5. David Buehler better get healthy. Fast. Not only did Dan Bailey make field goals of 37 and 41 yards against the Vikings, veteran Shayne Graham made a 38-yarder and sent three of his six kickoffs into the end zone. And, remember, 2009 Lou Groza Award winner Kai Forbath should be back kicking at Valley Ranch this week.
4. I'll say it again, Martellus Bennett cannot be trusted. Dropped another pass and is now out 2-4 weeks with a sprained ankle that was so bad he had to be carted off the field. John Phillips = valuable insurance policy.
3. Here's hoping the Cowboys are better than Saturday night's TV broadcast. From Mickey Spagnola's microphone not working, to running a taped interview during Alan Ball's touchdown return of the blocked field goal, to failing to announce which player drew a holding penalty, it was laughably bad. And at one point Dez Bryant caught a pass and the stats graphic read 4 catches 39 yards. The next play Bryant caught a 10-yard in route. Graphic: 4 catches, 51 yards. Huh?
2. No. 1 worry is the Cowboys' defense in general and the run defense in particular. Adrian Peterson gashed them up the middle for 81 yards on 14 carries and in the opener the Broncos ran right through Dallas. And if you think Gurode is done, so is Keith Brooking. Difference? Unfortunately Costa is a better player at this point than backup linebacker Sean Lee. After Abe Elam badly mistimed his jump and allowed a long touchdown pass in the first quarter, apparently defensive coordinator Rob Ryan gave his unit a profanity-laced tirade. Good. He should've.
1. Says head coach Jason Garrett: "It was a good night for a lot of reasons." Adds Romo: "I'm ready. We're ready." Can we skip Thursday night's meaningless pre-season finale at Miami? Sept. 11 can't get here fast enough. By the way, with the Cowboys now moved back to Valley Ranch on a daily basis, training camp is technically, finally over. It also means, however, media access is limited to the first 20 minutes of practice. Hope you enjoyed the coverage while it lasted.
