Cowboys still looking for a tailback?

There's a glaring hole still open behind Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo this summer. DeMarco Murray used to be there, but now he's in Philadelphia. Lance Dunbar and Joseph Randle are still around, but Darren McFadden was tagged as the No. 1 after a March trade with the Raiders. 


But injuries to both his hamstrings has largely kept him from his post in the training camp sessions thus far, and the faint sound of grumbling is beginning to be heard from the executive suite.

Ed Werder of ESPN reported "frustration building over injury absence of Darren McFadden and effect having on workload of other running backs" on Twitter on Wednesday.

The relative instability of the Cowboys' backfield has driven team vice president to start speculating if they did enough to replace last season's league-leader in yards and touchdowns.

"We would have liked to have added a running back to that group," he told Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News. "The situation didn't present itself in the draft, so we didn't get that done. We probably missed out there. On executing a plan, if you didn't execute one part of it, that was probably it."

Jones didn't rule out that the team's search for a run game was over.

"There's backs out there that I think still have some gas left in the tank, and if we need to go get one, we'll go get one."

The sooner, the better.

Did the Eagles overpay for DeMarco Murray?

There are those who have questioned the moves Chip Kelly made this offseason.

Chief among them was former Eagles tailback LeSean McCoy, who, after having played his entire life in the confines of Pennsylvania, resorted to what he thought was the obvious reason for his departure -- Chip Kelly not liking black players.

No mention of himself not fitting into the plan or anything like that, naturally.

But, McCoy's paranoia and unfounded stupidity aside, there was one primary reason why he was shipped to the NFL's Siberia -- money.

Philadelphia would have owed McCoy $11 million to play this season. By sending him to the Bills, and by adding DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews, the Eagles found themselves with two tailbacks for the price of one. 


Not to mention, a young and promising linebacker in Kiko Alonso.

That's three excellent players in exchange for one decent player. What could be wrong with that?

Plenty, according to Bill Barnwell at Grantland. 

"In a year, it will be clear whether Murray was establishing a new level of performance (and health) or whether Chip Kelly bought high on a talented-if-brittle running back," Barnwell wrote.

He contends the Eagles overpaid for Murray because of what he calls the back's "outlier" 2014 season -- Murray led the NFL with 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns, but had until then missed 11 games in three seasons with one injury or another.

But after that outing in '14, Murray saw himself due some money. He found it in Philadelphia: a five-year, $42 million contract ($21m guaranteed) that outpaced the offer coming from the Cowboys, by a long way. Dallas put four years and $24 million on the table. 

Murray chuckled and typed "Philadelphia" into Google Maps.

The question of whether the Eagles overpaid him is that of potential production minus potential liability, chief of which is that potential for injury.

Still, he comes with a score of up-sides.

Murray is a traditional, patient rusher. Unlike the hippity, hoppity LeSean McCoy of 2014, a man who would try to out-juke bunches of tacklers by running east to west in search of that big gash, Murray is someone with a natural instinct for the hole, a north-south power runner who will cut once if need be before committing to this lane or that, for good or ill.

Behind the Cowboys' stout offensive line last season, that came mostly for the good. That natural instinct comes easily when lanes are made for you more often than not.

Comparisions with the Eagles' current front unit tend to elicit frowns these days for those clad in green. Philadelphia had fielded a contender of their own up front recently before a rash of injuries in 2014 very nearly saw tight end Brent Celek used as a reserve lineman.

Now, with the departures of Evan Mathis and Todd Herremans from the guard positions, the Eagles' interior run game has certainly taken something of a hit. How much of one remains to be seen. 

But center Jason Kelce is no slouch, and what they lack on the inside can be made up for outside. Tackles Jason Peters and Lane Johnson remain -- experience and skill to the left and youth, speed, and skill to the right will provide decent edge blocking and make outside rushes easier, combined with able blocking from tight ends and receivers that is par for the course on any Kelly offense.

Looking fair so far, then, the Murray signing. Now, about those injuries.

Chip Kelly was first among observers to note Murray's history. It actually seemed to be on his mind a lot of the time -- he said this spring that he pursued players who had been injured, of the belief that they would be undervalued. Some time off, a quick patch-up job, and they would be ready to go. His play for quarterback Sam Bradford (two torn ACLs) and cornerback/safety Walter Thurmond (torn pectoral) attest to that thinking. 

Murray has had a sprained MCL, a sprained foot, a broken ankle, and hamstring problems in the pros. He dislocated his patella at Oklahoma with Bradford as his quarterback. Even in his banner year of 2014, he had an issue with a broken hand, which he played through in a fine effort against the Colts. 

The Cowboys took every advantage of him while he was well last year, handing off to him 392 times, a full eighty rushes more than the NFL's next-most -- LeSean McCoy.

That's a lot of bruises.

It's also 497 total touches, including receptions and postseason rushes. Many things have to come together for a player at any position to be used that much with corresponding results. Scheme, state of mind, protection, and health all preclude a rusher's production.

And all were a kind of perfect storm for Murray last season.

But the question remains if Dallas took the bloom off his rose with all that overwork. The Eagles are giving him the kind of money that would demand he repeat (or vaguely approach) those efforts, but the addition of Ryan Mathews at the No. 2 spot would seem to indicate a share-and-share-alike situation for the two coming out of the backfield.

A 2nd-or-3rd down carry here, a series or drive there, could prevent an injury to their No. 1 that would have come earlier with more carries. Mathews could end up extending Murray's career while providing stability to the Eagles' ground game.

Add to that the confidence with which Chip Kelly employs a strict sports science regimen onto his players, regulating their diets, workouts, and even sleep patterns. Kelly will be playing to a careful balance with Murray -- to not ask too much of him so as to not wake the menagerie of injuries that lurk beneath, and not to get scared of those injuries and ask too little of him with the money they're paying him.

Chip Kelly's offseason spending program would put him to the left of the political spectrum (as, frankly, would most), and time will tell if those investments pay off. His deal for cornerback Byron Maxwell turned the majority of heads: six years, $63 million. That number reflects the desperation the Eagles had (rightly) about their secondary position.

Things weren't nearly as tragic behind the quarterback. But Kelly and the gang feel the risks are worth the potential rewards. Murray has a history of missing time, but when on the gridiron posted a 4.95 yards per carry average before his breakout campaign in 2014, when he actually decreased per yard. 

Murray is 27 years old, three years out of a four year contract before he reaches the dreaded 30 -- the invisible benchmark that claims the reputations of running backs the league over. 

From now to then will determine whether not only his many acquisitions, but Chip Kelly himself, will be the bane or boon of modern Eagles history.

Tom Brady ban could affect NFC East

When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell upheld his four-game suspension of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for his supremely unproven masterminding of the DeflateGate controversy, he inadvertently affected the race to decide the NFC East.

Brady is eligible to come back in Week 5, which, as fate would have, is a rematch with the Colts -- the very club his Pats handled to an inflated result with their allegedly deflated footballs in January's AFC title game. 

Should Brady not be granted the injunction he and his counsel will most likely pursue, he won't be under center when the Patriots play a certain game in Arlington, Texas. All the promos CBS were going to air about the quarterback duel between Tony Romo and Tom Brady will have to be airbrushed to include Jimmy Garoppolo.

Which makes the Cowboys a sudden favorite to win that game. And gives the Eagles, Redskins, and Giants an almost certain one-game disadvantage in their effort to win the division. 

When Philadelphia visits Foxborough on Dec. 6, the matinee idol will be back where he belongs -- and, one guesses, in a sour mood from all that sitting in his moated mansion with his supermodel wife for a crime he couldn't be convicted of properly.

Brady will also man the Pats when they feast on New York and Washington.

Trouble is, the NFC East is a rather closely contested division, not having been decided by more than two games since 2008. Advantage Cowboys.

On the other hand, if Brady and the union contest his suspension in federal court, he could play the entire season unharmed while the tedious and never-ending legal system plays itself silly. He could play this season and, if on the losing end, could serve his suspension later.

Cowboys cut RB Williams

The Dallas Cowboys will be another running back short when they report for training camp this summer.

The team waived Ryan Williams on Tuesday, ending his tenure with the franchise that failed to produce a single regular season snap out of their backfield.

Todd Archer of ESPN reported Williams had knee surgery after the team's minicamp in June, a proposition that limited his chances of joining the club considerably.

Injury had been a concern for Williams since the day the Cardinals drafted him out of the second-round in the 2011 NFL Draft, rupturing a patellar tendon in the first rush of his career, a preseason game against the Packers that August.

The new opening creates another stir around the Cowboys' rushing situation, created since DeMarco Murray left for the Eagles this March. Dallas insists they're happy with Darren McFadden, Murray's replacement, with Joseph Randle and Lance Dunbar behind him.

But with Chris Johnson, and now Ray Rice, making their names known ahead of training camp, that situation could change. 

@MrJamesParks

NFL rewrites reception rules

Dez Bryant missed it by that much.

That would-be 4th-and-2 reception from Tony Romo near the goal line that frosty afternoon in Lambeau Field, originally called a good catch inches from pay dirt.

Then, it wasn't.

Down by five points with four minutes remaining, the Cowboys were set up to take the lead against an Aaron Rodgers-led Packers squad that hadn't lost in that building in two calendar years.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy called the striped gang over to contend Bryant actually didn't have possession throughout. That decision paid off.

But the NFL, preferring receptions to incompletions, took to their rule book to clarify any confusion that may still result from that play and any other that may come along in the future. 

A player is considered to be going to the ground if he does not remain upright long enough to demonstrate that he is clearly a runner. If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball until after his initial contact with the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete. 

Not that any amount of words will ever clear anything up in the scuffle following a catch or a replay that doesn't quite show everything clearly, and certainly not anything that will convince Cowboys fans that Dez Bryant didn't have that ball.

@MrJamesParks

Cowboys ink WR Bryant to 5-yr deal

IRVING, Tex. -- The Cowboys and wide receiver Dez Bryant came to terms on a deal over five years and worth $70 million, the team announced on Wednesday.

Bryant caught 16 touchdowns last season for the 12-win Cowboys, setting an all-time record in that department, topping Terrell Owens' effort. He also led the team in receiving yards (1,320) and yards per game (82.5), adding 22 receptions of 20 or more yards.

The agreement comes after much speculation and, more recently, a series of ultimatums from Bryant that he would sit out the training camp and potentially a number of regular season games should he not have received a long-term deal to his liking by the deadline this afternoon to sign franchise-tagged players.

"We value him," team owner Jerry Jones said, via their website. "Other than Dez, nobody is prouder of his accomplishments.

"I know that he, like the Cowboys, want him to be a Cowboy all of his playing career."

Bryant was given the franchise tag by the Cowboys worth $12.8 million, a price for which he would have been forced to play this coming season.

He compiled over 381 receptions for 5,424 yards and 56 touchdowns in a five-year career, all with the Cowboys.

Cowboys ink rookie Byron Jones

IRVING, Tex. -- Last but not least, the Cowboys inked their final draft selection, signing defensive back Byron Jones, the team announced on Thursday.

Eventually picked No. 27 overall, Jones stunned at the NFL Combine in February, breaking the record for the longest broad jump of 12 feet, and coming inches short of the best all-time vertical. 

The deal is for four years, worth $8.6 million with $7 million in guaranteed money and a $4.515 million signing bonus.

A dazzling athlete at Connecticut, Jones is expected (more hoped) to make an immediate impact in the Cowboys' needy secondary. Dallas posted the 26th-best pass defense last season, allowing 252 yards thrown against them every Sunday, though allowed comparatively few touchdowns (22) and the fifth-most interceptions (18).

The club are still to decide what position he will start, mentioning during the draft that his flexibility was a plus for them. He featured largely at corner during team OTAs before moving to safety this week.

Cowboys: Jason Witten voices support, but does not name, Greg Hardy

IRVING, Tex. - Cowboys tight end Jason Witten knows a thing or two about domestic violence. His childhood was touched by it directly as he saw his mother abused by his father growing up in Tennessee. 

His SCORE Foundation has worked to help families that have been subjected to it themselves.

So, when the Cowboys signed up convicted-then-dropped-on-appeal seasoned campaigner in the art of woman beating, Greg Hardy, one had to wonder what the 11-time Pro Bowl selection had in mind.

"I think, more than anything, I think everybody knows [I'm against] domestic violence. That's unwavering," Witten said on Sunday. "But that guy is a teammate of mine, so I think you have to look at it from that standpoint."

"That guy," who Witten notably failed to refer to by name, was found guilty of a domestic violence charge in North Carolina, but his charges were dropped when Ms. Holder, his accuser, failed to show herself during a jury appeal.

Hardy is appealing the suspension that will keep him out the first 10 games of this season, re-instating him in time for the Cowboys' Thanksgiving Day meeting with the Panthers, his old club. 

Witten showed predictable support for who he called "the guy" twice and "He" or "Him" nine more times when he spoke, so he's being a good teammate in welcoming him, whatever his name is.

Cowboys sign RB McFadden

IRVING, Tex. - A day after losing last season's leading rusher DeMarco Murray to the rival Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys on Friday signed running back Darren McFadden to replace him, according to multiple sources.

The No. 4 overall pick by the Raiders in the 2008 NFL Draft, McFadden has 25 rushing touchdowns in seven professional seasons, gaining 4,247 yards on 1,038 attempts. He added 1,769 receiving yards and 5 scoring catches.

Last season marked the only outing that saw McFadden play an entire season, appearing in all 16 games with 12 starts. Though the veteran from Arkansas would carry only 155 times for 534 yards and two scores as second-year back Latavius Murray emerged.

McFadden had career-highs in rushing yards (1,157) , receiving yards (506), and all-purpose touchdowns (10) in the 2010 season, finishing six games with 100 yards on the ground. The Raiders would finish 8-8 after two 5-11 outings.

Dallas gained a postseason appearance on the back of DeMarco Murray last season after a flurry of 8-8 seasons. Murray led football last season in rushing yards (1,845) and touchdowns (13). He would break Emmitt Smith's Cowboys single-season rushing record with a 100 yard performance at the Redskins in December.

It's official: DeMarco Murray signs with Eagles

PHILADELPHIA - DeMarco Murray, football's leading rusher last season with the Cowboys, has signed with the NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles, the team announced on Thursday.

The signature is worth a reported $42 million over five years, half of which is guaranteed money for the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2014.

"I'm excited about the future," Murray told a press conference in Philadelphia. "They have a great game plan and great coaches; whatever they decide to do, I'm in."

Discussions heated up on Wednesday and Thursday when reports surfaced that Murray had begun discussions with Eagles head coach Chip Kelly after the team found themselves in need of a backfield following a trade that sent LeSean McCoy to Buffalo last week.

Murray, a free agent, flew to Philadelphia to speak personally with Kelly and other team officials with the intent to sign a contract with the team provided the meetings went well.

Went well, they did.

"I felt this was a great opportunity to win a Super Bowl," Murray told the assembled media.

Murray's expected annual money ($8.4m) will exceed what was long the Cowboys' threshold offer of $6 million per year; the team believed that, though Murray was a good talent coming off a banner year, he was not worth more money. 

"This came down to an allocation of dollars within the management of the salary cap," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement.

Though, "It was never about the money in any situation," Murray claimed in a text to Todd Archer of ESPN on Thursday. "If it was the money, I could've taken that a long time ago on a very high deal. It's about winning a Super Bowl and being fair."

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported on Thursday morning that the Cowboys were commencing talks with other running backs of the belief that they had lost Murray to their rivals.

Murray carried the Cowboys to their first playoff appearance since 2009 with an NFL-best 1,845 yards on 392 rushes, adding 13 touchdowns (all career-highs) before the team was excluded from the postseason in the NFC Divisional Round at the Packers. 

He carried for 100 yards in their regular-season finale at the Redskins in December to surpass Emmitt Smith's former franchise single-season rushing record.

"We are very grateful to DeMarco Murray for his contributions to the Dallas Cowboys," Jones added. "He is a quality person, a very good football player, and a player that we wanted to keep. 

"I love those guys," Murray said of his time with the Cowboys, "but sometimes, things don't work out, and you gotta move on."

The fifth-year back will reunite with former Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford, his roommate at the school who was traded to the Eagles this week in a deal that saw former starter Nick Foles moved to the Rams in exchange.

Murray told a league source recently that he and Bradford were "the best of friends", and Bradford admitted he was recruiting Murray to join the Eagles.

"Absolutely. I've been trying my hardest," he said on Wednesday of his efforts. "I've called him. I've texted him. I've done everything. We've been in communication. If we can somehow land him, it would be a great pickup. Not only is he a great player, he's a great person. He's a really close friend of mine, too. I think he can really help this ball club."

The two featured together on a successful spread offense with the Sooners from 2007-2009; Murray stayed on another year when Bradford entered the professional ranks.

They will seek to imitate that success in Kelly's signature spread-style offensive scheme, provided Bradford can overcome injuries in a twice-torn left ACL.

Philadelphia and former Chargers running back Ryan Mathews had agreed to terms on a three-year, $11.5 million deal ($5m guaranteed) earlier this week, and the contract was signed this afternoon along with Murray's.

The signing of Murray is the most high profile move by the Eagles in what has become a hectic, and often criticized, free agency period for the team: in addition to trading Foles and McCoy, they also lost leading receiver Jeremy Maclin to the Chiefs, and released cornerback Cary Williams and linebacker Trent Cole. Philadelphia also added cornerbacks Byron Maxwell and Walter Thurmond; Brandon Graham was retained on Tuesday after a flirtation with the division rival Giants.

Murray currently holds the all-time records at Oklahoma for all-purpose yards (6,718), touchdowns (65), and receiving yards for a tailback (1,571). 

Named twice to the NFL Pro Bowl list, he has 4,526 career rushing yards on 934 attempts for 28 touchdowns, adding 1,200 receiving yards on 171 catches.

"I'm proud to be a part of this organization," he said.

Cowboys: WR Beasley signed for 4 yrs

IRVING, Tex. - Wide receiver Cole Beasley and the Dallas Cowboys agreed to a four-year contract on Tuesday, a day after Dez Bryant was given the franchise tag by the team, according to multiple reports.

The deal is reportedly worth nearly $14 million for the former SMU standout, with $7 million guaranteed, though possible incentives could add $1.5 million. 

Beasley, who was set to become a restricted free agent, will also receive a $4 million signing bonus.

He caught 37 passes for 421 yards last season, adding four touchdowns during the Cowboys' 5-1 stretch to close out the regular season, a 12-4 campaign that found the team advance to the NFC Divisional Round. Another 101 yards came on seven receptions in two postseason games against Detroit and Green Bay.

"He's quick, he's fast, he's explosive, and he's strong," head coach Jason Garrett said of Beasley. "He's a sneaky guy cause when he walks in, he looks like the paperboy. He does. He's like, 'hey, give me my $3.85 for the last seven days.' He's something else. He just has a knack about him and I think people do under-appreciate how physically talented he is."

In three seasons with the club, he has 91 receptions for 916 yards.

Cowboys will tag WR Dez Bryant

IRVING, Tex. - The Dallas Cowboys will assign the franchise tag to Dez Bryant, keeping the All-Pro wide receiver from testing the open market, team vice president Stephen Jones confirmed on Monday.

The team will inform the league of their decision by the 4 p.m deadline, ensuring Bryant will earn nearly $13 million next season.

Bryant said in the offseason he would be "highly disappointed" if he received the tag, which is the fifth all-time in Cowboys history.

Jones mentioned at the Combine last month that a potential tag would be a "placeholder" between the two sides before they would ideally reach a long-term deal to keep Bryant with the club.

The team met with Bryant's agents, Tom Condon of CAA and Kim Miale of Roc Nation, last tuesday, per Todd Archer of ESPN, though no party believes a deal will be forthcoming by March 10, the first day of free agency.

In five seasons with Dallas, Bryant recorded 381 receptions for 5,424 yards and 56 touchdowns, the most catches, yards, and scores by any Cowboy in franchise history.

Cowboys: Jason Garrett wants Murray, Bryant

INDIANAPOLIS - Speaking at the NFL Combine on Wednesday, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said his running back DeMarco Murray and wide receiver Dez Bryant, both about to become free agents, were irreplacable "cornerstone players" for his team.

Though, as he said, "the business of the NFL is real."

"DeMarco Murray led the NFL in rushing by, I think, by 500 yards and. . . the value of being able to hand the ball 25 times a game week in and week out is significant.

"But there's the business of the NFL, which we all understand and I know both sides are talking. We're trying to get it done. We'd love to have him back."

Garrett scowled when asked about adding another free agent to the Cowboys backfield.

"I don't like that expression 'plug another back in there,'" he said. "He carried the ball 450 times and made 61 catches. That's 511 touches. There's a lot of value attached to a guy you can hand the ball to again and again."

With free agency approaching for both players, there have been rumors that Dez Bryant would receive the franchise tag, something team vice president Stephen Jones, also at the Combine, said this week may be the case for Bryant.

"Right now we're probably leaning that way," Jones said of Bryant, an unrestricted free agent. "But that doesn't mean it won't change."

Bryant said during the regular season that would be "highly disappointed" were he to receive the tag, and this week intimated that he would avoid offseason work, according to ESPN's Ed Werder on Twitter.

Bryant made 88 receptions for 1,320 yards and a franchise-record 16 touchdowns last season.

Murray surpassed Emmitt Smith's franchise-best rushing record, carrying for 1,845 yards this season.

Cowboys: Bryant may get the tag

INDIANAPOLIS - Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in December that he would, if necessary, apply the franchise tag to Dez Bryant to keep the receiver in Dallas.

Speaking on Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, his son, executive vice-president Stephen Jones said the team expects to meet informally with Bryant's agents during the combine, he said, though no official meetings have been scheduled between the two.

"Right now, all things being equal, it's leaning more Dez with the franchise than it is not," Jones told the Dallas Morning News. "But that doesn't mean it will stay that way. We don't ever want to give up on a long-term deal. It's something we worked on all of last year and it kind of cooled off once we got into the season. Things can go along with a lot not going on, but all of a sudden it happens."

Should Bryant receive the tag, that would leave the future of running back DeMarco Murray with the Cowboys in doubt.

"Who knows what tomorrow brings?" Jones said on Tuesday. "Things have a sudden way of getting kicked in and you start to get some traction on something. You go down that road and get that done. It's dominoes."

Jones also said he would meet with Murray's agents in Indianapolis this week, according to Rainer Sabin of the Morning News, via Twitter.

Cowboys lead Packers 21-20 after 3rd

GREEN BAY, Wis. - DeMarco Murray and Davante Adams exchanged touchdowns in the third quarter as the Dallas Cowboys lead the Green Bay Packers 21-20 in an NFC Divisional game at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

Murray capped off an efficient 80 yard drive begun with Dez Bryant's 20 yard reception. Joseph Randle carried for 13 across midfield and Jason Witten's 15 yard catch brought Dallas to the Packers 27.

Murray's 26 yard rush over right end brought Dallas to the Packers 1 to set up his rushing score.

Green Bay would respond on their ensuing drive, a 90 yard charge that ended in Davante Adams' 46 yard touchdown strike, a catch-and-run play that evaded the Cowboys secondary traffic and into a Lambeau leap that brought the Pack an inch closer.

Murray was stripped of the football by Julius Peppers on the Cowboys 44 near the open of the third quarter. Peppers stripped quarterback Tony Romo on the Cowboys' first possession, though Dallas would recover. The fumble was Murray's 6th this season, the most among pro backs.

Eddie Lacy powered over left end for a 29 yard gash to the Cowboys 16 and John Kuhn carried for 4 more over the middle. Davante Adams caught to the Dallas 4, after which a fight ensued that drew a dead-ball flag against Packers lineman T.J. Lang that pushed Green Bay back to a 3rd-and-16 at the Cowboys 22.

Lacy caught for 10 yards to set up Mason Crosby's 30 yard field goal to bring the Packers within 1.

Cowboys lead Packers 14-10 at halftime

GREEN BAY, Wis. - Tony Romo threw two touchdowns and Mason Crosby kicked clean from 40 yards as time expired in the first half as the Dallas Cowboys lead the Green Bay Packers 14-10 in an NFC Divisional round playoff game at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

Randall Cobb caught for 12 yards and brought in a 31 yard reception along the near sideline to the Cowboys 27 with 9 seconds left in the second quarter to set up Crosby's boot.

Tony Romo is 9-of-12 for 114 yards. Jason Witten has 38 yards on 4 receptions and his 22nd third-down conversion, leading all tight ends this season. His 4th-and-6 catch that went for 21 yards came on the Cowboys' game-winning drive last Sunday in their Wild Card meeting with Detroit.

Romo flung a 38 yard touchdown to Terrance Williams after Aaron Rodgers lost a fumble to take the seven-point lead in the second quarter, handing the Packers their first trailing scoreline at Lambeau since their season opener.

Jason Witten took a late 2nd-and-5 play to the Packers 36 and Murray powered through a would-be tackle from Clay Matthews. Romo's 3rd-and-5 pass was botched by a high snap and near fumble and Dan Bailey would miss a penalty-influenced 50 yard field goal try with 29 seconds left in the opening half.

Aaron Rodgers drove the Packers over 60 yards in 10 plays on their first possession, capped off by his 4 yard touchdown to Andrew Quarless. He was sacked and stripped of the football by Jeremy Mincey when Packers center Corey Linsley surprised his quarterback with an early snap near midfield.

Rodgers is 9-of-15 for 90 yards and a score. Randall Cobb leads the Packers with 58 yards on 4 catches.

Cowboys take 14-7 lead over Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. - Terrance Williams hauled in a 38 yard touchdown pass from Tony Romo as the Dallas Cowboys take a second quarter 14-7 lead over the Green Bay Packers in an NFC Divisional playoff game.

Williams caught near the sideline and outskirted Packers corner Tramon Williams, taking off down center field untouched into the end zone for his third touchdown this postseason.

Dallas took possession after Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers fumbled the ball on an early snap from center Corey Linsley. Rodgers caught the high snap but was easily overpowered from his blind side on a strip-sack-fumble from Jeremy Mincey.

The score marks the first time since their season opener the Packers have trailed at home.

Romo found fullback Tyler Clutts for a 1 yard touchdown with 1:05 left in the first quarter to conclude a 61 yard drive. Aaron Rodgers opened the game with a 4 yard scoring toss to Andrew Quarless.

Packers take early lead on Cowboys

GREEN BAY, Wis. - Aaron Rodgers threw a 4 yard touchdown pass to Andrew Quarless as the Green Bay Packers take a 7-0 lead over the Dallas Cowboys in an NFC Divisional playoff game at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

The 3rd-and-Goal play found Rodgers attempt a rush through the middle before releasing to Quarless along the back of the end zone.

Rodgers found Jordy Nelson to start the drive for a quick first-down conversion and Eddie Lacy gashed over right end for a 19 yard gainer and then again into the red zone.

Lacy carried left for 8 yards to the Cowboys 8 and again for the 1st-and-Goal to the Dallas 4. He took a pitch that was stuffed at the line before Rodgers flung the scoring toss.

Dallas stumbled on their first possession, as quarterback Tony Romo was stripped of the football from behind by Julius Peppers on a 3rd-and-5 play. The Cowboys would recover and punt following a 5 yard drive.

Dallas is yet to lose on the road this season and Green Bay is undefeated at home as quarterback Aaron Rodgers has not thrown an interception at Lambeau Field for more than two calendar years.

Obama: I'd be aggravated if I were a Lions fan

WASHINGTON - Add the leader of the free world to those bewildered by the call-then-no-call in the Lions-Cowboys NFC Wild Card game on Sunday.

President Obama was in Michigan this week on an official visit to a manufacturing plant of the Ford Motor Company when he remarked to the Detroit Free Press that he would be "pretty aggravated" if he were a Lions fan after the circumstances surrounding their defeat to Dallas.

A flag was initially thrown and then picked up without explanation on Sunday when Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens appeared to interfere with Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew on a 3rd-and-1 play in the third quarter when Detroit held a three-point lead.

The President said he could not "remember a circumstance in which a good call by one of the refs is argued by an opposing player of the other team with his helmet off on the field, which in and of itself is supposed to be a penalty. The call is announced and then reversed without explanation. I haven't seen that before. So I will leave it up to the experts to make the judgment as to why that happened, but I can tell you if I was a Lions fan I'd be pretty aggravated."

Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant charged onto the field without his helmet to protest the call to the nearby back judge, an act which constitutes unsportsmanlike conduct.

Obama, a former senator from Illinois and long-time Chicago Bears fan, wouldn't let himself feel too badly for his team's NFC North rivals. Chicago finished a five-win campaign and missed the playoffs for the fourth straight season.

"Given the performance of my Bears, I can't have too much sympathy for the Lions," the President quipped. "You guys were in a lot better position than we were. I'd love to have your defense right now."

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, who was wearing a microphone for NFL Films during the game, went to two officials following the call, seeking an explanation.

"You have no contact before the ball arrived," one official said, according to Pro Football Talk.

"There was no contact," another said.

That, despite Pettigrew falling to the turf with Hitchens on top of him during the play.

Detroit would attempt a subsequent 4th-and-1 play to draw Dallas offsides that failed, then shank a 10 yard punt that led to the Cowboys' game-winning drive.

Dallas will travel to Green Bay to face the Packers in an NFC Divisional game on Sunday.

Cowboys-Packers NFC Divisional preview

GREEN BAY, Wis. - Thanks to one particularly bad call (or was it three?) and Tony Romo's late heroics, the Dallas Cowboys earned a meeting with the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in an NFC Divisional Round playoff game on Sunday.

The contest will be the first time the Cowboys and Packers will meet in Curly Lambeau's Cathedral of Football in postseason play since the famed and frozen "Ice Bowl" of 1967 between Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry that decided the NFL Championship.

Romo would lead Dallas over their final 59 yards on Sunday, culminated in an 8 yard go-ahead touchdown strike to Terrance Williams in the Cowboys' eventual 24-20 Wild Card victory over the Detroit Lions.

With that possession, Romo secured his 28th-career game-winning drive, tied for the most since 2006, his first year in the league, and a trip to his native Wisconsin.

Romo went 19-of-31 passing on 293 yards, rallying from a 20-7 deficit, flinging a 76 yard catch-and-run score to Williams to close out the first half. DeMarco Murray added a rushing score, bringing Dallas within 20-14, finishing the night with 76 yards.

"You just have to stay in the moment and understand the game," Romo said afterwards. "It doesn't end after the first quarter, second quarter. You just have to keep calm. I've played in enough games to understand that. Maybe I didn't do that as well when I was younger."

Dallas was handed a fistful of 8-8 seasons and only one postseason victory when Romo was younger, though on Sunday a matured passer went 8-of-12 for 195 yards and both his touchdowns on third-down plays, and despite being sacked by Ndamukong Suh on consecutive snaps on their game-winning drive, converted a 4th-and-6 to Jason Witten for 21 yards before finding Williams on the back line.

Those days of postseason choking for which he became known seem long gone.

"If you are mentally tough enough, and you've been through it, and I think experience helps you, you just get rid of those thoughts and understand that this game is going to go all the way to the end," Romo said, who is 0-2 in divisional contests. "Just don't give them anything to let this game get out of reach and it will find a way to get back at the end."

Dallas (13-4) opened their season with a defeat to the 49ers before winning their next six outings. They suffered a 2-3 mid-season slump, including a 33-10 defeat to the Eagles on Thanksgiving that briefly decided the NFC East before a four-game winning streak ended their regular season.

Their revenge-match with the Eagles on a Sunday night, a 38-27 Cowboys decision, and Philadelphia's subsequent three-game losing skid, gave the division definitively to Dallas.

Green Bay enjoyed a first-round bye over Wild Card weekend thanks to their fourth-straight NFC North title, secured two Sundays ago with a 30-20 victory over Detroit. Though one could hardly call the time off restful.

Life in the Frozen Tundra has been touchy over the last week as Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been left out of practice, nursing a calf injury from their game against Detroit. He had to be helped from the field that day after falling to the turf in pain as he threw a touchdown to Randall Cobb.

Rodgers was taken to the locker room on a cart, and after missing two series would return to action, finishing with 226 yards and two touchdowns, including his second to Cobb that gave the Packers their first lead, and even a 1 yard rushing score that came in the fourth quarter to produce a two-touchdown advantage.

He underwent treatment on his injured left calf this week and will be examined by team doctor Patrick McKenzie on Wednesday. Head coach Mike McCarthy was optimistic his quarterback would return on Thursday, saying he had "hip in his hop."

"I'm not concerned," McCarthy said on Monday. "Look at the way he played in the second half of the Detroit game. He's learned to play through different situations. He has continuity with his teammates. So I think you've got to be in-tune with that. But, hey, the way he progresses, he's a quick healer. He jumped out there last week and was playing normal football there until the injury. So I think he'll be in pretty good shape come Sunday."

Though his absence is still a concern in the coach's eyes.

"It's a big challenge for Aaron," he said. "I think Aaron was brought up in the right way. He likes to practice. He enjoys the competition of practice. Brett [Favre] was the same way. As a coach, your quarterback has a responsibility to practice because to me the head coach and the quarterback control the tempo and the energy of practice."

Rodgers is yet to be intercepted in more than two calendar years at Lambeau Field, and has thrown the third-most touchdowns in football this season (38) and the sixth-most yards (4,381). Jordy Nelson is second in receiving scores (13) and Cobb's 12 are the third-most.

Green Bay fields the 23rd-best rush defense (119.9 ypg), though are allowing 3.6 yards per rush in the second half of this season, compared to 4.78 in their first eight outings. Their yardage per game in that time has drastically improved, as well. After permitting 153.5 yards on average in their first eight, their second half found them giving up only 86.4 every Sunday.

That improvement will face a hearty test against the Cowboys' 2nd-best backfield and the game's best rusher in DeMarco Murray, whose 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns are tops the professional ranks.

"The Dallas Cowboys' run game is excellent," Mike McCarthy said this week simply. "Murray is a big-time back. He's definitely a difference-maker."

Murray carried 18 times for 134 yards and a touchdown, with a 7.4 yard average per rush, against the Packers in Dallas late last season, a one-point win for Green Bay.

"Any time you see a player for the first time live, they leave an impression on you, and I was very, very impressed with him," McCarthy said of that meeting.

Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers will be tasked with stopping him.

"This will be the best test that we've had," Capers said. "I think this [Cowboys] offensive line is as good as there is in the league. Obviously by this running back's statistics, he can run and does a nice job receiving the ball out of the backfield. So this will be a challenge."

Murray, who rushed for over 100 yards in 12 games this season, added 416 yards on 57 receptions and has 1,200 yards through the air in his career.

"We just have to make sure we do our best," Packers defensive lineman Mike Daniels said. "Make sure we prepare the right way this week, make sure we come out and, it sounds really rhetorical, but just get after it. It's just plain and simple. That'll solve a lot of problems if we just buckle down and play our best fundamentally sound game and play it as hard as we possible can. That'll take care of a lot of things."