Dallas Cowboys Dealing With More Greg Hardy Backlash
By Shawn S. Lealos
The Dallas Cowboys have lost six consecutive games for the first time since 1989. If they lost two more, they could end up having no chance at the postseason. If the New York Giants win four more games, it might not matter anyway. That makes every game from here out a must win for the Cowboys if they want any chance at all of getting into the playoffs, where the return of Tony Romo would give them every chance in the world to make noise there. However, this week's Cowboys headlines prove that off field distractions might doom them.
Greg Hardy Controversy Continues
When the Dallas Cowboys signed Greg Hardy, they knew there would be a public backlash. Hardy was accused of brutally beating an ex-girlfriend and sat out for 19 total games, 15 on the inactive list and four under suspension. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell tried to suspend him for 10 games but a judge reduced it to four. A judge in the original case found him guilty, but found that his crimes only warranted a suspended sentence. A subsequent case was dropped when the woman refused to testify against him. The photos of the woman's injuries were released last week and it has caused Hardy's on field accomplishments to be overshadowed once again. This week, Hardy had enough and tweeted that he is innocent and that it is prejudice against him that has caused the backlash. Jason Garrett said the team talked to Hardy about the tweet but left it with the comment that "we addressed that this morning."
Dez Bryant Sitting Out With Knee Soreness
While the Dallas Cowboys lost to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night, Dez Bryant's return was a large reason they looked so much better than they have over the last six games. He caught an amazing touchdown in the end zone, where he was a couple of feet above everyone else and came down with the ball in a moment that was scary considering his recent broken foot. The Cowboys need him back at full strength as much as they need quarterback Tony Romo back. That makes him sitting out of practice with a sore knee scary as well. There is no fear that Bryant will miss Sunday's game. Garrett said that "you saw (the real) Dez Bryant (Sunday night) and you saw right from the start."
Jeremy Mincey Says Tony Romo Isn't Jesus
The Dallas Cowboys knew that things would be tough without quarterback Tony Romo, but most people felt Dallas would win one or two of the games without him. The fact that they have lost every game since his injury is troubling. However, all but one game was a close one that the Cowboys could have won, or were leading late only to lose the game. Defensive end Jeremy Mincey said that the Cowboys should have won some of those games and they shouldn't be waiting for Romo to return. He made it clear by saying that "he's not Jesus" and the team needed to do more to win those games. Mincey said the Cowboys were to blame for the losses, not Romo's absence.
Byron Jones Replaces J.J. Wilcox At Safety
When the Dallas Cowboys used their first overall pick on Byron Jones, many wondered what position the player would hold. He was a cornerback coming out of college and was touted for his freakish physical talents and his leadership abilities. Many thought he would play nickelback in place of Morris Claiborne, foreshadowing Claiborne leaving the team. When Orlando Scandrick was lost for the season, that seemed assured. However, he has taken on a new role as he has stole the safety job from J.J. Wilcox. It was always a shaky position for Dallas and now it belongs to Jones. With the change, Garrett explained that "the best guy is going to play the most."
Shawn S. Lealos is a freelance writer who graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2000 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. He writes for a variety of national publications and has over 15 years of sports journalism experience. Follow Shawn on Twitter @sslealos. Examiner.com.
