Cowboys Team Report

INSIDE SLANT

With the December stretch coming up, the Cowboys (7-3) need to use Thursday’s game against the Raiders (3-7) as a tune-up for the playoff push.

That means they need to find a way to get their sputtering offense back on track.

These are the Cowboys’ numbers on offense through the first eight games of the season, which included a four-game winning streak and move to first place in the NFC East—27.1 points per game, 404.5 total yards per game, 138.6 rushing yards per game, 265.9 passing yards per game and 41.6 percent conversion rate on third downs.

There are the Cowboys’ numbers the past two games, a 17-7 loss to the Packers and an ugly 7-6 win against the Redskins: 7 points per game, 291.5 total yards per game, 107 rushing yards per game, 184.5 passing yards per game and 26 percent conversion rate on third downs.

“We got things we need to work on and look at,” coach Wade Phillips said. “It’s hard for me to say what the problems are. We are in the process of doing that.”

More to the point, the Cowboys haven’t been able to get out of their own way. Penalties, turnovers and missed assignments have played huge roles in the declining attack. It’s something the Cowboys know they must correct if they hope to finish strong in December and realize their playoff dreams.

“You know you have to get better,” quarterback Tony Romo(notes) said. “If we play that type of football week in and week out, we won’t be able to accomplish the goals that we need and want.”

“There’s got to be something, a little fire about the way you feel right now, and offensively we feel like we left our team out to dry in some ways,” tight end Jason Witten(notes) said. “Tony played hard the whole way with him being banged up, but you’ve just got to improve, and we know that. It seems like it’s something different each time, and we were able to run the ball and get the offense going, but in the end we weren’t able to put points on the board.”

The thing that most of the Cowboys talk about is their sudden inability to convert on third down, which has killed drives. Before the recent slide, the Cowboys completed 41 of 101 third-down chances. They have gone 3-for-11 and 3-for-12 the past two weeks.

“That is a key component for us to be successful,” receiver Patrick Crayton(notes) said. “We know we can get it back on track. It’s a matter of us focusing in and executing.”

Crayton said the Cowboys hope to put on a good showing against the Raiders on Thursday so they can take some momentum into December.

“The tough month is coming up,” Crayton said. “We know we have to pick it up. It would be good for us to come out Thursday and be sharp and be crisp. It has to look like we are doing something out there.”

Series History:   10th meeting. Raiders lead series 10-3. Oakland has won the last three meetings. Oakland is one of 10 teams that Dallas does not have a series advantage over. The Raiders are one of two teams the Cowboys have never beaten in Dallas. The other one is the Ravens.

NOTES, QUOTES

—Former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson said it takes time for a quarterback to get on the same page with a wide receiver. So he said the struggles of Tony Romo and Roy Williams are justified.

But he said the Cowboys need to find what Williams does well and do that over and over, rather than ask him to do things he’s struggling with.

“Say in your mind, you’re dropping a crossing route, time after time,” Johnson said. “Well, let’s stop throwing the crossing route, because in his mind, he’s saying, ‘Oh no, I’m going to drop it, I’m going to drop it. Don’t drop it, don’t drop it.’ That seed’s planted, don’t drop it. Well the seed’s planted to don’t drop it, so what do you do? You drop it. And so let’s just pull away from that. Let’s start throwing that comeback where he knows he’s going to catch it, he catches it every time. Catch it, catch it, catch it and then occasionally sprinkle in a crossing route where he’s had some success to build that confidence back up.”

• The officials hurt the Cowboys again because of their lack of understanding of replay challenges and reviews. The league informed the Cowboys on Tuesday that the booth replay of whether Washington quarterback Jason Campbell(notes) stepped out of bounds before throwing the ball away in the second quarter Sunday should not have been reviewed because it was an unreviewable play. Anthony Spencer(notes) was initially awarded a 5-yard sack, but it was overturned on review, and apparently it shouldn’t have been.

Against Green Bay two weeks ago, the officials did not penalize the Packers 15 yards for challenging a play when they had no challenges remaining.

“They’re paid to go by the rules and make sure they know whether a team can challenge or not, whether a team can review something or not,” coach Wade Phillips said. “That’s what officials are paid to do.”

• Cornerback Terence Newman(notes) first ignored questions about his sideline spat with coach Dave Campo last Sunday. Then he turned it into a joke while trying to become a fight promoter. Newman said he and Campo were negotiating terms to be on the undercard for a potential bout between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.

“Actually, Jerry Jones is taking over. We’re going to have Jerry. I’m kicking Don (King) out,” Newman said. “We’ll have Jerry promoting. We might have to move this whole thing to Cowboys Stadium. It’ll be Pacquaio-Mayweather and Campo-Newman. We’re going to make it happen.”

For the record, Newman confronted Campo when the coach tried to stop him when he was coming off the field in the second quarter. Newman shoved Campo with both hands. They bumped chests and exchanged words.

“We’re all in a fight if you look at it,” Newman said. “It really doesn’t matter. It’s in the same spirit. We’re fighting to get to the playoffs.”

By The Numbers:   7—Points the Cowboys are averaging in their past two games, a loss to Green Bay and a win over Washington.

Quote To Note:   “I think they’re right there on the verge. As a former coach, you can’t overlook Oakland here on Thursday, especially with the change at quarterback. I think if they can get by Oakland, which they should, the game up in New York will be the one who decides who is going to take control of the NFC East. I think (the winner) is going to be the favorite after that ballgame.”—Former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson, on the Cowboys being considered a Super Bowl contender.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Player Notes  

• RB Felix Jones(notes) shed his knee brace against the Redskins for the first time since spraining his knee in Week 3 against the Panthers. He missed two games and had looked limited with the brace since his return. Against the Redskins, he had his biggest workload with 10 carries for 49 yards. He said he is finally 100 percent healthy.

• TE Jason Witten hasn’t missed a game since his rookie year in 2003. He could see his streak snapped at 103 against the Raiders on Thursday because of a sprained foot. He is listed as a game-time decision.

• TE Martellus Bennett(notes) said he is ready to go if starter Jason Witten can’t play against the Raiders on Thursday due to a sprained foot.

“I’m always ready,” Bennett said. “I’m usually playing 50 plays out of 65, so that’s just 10 extra plays. I’m ready to do whatever is needed.”

Bennett had a season-high 43 receiving yards on three catches vs. Washington last Sunday.

• WR Roy Williams took the high road when asked about Redskins safety LaRon Landry’s(notes) comments about him being scared to go over the middle.

“You know, God bless the individual, God bless the young man. Love him,” Williams said. “There’s nothing you can say. You know he was coming off a tough loss against the Dallas Cowboys, so I guess that’s all he had to say. I’m just going to continue to play my game, move on. I got the win under my belt, and I’m smiling.”

Williams also scoffed at the notion that’s he’s scared to take a hit.

“I’m running across the middle, stretching out, trying my best to catch the ball,” he said. “So, if that’s scared, let me know.”

• QB Rudy Carpenter(notes) was signed off the Cowboys’ practice squad by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He is the second player the Bucs have picked off Dallas’ practice squad. Earlier in the season, they signed CB Mike Mickens(notes).

Game Plan:   The Cowboys must find a way to get their offense back in sync. They are coming off two of their worst offensive outputs, but most damning is that they were 6-for-23 on third downs the past two weeks. They must get in more manageable third-down situations and quit being their own worst enemy with penalties and assignment breakdowns. They also must find a way to get the ball in the hands of wide receiver Miles Austin(notes) early in games to help jumpstart the offense. Defensively, the key is controlling the Raiders’ rushing game and forcing journeyman quarterback Bruce Gradkowski(notes) to beat them with his arm.

Matchups To Watch:   Raiders DE Greg Ellis(notes) vs. Cowboys RT Doug Free(notes). Ellis is the Raiders’ leading sacker with five, and he has the experience of playing against Free when he was with the Cowboys last season. Free is starting his second game in place of the injured Marc Colombo(notes). And while he fared well against the Redskins rookie linebacker Brian Orakpo(notes) last week, he will have his hands full with the savvy Ellis.

Raiders CB Nnamdi Asomugha(notes) vs. Cowboys WR Miles Austin. The Cowboys need Austin to make plays for them to win. Their only loss over the past six weeks came in a game in which Austin had a minimal impact, a 17-7 setback to the Packers. Asomugha is considered by many to be the league’s best cover cornerback. Rarely do teams even throw in his direction. It will be Austin’s toughest challenge since he broke out as the Cowboys’ favorite big-play threat six games ago.

Injury Impact:   RT Marc Colombo is out at least six weeks with a high ankle sprain and a fractured fibula. Doug Free will start in his place at right tackle.

• FS Ken Hamlin(notes) is out two to four weeks with a sprained ankle. Alan Ball(notes) will start in his place at free safety.

• TE Jason Witten was limited in practice Tuesday with a sprained foot and will be a game-time decision against the Raiders.

• QB Tony Romo was limited in practice Tuesday with a sore back, but he threw the ball and is expected to play against the Raiders.