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With the Washington Redskins releasing wide receiver Jabar Gaffney it meant two of the NFC East's leading receivers from 2011 are gone.

The Cowboys lost wide receiver Laurent Robinson, who led them 11 touchdown receptions, when he signed a five-year $32.5 million deal. Paying Robinson that type of money was too much for the Cowboys because they have Miles Austin and Dez Bryant on the roster along with tight end Jason Witten, considered one of the best at his position, to help the passing game.

Gaffney was acquired in a trade last year and excelled for the Redskins. In two games against the Cowboys, Gaffney had 12 catches for 175 yards and one touchdown. But this offseason the Redskins signed Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan in free agency and it became clear Gaffney was expendable.

It's interesting to note just how fast things change in the NFC East with the Redskins and Cowboys, who at the end of the 2011 season were on the bottom half talent wise in the division.

Washington will have a new quarterback and two new starting wideouts to start the season, the Cowboys will have a new starting running back and quite possibly two new starting cornerbacks as well.

The head coaches remained the same, but you have to say the talent level at the top of the division remains with Philadelphia and the New York Giants.

ESPNDallas.com's Calvin Watkins looks ahead to the NFL Draft and the needs of their division rivals.

Today he talks with Jeff McLane, Eagles beat writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

 

Things didn't work out exactly the way I planned for the Dallas Cowboys in the ESPN blogger mock draft Monday. Yes, the Eagles traded up to No. 7 to take Fletcher Cox, a player the Cowboys like a lot. But for the Cowboys I decided not to get into such excitement. First of all, they don't have the cushion the Eagles have with two second-round picks. And second of all, they need to add depth all along the roster, so I decided that if they traded they'd come away with more picks rather than fewer.

As the draft wound on into the middle of the first round, I was thinking my top Cowboys target, Alabama safety Mark Barron, would be there at No. 14. So when James Walker of the AFC East blog called on behalf of the Patriots and offered a first-round pick (No. 27 overall) and a second-round pick (No. 48), I said no. James pointed out that each side of the deal added up to exactly 1,100 points on the NFL draft trade value chart, and for a second I thought we should make the deal just based on that coincidence alone. But I held off, thinking Barron would fall to 14.

Little did I know, James was also talking to Mike Sando about the Seahawks' No. 12 overall pick. James offered Mike both of the Patriots' first-round picks (No. 27 and No. 31) for the No. 12 pick and a fourth-rounder (N0. 106). Guess I should have asked James for more, because that's a steal for Sando, who happily gave up the No. 12 and began making plans for what to do with his two first-rounders. James moved up to 12 and took Barron for the Patriots, and I started fielding offers for the No. 14 pick.

No one was interested, though, so when 14 rolled around, I took the player I believed would be the highest on the Cowboys' board at that point -- LSU defensive lineman Michael Brockers. What I like about Brockers for the Cowboys is that he's a more polished, NFL-ready prospect than is Dontari Poe (who would fall all the way to the Steelers at No. 24!) and that he's versatile enough to play any spot on the Cowboys' defensive line. He can play inside as a defensive tackle alongside Jay Ratliff when they line up in 4-3 sets. He can play end in a 3-4 (and allow them to move on from Kenyon Coleman or Marcus Spears if they so choose). He can spell Ratliff at the nose when and if they decide to move Ratliff outside. I just felt as though he'd appeal to Rob Ryan as a guy who could do a lot for him -- and do it right away -- in a defense that relies on constantly changing looks and fronts.

I thought about Poe, and Quenton Coples, and Stephon Gilmore, and Dre Kirkpatrick, and Courtney Upshaw. But in the end, I believe that, of the post-Barron choices, Brockers was the one that fit the Cowboys the best.

(NOTE: Stanford guard David DeCastro was also gone, at 11 to the Chiefs, but as you know I believe the Cowboys should be focused on defense in this round. And probably all of them.)

So what do you think, Cowboys fans? Did I get it right? Did I pick the wrong guy? Was I wrong to turn down the Patriots' offer? I eagerly await your feedback.

IRVING, Texas -- The easiest way to make it to the playoffs in the NFL is to win the division, but that does not figure to be easy for the Cowboys, considering the improvements the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins made and the presence of the defending Super Bowl champ New York Giants.

Two of the five key games the Cowboys face in 2012 come from the division in part because of what type of message victories would send. The other three come against playoff teams from 2011, in Pittsburgh, New Orleans and Atlanta.

Here goes:

Sept. 5 at NY Giants: The Cowboys opened and closed last season at MetLife Stadium, losing to the New York Jets and Giants, respectively. They get to open 2012 there on a Wednesday night against the Giants. A victory would not eliminate the odor of last year’s collapse, but it would put the Cowboys in the proper frame of mind in a first quarter of the season where they must finish at least 3-1. As they walked out of the stadium following the 31-14 loss to the Giants in January, the Cowboys promised the sting of losing out on a divisional championship game would motivate them throughout the offseason. They get an early chance to show just how much it will.

Nov. 4 at Atlanta: The Falcons figure to be playoff contenders and are difficult to beat inside the Georgia Dome. Matt Ryan has yet to win a playoff game, but he does not get the same label as Tony Romo, who has one playoff victory and is derided by a lot of pundits. Ryan has a number of talented players around him on offense in Julio Jones, Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez and Michael Turner. The defense has some holes to fill to get to the offense’s level, and that’s how the Cowboys can return home with a victory. When you’re looking for tiebreaker advantages late in the season, games like this are a must, as is the Week 4 meeting vs. Chicago.

Dec. 2 vs. Philadelphia: By the end of last season the Eagles were the best team in the NFC East, even if the Giants went on to win the Super Bowl. Philadelphia was doomed by a slow start, but they lit up the Cowboys twice in 2011. There was a pronounced difference in speed between these teams a year ago. I’m not sure LeSean McCoy was tackled up at Lincoln Financial Field. Romo was bounced after the first series from the rematch at Cowboys Stadium with a bruised hand because of the speed of Jason Babin’s pass rush. As has been the case around here for more than a decade, the Cowboys’ success depends on how they fare in December. With extra time to prepare for the Eagles following Thanksgiving, the Cowboys could be in position to kick off December with a win.

Dec. 16 vs. Pittsburgh: The Steelers are among the AFC’s big boys and the Cowboys have to show they can hang with the big boys, especially late in the season. In 2008, they went to Heinz Field needing a win and were dealt a 20-13 loss, thanks to a fourth-quarter collapse. The last time the Steelers visited the area came in 2004, and their fans took over Texas Stadium. You can only imagine the number of Pittsburgh fans that will be inside Cowboys Stadium for this game, and the $1.2 billion stadium has hardly been a homefield advantage for the Cowboys.

Dec. 23 vs. New Orleans: Sean Payton will likely be watching this one from his Westlake home because of his year-long suspension due to Bountygate. It would’ve been juicier had Bill Parcells taken over for Payton, but the former Cowboys coach chose to remain retired. But Drew Brees will be there and so will the Saints passing game. The Cowboys’ secondary fell apart at the tail end of 2011, contributing to a playoff-less season. The Cowboys changed coaches (Dave Campo out, Jerome Henderson in) and players (Terence Newman out, Brandon Carr in) just for these occasions. In 2009, the Cowboys won a late-season game against an undefeated Saints team and turned around their season at the Superdome. They might need to do that again at Cowboys Stadium in 2012.

The closest thing to a soft stretch in the Dallas Cowboys' schedule comes right after they finish their third set of back-to-back road trips over the first nine games.

After that, the Cowboys get three consecutive home games against teams that didn’t make the playoffs last season.

They better beat the Browns, a team that went 4-12 last season and sorely lacks offensive weapons. Whether it’s Colt McCoy or rookie Ryan Tannehill under center, the Dallas defense should be able to rattle an inexperienced quarterback.

They’ll see another rookie four days later, assuming that Robert Griffin III is healthy when the Redskins come to Cowboys Stadium for Thanksgiving. As talented as Griffin is, he’ll be a rookie with no potent playmakers around him. That’s another must-win at home.

That’s followed by a home game against Philadelphia, which was arguably the most disappointing team in the NFL last season. The Eagles have plenty of weapons, but who knows if injury-prone Michael Vick will be healthy this deep into the season. Whether or not they face Vick, the Cowboys need this game if they plan to make the playoffs.

For the fourth consecutive season, ticket prices at Cowboys Stadium will not increase, according to Brett Daniels, senior director of corporate communications.

The Cowboys have not raised ticket prices since they moved into the $1.3 billion facility in Arlington.

The Cowboys join the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins as teams who won't raise ticket prices in 2012. The Green Bay Packers, meanwhile, will raise their prices.

The Cowboys averaged the second-highest ticket price in the NFL last season at $110.20, according to Team Marketing Report, which measures ticket prices for fans.

The New York Jets averaged the highest ticket in the league at $120.85. NFL average tickets costs $77.36.

SportsCenter posed the question: "Which team that missed the playoffs has the best chance of winning Super Bowl XLVII?"

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Mike Golic from Mike & Mike in the Morning comments on what we saw from the Patriots and Giants in the Super Bowl. Listen

Analyst Tim Hasselbeck's answer: The Dallas Cowboys.

"Lot of talent on that football team," Hasselbeck said. "Miles Austin not injured. Defense, another year with Rob Ryan. I think the Cowboys could be that team. ... Dallas Cowboys. Tony Romo. They have the best shot."

Herm Edwards' prediction: "Fly Eagles Fly."

We're a work week away from the NFC and AFC title games and it's amazing what we've learned in just two weeks of the postseason. Here are my thoughts.

1. The Giants are a mentally tough team. More so than the Cowboys. Do you really believe the Cowboys could have gone into Lambeau Field and beat the Green Bay Packers like the Giants did on Sunday? Really? The Giants never gave up hope during their late-season dive, and still believed they could beat the Cowboys, which they did twice in a 30-day span to close the season. The Giants have an elite quarterback, Eli Manning, and a pass rush that isn't centered around one player, much like the Cowboys' and DeMarcus Ware. Moving forward, the Cowboys need to improve the offensive line, secondary, pass rush and find depth at wide receiver. Things the Giants already have. That tells you how far the Cowboys are from the Giants.

2. It's good to see Laurent Robinson wants to return to the Cowboys. What do you pay him? Robinson should be a highly sought after wide receiver when free agency starts in March. You have to look at a few salaries of some No. 3 receivers and see if the Cowboys want to pay Robinson something similar. Earl Bennett of Chicago singed a five-year, $18.5 million deal with $9 million guaranteed. Is Robinson better than Bennett? What about Jacoby Jones of Houston, who signed a three-year, $10.5 million deal with $3 million guarantee with Houston? Jason Avant of Philadelphia inked a five-year $18 million contract with $8 million guaranteed in 2010. Jordy Nelson of the Green Bay Packers signed a four-year, $13.9 million deal with $5 million guaranteed including $3.5 million to sign. I wonder if the Baltimore Ravens are interested in Robinson? The Ravens might not pick up Lee Evans' $1 million roster bonus, due March 17. The Cowboys have a big decision to make here at wideout because the depth is lacking.

3. Todd Archer wrote a good post last week about the interior of the Cowboys offensive line. The hiring of Bill Callahan last week confirms the Cowboys think he can help younger players improve more so than previous line coach Hudson Houck. Houck's ability to work with young linemen was questioned, but you must give him credit for the development of Doug Free and Tyron Smith. While Free regressed in 2011, Smith emerged as a talented player who must play the left tackle spot in 2012. Callahan has some young talent to work with at guard/center from Kevin Kowalski, Phil Costa, Bill Nagy and David Arkin. It appears the Cowboys might draft a guard/center in the draft. If so, it should make for an interesting competition in the middle in 2012.

4. If the Cowboys don't re-sign Robinson, this is the depth chart at wideout: Miles Austin, Dez Bryant, Andre Holmes, Dwayne Harris and Raymond Radway. Think the Cowboys have a better group of receivers than say the Eagles? Giants? Packers? Saints? Robinson has the leverage here which could mean a contract which benefits him. If you're wondering, Kevin Ogletree and Jesse Holley are free agents and it doesn't appear they will return in 2012.

5. If the Cowboys don't re-sign Abram Elam at strong safety, Gerald Sensabaugh isn't the answer. He seemed to play better at free safety. If the Cowboys move him back to strong safety, he could have problems especially if the Cowboys have a younger player at free safety. The Cowboys tried Alan Ball at free safety in 2010, and were met with major, major issues.

It was reported this morning the Indianapolis Colts hired Ryan Grigson as the general manager.

PODCAST
ESPNDallas.com's Todd Archer joins the show to talk about the Cowboys' coaching changes and much more. Listen

Tom Ciskowski, the Cowboys assistant director of player personnel, interviewed for the Colts vacant GM job last weekend. The indications are the interview went well for Ciskowski but it's evident the Colts wanted somebody else.

Grigson spent the last nine seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, the last two as the director of player personnel. Grigson was also the college scouting director.

Ciskowski gets to stay with the Cowboys, at least for now, and prepare this organization for the NFL Draft. As always, Ciskowski will get the draft board set up and speak with Jerry and Stephen Jones about which direction the organization should take regarding the roster.

Ciskowski is a valued member of the front office regarding grading college prospects and evaluating the current roster. It's a difficult job, but one Ciskowski appears to be good at.

If Ciskowski had left, the Cowboys most likely would have hired from within to replace him. Judd Garrett, the younger brother of coach Jason Garrett and the Cowboys' director of pro scouting, was a possible candidate.

This is the second installment in ESPN Dallas' five-part series on things that went wrong for the Dallas Cowboys in 2011. For more, click here.

No. 4: Mediocrity from Rob Ryan's defense

Rob Ryan promised greatness from a defense he declared had the most talent in the NFL.

He delivered mediocrity with a unit that needs to be upgraded at several spots next season.

The Dallas defense was average as a whole -- 14th in total defense (343.2 yards per game) and 16th in scoring defense (21.7 points) -- and dreadful when it mattered most. The New York Giants averaged 34 points and 473.5 yards in two wins over the Cowboys that determined the NFC East title.

Ryan often enabled his players by insisting that all the blame should be placed on his wide shoulders. There were some grumbles that his three-thick-playbook scheme was too complicated, causing mass confusion and leading him to simplify game plans in the final few weeks.

PODCAST
Coop and Nate rank the Cowboys' needs on defense in order, starting with the most important. Listen

Of course, Wade Phillips’ scheme was supposedly too simple and predictable, but it worked pretty well this season for the Houston Texans’ second-ranked defense. At some point, the blame needs to be pinned on the players.

Ryan seemed to realize that in the last couple of weeks, particularly during an angry halftime rant after Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles marched 87 yards in 50 seconds for a touchdown, prompting him to rip the players for poorly executing a good game plan.

Several defensive starters will be gone next season, starting with longtime left cornerback Terence Newman, a two-time Pro Bowler who was terrible down the stretch. Ryan will return, barring the surprising development of a team wanting him to become its head coach after under-delivering so badly in Dallas.

There was going to be two ways that Jason Garrett and the Cowboys were going to play this game against the Eagles on Christmas Eve:

* If the New York Jets had beaten the New York Giants earlier in the day, then it was going to be all hands on deck to try and win the NFC East divisional title.

* If the Giants won, it'd be a meaningless game and Garrett would need to manage the game to try and protect players injured players such as Felix Jones, Jay Ratliff and DeMarcus Ware before this week's showdown vs. the Giants.

What Garrett didn’t count on was quarterback Tony Romo getting injured. What surprised me the most about the way that Garrett played this game was the amount of snaps that he gave to Ware and Ratliff. I was convinced Jones, Ratliff and Ware wouldn't play much, but it didn’t work out that way. To their credit, Ware and Ratliff were the best players on defense.

PODCAST
Bryan Broaddus and Tim MacMahon discuss how the offseason may shape up if the Cowboys wrap up the season at 8-8. Listen

Cowboys' ends limit McCoy's effectiveness this time

I felt Eagles RB LeSean McCoy would cause the most problems on offense, both in the running and passing games. When the Cowboys and Eagles met in Week 8, the Cowboys' front seven -- particularly DEs Marcus Spears, Kenyon Coleman and Jason Hatcher -- played poorly. They couldn’t get off blocks and did nothing to hold the point of attack.

In Saturday's game, the Cowboys' ends did a much better job of not getting pushed around, allowing the linebackers to flow and make plays. Spears had several plays where he was square to the line of scrimmage and was able to stack the blockers, which gave McCoy no room to run. Where the Cowboys' defense was outstanding was playing backside technique and not allowing McCoy to make that stop-start cut which hurt them last time.

Newman, Cowboys' secondary struggle yet again

In the first half, there were once again problems in the secondary with coverage. On the first drive of the game, the Cowboys were able to get pressure on Michael Vick.

With Anthony Spencer flushing Vick to his left, Spencer grabbed a hold of Vick’s facemask while trying to get him to the ground. Down the field, Mike Jenkins lost contact with receiver Riley Cooper as he started up the field. Gerald Sensabaugh tried to get over to help, but was left backpedaling while trying to locate the ball as it floated over his head. Safety Abram Elam also tried to get over to help, but he badly misplayed the ball as well. The result: Cooper caught the ball with three defenders within two yards of him.

There were several plays in this game where Terence Newman was not near good enough. In the second quarter, Newman misplayed a ball on second-and-10 after Marcus Spears made a nice square tackle on first down against McCoy.

When you study Vick, the one place that he loves to throw the ball is the middle of the field. On this particular play, receiver DeSean Jackson drove on a crossing route against Newman in man coverage. When Jackson broke inside, Newman lost contact with him and then tried to undercut the route but was a step late. Ware was able to get pressure on Vick, but not enough to affect the throw. Vick ripped it down the middle of the field to Jackson with Newman in chase position, giving up a catch and the first down.

On the Eagles TD with 10 seconds left in the half, Newman and Jenkins were playing in-and-out coverage on Jeremy Maclin from the 6. Newman was on the inside and Jenkins on the outside as Maclin started his route up the field and then inside. Newman passed Jackson inside to Sensabaugh from the slot and turned his attention to Maclin on the outside. Jenkins saw Maclin start inside but Newman didn’t react quick enough to pick him up. As Maclin got away from Jenkins and cleared Newman, Vick saw Newman not react and fired the ball to the middle of the end zone for a TD.

In the third quarter, the Eagles dialed up a screen pass to tight end Brent Celek. Where the Eagles are dangerous is that they'll throw a screen at any point on the field. On this play, Newman was once again trying to cover Maclin down the field but misplayed his route and got turned around and had his back to the screen. As Newman is hand fighting with Maclin, Celek ran right by him and up the field for a big play. If Newman hadn’t got in such bad position on the route, he could have made the tackle, keeping Celek from getting down the field.

Cowboys' offensive line failed to protect Romo

This game was going to be a struggle for the Cowboys' offensive line to provide protection, with or without Romo in the lineup. Romo doesn't have Vick's mobility, but he has been able to buy second and third chances with his legs the last several weeks. That's why the offense has been so productive.

The challenge for the line this week was to block defensive ends Jason Babin and Trent Cole. Once again, the line struggled most with protection as a result of not picking up the twist stunt. On the play that Romo was injured, the Eagles used a blitz that they've run in several games this season.

With the Cowboys facing a third-and-4, the Eagles blitzed Matthews in the front side “A” gap, which was picked up by Phil Costa. Patterson hit the “B” gap, which was blocked by Kyle Kosier. Jason Babin was lined up on the outside shoulder of Tyron Smith, started into the line then looped all the way behind his teammates hitting the gaps. Smith tried to crash down inside to wad up the rushers, but Babin made it clean all the way through the center box while Costa was still locked up on his man.

Kosier saw what was happening and tried to work inside to block Babin but went to the ground. Babin had a free run at Romo, who was trying to get the ball to Miles Austin on a crossing route. The problem with this play is that Austin and Dez Bryant were trying to cross by each other with one of them not running the route deep enough, causing both receivers to not get to their spot cleanly. Romo had Babin in his face to the point that his hand hit Babin’s helmet. In all discussions that I have had with members of the front office, Romo should be ready to play against the Giants on Sunday.

No easy answer exists for Jason Garrett today -- even if the New York Giants beat the New York Jets and the Cowboys can still need to beat the Giants next week to win the NFC East.

How much does Garrett use Felix Jones, who did not go through a full practice this week because of a strained hamstring?

Does he ride him hard and try to get the most out of him, knowing the hamstring might render him useless at some point early in the game? Or does he spot him and let Sammy Morris, impressive in his debut last week, do the heavy lifting?

Either way, it would behoove the Cowboys to put forth their best effort either way to win this week. This team isn't good enough to take its chance on a winner-take-all game at MetLife Stadium, when it might not have to.

Garrett must be aggressive. Feed Jones early and hope he holds up.

The Cowboys have a history of December swoons, whether they choose to acknowledge it or not. Their mental health won't withstand a loss to the Eagles.

Garrett will need to ride with Jones as long as he can and deal with the consequences later.

Will the Eagles hit their average of six plays of 20 yards or more Saturday against the Cowboys?

After what you've seen the past several weeks, you couldn't possibly think the Cowboys can stop Philadelphia's offense.

Not when Dallas has made average quarterbacks such as Washington's Rex Grossman, Miami's Matt Moore and Arizona's Kevin Kolb resemble the game's best quarterbacks. Do you really think this pass defense that Eli Manning torched for 400 yards passing can hold up against Philadelphia's big-play attack?

It can't. And it won't.

Philadelphia is tied for third in the NFL in plays of 20 yards or more with 73. The Eagles rank second in plays of 10 yards or more with 226.

The Cowboys have allowed 33 plays of 20 yards or more in their last eight games. See, this is a bad matchup for the Cowboys. When the Eagles go to their formation with three receivers, a tight end and a running back, Dallas is going to have all sorts of matchup problems.

In his last two starts against the Cowboys, Mike Vick has led the Eagles to an average of 32 points and more than 7.0 yards per play.

None of this means the Cowboys can't win. It just means Dallas' only shot is to win a shootout because the Eagles will hit their average of six plays of 20 points or more and score at least 31 points.

IRVING, Texas -- During a Tuesday morning radio interview, Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said he's scared of the Philadelphia Eagles based on the first meeting between the teams and the playoff implications another loss would mean.

The Eagles beat the Cowboys on Oct. 30, 34-7, where they scored on their first six possessions.

"We obviously took a tough loss to the Eagles last time," quarterback Tony Romo said when asked about Jones' comments. "So we know this team is dangerous. We have to play a great game out here to get a win. I know we've approached it that way. We're excited about going and playing those guys."

To become NFC East champs, the Eagles must beat the Cowboys and Washington to close the regular season. The New York Giants, however, must lose to the New York Jets on Saturday and beat the Cowboys on New Year's Day.

If it works out the Eagles, Cowboys and Giants are tied at 8-8 overall but the Eagles clinch the division by winning the tiebreaker with a better division mark at 5-1.

Of course, the Cowboys control their own destiny by winning the next two games to clinch the division.

But there are no guarantees the Cowboys will do that.

"Because it is the Eagles and after the butt-kicking they gave us up in Philadelphia, I'm scared," Jones said Tuesday on KRLD-FM. "It's that kind of feeling. The respect turns into being afraid of what they can do to you if you have some breakdowns out there, so you can put that scared there if you want to. I think sometimes I know I do my best when I'm scared."

The potential of a NFC East title, Romo's third, could also occur on Saturday given a Cowboys victory and a Giants loss or tie. The Cowboys can also clinch the division title with a tie and a Giants loss.

"We don't think about anything other than just playing these guys this week," Romo said. "It's literally nothing less or more than we're out here to beat the Eagles, that's all we can control. That's what we're going to go out and do and it gives us the best chance to win."

IRVING, Texas – Felix Jones isn’t the kind of back that a coach can plan to give the ball 25 times per game.

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Mike Golic of Mike and Mike joins Coop and Nate to discuss the Cowboys win over Tampa, the NFC East, Drew Brees and more. Listen

But Jones did just fine with 25 touches in Saturday night’s rout of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He rushed for 108 yards on 22 carries and added 23 yards on three receptions.

It’s the second consecutive 100-yard game for Jones, who had cracked triple digits only twice in his career before the last two weeks. While Jones is best suited to be a complementary back, he has thrived since DeMarco Murray fractured his ankle, leaving Jones as the only healthy true tailback on the roster.

“Ideally we don’t want to overload him,” Jason Garrett said, “but we recognize that situation with our tailback situation.”

The concern isn’t necessarily whether Jones can handle 25 touches in one game. It’s whether that type of workload will have a negative effect down the road, as the Cowboys fight to get into the tournament and try to make a playoff run.

Can Jones remain fresh if he keeps carrying the load like that? Garrett doesn’t intend to find out, but he also can’t let that concern alter his play-calling.

The Cowboys jumped out to a big early lead against the Bucs, which resulted in wanting to ride the running game to milk the clock. As a result, Jones matched his career high with 22 carries and fresh-off-the-couch 12-year veteran Sammy Morris carried 12 times for 53 yards.

“What’s the ideal number?” Garrett said, repeating a question he’s often asked about Jones’ touches. “You have to play the game, and I thought that was the right thing for our football team to do and each of those guys handled that situation well.”
Jones has had 25 touches in a game only once in his four-year career. That occurred when he had 22 carries for 83 yards and three catches for 8 yards in last year’s overtime win over the Colts.

Coincidentally, the Cowboys played the Eagles the next week. He struggled in the running game during a 30-27 loss, gaining 41 yards on 13 carries, but added 42 yards on four catches.

Jones followed that up finishing the season with his best three-game stretch of the year. He rushed for 228 yards on 39 carries – averaging 5.8 yards per carry with a medium-sized workload -- as the Cowboys went 2-1 down the stretch.

The Cowboys need Jones to finish strong again, likely with a little heavier workload.