Giants Stuff...

[Cotton]

Jerry Jones explains what will have to happen for Dez Bryant to play Sunday

By Jon Machota
Staff Writer

For the first time since suffering a broken right foot in the season opener, Dez Bryant was at practice last week. The All-Pro wide receiver wasn't actually practicing with his teammates, but he was working off to the side with an athletic trainer. It was the next step in his return.

After the session, Bryant would not commit to playing Sunday when the Cowboys travel to New Jersey to face the Giants. "I'm getting back. I'm getting right. If it's the Giants, it's the Giants," Bryant said.

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said last week that Bryant will need to practice at some point this week before he can be cleared to play. Jerry Jones said Tuesday morning that they would monitor how Bryant is doing Wednesday and Thursday and take it from there.

"It totally depends on how he's doing," the Cowboys owner and general manager said on 105.3 The Fan's Shan and RJ show [KRLD-FM]. "He had a good end of the week last week. He got in some really good work. He didn't have much negative response from that work. It was strenuous work, the kind that if he can step out here and have a couple of really good days of practice then you could see him go."

Bryant received a therapeutic injection two weeks ago to improve the healing of his surgically-repaired broken fifth metatarsal.

Does he have to be 100 percent to be cleared to return?

"It will be satisfactory," Jones said. "I don't know what 100 percent really means in this particular case, 100 percent healed? One-hundred percent from the standpoint of no sensation, no sensitivity?

"I don't think you would have no sensitivity. But I do think that the combination of all the work he's done, which has been extraordinary, as well as some of the additional procedures that were done, give us a lot of confidence that if he's comfortable to putting it down and driving off his foot, then we're comfortable with him playing.

"Everybody will get a feel for it, but more importantly, he'll get a feel for it. He's the key. He'll have to decide, does he push off on it? This is strictly, 'Do you feel comfortable making your cuts? If you do, then it's on go. If not, then we'll wait a week.'"

 

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[jsmith6919]

 

[Cowboysrock55]

I have my fingers crossed.

 

[Cotton]

For number of reasons, win Sunday would be huge for Cowboys, Giants

Todd Archer/Dan Graziano

The Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants meet Sunday at MetLife Stadium in a key NFC East battle that could go a long way in determining the playoff chances of both teams.

The Giants are coming off a disheartening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on ESPN’s Monday Night Football, in which the offense got shoved around. The Cowboys are coming off their bye, but have dropped three consecutive games since losing Tony Romo to a broken collarbone.

NFL Nation reporters Dan Graziano and Todd Archer break down the meeting with this week’s Double Coverage:

Todd Archer: Dan, I was surprised at how poorly the Giants played Monday. Do you think that was more the Eagles defense than the Giants offense?

Dan Graziano: The Giants were kind of due for a game like this, I think. Their offense started off great Monday night, ripping down the field for that opening touchdown. But once they started turning the ball over and the Eagles got the lead, Philly was able to adjust its defense and do things to create pressure on Eli Manning that the Giants really haven’t seen this season. So it was the Eagles defense, but it was also the fact that the Giants offense put itself in a difficult position with turnovers and penalties that allowed the Eagles to dictate things with their defense. The Giants really hadn’t had a game like that this year, where they’ve had to play from behind the whole way.

The Cowboys have had a week to sort through their Romo-free, Dez-free, Dunbar-free offense. What changes do you expect them to make for this game, and how will they look different with Matt Cassel?

Archer: Cassel is obviously the biggest change, but if the other guys around him don’t play better, then I’m not sure how much changes. Brandon Weeden wasn’t awful. He missed throws, but every quarterback does that. He could have been helped more by his supporting cast. That being said, I think you’ll see Cassel be more comfortable in getting the ball down the field. The coaches were conservative with Weeden. I don’t think you’ll see them as conservative with Cassel, because he is much more experienced. That doesn’t mean the Cowboys will throw it around the joint, but I think you’ll see them try to be more aggressive.

The Cowboys have seen what life is like without Bryant. Did the Giants see what life is like with a less-than-100 percent Odell Beckham Jr.?

Graziano: No, I think Beckham was fine. He warmed up as usual, without a trainer or coach watching him, and he was working those quick slants early in the game out of different parts of the formation. They’ll surely monitor him -– and possibly limit him -– this week in practice, but he came out of Monday’s game fine and likely will only get better from here in terms of the hamstring. I think Monday was a matter of the Eagles’ pressure making it impossible for Manning to find opportunities downfield, and that’s why Beckham was targeted only once in the second half. They basically just got smothered.

The Eagles were the first team this year to get consistent pressure on Manning, and the result was a non-functional Giants offense in the second half. How equipped are the Cowboys to pressure Manning?

Archer: The return of Greg Hardy certainly helps. He got to Tom Brady twice and pressured him five other times. The Cowboys got to Manning just once in the opener. Some of that is the design of the Giants’ passing attack, but the Cowboys didn’t have Hardy and they lost Randy Gregory in that game. Gregory is expected to play against the Giants and return to his nickel pass-rush role. That will allow the Cowboys to attack with Hardy and Tyrone Crawford in the middle and DeMarcus Lawrence and Gregory on the outside, with Jeremy Mincey mixing in at end and tackle. The Cowboys have eight sacks in their past two games, so they are starting to figure it out.

The Cowboys haven’t been able to run the ball effectively much at all this season, which was supposed to be their strength. Their worst day was against the Giants. How have the Giants done against the run otherwise?

Graziano: The Giants have been very strong against the run –- again, prior to Monday. Through five weeks, they had the No. 2 run defense in the league (to go along with the No. 32 pass defense in the league). Monday’s game dropped them to No. 6, but they’re allowing only 93 rush yards per game and 3.6 yards per attempt. Their front-four guys such as Kerry Wynn, Johnathan Hankins and Jay Bromley have done very well stopping the run and forcing teams to beat them through the air. They’ll continue to rely on that, because they’re having major trouble pressuring opposing quarterbacks. Only Atlanta and Miami have fewer sacks than the Giants’ eight.

This time last year, the Cowboys were 5-1, had just won in Seattle and more or less finished off the Giants in Week 7. How do they view the division right now and their chances to come back and win it?

Archer: I know how I view it. The division is there to be taken even with the injuries to Romo and Bryant. How do they view it? Privately, they think the same, but coach Jason Garrett said it is too early to look at the standings. I understand where he is coming from, but a win in October counts the same now as it does in December. A loss now might hurt more come December. The Cowboys need a win in a bad way. If they get it, they would move to 3-0 in the division and own the tiebreaker. That would be huge, since I don’t see any team running away with the division title.

 

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[townsend]

 

[Texas Ace]

At least they realize that McFadden is worthless, but it would be nicer if he was starting.

 

[jsmith6919]

Have they said if CM is still with the 1st team offense or is just position drills today?

 

[Cotton]

Have they said if CM is still with the 1st team offense or is just position drills today?

There is some team today, but it was not during the time open to the media.

 

[Cotton]

 

[boozeman]

This man is a menace to society. He is threatening violence!

 

[Cowboysrock55]

Have they said if CM is still with the 1st team offense or is just position drills today?

I'm guessing we use multiple RBs with the first team offense. It isn't like training camp where you are running a first, second and third team offense during practice. Most of it is starters and then you run a little bit of backups.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

The key is to just jump all of the Giants routes quickly. Eli never seems to hold the ball more then a couple of seconds against us. Our DB's need to take advantage of that fact.

 

[jsmith6919]

I'm guessing we use multiple RBs with the first team offense. It isn't like training camp where you are running a first, second and third team offense during practice. Most of it is starters and then you run a little bit of backups.

Broaddus and Fisher both said Michaels has been getting all the first team reps.

 

[ravidubey]

Broaddus and Fisher both said Michaels has been getting all the first team reps.

Either it's obvious even in practice that Michael is the superior option or the coaches are determined to use this game to see what they've got moving forward.

Either way I can't wait to see this kid in action.