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Tuesday is Power Rankings day on ESPN's NFL site, and today's topic was top 10 up-and-coming assistant coaches. For me, this question meant picking which current assistants had the best chance to become NFL head coaches. The rules we established for voting eliminated anyone who'd been a head coach already except for those who'd only worn the title of "interim" head coach, such as Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell.

As a result of Fewell's high profile, the way he's regarded around the league and the number of head-coaching interviews he went on this past offseason, Fewell ranked No. 1 on our list of up-and-coming assistants. He got a taste of the head-coaching seat when he had the interim job in Buffalo in 2009, and he's made no secret of his desire to land a more permanent head-coaching position. Our panel thinks he will, as he was ranked first on four of the eight ballots and named on seven of them.

Fewell finished just ahead of new Dallas defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who was one of only two assistants (along with sixth-place finisher Winston Moss) to be named on all eight ballots. Ryan certainly has an opportunity to dazzle in Dallas, where the defense was a major letdown in 2010 and could be poised for a nowhere-to-go-but-up recovery. Dallas also offers Ryan a high profile, and if he succeeds there it could carry more weight with decision-makers around the league when head-coaching positions are being handed out down the line. He's not as likely to move up next offseason as Fewell might be, but he's a guy who's on people's minds.

I threw a 10th-place vote for Cowboys special-teams coach Joe DeCamillis, because I've heard his name mentioned in this capacity a few times. But mine was the only ballot on which he appeared. James Walker of the AFC North blog ranked Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan sixth on his ballot, but that was the only ballot on which he appeared.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Last week, the Dallas Cowboys lost their starting quarterback. On Sunday, they simply lost their dignity in front of an alleged sellout crowd at Cowboys Stadium.

If the 35-17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars isn't the bottom, I'm not sure where this free fall ends. But at least we can dismiss this notion of the players rallying around backup quarterback Jon Kitna in Tony Romo's absence. Kitna threw for 379 yards, but he was undermined by teammates who performed tip drills on behalf of the Jaguars, who had four interceptions.

Cowboys coach Wade Phillips looked more befuddled than usual following this loss -- and that's saying something. I honestly think Phillips would've fired himself Sunday -- if he had that type of authority in the organization. His defense was repeatedly embarrassed by Jacksonville quarterback David Garrard and wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker, who jump-started his Pro Bowl campaign with eight catches for 153 yards and a touchdown.

The Cowboys were helpless against the NFL's 25th-ranked offense. Sims-Walker turned short passes into big gains and tight end Marcedes Lewis had two catches, both resulting in touchdowns. Players seemed sincere when they said Phillips hasn't lost the locker room, but the man in question wasn't as convincing.

"Well, I hope not," said Phillips with a blank expression. "We fought all the way the other games, but this game just got away from us and we couldn't get it back. ... I look at a lot defensively, a lot of the basic things that we've worked on, they scored on and that's what bothers me."

If Jerry Jones is thinking about changing his philosophy of not sacking head coaches during the season, now would be the time. Phillips has never been quality head-coaching material, but his credentials as a defensive coordinator have always been solid. But watching Garrard shred the Cowboys' secondary on his way to a near-perfect passer rating (157.8), it's hard to imagine how Phillips is still employed. Even the club's chairman of continuity, Jones, didn't exactly rush to Phillips' defense.

"There’s no way that the result and the way we played tonight, there’s no way that I can rest, sleep, figuratively speaking eat well with a diet of that right there," Jones told reporters. "There’s no way. And if you look at it, if you look at what we’re about -- our team, our stadium, the pride I have in this franchise -- you’d know it doesn’t digest. It doesn’t go down. We’ve got to do something that changes this on the field."

It's never a good sign when an owner makes a passionate apology to fans seven games into the season. This is a man who realistically thought he'd put a team together that had a chance of playing in the North Texas Super Bowl. Just the thought of that seems like a bad joke in light of Sunday's performance and the Cowboys' 1-6 record.

"I’m very, very, very sorry to our fans," said Jones, who's well aware that his Rangers neighbors were set to host Game 4 of the World Series. "You should have better than this."

But all Jones must do is look in the mirror as he grasps for answers. It's not like Phillips had a track record of prolonged success at his previous stops. Jones soothed his own ego two weeks ago by suggesting the Cowboys had beaten themselves and that a 1-4 record (at the time) wasn't indicative of how they'd played. But in losses to the Giants and Jaguars, the Cowboys have simply been overwhelmed on both sides of the ball.

The Cowboys once had a coaching staff stocked with head-coaching candidates -- Sean Payton, Tony Sparano, Todd Haley -- but Jones didn't realize it at the time. His hand-picked successor for Phillips, Jason Garrett, no longer shows up on anyone's short list. After witnessing Sunday's performance in person, I subscribe to the change for the sake of change theory. Let Garrett or special teams coach Joe DeCamillis have a crack at this thing for nine games because this team's no longer performing for Phillips.

The Cowboys' ineptitude was on full display late in the first half when they had a third-and-goal at the Jaguars' 1-yard line with 15 seconds left. After Marion Barber was stoned for no gain, the Cowboys went with a similar play on fourth down. Left tackle Doug Free was blown up at the point of attack and tackle-eligible Alex Barron staggered toward the line of scrimmage, tripped near the goal line and failed to make contact with a defender.

Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman and defensive end Marcus Spears both had their head coach's back in the postgame locker room, but it doesn't really matter at this point. Even Phillips couldn't put a positive spin on this one.

"Everybody knows we have a lot of talented players, and that's the problem," said Phillips. "I have talented players and I'm not getting them to play well enough. To me, that's the root of the problem."

Well, at least someone's willing to admit it.

MINNEAPOLIS -- This is where Cowboys seasons come to die. But unlike last year's trip to the unsightly Metrodome, which resulted in a 34-3 playoff loss, fans will be forced to endure 11 more games.

The Cowboys followed their normal 2010 script in Sunday's 24-21 loss to the Vikings. They won the battle of the stat sheets, but undermined themselves with 11 penalties and two key interceptions. This team is not good enough to overcome its ineptitude, and the Vikings had the good sense to patiently wait for the implosion.

Owner Jerry Jones, who was conspicuously absent from last week's postgame locker room scene, commanded a large audience in the cramped visiting locker room Sunday. Knowing what was coming, Jones made it clear that he wouldn't be making any coaching changes, which begged the subtle follow-up question, "Why the hell not?"

"I would never consider doing that during the season," said Jones, alluding to the fact that it's not something he's done since buying the team in 1989.

His explanation was that even if the team started winning under a new coach, we wouldn't know if the change was the reason for the success. For the record, this was when he completely lost me with his thought process. But honestly, it's not like the Cowboys' sideline is a who's who of head-coaching candidates. The fiery special teams coach Joe DeCamillis is an impressive man in person, as long as you don't have to watch his unit play.

Just a week removed from giving up a 73-yard kickoff return to the Titans in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys opened the second half by allowing Percy Harvin to sprint 95 yards for a touchdown that tied the score. That erased all the good things the defense had done to make Vikings quarterback Brett Favre look like a 41-year-old man with a penchant for needless pump fakes and shaky handoffs.

The Cowboys let the Vikings off the hook because that's what bad teams do. Coach Wade Phillips probably will soothe his players' immense egos with tales of how they were actually the better team Sunday (please see our chart), but some of us know better. Barring an epic turnaround, Jones will eventually get around to firing Phillips at the end of the season. And he'll absolutely hate doing it because he loves an arrangement in which a head coach defers to him on pretty much every important decision and isn't jealous of his Papa John's commercials.

If you had told the Cowboys they would hold Adrian Peterson to three yards per carry on 24 attempts and Randy Moss to five catches for 55 yards, it might sound like a recipe for success. But then some of us missed the genius of the Moss trade, which apparently was designed to open things up for Jim Kleinsasser and Greg Camarillo. Both of those players made catches that figured heavily in Sunday's outcome.

Favre, a man who has more on his mind than football these days, was crushed by Cowboys defensive end Igor Olshansky in the third quarter. He had to literally crawl for several yards before staggering to the huddle.

"When I hit quarterbacks, they get hurt," Olshansky told me in a Russian accent that brought back images of Drago in the classic film, "Rocky IV." "It normally leaves a mark."

Favre recovered in time to make his best play of the game when he sidestepped Anthony Spencer and found Kleinsasser for a 20-yard gain to set up the go-ahead touchdown.

"If you have ever gotten the wind knocked out of you, you think you're pretty close to death," Favre said. "I'm not going to sit here and say I'll be John Wayne, but I'm hoping that we didn't call a pass the next play."

The Cowboys also were victimized by a middle linebacker who has trouble getting through airport security because of a metal rod in his leg. E.J. Henderson broke his femur last season, but that didn't prevent the eighth-year player from doubling his career interception total in one afternoon.

He caught a jump ball in the first quarter when Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo had the ball deflected as soon as it left his hand, in part because All-Pro Jared Allen was allowed a free run at the quarterback. Henderson later deked Romo into throwing an interception when he showed blitz and then retreated at the last second. He snagged Romo's pass intended for Jason Witten, which set up the game-winning field goal for the Vikings in the fourth quarter.

"The second one, they sent a dog with the backer," said Romo. "It’s a hot play to Jason [Witten], so I’ve got to get the ball there. I think 56 [Henderson] did a good job. He must have rushed and come back out from the line. He did a good job and made a good play. I didn’t see him. I thought he was rushing. In the process, he did a good job coming back out. That was obviously a big play in the game. It’s tough."

Asked if he was concerned that his veteran quarterback would make such a crucial mistake, Jones showed his support in his own unique way.

"We don't have a replacement for Tony," he said.

The Dallas Cowboys rested their starters against the Miami Dolphins, but there were still some interesting developments Thursday evening. Third-team quarterback Stephen McGee won't make it to the practice squad after going 27-of-42 for 304 yards and a touchdown. If the Cowboys want to keep him, they'll have to hold a spot for him on the 53-man roster.

Here are some observations from the Cowboys' 27-25 win.

• Apparently the Cowboys wanted to get left guard Montrae Holland a little more work in the preseason. From what I'm told, he has a 50 percent chance of starting against the Redskins with starter Kyle Kosier trying to return from a right MCL sprain. On an early third-and-1, the Cowboys' offensive line didn't get any push and Tashard Choice was tackled at the line of scrimmage. Holland was called for two false starts on the second drive of the game. The Cowboys need Kosier to return in a hurry.

• I liked how outside linebacker Victor Butler pursued the running game from the backside. He came racing from the backside to knock down Ronnie Brown after a short gain. Butler also made some nice plays in coverage. Of the young backup linebackers, Butler's playing with the most confidence. On the Dolphins' first scoring drive, it was Butler who forced the field goal attempt by batting down a Chad Henne pass. Perhaps he's fired up about his alma mater Oregon State playing at Cowboys Stadium on Saturday.

• Rookie safety Akwasi Owusu-Ansah appeared to bust coverage against Davone Bess in the first quarter. It was an easy throw for Chad Henne on third-and-long. Owusu-Ansah was fortunate to hop to his feet following a clothesline from Tim Dobbins on a punt return early in the game.

• Tashard Choice was the Cowboys' best offensive player Thursday. Watching him take a short pass and turn it into a 34-yard play was pretty remarkable. Choice couldn't find any holes in the running game. It's time for the Pat McQuistan era to end. The reserve guard doesn't play with any power and he doesn't move his feet very well in pass protection.

• It's obvious that Stephen McGee and Martellus Bennett have some nice chemistry. Bennett does a really nice job of getting separation downfield. If his head is in the game, he could help this team in a big way. I was really impressed with a play that McGee made late in the first quarter to find Manuel Johnson. He extended the play with his legs and did a nice job of throwing on the run. On the next play, McQuistan was beaten badly off the snap. He has really awful balance. And on the next play, Alex Barron was beaten on a speed rush by linebacker Cameron Wake.

• Rookie linebacker Sean Lee is having trouble shedding blockers. On the long run by Ricky Williams at the end of the first quarter, Lee got sealed by wide receiver Marlon Moore. It looked like defensive end Jason Hatcher was trying to come up the middle on a stunt and he got stoned by the center. Beautiful play by the Dolphins, but Lee has to be more physical than that. But he fought back and had a fumble recovery to end the same drive. Butler took over the game in the first half against the Dolphins' starters. Nice strip-sack of Henne early in the second quarter.

• That was a gorgeous throw from McGee on the 43-yard touchdown pass to Sam Hurd. Hurd did a really nice job of accelerating when the ball was in the air. Cornerback Sean Smith had good coverage until just before the ball arrived. Going to be tough to cut Hurd after watching that play.

• Second-year linebacker Jason Williams tried to cover a running back on a wheel route late in the first half and he never attempted to play the ball. Williams was called for pass interference.

• Big confidence booster for David Buehler to nail the 51-yard field goal at the end of the half. Wade Phillips gave special teams coach Joe DeCamillis a fist bump and appeared to shout, "Yeah baby!" Really good night for Buehler. He also made a 45-yard field goal. I still want to see what he does in the regular season, but this was an excellent tuneup for him.

• After tonight's game, I feel like Butler can give the Cowboys between seven to 10 plays per game and he could fill in nicely if someone gets injured. It looked like DeMarcus Ware loved watching Butler fly around Thursday evening.

• Sean Lee showed some excellent closing speed to sack Tyler Thigpen in the third quarter.
  

• I liked the way Manuel Johnson fought for the football tonight. The former Oklahoma receiver probably doesn't have a spot on this team but he gave some other teams something to think about. Speaking of other teams, I know a couple of scouts from around the league who are very interested in Cowboys rookie cornerback Bryan McCann. He'll get scooped up if the Cowboys try to sneak him through to the practice squad. Early in the fourth quarter, McCann didn't take away the inside against Marlon Moore and was burned for the touchdown. Terence Newman met McCann on the sideline to explain what he should've done.

• Quite a battle between Hurd and Jesse Holley on Thursday. Hurd had the big touchdown catch, but it was Holley who made play after play in the second half.

• Herb Donaldson might be a good practice squad candidate. He had some nice runs in the second half.

• I thought reserve cornerback Cletis Gordon had a rough night. He was beaten for a long pass by Roberto Wallace late in the third quarter and he just seemed a step slow in this game. And late in the game, Wallace reached up and caught one over Gordon's head. He just didn't make plays on the ball at all. And this is after he had a ton of interceptions in training camp. Really nice second half for Wallace. He beat rookie cornerback Jamar Wall on a back-shoulder route on the goal line.

• Big night for Buehler going 4-for-4 on field goals and nailing the game-winner. That has to make Phillips feel a lot better about his kicking situation.
• Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Patrick Crayton wants to be released, his agent, Fred Lyles said.

On the Sunday following the Super Bowl, special-teams coaches around the league are always on pins and needles. That is because they're waiting for Dallas Morning News NFL columnist Rick "Goose" Gosselin to release his annual special-teams rankings.

Gosselin, my old officemate at the DMN, has developed an intricate system for ranking the special-teams units from all 32 teams. In fact, teams such as the Eagles will often cite Gosselin's report when announcing a new special-teams coach. Surprisingly, the hapless Cleveland Browns were ranked No. 1 this season and the Super Bowl-winning Saints checked in at No. 29.

The Cowboys hired former Jaguars special-teams coach Joe DeCamillis before the '09 season and moved up 23 spots to No. 4 in the overall rankings. The Eagles were 17th, Giants 20th and Redskins 27th. The good news for Eagles fans, though, is that new special-teams coach Bobby April led the third-ranked special-teams unit in Buffalo. OK, here are some other NFC East-related tidbits from the Gosselin rankings:

• The Eagles led the league in punt returns with a 13.5-yard average thanks to DeSean Jackson.
• Pete Carroll made a major mistake running off former Cowboys special-teams coach Bruce DeHaven from Seattle. The Seahawks finished 11th in the rankings despite having a bad overall team.
• Cowboys opponents had an average starting point at the 22.8-yard line (second in league), something that could be attributed to leading the league in touchbacks. David Buehler deserves major props for his work in that department.
• The Cowboys were fourth in the league with 38 punts downed inside the 20. That's one of the main reasons Mat McBriar belonged in the Pro Bowl.
• The Eagles and Chargers tied for first in field goals made with 32.
• The Cowboys ranked 30th in field goal percentage with 64.5.
• The Redskins led the league in giveaways on special teams with five.
• I realize the Packers don't play in the Beast, but can you believe they had 28 penalties on special teams? The Falcons had a league-best six.

IRVING, Texas -- We spent the majority of training camp talking about how this was a different Cowboys team. And it was a rather obvious point when you considered that polarizing personalities such as Terrell Owens, Tank Johnson and Pacman Jones had been banished from the locker room.

Unfortunately, though, they don't hand out Lombardi trophies based on improved locker room chemistry. For the '09 Cowboys to be truly different from the teams that have spent the past 13 years dealing with playoff futility, we knew they had to exorcise their December demons and then win a couple of games in January. The arrival of blue-collar players such as linebacker Keith Brooking and defensive end Igor Olshansky via free agency seemed to suggest a different approach. From the start of training camp, the sense of entitlement that was captured on film by HBO's "Hard Knocks" heading into the '08 season seemed to disappear.

The Sultans of September seemed better equipped to hold up during the harsh winter months (I know it's Dallas, but just go with me). Brooking, whose successful run with the Falcons came to an abrupt halt, bristled at any mention of the Cowboys' past failures and seemed to convince his teammates to focus only on the present. But a team that surged into December with an 8-3 record suffered back-to-back losses to the Giants and Chargers, and once again they were hounded by questions. What happened next could end up being the turning point in this organization's dubious playoff winless streak.

Special-teams coach Joe DeCamillis, who has become the hammer that the cuddly Wade Phillips so desperately needed, showed the team a clip of Tony Dungy saying the Cowboys had "no chance" of beating the Saints in New Orleans. For whatever reason, the thought that a former NFL head coach would show them absolutely no respect angered the Cowboys to the point where they wanted to shut everyone up. The Cowboys scored 14 points on the previously unbeaten Saints before Sean Payton knew what hit him, and their confidence began to grow. It was certainly the biggest win of the Phillips era and it sent a message that the Cowboys might be a team to be reckoned with in the playoffs.

In trying to identify what makes this Cowboys team better-equipped for a successful playoff run than some of the talented teams of the past ('07), I think you have to point first to quarterback Tony Romo and then to Phillips' defense. Romo is playing as well if not better than any quarterback in the NFC right now. And it's a good sign that he elevated his game when the stakes became higher in December.

For all his gaudy numbers, Saints quarterback Drew Brees has fallen off over the past month. And the same goes for Brett Favre, though he certainly made some huge plays in the second half of the loss against the Bears. Donovan McNabb and Aaron Rodgers are also operating at a high level, but neither of those quarterbacks has protected the ball as well as Romo.

You could attribute Romo's December failures in '06 and '07 to a lack of experience, but last season he simply didn't give his team a chance to win games down the stretch. And his infamous postgame news conference following a season-ending 44-6 loss to the Eagles made some Cowboys fans wonder whether he truly hated losing enough to make some much-needed changes.

When he threw three interceptions in a Week 2 loss to the Giants this season, Romo became the symbol for all that was wrong with the team. But while he took heavy criticism from both the media and fans, Romo stuck with a plan that he brought into the season.

He focused on becoming a better game manager and the following week he didn't have a turnover in a 21-7 win over the Panthers. Had we just met Tony the bus driver? But as his numbers reflect, Romo never stopped using his rare improvisational skills to create big plays. Heading into Sunday's NFC East showdown with the Eagles, Romo has played nine games in which he hasn't thrown an interception, and he's lost only four fumbles.

In '08, he threw at least one interception in 10 of the 13 games he started and lost seven fumbles. He did not trust offensive coordinator Jason Garrett and he felt the need to take unnecessary chances because the Cowboys' defense gave up too many points. Bill Parcells had left word that Romo needed to be coached all the way through games because of his habit of trying to do too much on his own. Although I don't think Romo would admit this publicly, I think he stopped listening to the coaches once Parcells and former quarterbacks coach David Lee left the building.

Honestly, I'm not sure it was a coach who finally got through to Romo this season. I think he finally came to the conclusion that the only way the Cowboys could be successful was for him to strike a proper balance between protecting the football and using his ability to make big plays in the passing game. Romo has been coy about the actual changes that he made heading into this season, but backup quarterback Jon Kitna has his own opinions.

"I think he came to the understanding that with every decision he makes, 52 other guys on the roster have to live with that decision," Kitna said Wednesday. "I think that's why he's been more willing to take a sack this season and not try to do everything on his own."

And here's where the defense ties into Romo's development as a quarterback. His willingness to throw the ball away or take the occasional sack has a lot to do with his trust that Phillips' defense will do its job. Earlier in the season, the Cowboys' defense played well for three quarters and then surrendered late leads. That hasn't been the case in recent games -- as evidenced by the defense's ability to end the Saints' frantic rally in a 24-17 win.

Only the Jets and Ravens have surrendered fewer points than the Cowboys (250), and remember that those teams don't face as many high-powered offenses on a regular basis. I remember late in '06, Romo felt like he had to make a play on every possession in order to give the Cowboys a chance to win. That Cowboys defense was getting lit up by teams such as the Lions who already had been eliminated from the playoffs. Now the quarterback of that Lions team is watching Romo take some very important steps.

"He's done a great job protecting the football," said Kitna. "His ball-handling skills in the pocket are excellent and you can see him tucking it away a lot more. More than anything, he doesn't feel the pressure to constantly make a play."

And that's why I think the Cowboys are poised to win their first playoff game in 13 seasons.

Just when you thought Wade Phillips and the Cowboys were pretty much done, they go out and hand the Saints their first loss of the season. And as much as we've bragged about Drew Brees this season, Tony Romo was the best quarterback on the field in the Cowboys' 24-17 win. Romo was 22-of-34 for 312 yards and a touchdown. And he used his legs to extend important drives. He has been heavily criticized for his record in December, but this was the signature win that a lot of folks have been waiting on. Here are a few quick-hitting observations on the Cowboys' win in the Big Easy:

Week 15 Coverage

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• Yasinskas: Saints far from perfect
• Mosley: Ware's return lifts Cowboys
• NFL Nation: Reactions | Wraps | Live

• Having DeMarcus Ware on the field gave the Cowboys a huge lift. Phillips wisely limited him to passing downs and he had a ton of energy. That made a big difference on the final drive. It was Ware who caused the Brees fumble that clinched the win for the Cowboys. And right up until that moment, I thought Brees might have a legitimate shot of leading the Saints back. Here's what Ware told the NFL Network moments after the game: "When I told the team I was playing tonight, everybody's eyes lit up. And as you can see, the scoreboard lit up too." Most people didn't believe Phillips on Monday when he said that Ware could possibly play against the Saints. But the All-Pro outside linebacker made steady progress with the team's medical staff and was finally cleared after going through a series of tests a couple hours before the game.

• Miles Austin is obviously the Cowboys' No. 1 wide receiver at this point. He had the big touchdown early in the game, but it was his catch and run on a third-and-long with 6:28 left in the game that held the Saints' comeback at bay. You can tell Romo has so much faith in Austin. Conversely, why would anyone have faith in Roy Williams at this point? His drop on a quick slant in the fourth quarter allowed the Saints to continue their comeback. I'd bench the guy. He really has no business being on the field -- especially with players such as Kevin Ogletree and Patrick Crayton making clutch catches.

• Surely the Cowboys will go ahead and cut kicker Nick Folk now. The NFL Network showed footage of him shanking field goals before the game and sure enough he hit the right upright on a short attempt with 2:14 left in the game. I can't imagine him being on the roster when the Cowboys make the trip to Washington next Sunday night. Winning has a way of covering up warts, but Folk can't hide after that miss.

• Mike Jenkins is about to become a perennial Pro Bowl player if he keeps this up. The Cowboys' second-year cornerback went toe-to-toe with perhaps the deepest group of receivers in the league. His interception in the second quarter ended a Saints scoring threat and he made plays throughout the game. He's playing with a swagger right now that's pretty impressive. And he's getting good jams at the line of scrimmage. Jenkins told me Wednesday he's a huge fan of Charles Woodson's game. And on Saturday night, he sort of reminded me of Woodson. He's by far the best cornerback the Cowboys have right now and he'll be in the Pro Bowl mix next season.

• It's a joke that Jay Ratliff isn't in the top five in the Pro Bowl fan voting. Ratliff can take over a game from his defensive tackle spot. He controlled Saints center Jonathan Goodwin and caused a lot of trouble in the middle. Ratliff didn't really show up on the stat sheet other than his fumble recovery, but he caused a lot of trouble for the Saints.

• This had to be outside linebacker Anthony Spencer's best game as a Cowboy. With Ware resting quite a bit on first and second down, Spencer turned up the pressure. For some reason, the Saints kept forgetting to block him and Spencer took advantage. Spencer and Ware combined for four sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. This is what the Cowboys had in mind when they drafted Spencer in the first round.

• Let's revisit the Austin note: Austin completely embarrassed Saints first-rounder Malcolm Jenkins on a double move on the touchdown. Jenkins just bit all the way, allowing Austin to get over him for the easy touchdown. Perfect throw by Romo. And then the heralded Darren Sharper had trouble keeping track of Austin. Austin ran through Sharper's arm tackle on one long play in the first half. On that huge play with 6:28 left in the game, tight end Jason Witten did a nice job of clearing things out for Austin.

• Tony Romo said on TV after the game that the Cowboys used a Tony Dungy video clip as a source of motivation. Romo revealed special teams coach Joe DeCamillis showed a video of Dungy saying on NBC last Sunday night the Cowboys had "no chance" against the Saints.

• The Cowboys' reward: One whole week with no one talking about how awful they've been in December. Impressive win. If they follow it up with a win in Washington, we're looking at a huge showdown between the Cowboys and Eagles to end the regular season.

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo saw how much trouble kicker Nick Folk and holder Mat McBriar were having, so he decided to offer up his services to special teams coach Joe DeCamillis. And now for the first time since his infamous playoff bobble in January 2007, Romo is the Cowboys' holder.

"When you're coming back to doing something, and something like that happened in the past, you have to be mentally strong and mentally feel as though you can do something at a high level," Romo said. "If I felt like I'm going to suck, I wouldn't be offering up to help in that situation. Hopefully I'm going to be pretty good. If I'm not, I'm not going to be doing it very long or at all."

Romo admitted that he's not particularly looking forward to the new task, but he wanted to do what's best for the team.

"Pops told me one time, 'Leadership is doing what has to be done.'" Romo said, referring to his father, Ramiro.

DeCamillis, who didn't have a lot of options outside of McBriar, was impressed that Romo was willing to offer his services.

"To me, that just shows what a competitor he is and how much he wants to help our team win," said DeCamillis. "He had a bad experience, and he really wants to help us out and help us win games. That's a real pro."

Perhaps this will solve what was becoming a very uncomfortable situation for everyone involved. First of all, there's the part about Folk missing 8 of 24 field goal attempts this season. This is a guy who was deadly accurate his first two seasons in the league. He and McBriar are close friends, so you can imagine the strain it was putting on their relationship.

Folk used to tell me that McBriar's laid-back demeanor on the sideline was a calming influence on him. But since he was named the holder before this season, McBriar wasn't as relaxed. You could see the tension in his face when it was time to attempt a field goal. Now, he can go back to focusing on his specialty, booming punts.

	Howard Smith/US PRESSWIRE
	Jason Witten and the Cowboys will return to Lincoln Financial Field for the first since last year's devastating 44-6 loss there on the season's final week.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

IRVING, Texas -- In a span of about five minutes on Dec. 28, 2008, the Eagles' and Cowboys' seasons took completely different paths. There was a good chance heading into the final game of the regular season that the Eagles would not have anything to play for in terms of making the playoffs.

But shortly before the 4:15 p.m. ET kickoff, everyone at the Linc found out that the Oakland Raiders had done the Eagles a remarkable favor with a comeback win over Tampa Bay. Suddenly, the Eagles and Cowboys were in a winner-take-all situation -- and we all know what happened next.

In one of the most regrettable performances in franchise history, the Cowboys suffered an embarrassing 44-6 loss. Eagles cornerback Sheldon Brown intercepted Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo late in the first half, setting up a Brent Celek touchdown catch that gave the Eagles a 24-3 lead. The rest of the afternoon is still a blur for some Cowboys players and coaches -- and they'd prefer to keep it that way.

In the postgame locker room, Romo delivered his now infamous "life goes on" speech. Romo made some critical remarks about offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, but that wasn't the worst part. He tried to offer some perspective at a time when Cowboys fans weren't ready for it by saying that if he never reached the Super Bowl, he'd still end up having a pretty good life.

It's something you might be able to get away with saying a few months later, but it was an awful miscalculation at the time. It fed the perception that other things were more important to Romo than winning football games -- and it's something that will linger until he wins his first playoff game.

Moments after the game, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones delivered the message of continuity, saying he would stick with head coach Wade Phillips. He also promised that he would take some of his employees "to the woodshed" in an effort to find out what went wrong. Based on their 13-3 '07 season, the '08 Cowboys had been a popular Super Bowl pick. An extremely disappointed and angry Jones set out to change the culture in his locker room, although he never phrased it quite like that.

Jones shut down his reform school that had housed Adam "Pacman" Jones and Tank Johnson. And then he made one of the toughest decisions of his career in releasing Pro Bowl wide receiver Terrell Owens. It shouldn't have been a difficult decision after watching T.O. splinter the locker room, but it was because it required Jones to admit that he'd made a mistake in giving Owens a lucrative contract extension.

Jones fired defensive coordinator Brian Stewart and gave that title to Phillips. He also replaced special teams coach Bruce Read with Joe DeCamillis, perhaps one of the most underrated moves of the offseason based on the Cowboys' immediate improvement in that area.

	Tim Heitman/US Presswire
	Miles Austin's emergence has been a boon for the Cowboys' receiving corps.

Now seven games into the '09 season, there doesn't seem to be as much sense of entitlement in the Cowboys' locker room. The one minor controversy -- Roy Williams' lack of chemistry with Romo -- doesn't seem to faze the other players. I'm sure it's embarrassing for Jones to see Williams go for about 19 yards per game, but that is offset by the remarkable rise of former undrafted wide receiver Miles Austin.

I almost laughed in Jones' face when he told us at the owners meeting that Austin had the potential to make people forget about T.O. -- but that's exactly what's happened. The only time you hear T.O.'s name in Dallas is when someone's joking about his lack of production in Buffalo.

The Cowboys return to the Linc on Sunday a confident team. They're well aware of their reputation for falling apart in December -- and that's why they need to stack wins in November. It helps that their new emotional leader on defense, inside linebacker Keith Brooking, doesn't give a rip about last season's 44-6 loss. He was a member of a Falcons playoff team at the time, and his refusal to buy into the Cowboys' past has been an important part of the culture change at Valley Ranch. Players such as linebacker Bradie James certainly haven't forgotten how their '08 season ended, but they don't seem obsessed with it.

"We know what happened last year," James told reporters Wednesday. "This is a different team, a different season, but we haven't forgotten. The only way we can right that wrong is to go out there and win, whether it's ugly, sexy, it doesn't really matter. We've got to go out there and find a way to win. We'll definitely know where we are as a team after we play this game."

Williams said Wednesday that Phillips hasn't even brought up the Cowboys' last trip to the Linc. And the receiver said he didn't intend on reliving his two-catch, 4-yard performance in the game.

I think it's a good sign for the Cowboys. This team appears to have a different approach. It should be enough motivation that the winner of this game will be in the driver's seat in the division race. And you know what they say about crippling 44-6 losses.

Life goes on.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Make no mistake, Friday night was all about new Cowboys Stadium. But the Cowboys did manage to dominate the Titans in a 30-10 victory. Here are some things that caught my eye:

• Quarterback Tony Romo was superb Friday, going 18-of-24 for 192 yards. And when he felt pressure, he made sure to secure the football with both hands. That's something that coaches have been harping on for years and it's a good sign that he's apparently listening. His best throw of the evening was a 19-yard pass to Jason Witten that set up the Cowboys' first touchdown. Romo bought himself some extra time and then dropped in a beautiful pass to Witten.

• Cowboys nose tackle Jay Ratliff is on the verge of being a perennial Pro Bowl player. He's simply too quick for most centers and guards. He shot the gap between center and right guard to stop running back Chris Johnson at the line of scrimmage on the Titans' first series.
  

• Special-teams coach Joe DeCamillis was supposed to improve the coverage units in a dramatic way. But Titans running back Javon Ringer took a kick back 51 yards on his first opportunity. Gerald Sensabaugh didn't help things when he was flagged 15 yards for a late hit.

• The Cowboys held the ball for 22 minutes, 13 seconds in the first half. They dominated the Titans at the line of scrimmage. The Titans finally put a drive together late in the second quarter that was capped by Justin Gage's 17-yard touchdown catch.
  

• Rookie cornerback Mike Jenkins appeared to point a finger at safety Ken Hamlin on Gage's touchdown. Jenkins lined up on Gage but then tried to pass him off to Hamlin, who was late coming over. I still think it looked like Jenkins' fault.
  

• Former University of Houston basketball player turned tight end Rodney Hannah made an excellent catch on a 22-yard touchdown pass from Stephen McGee. Hannah's probably a practice squad candidate at best, but he has excellent size at 6-foot-6, 260 pounds and his hands have really improved. If I were the Eagles, I'd be waiting to sign Hannah if he's released.
  

• Sam Hurd didn't come up with a catch he should have had on a back-shoulder throw, but he came back and made the catch of the night on a ball that was thrown behind him. Hurd reached back and hauled in the pass with one hand. He told me after the game that he still talks to his mentor Terrell Owens at least twice a week. "He taught me how to have patience," Hurd said of T.O. "Whether that was running routes or getting off press coverage." Hurd then emptied his locker to show me what books he's been reading. By the way, Hurd might be the best blocking receiver on the team.

• Cowboys reserve linebacker Bobby Carpenter made an excellent open-field tackle on Vince Young in the third quarter. I thought Young would beat him to the outside, but Carpenter grabbed his legs and made a really good tackle.

• Loved listening to crew chief Walt Anderson during Friday's game. At one point he made the following announcement into his mike: "False start on everyone but the center." And later he apologized to the crowd when he blew his whistle into a live mike.
  

• Running back Felix Jones is one of the most exciting players in the NFC East. What he did to Titans safety Tuff Harris on a 42-yard reception in the first half was embarrassing. Jones is a threat to go all the way every time he touches the ball.
  

• I saw a guy named Derreck Robinson force a poor throw late in the game. The defensive end out of Iowa probably won't make the team, but he was one of the few players to pressure the quarterback. Wade Phillips appears to be keeping it pretty basic at this point.

• Kudos to the entire offensive line -- except for the false start on Marc Colombo and the holding call on Flozell Adams. Jason Garrett showed a lot of confidence in the line when he chose to run the ball in the end zone with five seconds left in the first half.
  

• Looks like this offense could be pretty explosive. Pretty much everyone got involved -- even the guy from "4th and Long," Jesse Holley.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

CARROLLTON, Texas -- The plan was for Cowboys special teams coach Joe DeCamillis to work from home while recovering from the broken neck he suffered when the club's indoor practice facility collapsed two weeks ago. But when the Cowboys' veterans and rookies showed up for organized training activities (OTAs) Tuesday morning, DeCamillis was on the field at Carrollton's Standridge High School Stadium barking out commands to players while wearing a neck brace that extends down his back.

DeCamillis was supposed to coach via Wade Phillips' son, Wes, but it appears that the plan has been scrapped. DeCamillis was brought into to fix the Cowboys' underperforming special teams units. On Tuesday, he stood behind the kickoff unit and shouted encouragement -- and expletives -- into his megaphone. Wade Phillips has vowed to put more emphasis on special teams this season, and that's why the first 30 minutes of practice were devoted to DeCamillis.

	AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez
	The Dallas Cowboys' practice field bubble lies on the ground after it collapsed following a storm in Irving, Texas, on Saturday.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

IRVING, Texas -- As the skies over the Dallas Cowboys' Valley Ranch headquarters grew ominous Saturday afternoon, the obvious decision was to hold practice indoors. As is the custom during a rookie minicamp or any other practice, a member of the Cowboys' public relations staff escorted reporters past the outdoor practice fields toward the club's 80,000-square-foot indoor facility, where players and coaches had already gathered.

There was no indication that in less than an hour, many of them would be fearing for their lives. What follows is an attempt to piece together what happened in those chaotic moments after winds of up to 70 mph treated an enormous structure as if it were a toy. In conversations with reporters, video journalists and members of the Cowboys' organization, we've tried to reconstruct some of Saturday's events. Because club employees have been told not to speak to the media, they've been granted anonymity for this story.

Cowboys Facility Collapse • VIDEO: Footage from collapse • PHOTOS: The collapse

At about 3:15 p.m. local time Saturday, heavy rains began pounding the fabric-covered indoor facility at Valley Ranch. People who are used to being in the facility during rainstorms immediately recognized a louder roar than usual. A group of reporters and cameramen from four local TV affiliates was in its normal position near the south end zone while players went through team drills. As the rain continued to pelt the facility, Todd Archer of The Dallas Morning News remarked to public relations assistant Jancy Briles, "I wonder what this thing's wind resistance is?"

In a few moments, he would have his answer. The first major sign of trouble was the violent swaying of lights high above the field. At that moment, several people in the building became concerned that one of the lights -- about 3 to 4 feet in diameter -- might drop on a player or coach. Fox 4 cameraman Larry Rodriguez looked up and spotted Cowboys videographer Sam Cromley 40 feet above the field on a hydraulic lift.

"Sam's platform was waving back and forth like a flag," Rodriguez said. "And pretty soon after that, the whole building started to shake. It felt like you were in a ship."

The team's director of videography, Robert Blackwell, ordered Cromley to come down, but it was too late. As the roof and walls began to fold like an accordion, Cromley remained on the platform and basically rode it down to the ground. In some of the video footage captured by local TV affiliates, you can hear Cowboys assistant linebackers coach Dat Nguyen yelling, "Sam, Sam, Sam" as he rushed over to help Cromley escape from underneath the facility's vinyl covering.

Nearby, one offensive lineman could be seen wrapping his arms and legs around one of the few poles that hadn't fallen. He apparently thought a tornado had hit the building, and he was holding on for dear life. For some, the most haunting thing was the initial sound they heard when the building began to implode.

"To me, it sounded like bubble wrap," said Rodriguez, who suffered a laceration on his hand that required nine stitches. "You could just hear everything popping and snapping around you."

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Beginning at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, I was supposed to visit with Redskins defensive end Brian Orakpo and Eagles first-round pick Jeremy Maclin. Of course, we called those interviews off when news broke of the Cowboys' practice bubble collapsing in Irving. As a quick update, practices at Valley Ranch were called off today. The rookies and other selected players were scheduled to meet with coaches this afternoon before returning to their respective campuses or homes.

The Redskins were gracious enough to re-schedule Orakpo for 2 p.m. ET today and I'll be visiting with Maclin at some point this week. In Dallas, you can't go anywhere without people talking about the roof collapse. At church this morning, lots of prayers were going out to people affected by the situation.

Here's what I know on the injuries: Special teams coach Joe DeCamillis was set to undergo surgery for two broken verterbrae, but the prognosis is good. Cowboys assistant scout Rich Behm underwent surgery on his spinal cord late last night at Parkland Memorial Hospital and I'm not sure about his condition. I'm told that head coach Wade Phillips and owner Jerry Jones were both with Behm's family at the hospital Saturday night. From what I've been told, Behm certainly has the most serious injury of the 12 people who received treatment following the collapse. We'll keep you updated throughout the afternoon.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

Houston Texans

The way coaches will experiment with different ways to use him, James Casey may end up feeling like a lab rat, writes John McClain.

McClain's blog on Casey, which includes some good links.

Reliant Stadium's name appears to be safe for now, says Alan Burge.

Indianapolis Colts

A rundown on the Colts' undrafted free agents, from Mike Chappell.

Jim Caldwell says it's about more than size on the interior defensive line, writes John Oehser.

Pat McAfee hopes he can match the play of the franchise's last kicker from West Virginia, Mike Vanderjagt, says Chappell.

Caldwell's first impressions of the rookie class on the field, from Oehser.

The Colts have had no conversations with Marvin Harrison about returning, writes Oehser.

Freddy Keiaho's role is TBD, says Oehser.

Rookie uniform numbers, courtesy of Oehser.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Gene Frenette says the Jaguars must repair their defense first.

Derek Cox isn't reading much that's written about him now, says Michael C. Wright.

Wright examines the shifting landscape of the offensive line for veterans Tra Thomas and Tony Pashos.

Ex-Jags assistant coach Joe DeCamillis was among those injured in the Dallas Cowboys' practice bubble collapse.

Rookie receivers Mike Thomas and Jarett Dillard come in with a reputation as polished receivers, according to Wright.

Some at minicamp don't even rank as undrafted rookie signees yet. They are just vying for a spot, writes Wright.

Tennessee Titans

In the one rookie practice open to the media, Kenny Britt and Jared Cook made some impressive catches, says Jim Wyatt.

On first impression, Cook was as impressive as Britt, blogs Wyatt.

Learning the system is a rookie's major hurdle, writes Gary Estwick.

Ryan Mouton needs a little time for his hamstring to be fully recovered. A notebook from Wyatt and Eswick.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

IRVING, Texas -- It was easy to tell the survivors from the onlookers Saturday afternoon at the Cowboys' practice facility. Even an hour and a half after 64 mph winds ripped the club's practice facility to shreds at 3:27 p.m. local time, some of the reporters who'd been inside the facility when the storm arrived had shell-shocked looks on their faces.

I had been at Saturday's morning practice and subsequent interview session, but wasn't attending the afternoon workout. When I returned to Valley Ranch at about 4:30 p.m., there were fire trucks and police cars everywhere. Gawkers were walking up and down the street taking pictures of the area where the practice bubble once sat. If you've ever driven through the area surrounding Valley Ranch, you know how prominent the structure was. It was 85 feet tall and it took up 80,000 square feet. The practice bubble looked like a gigantic white tent, and I can remember thinking how unnatural it looked in the neighborhood when it opened in the summer of 2003.

The morning practice had been held outside, but with dark clouds forming, the Cowboys held the afternoon session indoors. According to people I talked to at the scene, the first sign of trouble was when the light fixtures atop the facility started swaying violently. And then the entire building began to shake back and forth. By the time people started racing for the exits, the structure was already crumbling.

My former colleague at the Dallas Morning News, Todd Archer, was trapped in one of the doorways. Here's his account of what happened. He credits former Texas Tech defensive end Brandon Williams and Cincinnati safety DeAngelo Smith for lifting the door frame so that he could escape the building. Nick Eatman of Dallascowboys.com attempted to help Archer, but said it was like "lifting a car."

The Cowboys didn't reveal the names of the 12 people injured in the collapse, but I've confirmed that special teams coach Joe DeCamillis was transported to a local hospital for a possible neck injury. I'm also told that assistant secondary coach Brett Maxie suffered a laceration on his leg that required stitches. As I left the building Saturday night, a longtime cameraman for the local Fox affiliate, Larry Rodriguez, was about to receive treatment for a gash in his hand.

"I reached up to try and block a beam that was falling on me," he said. "But then I realized that wasn't a wise move."

Most of the reporters who were inside the building during its collapse appeared to have minor cuts and bruises. It created a surreal scene in which the reporters were being interviewed by other reporters. I reached one of the rookies by cell phone this evening, but he said players had been instructed not to talk about the situation.

In some of the TV footage following the collapse, you could see guard Greg Isdaner, a free-agent rookie out of West Virginia, holding onto a pole inside the practice bubble with a look of sheer terror on his face. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips attempted to direct emergency crews to three people who were trapped underneath the debris.

I walked out toward the practice bubble at about 6 p.m. local time Saturday and couldn't believe the sight. As one reporter who was inside the building said, "It's like a bear ripped up a tent."

When you look at the destruction, it's hard to imagine how everyone survived. It's not like a couple of steel poles fell down. Pretty much the entire framework came tumbling down. I shudder to think what the result would've been if this were a full-roster minicamp. The head of emergency services in Dallas County, Dr. Paul Pepe, said there were only three "serious" injuries and that none of them were life-threatening. And according to the latest report from the Star-Telegram, only one person will have to stay in the hospital overnight.

Team spokesman Rich Dalrymple said owner Jerry Jones had cut his trip to the Kentucky Derby short and was flying home Saturday night. The players participating in this weekend's minicamp are expected to hold meetings Sunday, but they probably won't practice. We'll obviously keep you posted on any new developments.

Update: As of 12:08 a.m. ET, a Cowboys scout named Rich Behm is undergoing surgery on his spinal cord at a Dallas hospital, according to a source close to the family. DeCamillis, who is former NFL head coach Dan Reeves' son-in-law, has two broken vertebrae, according to sources.

Update 2: Very sad news Sunday night. Word is out that Behm is paralyzed from the waist down.