|
IRVING, Texas - Human nature, it seems, would be to spend all week talking about the things that didn't go right in the Cowboys' 7-6 win over Washington.
Not this week, though, with another game approaching, kickoff versus the Oakland Raiders now less than 72 hours away. Are there things the Cowboys need to fix before Thanksgiving afternoon? Yes, and they'll have to work quickly.
Whereas the typical Monday at Valley Ranch involves some film study, light running and weight room work, the Cowboys went ahead and held a walkthrough in preparation for Oakland. They will also practice on Tuesday, the players' usual day off, and Wednesday, which is normally the team's first day to work on an upcoming opponent.
Not one to apologize for many wins, Wade Phillips' press conference was more focused on the process of getting ready for the Raiders on a short week than the struggle it was for the Cowboys to get past Washington.
"I'm sorry I've gone past the game, but I'm thinking of Oakland and all those things," Phillips said. "It's not a typical Monday, obviously. We've already started on the game plan and working on the next team."
Phillips later admitted he and the rest of the coaching staff would be at the office late into Monday night preparing a game plan for Thursday. Difficult as the task of jamming a week's worth of work into three days would seem, there's also the matter of having the players ready physically despite a short time to rest.
The two Cowboys most banged up coming out of Sunday's game were Tony Romo and Mike Jenkins. Romo had some stiffness in his back, and Jenkins was a bit loopy after taking a blow to his head while making a tackle in the fourth quarter. Both players and Phillips said each would play against the Raiders, though there would be a kind of wait-and-see approach in practice this week.
Jenkins did not participate in Monday's walkthrough, nor did Jason Witten, who was listed as having a foot injury. Romo was limited during the on-field work, as was Keith Brooking, who had an ankle injury.
Even for the guys whose names don't appear on the injury report, it will be a test to come back so soon. Then again, the Cowboys probably have some advantage in that regard since their veterans are at least experienced with the three games in 11 days stretch around Thanksgiving, and Oakland has to travel.
"It's a quick turnaround, but you know before the season starts that it's going to come," Marcus Spears said from the comfort of a sofa in the Cowboys' locker room at Valley Ranch. "So I think the coaches and we, as professionals, know what we've got to do to be ready for a quick game like this.
"Obviously you can't go out there and bang at practice. You've got to get off your feet as much as possible, like I am right now. And it's really mental too; it's a lot to do with mental. Because you go through training camp and you practice two-a-days back to back, and that's very similar to how your body will be feeling. So it's not a big deal, and then plus you get some time off after that."
As Spears mentioned, there is some light at the end of the tunnel with 10 days to rest between Thanksgiving and the next time the Cowboys have to play. Then again, Week 13 will send the Cowboys to the Meadowlands for what will surely be a big game against the Giants, particularly since it's the beginning of December.
Patrick Crayton, who caught the game-winning touchdown against the Redskins, admitted the Cowboys are conscious of the pressure that will be on them to win down the stretch. He said it's important for the offense to build some momentum heading into the final five games of the season by playing better against Oakland.
"It's definitely going to be good for us to come out Thursday and be sharp, and be crisp," Crayton said. "It's got to look like we're really doing something out there. We've got to finish drives, whether it be with a field goal or a touchdown. We'd prefer six, but as long as we get some kind of points it's a successful drive."
As Crayton said, a marked improvement Thursday would be nice going into the semi-bye provided by having the weekend off. When the Cowboys beat Kansas City before their open date earlier this year, they came out the other end with three straight wins.
If they could put together a similar streak Thursday and early in December, it would make the difficulty they had in beating Washington on Sunday an even more distant memory than the Cowboys are currently trying to make it.
| Home | Email | Print | Register for New Alerts | RSS |
|
Josh Ellis - 
