out there.”

Cornerback Morris Claiborne (shoulder) and linebacker Ernie Sims (groin) were listed as full participants.

For the Chargers, center Nick Hardwick and linebacker Dwight Freeney were upgraded from limited participation on Wednesday to full participation on Thursday.

-- Carlos Mendez

DeMarcus Ware not worried about stingers

September, 26, 2013

By Calvin Watkins | ESPNDallas.com


IRVING, Texas -- The good news for Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Ware is that the stinger he's experiencing isn't in his surgically repaired right shoulder.

Ware, who is being limited in practices this week because of the stingers, said he's not concerned and compared the stingers to getting hit on your funny bone.

"I'm not worried about it at all," Ware said after Thursday's practice. "I go back out there and feel good."

Ware has encountered the numbness in his left shoulder the last two games, but each time it's come at the end of the game. After he gets the stinger, Ware runs off the field so the numbness can subside.

When Ware is on the field, he continues to be a force. He has a team-leading four sacks, which is also tied for fourth in the NFL. But the funny thing about Ware is the total tackles he's compiled. Ware has been credited by the Cowboys' coaches with having just three tackles on the season.

Ware said he was surprised to get his first tackle of the season in last week's game at Kansas City when defensive tackle Nick Hayden approached him on the sidelines praising him for it.

Defensive line coach Rod Marinelli has a strict grading system when it comes to tackles. The Cowboys linebackers -- Sean Lee, Justin Durant and Bruce Carter -- have combined for 63 tackles this season based on Marinelli's system.

"That's crazy," Ware said of having more sacks than tackles. "I got my first tackle last game and Nick came up to me and said, 'D Ware you just got your first tackle!' You average six or seven tackles a game; it's different now because you got those big boys back there getting those tackles now. You get bigger plays, more tackles for a loss [Ware has one], you get tackles for loss and that's big and your getting pressure [team-leading 11] on the quarterback and you get them into third-and-longs or second-and-longs. You got to take it for what it's worth."

Dallas Cowboys WR Dez Bryant still receiving treatment on his back, but says ‘I feel great’
By Jon Machota
jmachota@dallasnews.com
3:27 pm on September 26, 2013 | Permalink

IRVING – Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant was a full participant at practice on Wednesday and didn’t appear to be limited during Thursday’s portion of practice that was open to the media.

Bryant said he is still receiving treatment on his back, but noted that it is only to prevent from having a setback.

“I feel great,” Bryant said Thursday. “I’ve had two full days of practice under my belt and it felt good to go 100 [percent].”

Bryant suffered back spasms during a Week 2 loss, 17-16, in Kansas City. He was limited in practice last week but was on the field for all 62 offensive snaps in Sunday’s 31-7 win over the St. Louis Rams.

Through three games, Bryant is 32nd in the NFL with 201 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Funny how Miles Austin has yet to practice even though his injury was deemed not serious.

Texas Ace said:

Funny how Miles Austin has yet to practice even though his injury was deemed not serious.

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Austin is done. I've mentally written him off so anything we get from him this season I see as a bonus. He and Ratliff absolutely must be June cuts in 2014.

ravidubey said:

Austin is done. I've mentally written him off so anything we get from him this season I see as a bonus. He and Ratliff absolutely must be June cuts in 2014.

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You should have written him off earlier. I got off him almost two seasons ago.

L.T. Fan said:

You should have written him off earlier. I got off him almost two seasons ago.

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He looked leaner and better in the preseason and game 1 than we've seen since 2011, but then he disappeared vs KC and "tweaked" his hamstring again last week.

He's basically been given a starting role on the team without having earned it. Pete Carroll would have benched him a while back. Maybe Jason Garrett is trying to do the same thing by forcing more plays to Terrance Williams.

Dallas needs Williams and Harris sooner rather than later, but Williams is green and Harris is banged up too. Cole Beasley flat out sucks. Next season Dallas needs to be on the lookout for a WR or speed back.

ravidubey said:

Austin is done. I've mentally written him off so anything we get from him this season I see as a bonus. He and Ratliff absolutely must be June cuts in 2014.

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Agreed.

That's exactly how I've looked at both those players. If they actually give us anything, it'll be a pleasant surprise.

Austin is another overpaid and overrated player. Damned shitty hamstrings.

Miles Austin's chances don't look good
September, 27, 2013

By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com

IRVING, Texas -- The chances of Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin playing Sunday against the San Diego Chargers seem slim after he missed his third day of practice because of a hamstring strain.

Coach Jason Garrett does not have a hard-and-fast rule about a player having to practice in order to play, but Austin’s history of hamstring trouble will play a factor in the decision. Austin has been bothered by hamstring strains the last two seasons, but did not miss a game last year after missing six games in 2011.

"If anything because of the last two years, we’ll be conservative with that decision at game time," owner and general manager Jerry Jones said on KRLD-FM.

Wide receiver Dwayne Harris returned to practice after missing Wednesday and Thursday with a bruised hip. If Harris can play it is possible he would give up the punt and kick return duties. Cole Beasley handled the punt chores after Harris was hurt last week against the St. Louis Rams and Lance Dunbar could take over on kickoffs.

DeMarcus Ware was at practice again but did not appear to be in shells. He was limited on Wednesday and Thursday because of a stinger. Linebacker Ernie Sims will be available after missing two games with a groin injury.

Dallas Cowboys practice report Friday: WR Miles Austin still out with strained hamstring, WR Dwayne Harris returns
By Brandon George / Reporter
bgeorge@dallasnews.com
11:06 am on September 27, 2013 | Permalink


IRVING — Dallas Cowboys starting wide receiver Miles Austin isn’t likely to play Sunday at San Diego. He wasn’t participating in practice Friday morning at Valley Ranch and hasn’t practiced all week.

Austin strained his left hamstring in the second half Sunday against St. Louis. The Cowboys want to be cautious with Austin considering he’s battled hamstring injuries the last few seasons, including missing six games in 2011.

Cowboys receiver Dwayne Harris, the team’s punt and kickoff returner, was back at practice Friday after not practicing all week because of a hip pointer injury he suffered Sunday against St. Louis.

Veteran Brian Waters was still taking snaps with the first-team at right guard in front of Mackenzy Bernadeau at practice Friday and has all week. Waters is expected to make his first start for the Cowboys on Sunday at San Diego.

Iamtdg said:

Miles Austin's chances don't look good

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So like we were saying the other day, when the Cowboys give you a diagnosis of someone's injury, go ahead and assume it's worse.

And another thing - they keep saying they are playing it safe with him due to his history. This is the exact same thing they said last year too. But if this asshole keeps pulling his hamstrings even when the team is being cautious with him, then what is the use of keeping him around?

Worthless bum.