The New York Giants have officially ruled out running back Ahmad Bradshaw (left ankle) for Thursday night's game in Denver. He was on crutches Tuesday, so this isn't a surprise. And it could clear the way for Danny Ware to have an increased role in the offense.
In limited action, he's shown a good burst and a willingness to pick up the blitz. I'd be very curious to see what Ware could do against a Broncos defense that allowed Ladell Betts to go off recently. I could see Ware getting 10 to 12 touches in this game, especially since starter Brandon Jacobs has been banged up.
It's a great opportunity for Ware to showcase his ability. How long will be Bradshaw out? There's really no telling. He's fought through an injury to his right ankle. Now he'll be operating on two bum ankles. If Ware seizes this opportunity, we might not see much from Bradshaw down the stretch. Just a thought.
In limited action, he's shown a good burst and a willingness to pick up the blitz. I'd be very curious to see what Ware could do against a Broncos defense that allowed Ladell Betts to go off recently. I could see Ware getting 10 to 12 touches in this game, especially since starter Brandon Jacobs has been banged up.
It's a great opportunity for Ware to showcase his ability. How long will be Bradshaw out? There's really no telling. He's fought through an injury to his right ankle. Now he'll be operating on two bum ankles. If Ware seizes this opportunity, we might not see much from Bradshaw down the stretch. Just a thought.
Hard to imagine Witten missing a game
November, 25, 2009
Nov 25
1:38
PM ET
During the portion of practice the local media is allowed to observe, Cowboys Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten was on the field warming up Wednesday afternoon. He sprained his left foot in the first half of Sunday's 7-6 win over the Redskins and it has limited him this week in practice.
WittenCoach Wade Phillips said it would be a "game-time" decision as to whether Witten plays tomorrow against the Raiders. But he's only missed one game in his seven-year career with the Cowboys -- and that's because he had a broken jaw. He had his jaw wired together at the time, but he still begged coach Bill Parcells to play. It was his rookie season (2003) and his quick comeback from the injury earned him the respect of Parcells and his teammates.
I think athletic trainers Jim Maurer, Britt Brown and Greg Gaither will have a difficult time keeping Witten off the field. If Witten's unable to go, look for rookie John Phillips to see a lot more time. Everyone with the organization has been impressed with Phillips' blocking.
Martellus Bennett would become the primary receiving tight end in Witten's absence.
I think athletic trainers Jim Maurer, Britt Brown and Greg Gaither will have a difficult time keeping Witten off the field. If Witten's unable to go, look for rookie John Phillips to see a lot more time. Everyone with the organization has been impressed with Phillips' blocking.
Martellus Bennett would become the primary receiving tight end in Witten's absence.
Report: Redskins' Gray to land Memphis job
November, 25, 2009
Nov 25
10:24
AM ET
Redskins secondary coach Jerry Gray will become the head coach at Memphis, according to ESPN.com's Joe Schad. Gray interviewed with Memphis officials Monday and Tuesday and an announcement will probably be made after the Tigers' final game.
No word on whether Gray will finish the season with the Skins, but I'm betting owner Dan Snyder will let him out of his contract to jump into the recruiting process. The founder of FedEx is a powerful Memphis booster and he has ties to the Redskins organization. And Schad reports that former Redskins coach Joe Gibbs also spoke on Gray's behalf.
Gray was the defensive coordinator for the Bills from 2001 to 2005 and he's currently presiding over the No. 1-ranked passing defense in the league (161 yards per game). I've known Gray over the years and we've talked about his interest in returning to the college game. I think Gray would've likely been the interim head coach for the Redskins if Snyder had fired Jim Zorn during the season. For Gray's sake, it's probably a good thing that didn't happen.
Safeties coach Steve Jackson would probably take over as Redskins secondary coach if Gray goes ahead and leaves the team during the season.
No word on whether Gray will finish the season with the Skins, but I'm betting owner Dan Snyder will let him out of his contract to jump into the recruiting process. The founder of FedEx is a powerful Memphis booster and he has ties to the Redskins organization. And Schad reports that former Redskins coach Joe Gibbs also spoke on Gray's behalf.
Gray was the defensive coordinator for the Bills from 2001 to 2005 and he's currently presiding over the No. 1-ranked passing defense in the league (161 yards per game). I've known Gray over the years and we've talked about his interest in returning to the college game. I think Gray would've likely been the interim head coach for the Redskins if Snyder had fired Jim Zorn during the season. For Gray's sake, it's probably a good thing that didn't happen.
Safeties coach Steve Jackson would probably take over as Redskins secondary coach if Gray goes ahead and leaves the team during the season.
The Giants certainly miss middle linebacker Antonio Pierce, but it's not like his replacement, Chase Blackburn, is a huge drop-off. Here's what defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka said about Blackburn on Tuesday:
“He’s probably one of the most underrated players in the league,” Kiwanuka said. “Yeah, obviously we miss having Antonio out there. He’s a great leader and a big part of this team. But Chase Blackburn studies. He knows every position on the field. He probably knows every special-teams position as well. We have full confidence in him.”
“He’s probably one of the most underrated players in the league,” Kiwanuka said. “Yeah, obviously we miss having Antonio out there. He’s a great leader and a big part of this team. But Chase Blackburn studies. He knows every position on the field. He probably knows every special-teams position as well. We have full confidence in him.”
After watching Jason Campbell take a beating behind a patchwork offensive line for several weeks, the Redskins have decided to add a third quarterback to their 53-man roster. They will sign former Cowboys quarterback Richard Bartel off the Jaguars' practice squad and release Andre' Woodson from their practice squad, according to two league sources.
Bartel signed with the Cowboys in May 2007 and spent the next season on the club's practice squad. He went to camp again with the Cowboys in '08 and was briefly added to their practice squad before being released for good. Bartel caught on with the Browns late in the '08 season.
He was 43-of-71 for 404 yards during the Cowboys' '08 preseason. At 6-3, 230 pounds, he has a big arm and he moves around pretty well in the pocket. He had an opportunity to sign with the Chiefs late in the '07 season but elected to remain on the Cowboys' practice squad.
Bartel was a standout at Grapevine (Texas) High School and played at nearby SMU before transferring to Tarleton State. He was a 17th-round draft pick by the Reds as a pitcher out of high school, so he got a late start on his college football career. Bartel was 12-of-14 for 137 yards in his only extended playing time for the Browns during the '09 preseason. He was released by the Browns and quickly signed by the Jaguars.
Bartel will serve as insurance behind Campbell and Todd Collins, but don't be surprised to see him get some playing time at some point since both of those players don't appear to be in the Redskins' long-term plans. It could be a great opportunity for Bartel as long as he's willing to take some punishment. But at age 26, he's a pretty mature guy and I think he'd be capable of putting up decent numbers.
Bartel signed with the Cowboys in May 2007 and spent the next season on the club's practice squad. He went to camp again with the Cowboys in '08 and was briefly added to their practice squad before being released for good. Bartel caught on with the Browns late in the '08 season.
He was 43-of-71 for 404 yards during the Cowboys' '08 preseason. At 6-3, 230 pounds, he has a big arm and he moves around pretty well in the pocket. He had an opportunity to sign with the Chiefs late in the '07 season but elected to remain on the Cowboys' practice squad.
Bartel was a standout at Grapevine (Texas) High School and played at nearby SMU before transferring to Tarleton State. He was a 17th-round draft pick by the Reds as a pitcher out of high school, so he got a late start on his college football career. Bartel was 12-of-14 for 137 yards in his only extended playing time for the Browns during the '09 preseason. He was released by the Browns and quickly signed by the Jaguars.
Bartel will serve as insurance behind Campbell and Todd Collins, but don't be surprised to see him get some playing time at some point since both of those players don't appear to be in the Redskins' long-term plans. It could be a great opportunity for Bartel as long as he's willing to take some punishment. But at age 26, he's a pretty mature guy and I think he'd be capable of putting up decent numbers.
Cowboys' Williams gives Landry free pass
November, 24, 2009
Nov 24
6:29
PM ET
As we discussed Monday, Redskins safety LaRon Landry accused Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams of playing "scared" Sunday. Landry said he could tell it by the way Williams was running his routes. In fact, the Skins safety even said he told Williams that he was playing scared and he said that Williams didn't respond. On Tuesday, Williams took the high road.
"You get frustrated with yourself and your team and the way things are going and you envy others who are on winning ballclubs and are doing things they're supposed to do," Williams said Tuesday. "So, I'm just going to continue to do my job. God bless the young man, him and his family and his football team. I don't buy into the comments, I don't do anything, just going to continue to play our game."
And really, what was Williams supposed to say? He finished with zero catches and he was lit up by Landry on a couple different occasions. Based on his performance, I don't think he could've done a better job of fielding the question.
"You get frustrated with yourself and your team and the way things are going and you envy others who are on winning ballclubs and are doing things they're supposed to do," Williams said Tuesday. "So, I'm just going to continue to do my job. God bless the young man, him and his family and his football team. I don't buy into the comments, I don't do anything, just going to continue to play our game."
And really, what was Williams supposed to say? He finished with zero catches and he was lit up by Landry on a couple different occasions. Based on his performance, I don't think he could've done a better job of fielding the question.
Cowboys coach Wade Phillips told reporters at Valley Ranch that Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten (foot) will be a "game-time" decision Thursday against the Raiders. Phillips said Witten sprained the middle of his foot in the second quarter of Sunday's 7-6 win over the Redskins. Witten never left the game and was able to make a key catch on the Cowboys' game-winning drive in the fourth quarter.
"We're a little bit worried about him being able to play," Phillips said of his tight end.
Phillips said both Witten and quarterback Tony Romo (back) took limited reps in Tuesday's practice.
"We're a little bit worried about him being able to play," Phillips said of his tight end.
Phillips said both Witten and quarterback Tony Romo (back) took limited reps in Tuesday's practice.
For those of you who somehow missed the launch of ESPNDallas.com, I write a weekly column for the new site. My latest installment deals with Sunday's sideline confrontation between Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman and Dave Campo.
The column runs on Tuesday afternoons during the football season. Thanks for your continued support.
The column runs on Tuesday afternoons during the football season. Thanks for your continued support.
The NFC East came roaring back last Sunday and that was reflected in the ESPN.com Week 12 Power Rankings. The voters apparently were waiting for a reason to fall in love with the Giants again -- and an overtime win over the Falcons was good enough to vault them five spots in the rankings.
Thanks to the magic of Mike Sando's database, we know exactly where all the votes came from. Now let's take a team-by-team look at how things went down:
8. Dallas Cowboys: Not totally sure I understand why a 7-6 win over the Skins allows a team to move up two spots, but that's what happened. John Clayton had the Cowboys at No. 7 and the other three voters had them at No. 8. The panelists have the Cowboys in front of the Steelers and the Packers, a team the Pokes lost to recently.
10. Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles also moved up two spots after their win in Chicago. I'll give the Eagles more credit for their win than I give the Cowboys for the win over the Skins. Sando, who's anti-Beast votes are the stuff of legend, actually gave the Eagles their highest ranking at No. 9. Jeff Chadiha, a cross-over star at ESPN and ESPN.com, had the Eagles with their lowest ranking at 11.
11. New York Giants: I guess this group of voters believes in the power of Tom Coughlin because the Giants made the biggest leap of any team in the rankings. And they barely escaped against the Falcons. I'm not sure what caused the huge jump. Maybe it was simply that some teams in front of them fell apart -- like the Broncos and Falcons for instance. AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky and Chadiha weren't as impressed as Sando and Clayton, ranking the Giants 13th. That's about where I'd put them. But it was quite odd to see Kuharsky put the Falcons ahead of the Giants.
24. Washington Redskins: You can't dock the Skins for going on the road and almost pulling the upset over the Cowboys. They were one made field goal from getting it done. Sando and Clayton gave the Skins their highest marks with a pair of 24s.
The Beast climbed back into second place in the overall division rankings with an average of 13.6. The AFC South came in at a 12.8. But if the three teams at the top of the NFC East keep climbing, they'll eventually overtake Kuharsky's beloved division. The Texans don't have what it takes and the Titans simply waited too late to change quarterbacks. I thought Vince Young was superb last night. An absolute pleasure to watch. He just never looked stressed out at all.
Thanks to the magic of Mike Sando's database, we know exactly where all the votes came from. Now let's take a team-by-team look at how things went down:
8. Dallas Cowboys: Not totally sure I understand why a 7-6 win over the Skins allows a team to move up two spots, but that's what happened. John Clayton had the Cowboys at No. 7 and the other three voters had them at No. 8. The panelists have the Cowboys in front of the Steelers and the Packers, a team the Pokes lost to recently.
10. Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles also moved up two spots after their win in Chicago. I'll give the Eagles more credit for their win than I give the Cowboys for the win over the Skins. Sando, who's anti-Beast votes are the stuff of legend, actually gave the Eagles their highest ranking at No. 9. Jeff Chadiha, a cross-over star at ESPN and ESPN.com, had the Eagles with their lowest ranking at 11.
11. New York Giants: I guess this group of voters believes in the power of Tom Coughlin because the Giants made the biggest leap of any team in the rankings. And they barely escaped against the Falcons. I'm not sure what caused the huge jump. Maybe it was simply that some teams in front of them fell apart -- like the Broncos and Falcons for instance. AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky and Chadiha weren't as impressed as Sando and Clayton, ranking the Giants 13th. That's about where I'd put them. But it was quite odd to see Kuharsky put the Falcons ahead of the Giants.
24. Washington Redskins: You can't dock the Skins for going on the road and almost pulling the upset over the Cowboys. They were one made field goal from getting it done. Sando and Clayton gave the Skins their highest marks with a pair of 24s.
The Beast climbed back into second place in the overall division rankings with an average of 13.6. The AFC South came in at a 12.8. But if the three teams at the top of the NFC East keep climbing, they'll eventually overtake Kuharsky's beloved division. The Texans don't have what it takes and the Titans simply waited too late to change quarterbacks. I thought Vince Young was superb last night. An absolute pleasure to watch. He just never looked stressed out at all.
Cowboys' Newman laughs off Campo shove
November, 24, 2009
Nov 24
2:45
PM ET
Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman talked for the first time Tuesday about his sideline confrontation with secondary coach Dave Campo in the first half of Sunday's 7-6 win over the Redskins. Newman used humor to dismiss the notion that he and Campo had any lingering issues.
"It’s going down,” Newman said. “It’s going to happen in Vegas. It’s going down. We’ve got Don King promoting. You know? Actually, Jerry Jones is taking over. We’re going to have Jerry. I’m kicking Don out. We’ll have Jerry promoting. We might have to move this whole thing to Cowboys Stadium. It’ll be Pacquiao-Mayweather and Campo-Newman. We’re going to make it happen."
Hey, don't give Jones any ideas. He's already in the process of trying to lure the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight to Cowboys Stadium. A Campo-Newman rematch would be an interesting bout on the undercard. And honestly, I'd have to go with Campo because Newman would have a tough time covering.
Sorry, it just slipped out. Let's get our game face on see what the Eagles are doing in the secondary.
"It’s going down,” Newman said. “It’s going to happen in Vegas. It’s going down. We’ve got Don King promoting. You know? Actually, Jerry Jones is taking over. We’re going to have Jerry. I’m kicking Don out. We’ll have Jerry promoting. We might have to move this whole thing to Cowboys Stadium. It’ll be Pacquiao-Mayweather and Campo-Newman. We’re going to make it happen."
Hey, don't give Jones any ideas. He's already in the process of trying to lure the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight to Cowboys Stadium. A Campo-Newman rematch would be an interesting bout on the undercard. And honestly, I'd have to go with Campo because Newman would have a tough time covering.
Sorry, it just slipped out. Let's get our game face on see what the Eagles are doing in the secondary.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Matt Mosley
Mosley, an award-winning writer for The Dallas Morning News for seven years, joined ESPN.com in January 2007. Mosley, a Baylor graduate, writes columns, features and blogs for ESPN.com.