IRVING, Texas - While the Cowboys finally have come to grips with Felix Jones' status for Sunday night's game in Washington, officially listing him as out, the Redskins still are holding out hope injured running back Clinton Portis will be able to play.
Even though Portis has not practiced since suffering a second-degree sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his left knee Nov. 3 against Pittsburgh, the Redskins are listing him as questionable for the 7:15 p.m. (CST) game to be played at FedExField. Washington head coach Jim Zorn has maintained all week Portis was "50-50" for the Cowboys game, and that's exactly where he has left his status, suggesting the NFL's second-leading rusher will be a game-time decision.
Jones has not practiced with the Cowboys since suffering the strained hamstring in the Oct. 12 Arizona game, and while there was some thought he might return to practice this week, he was listed as having not practiced the past four days as the rookie continues to rehab the hamstring with trainers. Earlier in the day Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips seemed to hold out some slim hope Jones might return.
"If he's not able to go today, chances are he wouldn't play," Phillips said before the late morning practice.
Jones didn't practice, meaning he will now miss his fourth consecutive game, continuing to place a heavier burden on Marion Barber to handle the majority of the running duties.
The Cowboys also will be without backup linebacker/special teams player Bobby Carpenter and backup wide receiver Isaiah Stanback, both listed as "out" for the game. Carpenter suffered a strained groin on Monday, and has not practiced the past two days. His absence will cut into the team's special teams' depth.
Stanback, who has been practicing and playing with a shoulder harness to prohibit his problematic shoulder from suffering another dislocation, had the shoulder sublux again this week and did not practice the past two days. Stanback is facing surgery at the end of the season for sure, but that surgery might be moved up if the shoulder does not stabilize.
Of the 11 players listed on the Redskins' injury report, only backup defensive tackle Anthony Montgomery is listed as out. Questionable along with Portis is cornerback Shawn Springs (calf), who jumped back into practice on Friday after missing workouts on Wednesday and Thursday. The other eight players are listed as probable, including backup running back Ladell Betts (sprained knee), who has not played in a month and only practiced fully once this week; linebacker Marcus Washington (shoulder), out the past two games with a knee sprain and only able to practice once this week; and defensive end Jason Taylor, who has played only three times in the past six games with calf problems.
Another Safety
Not since the Cowboys first played Washington this season has Pat Watkins played any safety, having to sit out the next three games with a bulging disk in his neck and then returning only to play special teams.
Well, Phillips says he anticipates Watkins playing "more on defense" for this game, and that is a good thing since Washington tight end Chris Cooley, the team's leading receiver with 48 catches, has been a problem for the Cowboys in recent years. Watkins likely will be used on the team's change-up defenses, and could possibly draw some man coverage on Cooley.
Watkins is anxious to get back on the field playing defense, too. The third-year player, despite missing three games, is tied for fourth on the team with eight special teams tackles. Keith Davis still is expected to start at strong safety.
Let's Clarify
All these national reports claiming Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is guaranteeing the Cowboys will qualify for the playoffs have stretched the truth a tad, making him sound quite arrogant knowing his team is only 5-4 and no better than tied for the seventh-best record in the NFC.
That's what happens when Jones' entire quote is not reported accurately, and when the actual question is not included before his response.
During his 20-minute meeting with the local meeting here during Thursday's practice, the last question Jones was asked was this:
Obviously you see the positives of everyone coming back, can you see the Cowboys in the playoffs?
Please note: Jones was not asked "will" the Cowboys make the playoffs, as has been presented nationally by just using in some cases the first two words of his response, which were , "Yes, absolutely."
Jones was asked if he could "see the Cowboys in the playoffs."
His answer, verbatim was this:
"Yes, absolutely. That's not optimism. I just see that we were going to have to be a team that is playing well and won a lot of ballgames at the end of the year to be what we want to be anyway and this is as good a time to start as next week. I certainly do feel we're going to be a team that plays well enough to be thinking about the playoffs."
Huge difference.
Short Shots
Looks as if the Cowboys will only keep two quarterbacks active for Sunday night's game, with Tony Romo starting and Brad Johnson the second guy so he can continue holding on placekicks for Nick Folk. Brooks Bollinger will be the third QB, even though Phillips has said he's the backup quarterback. Should Romo get injured and the Cowboys go with Bollinger before the start of the fourth quarter, that would mean Johnson automatically becomes inactive and then punter Sam Paulescu would assume the holding duties . . . Recently-acquired Roy Williams will start against the Redskins at wide receiver, having just three catches for 38 yards and one touchdown in his three games with the Cowboys. As Jerry Jones said, "I thought it would come quicker," meaning Williams making an impact on the team's offense, but understands Johnson starting all three of those games in place of the injured Romo compromised the situation . . . The Redskins have won the previous three games over the Cowboys at FedExField, last losing 21-18 the first time around in 2004.
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Mickey Spagnola - 
