\GoBillsInDallas/

Wegmans?

http://tonawanda-news.com/local/x229374831/NT-woman-arrested-for-felony-DWI

Bingo. Tim Graham had an opinion pice about this last year when he was still at ESPN: http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/34608/ralph-wilson-sale

...Peter Pan Guy! http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_oD8caZJmKhQ/SbwpCp8UPUI/AAAAAAAAAVA/2SY1nHsi4H4/s400/WhitePrincess4_480h.jpg

Picture from the Sabres-Carolina game, where a transplanted WNYer brought his daughter to the game: http://1.cdn.nhle.com/sabres/images/upload/gallery/2011/11/133333319_std.jpg Sad that you have to bring headphones to protect your kid's hearing from the music blasting over the PA system.

Respect is earned, not a right. And this wasn't a political event, it was a photo op.

God, they have to be licking their chops.

~NG~ hits the big 5-2 today, so I hope that you will all join in to wish our Board Administrator a happy b-day! Of course, for someone of his advanced age, he will not be on the board until later today after his fiber supplements take effect. And in honor of his Polish heritage we give you Miss Poland, Rozalia Mancewicz.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-sierra-club-20111119,0,3734323.story More interesting are the comments from readers at the bottom.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/11/18/2509172/doctor-accused-of-injecting-womans.html

Shiv the mofo?

http://www.buffalonews.com/city/article637797.ece LMAO at one of the comments at the bottom: "High speed rails are powered by electromagnetic power- electricity- which is a renewable resource easily attained by "green" methods like windmills and hydroelectric. Win, win!' :lol: :lol:

Slap Shot:

I had a breakfast meeting with one of my clients, and stopped by by wife's office on the way back (it's down the street from my client). Wife hired a new assistant to work with her: 23 years old long brown hair 5'-5" 115 pounds about 33-23-33 Note to self: visit's wife's office more often.

http://www.buffalonews.com/city/capital-connection/washington/article635374.ece Twelve years after Hillary Rodham Clinton promised help from Congress for the beleaguered upstate New York economy, her successor in the Senate is trying to come to the rescue. The measure combines a hardy perennial that Clinton pushed—wider broadband Internet access — with new measures such as a $30 billion revolving loan fund for clean-energy investments at factories upstate and nationwide, as well as new tax credits for agriculture investments. Asked why her upstate plan would succeed when Clinton’s did not, Gillibrand insisted upstate is better poised for growth now than it was a decade ago.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/11/aeg-farmers-field-new-design.html

http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/lancaster/article629817.ece Ah, yes...politics.

http://www.armanddebrignac.com/

http://www.news.com.au/national/amateur-model-dodges-jail-for-tampon-assault-arguing-it-was-a-prank-gone-wrong/story-e6frfkvr-1226176444827#ixzz1boNdPp59

Wouldn't Wal-Marts be a better idea instead? [rim shot]

You're not shooting gay porn again, are you?

Tony Romo sets franchise record, shows best may be yet to come TIM COWLISHAW Dallas Morning News Published: Nov 13, 2011 11:51 PM ARLINGTON — When Tony Romo said, “We’re learning a little bit about who we are,” he was talking about a Cowboys offense that has six different starters from a year ago. Even 70 starts deep into his NFL career, Romo could have been talking about himself as well. Still learning. And, on this particular Sunday afternoon, in many ways, still marveling. The Cowboys started the season’s second half looking more like a team ready to contend with Green Bay than the team that sputtered to a 4—4 record. Scoring touchdowns on their first four first-half possessions, the Cowboys made quick work of the Buffalo Bills for a 44-7 win that featured Romo at his absolute best. Romo completed his first 13 passes — three of them for touchdowns to Dez Bryant and Laurent Robinson — and finished with a Cowboys record for completion percentage, going 23-for-26 (88.5 percent) for 270 yards. Danny White’s 87.5 per- cent against Philadelphia in 1983 now rests in second place. For the second Sunday in a row, there were no bogeys on Romo’s scorecard, if you will— no interceptions, no sacks, and not much that could even be considered pressure from the Buffalo front. “If they give you that extra half-second, the game become quite a bit easier," Romo said, praising his line’s efficiency. “That’s really the simplicity of it.” For Cowboys fans, the beauty was in the simple way that Romo picked apart a team that came here tied for the AFC East lead with two teams that got to 5-3 at the halfway mark by beating Dallas. “He was seeing the field. He was physically throwing the ball well,” head coach Jason Garrett said. “There were opportunities outside to make plays.” Romo made use of virtually everything that was available. His first miss came on his 14th pass, an inside throw to tight end Jason Witten. After becoming the third leading pass catcher among NFL tight ends Sunday, Witten gladly took a bullet for his quarterback’s first misfire. “When you’re playing that way, you can start throwing guys under the bus,” Witten joked. “I’ll take that one.” Before getting too carried away about all this, the Bills are not a great defensive team. They got to 5-3 largely by outscoring people. A defense that ranked 27th in yards allowed had been shredded before, but not quite like this. There was nothing the Bills’ defense could do in the first 30 minutes to suggest they were ready to make this a winnable game at any point, Romo spread the wealth, completing 11 passes to his wide receivers despite Miles Austin’s absence, six to tight ends and six more to running back DeMarco Murray, whose 171 yards from scrim- mage continued his startling ascent towards the NFL’s elite, It should not be a surprise that Romo’s closest brush with a perfect game came with Murray again shedding tacklers and leaving defenders in his cutback wake. The Cowboys have not had a 1,000-yard rusher since 2006 when a declining Julius Jones reached that figure. Romo became a starter in the seventh game that season. We can debate another time whether or not Romo has been hurt by inadequate or inconsistent backs or by a coordinator turned head coach whose reluctance to feature the run is documented. Whatever the case, with Murray ripping off huge chunks of yardage each week, Romo has thrown one interception in four games. And that came on a pass Martellus Bennett deflected into the arms of a Philadelphia defender. Romo gives full credit to Murray, to a younger and more athletic offensive line and, finally, to not wearing a flak jacket to protect the broken ribs he suffered back in mid-September. “The ball usually goes where you’re aiming when you’re healthy,” Romo said. And so the strangest sea- son of Romo’s pro career, one that remains partly defined by his personal meltdowns against the Jets and Detroit, climbs toward unscaled heights. Even with the Cowboys enduring an ugly defeat in Philadelphia, Romo has thrown eight touchdown passes to go with one interception in the last four games. We are, indeed, learning what this team can accomplish with a running back making a stunning charge at Rookie of the Year behind an inexperienced line. And, yes, we are still learning what levels a 31- year-old quarterback can reach in this unlikely scheme of things as well. Jason Garrett running offense like it's the 90's -- and it's paying off RICK GOSSELIN Dallas Morning News Published: Nov 14, 2011 12:11 AM ARLINGTON — DeMarco Murray is opening the eyes of the NFL. Also the eyes of his head coach. With Murray taking the handoffs from Tony Romo, the running game has become a viable first option for the Cowboys, and they used him in that capacity extensively Sunday. His 135 yards rushing powered the Cowboys to a 44-7 victory over the Buffalo Bills in a game plan swiped from the franchise’s Super Bowl era. Football is a game of tendencies. Teams * become predictable offensively based on down and distance. On first down, the Cowboys like to throw the football. Opponents realize that and stack their defenses to account for Romo’s arm. Through the first half of the season, only five NFL teams ran the ball fewer times than the Cowboys on first down. Jason Garrett called only 105 such handoffs through the first -eight games. That was a far cry from the league-leading 158 first-down handoffs by the Houston Texans. Like the Cowboys, the Texans have a Pro Bowl quarterback. But that willingness to call handoffs and foster an offensive balance has allowed the Texans to sprint to the top of the AFC South standings with a 7-3 record. But Garrett strayed from his play-calling tendencies against the Bills. The Cowboys had 29 first-down snaps in the game and ran the ball on 20 of them. The Cowboys had the ball for 10 possessions in the game and Garrett called runs on the first play on seven of them. On two other possessions, he opened with screen passes to Murray. So Garrett was putting the ball in the hands of the player rapidly emerging as his best offensive playmaker. That’s smart football. That’s also winning football. That’s how the Cowboys won Super Bowls in the 1990s - feeding the ball to Emmitt Smith. The Cowboys rushed for 114 yards on those 20 first-down carries against the Bills - and that included the game-ending possession when backup quarterback Jon Kitna took a knee on the final first down. The Cowboys averaged 5.7 yards per carry on first down. That kept them out of third-and-longs all afternoon. Success on first down makes life easier for your quarterback. “If you can run the football, teams are more likely to play some run defense,” Garrett said, “which gives you chances on the outside.” The Bills took the field Sunday with the mentality of stopping the rampaging Mur ray, who has rushed for 601 yards in four games as the team’s feature back. But when you focus on stopping the run, your safeties become more committed to tackling ball carriers than chasing wide receivers - and Romo promptly took advantage of the opportunities that afforded him on the outside. The Cowboys jumped to a 21-0 lead on their first three possessions when Romo twice was able to isolate Buffalo cornerbacks in deep one-on-one coverage for long touchdowns — a 34-yarder to Dez Bryant over Leodis McKelvin and a 58-yarder to Laurent Robinson whizzing past Drayton Florence on a post route. That start was vintage Cowboys — pass to get in front and then run to close out the victory. Smith feasted on second-half defenses on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Cowboys ran the ball on their final 13 offensive snaps on this day. Philip Tanner also rushed 11 times — so Garrett stuck with his commitment to the run even when Murray was standing next to him on the sideline. The 35 runs were a season high, allowing the Cowboys to control the clock for almost 35 minutes. That kept the defense fresh and productive. Smith taught this owner and this head coach that good things happen when you can run the ball. Garrett and Jerry Jones are rediscovering that with Murray. Cowboys seem poised to string together big winning streak By DAVID MOORE Dallas Morning News Published: Nov 14, 2011 12:50 AM ARLINGTON — Talk of the Cowboys building momentum must be put on hold until this team proves it’s capable of extending a winning streak beyond two games. The wait on that front is nearly two years old. But with the most impressive victory of an erratic season, the Cowboys have signaled they are poised to make the sort of run that has eluded them for too long. A 44-7 win at home over Buffalo on Sunday afternoon did wonders for the team’s confidence as every other team in the NFC East lost. The most lopsided victory in the last 11 years nudged the Cowboys above .500 for the first time since the third week of the season and led quarterback Tony Romo to declare the result was, “a byproduct of our team coming together.” It was the ideal start to a stretch of three games in 12 days that will determine whether this team has anything to play for in December. “I feel a sense of urgency, a mentality of this is the time, guys,” said tight end Jason Witten, who now has more receptions than all but two tight ends in NFL history. “We don’t want to be in that situation over the summer saying, that one in Week 9, in Week 10, that bit us.” If the Cowboys are bit and miss the playoffs for the second consecutive season, the loss they will lament came in Week 4. The team held a 24-point second-half lead only to fritter it away and lose to Detroit. Jerry Jones found it difficult not to flash back to that afternoon when his team carried a 28-7 lead into the second half of this one. But the Cowboys owner noticed a difference in how coach Jason Garrett called this game. He saw a difference in how the players performed. That is what the emergence of DeMarco Murray has done for this team. Romo was near flawless, completing a club record 88.5 percent of his passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns. The quarterback who threw three interceptions in the second half of the loss to the Lions hasn’t thrown a pick in the last two games and has just two in the last five games. Romo no longer feels the need to lift this team on his shoulder pads to win each and every game. A strong defense, a rookie kicker in Dan Bailey who hasn’t missed a field goal attempt since Week 2 and Murray’s surge have altered the team’s blueprint for success. “I think it all works together,” Garrett said. “We talk all the time about the importance of balance. If we can run the football, teams are going to be more likely to play some more run defense which is going to give you some chances outside and vice versa. “I think today is a pretty good example of that. They wanted to defend the run early, we were able to throw the football, then we were able to run when it came to the run.” Murray went over 100 yards for the second consecutive game. The rookie has amassed 601 yards on the ground over the last four games — that’s 51 yards more than Emmitt Smith ever had in a comparable stretch - and has made a profound difference. “I definitely think I get too much credit,” said Murray, who rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown against the Bills. “The offensive line has done an excellent job. They’ve done a great job opening lanes for me.” The Cowboys got the second half of their season off to a much better start than the first. They were up 14-0 before the first quarter had come to an end and had 153 yards in offense to minus-4 for Buffalo. The team put together touchdown drives of 80, 78, 58 and 80 yards on their first four possessions. That left Murray and Bailey, with three field goals in the second half, to close out the win on the offensive side. Unlike the opening night loss to the New York Jets, the Cowboys defense gave the Bills no hope of mounting a comeback. Running back Fred Jackson nicked the defense for 114 rushing yards, but most of that came after Buffalo was hopelessly behind. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for just 146 yards with three interceptions. Cornerback Terence Newman had two of those, including one he returned 43 yards for a touchdown for the team’s final points. “This is one of those games where we played a complete game in all phases,” said linebacker Sean Lee, who played with a cast to protect his dislocated left wrist. “This is a huge win for us.” It is, but can it lead to three in a row? Jimmy Johnson-Jerry Jones rivalry heats up with latest Johnson comment By BARRY HORN Dallas Morning News Published: Nov 13, 2011 11:21 PM Sunday reminded of the glory days of the mid-1990s Super Bowl run when the Cowboys dominated on the field while Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones sparred in the media. In the CBS booth, Jim Nantz and Phil Simms heaped nothing but deserved praise on a Cowboys team that stomped the Buffalo Bills, 44-7, just as their predecessors stomped the Bills back in Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII. Back in the Fox pregame studio analyst Johnson took a shot at still-owner Jones. Recall that last week, Johnson suggested the way Jason Garrett could become an effective head coach would be if he sheds his offensive coordinator duties and becomes more of a chief executive, or a’ “walk-around coach” in NFL lingo. Subsequently, Jones, an advocate of the head coach/coordinator and Garrett, pooh-poohed Johnson’s notion. That prompted Johnson to come with Jones in his cross- hairs. “I wasn’t surprised,” Johnson said of Jones insistence that the owner knows best. “Some owners want to be the ‘guy that all the players answer to. [Jones sees himself as] a walk-around coach, he’s overseeing everything and the players answer to him.” Murray mentions Studio analyst Shannon Sharpe on Jones mentioning DeMarco Murray in the same sentence as Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson: “I need to remind Jerry to stop making comparisons. Eric Dickerson? No chance.” Later, Simms said Murray “has a little Barry Sanders in him.” The point is that Murray is showing something the Cowboys have been lacking since the days of Emmitt Smith. Surprised that no one mentioned Murray reminds more of Hall of Famer Marcus Allen. Foot-in-mouth disease Sharpe in a taped interview asked Tony Romo if he considers himself an “elite” quarterback. Responded Romo: “Elite quarterbacks, 99.9 percent of them, have all won. Until you do, I don’t think you belong in their class because [winning a Super Bowl] is that important. It’s what we’re judged by. It’s how I judge others. That’s the way it should be.” That caused an awkward moment back in the CBS studio where Dan Marino was slightly put off. “I was an elite quarterback and I didn’t win a Super Bowl,” said Marino, a Hall of Famer who retired owning most of the career passing records. Critics’ critiques Meanwhile, there was plenty of Cowboys bashing in the NFL Network studio. Analyst Marshall Faulk, a confirmed critic, challenged the notion the Cowboys can be headed in the right direction simply because they haven’t enjoyed the same success this season as the revitalized San Francisco 49ers. “If the Cowboys are on the right track, what track are the San Francisco 49ers on? Because those two tracks don’t look the same to me. [in the 49ers] I see a very disciplined team that’s good on offense, getting things done, not turning the football over, and on defense, they are playing aggressive.” Faulk’s former St. Louis Rams teammate, NFLN’s Kurt Warner, was on the same track. He bashed the coach, who, by the way, no longer is Wade Phillips. “When I watch the Dallas Cowboys play, I see no discipline,” Warner said. “You have to start that from day one; you can’t wait 16 games, you can’t wait two seasons before you start teaching discipline.” That left Michael Irvin to defend Garrett’s honor. “He’s done a great job matter of fact and yes, they on the right track. They have a young running game, they have a young receiver; if they can get Dez [bryant] playing four quarters with the young Sean Lee on defense, you have nucleus you can build around.” Last thought Final words come from Nantz, who after kicker Dan Bailey’s field goal pushed Cowboys’ lead to 37-7 said: “And the blowout continues.” When’s the last time a lead network announcer said I about the Cowboys? Cowboys' recent ground surge comes just as o-line begins to click By BRANDON GEORGE Dallas Morning News Published: Nov 13, 2011 11:21 PM ARLINGTON — One of the few times the entire game against Buffalo on Sunday that a Cowboys offensive lineman ended up on his knees came late in the fourth quarter. And even then, left guard Montrae Holland was pumping his fist when it was over. It was that kind of day for the Cowboys’ front five. Actually, it’s been that kind of month for Dallas’ often-criticized offensive line, which has finally come together over the last four games. Early in the season, the Cowboys couldn’t run when they needed to the most. They couldn’t put a game away with a fourth-quarter lead by milking the clock This hasn’t been the case in the last two games. Last week against Seattle, the Cowboys had a 10-point lead and took 4:09 off the clock late with a six-play, 28-yard drive that was all runs. On Sunday in a dismantling of the Bills, the Cowboys used an 11-play, 59-yard drive to zap 7:44 off the clock. Again, they ran the ball on every play with a mix of rookies DeMarco Murray and Phillip Tanner. Midway through the possession, Holland paved the way for an 11-yard run by Murray by driving Buffalo linebacker Nick Barnett almost all the way off the field near the Cowboys’ bench. When it was over, Holland was on his knees but pumping his right arm. “I was mad that I fell’” Holland said, smiling. “I wanted to stay on my feet. It takes too much energy to get back up.” The Cowboys weren’t the ones off their feet Sunday. Instead, they drove the Bills to the ground with another dominating performance that opened holes all day for Murray, who finished with 135 rushing yards on 20 carries. The Cowboys had their share of offensive line problems through the first five games of the season as they worked to find chemistry in a unit that was replacing three starters and with another one — Kyle Kosier — playing a different position. Everything began to fall in place for the Cowboys’ offensive line Oct. 23 in a 34-7 win over St. Louis. The offensive line surge coincided with Holland’s first game against the Rams, the emergence that day of Murray, who set a single-game team record with 253 yards rushing on 25 carries, and the lead blocking of fullback Tony Fiammetta. Before the St. Louis game, the Cowboys averaged 3.4 yards per carry. Since then, the Cowboys are averaging 6.5 yards a carry. “We ought to be able to run the ball because this line is quicker,” Jones said. “They can get out on the linebackers and they can get around out there. So our run game should be really good.” Before the St. Louis game, Cowboys’ offensive linemen committed 13 penalties for 90 yards in five games. Since then, Cowboys’ offensive linemen have only two penalties for 15 yards over the last four games. For the second consecutive game Sunday, the Cowboys’ front five didn’t allow a sack. That’s allowed quarterback Tony Romo more time to allow routes to develop and get the Cowboys’ vertical passing game off life support. The Cowboys’ offensive line allowed 15 sacks over the first seven games. “The last two weeks have been the best two games that [the offensive line has] played,” Cowboys tight end Jason Witten said. “They’re consistently protecting and communicating well. They’ve done a great job with both run and pass. I feel like if they give Tony that kind of time consistently, we’re going to be a good offense.” Not surprisingly, the emergence of the Cowboys’ offensive line over the last month has yielded three victories in four games by an average margin of 24.7 points. ‘Anytime you have a running back getting talked about all the time it’s great for the offensive line,” Holland said. “We’re trying to get something going here, more consistent as an offensive line. We’re coming together. Today was a good day for the offensive line and for the team, actually.” Terence Newman's career revival continues, but he doesn't want to talk about it By RAINER SABIN Dallas Morning News Published: Nov 14, 2011 1:10 AM ARLINGTON — In the peculiar world of the NFL, Terence Newman is considered old. At 33, the Cowboys’ cornerback is supposed to beyond his best years and incapable of making the plays he once did or tracking the league’s fastest receivers with the same tenacity he showed as a young whippersnapper straight out of college. He’s certainly not expected to author a performance like he did Sunday, when he made two interceptions and returned one for a touchdown in the Cowboys’ 44-7 victory over Buffalo. I bet he feels like he’s 21 again,” said injured teammate Mike Jenkins. Perhaps. But nobody really knows. Newman dodged a crush of reporters surrounding him at his locker after the game. Reporters were thrust in his face and so were boom microphones. Even so, Newman broke free of the pack and walked off without commenting on his day at Cowboys Stadium, leaving others to guess how he felt. Most surmised that he was pretty happy. Others speculated that he felt vindicated. Both were reasonable assumptions, especially after Newman continued a career revival that few had anticipated - even the Cowboys’ executives. Back in July, Newman’s tenure in Dallas had come perilously close to ending. At least it seemed that way. After Newman had produced diminishing returns in 2010, yielding more completed passes than all but nine defenders in the NFL, the Cowboys were in hot pursuit of Nnamdi Asomugha. Asomugha was considered the crown jewel of the 2011 free- agent class and was advertised as everything Newman wasn’t. He could shut down one side of the field and he was in his prime. As Newman practiced with his teammates, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones stood on the sidelines at the Alamodome with a cell phone pressed to his ear trying to consummate a deal with Asomugha. But Asomugha signed with the Cowboys’ division rival Philadelphia. And Dallas was stuck with Newman. “I’m here, and he’s in Philly,” Newman said in August. “That’s what I’m focused on right now and moving forward.” But four days after making that comment, Newman injured his groin. He missed the preseason and didn’t return to action until Sept. 26, when the Cowboys faced Washington. Since then, he has defied expectations. Entering Sunday, he had been burned at a lower rate than 331 defenders in the NFL. “I’ve always thought he was a hell of a cornerback in the league,’ Cowboys defensive end Marcus Spears said. “He’s a guy that you can count on. He comes out to play every day. Cornerbacks have a hard life in this league. Sometimes you’re going to look bad. This is an opportunity to remind people he’s a real good cornerback and there are not a lot of cornerbacks in this league like T-New.” Newman, who now leads the team with four interceptions, proved as much Sunday. He spent most of the afternoon covering Stevie Johnson, the Bills’ most productive wideout who managed to make only two receptions for eight yards. It was yeoman’s work. Newman, though, would eventually enjoy the fruits of his labor. Late in the third quarter, he snagged a pass thrown by Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick after the ball glanced off the hands of receiver Donald Jones. The interception, which Newman returned 19 yards, set up a field goal. Then, in the fourth quarter, Newman applied the exclamation point to an emphatic victory Fitzpatrick dropped back and unleashed a pass intended for Johnson. Newman plucked the ball out of the air and raced 43 yards down the sideline for the Cowboys’ final touchdown. All the while, Jenkins flashed a big smile. “He’s doing the same things he’s done in the past,” Jenkins said. But at 33, Newman might be doing them better than ever - much to the amazement of those who had started to doubt him. How heavily-wrapped, hobbled LB Sean Lee was able to return so quickly By RAINER SABIN Dallas Morning News Published: Nov 14, 2011 1:00 AM ARLINGTON — Sean Lee returned to the field Sunday. But this time it was different. His left hand was covered by a hard cast, a cocoon of padding and adhesive foam. He felt pain. And he couldn’t grab the arms and legs of ball carriers. “It was definitely tough in certain situations,” the Cowboys’ second-year linebacker said. “But it definitely was fun being back out there.” Lee hasn’t played since dislocating his left wrist in the first quarter of loss to Philadelphia on Oct. 30. Sitting out “was torture,” he said. Determined to return to action, Lee began practicing last Wednesday, knowing he would be limited. Sunday’s game was a learning experience. He discovered he could shed blocks but also realized he struggled to tackle from the side. “I kept feeling like I couldn’t wrap up;’ Lee said. “I kept sliding down.” But he was able to endure the pain. “It was actually pretty good,” said Lee, who made four tackles. “Better than I thought it would be. I probably have to continue to adapt my game and in certain situations make plays I am used to making.” Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan marveled at Lee’s performance, especially the leadership he provided. On several occasions, when Buffalo was making quick substitutions, Lee called the plays for a defense that allowed only seven points and 271 yards. “He slowed the game down for us,” Ryan said. “What a plus he is to have in the lineup. He really is one hell of a football player. Apparently, he’s a pretty good d-coordinator, too. He did great.” Lee hopes he will continue to improve. “I think the more I play with the cast,” he said, “the better I’ll get.” Witten moves into third place among TEs Notebook Dallas Morning News Published: Nov 14, 2011 3:16 AM ARLINGTON -- On the stat sheet, it was recorded as a five-yard reception - one of many Cowboys tight end Jason Witten has made in his career. But this catch carried more significance. With less than six minutes remaining in the first quarter, Cowboys tight end Jason Witten wrapped his hands around a pass from Tony Romo and made his 663rd reception, passing Ozzie Newsome for third place on the list for career catches by a tight end. "It's special just to be mentioned with a guy like that that," said Witten, who made five receptions for 37 yards Sunday. "I'm really humbled by it and I feel like I have a long way to go still. But it means a lot." Buffalo WR David Nelson celebrates TD by handing football to Cowboys cheerleader (his girlfriend) Buffalo receiver David Nelson caught a 3-yard touchdown pass Sunday in the second quarter and raced down the Bills' sideline all the way to the other end of the field to hand the football to a Cowboys cheerleader. This wasn't just any Cowboys cheerleader, however. It was his girlfriend, Kelsi Reich, who is in her fourth season as a Cowboys cheerleader. Nelson had said coming into the game that if he scored, he had a celebration planned that would include his girlfriend. Reich was one of the eight Cowboys' cheerleaders on the opposite end of the field from where Nelson scored along the Bills' sideline. Nelson handed Reich the football and hugged her. At the time, Nelson's touchdown cut the Cowboys' lead to 21-7. "It was special," Nelson said. "Honestly, I wanted to do more. I wanted it to be a little more special, but being down 14, I didn't feel like I wanted to do too much because I'm not that kind of person. I'm not going to celebrate too much [if] the situation wasn't right." Nelson, who is from Wichita Falls, said there were about 120 tickets purchased for his and Reich's family and friends. Jerry Jones believes Cowboys need to win NFC East to make the playoffs Sunday was a good day for the Cowboys. Every other team in the NFC East lost. Three teams in the conference that entered the day with a better record than the Cowboys lost and the one that was tied (Tampa Bay) with Dallas at .500 also lost. Still, Jerry Jones isn't optimistic about the team's chances for a Wild Card spot. Asked how many wins he believes his team must have to win the division, the Cowboys owner responded: "It's very early and I wouldn't dare to venture what can happen,'' Jones said. "I will say this. We're going to need to win the division, I think, to get in the playoffs.'' Ex-Cowboys, Southlake Carroll product TE Scott Chandler has 3 catches for 34 yards for Buffalo Buffalo tight end Scott Chandler, the former Cowboys player and Southlake Carroll product, finished Sunday's game with three catches for 34 yards. Chandler came into the game tied for second in the NFL with six touchdown receptions but never found the end zone against the Cowboys, moved back and forth from Dallas' active roster to the practice squad while with the team. The Bills picked up Chandler off waivers last December when the Cowboys tried to put him back on their practice squad. Chandler said after the game that the Cowboys are a good team but no better than some of the teams the Bills defeated earlier in the season, including New England. "They went up there and lost to the Patriots, didn't they?" Chandler said. "It's not like we're all of a sudden playing better competition." Cowboys WR Dez Bryant rises to occasion The Cowboys first touchdown of the afternoon came on a slightly underthrown ball. Dez Bryant used his size and athletic ability to jump over 5-foot-10 cornerback Leodis McKelvin to take the ball out of his grasp for a 34-yard touchdown. "I thought it was a great catch,'' quarterback Tony Romo said. "When it is one-on-one, what you don't want to do with Dez is overthrow him. We have had too many experiences where it is either his or nobody's. That is why you give him a chance. "The kid played good defense, he had him covered decent. It was just Dez being Dez, going up and getting the ball.'' Bryant is the team's lead receiver now that Miles Austin is out with a hamstring injury. He responded like one Sunday, catching all six passes thrown his way for 74 yards and a touchdown. "It makes a big difference for the team,'' Bryant said of scoring on the team's first possession. "I felt like it was a great start and we kept it going." Cowboys WR Jesse Holley resurfaces for first time since breakthrough moment When Jesse Holley made a 77-yard reception Sept. 18 that set up the game-winning field goal in the Cowboys' 27-24 overtime victory against San Francisco, it appeared that he arrived. But soon thereafter, Holley mysteriously disappeared from the Cowboys' offense and the stat sheet. On Sunday, he resurfaced, making his first catch, a 25-yard reception, since he experienced his breakout moment. The reception came on the Cowboys' first possession and it was Holley's only catch of the day. "I'm just thankful Tony [Romo] looked my way," Holley said. "I just want to make a play when the opportunity calls." Owusu-Ansah handles punt and kickoff returns for Cowboys Second-year player Akwasi Owusu-Ansah was added to the Cowboys' active roster Saturday from the practice squad and handled punt returns and kickoff returns for Dallas on Sunday against Buffalo. The Cowboys needed another receiver active Sunday because starter Miles Austin was out with a pulled right hamstring. Owusu-Ansah wasn't used as receiver because - by his own admission - he still doesn't know all of the offense after converting to offense from safety earlier in the season. Owusu-Ansah had only two punt returns for four yards (one fair catch) and the Bills' two kickoffs both went for touchbacks. The Cowboys had hoped to promote rookie receiver Dwayne Harris from the practice squad but Harris injured his left hamstring late in Thursday's practice, opening the door for Owusu-Ansah. The Cowboys had been using receivers Dez Bryant and Kevin Ogletree on returns, but with Austin out didn't want to risk the health of another receiver on special teams. Cowboys run defense allows another running back to rush for more than 100 yards Rob Ryan crowed about the performance of the Cowboys' defense. Dallas allowed only seven points and the Bills crashed the red zone only three times. But then Ryan was reminded that Buffalo running back Fred Jackson rushed for 114 yards on only 13 carries. "That's cool," Ryan said. "He can have 200 as long as they get seven points and we can kick their ass. That's fine. " Yet Jackson was the third tailback in the last three games to gain more than 100 yards on the ground against the Cowboys, who have allowed an average of 178.7 rushing yards during that stretch. "I know everybody wants to cry and everything about the run defense," Ryan said. "Give me a break." Jackson did, when he complimented the Cowboys after the game. "We ran into a buzz saw today," said Jackson, an Arlington Lamar grad. Cowboys DE Jason Hatcher regains his starting spot over Marcus Spears Cowboys defensive end Jason Hatcher started for the first time Sunday against Buffalo since he suffered a calf injury in Week 3 against Washington. Hatcher replaced Marcus Spears, who had started the last five games for the Cowboys. Hatcher earned the starting job over Spears with a stellar training camp. Hatcher started the first three games for the Cowboys before injuring his calf, missing the next three games. In Hatcher's two games back, he's come off the bench and rotated time with Spears. Hatcher played more than Spears on Sunday, though neither was credited with a tackle. Cowboys rookie kicker Dan Bailey doesn't miss a beat on kickoffs Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey continued his impressive start to his rookie season Sunday against Buffalo. On Sunday, Bailey handled the kickoffs again as well as field goal attempts. The Cowboys put kickoff specialist David Buehler on the season-ending injury reserve list Thursday with a right groin injury. Buehler had handled all kickoffs the previous two games. Bailey, who doesn't have as strong a leg as Buehler, rose to the occasion again. Six of his nine kickoffs went for touchbacks. Two others were kicked into the end zone but returned. "I felt like I was in a pretty good groove," Bailey said. "It helps being here because this is a great place to kick the ball. It carries really well here. I know I can do it. I just have to get in that groove and find the sweet spot on the ball and find a good approach. I can still improve but I thought it was definitely improvement from previous games with the kickoffs." Bailey's one kickoff that didn't reach the end zone came down at the 17 along the right sideline. Bills returner Brad Smith caught the ball and then stepped out of bounds. "I might have miss-hit it a little bit," Bailey said. "I was trying a little too much with direction. I should have just stuck with my groove. I shouldn't have changed it up, live and learn on that one." Bailey converted all three of his field-goal attempts Sunday to extend his run to 22 in a row, the third-longest streak in team history. Bailey is now 23-of-24 on field goal attempts this season with his only miss coming on a 21-yard attempt in Week 2 at San Francisco. Cowboys-Bills grades By DAVID MOORE Dallas Morning News Published: Nov 14, 2011 12:36 AM David Moore's grades from the Cowboys' 44-7 win over the Buffalo Bills: Thumbs up: Dez comes through Dez Bryant is the lead receiver now that Miles Austin is out again with a hamstring injury. He performed like one Sunday. Bryant caught all six passes thrown his way for 74 yards and a touchdown, including an impressive athletic catch when he jumped over cornerback Leodis McKelvin for the team’s first score. He was consistent from start to finish. Thumbs up: No passing fancy The Cowboys’ secondary is putting the clamps on opponents. Buffalo’s Ryan Fitzpatrick became the third quarterback this season to fail to throw for at least 200 yards. The Cowboys had three interceptions Sunday and six in the last two games - five of those by the secondary. A glaring weakness last season has become one of the team’s greatest strengths. Thumbs up: Big bang theory A Cowboys team that spent the early part of the season sweating out close victories - and losses - could be hitting its stride. The 44-7 win over Buffalo was the team’s largest margin of victory in 11 years. It also means the Cowboys have won three of their last four games by a combined 101-27. The 34-7 loss to Philadelphia is looking more and more like an aberration.

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Here you go: In decline, Cowboys never gave Chan Gailey room to grow DAVID MOORE Dallas Morning News Published: Nov 12, 2011 5:26 PM In the scheme of things, he was only here long enough to enjoy a cup of coffee and a few Krispy Kreme donuts, which he would pick up for his staff on the way to work most mornings. Chan Galley rates no more than an asterisk with the vast majority of Cowboys fans. He is the first coach to preside over the franchise’s descent from Super Bowl champion to also-ran. His presence Sunday afternoon as he leads Buffalo into Cowboys Stadium generates little, if any, nostalgic value. But history isn’t inflexible. The events of the last 14 years have cast Gailey’s tenure, the briefest in club history, in a different light. Owner Jerry Jones has hired five coaches since he stuck it to Jimmy Johnson with Barry Switzer. Gailey. Dave Campo. Bill Parcells. Wade Phillips. Jason Garrett. Name the only one to lead the Cowboys to back-to-back playoff appearances. “Probably, outside of Jimmy, he was the best coach we had while I was there:’ said Larry Lacewell, the club’s longtime scouting director who retired in 2004. “Switzer didn’t have a chance to grow and didn’t want to grow. Campo was a young guy. Bill Parcells, frankly, was not what everyone else thought he was, in my opinion. “I think the proof is in the pudding with Gailey.” Darren Woodson started at strong safety on the teams that won Super Bowl XXVIII and XXX. He is one of 10 starters, along with Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin, whom Gailey inherited from the Cowboys’ last championship team. Woodson’s assessment: “I don’t think we were that close talent-wise to being a Super Bowl-caliber team,” Wood- son said. “Our drafts had really started to fall off. We still had Emmitt, Toy and Mike, but we had a lot of guys at the end of their careers. “Chan came in, and I thought he did a hell of a job. It was a total surprise to me to see him go. It was mind-boggling. “I felt like we never gave him a chance.” Jones knew intellectually that the Cowboys were in decline in 1998 and ‘99. But he couldn’t bring himself to accept that reality emotionally. Key players, unwilling to acknowledge that they were on the downside of their careers, rejected the change Gailey represented and clung to their past. Many circumvented their first-time head coach and took their complaints directly to Jones. This is why Jones said one of the biggest mistakes made during his time as owner is letting the Eagle Scout from Americus, Ga., go after only two seasons. “It’s kind of him to say that:’ Gailey said. “You can’t make more out of it or less out of it than what he said. “I appreciate him saying it, and life goes on.” Faded glory The erosion did not begin on Gailey’s watch. He was hired because the Cowboys had gone 6-10 in Switzer’s final turn. The offense was slipping, scoring 17 points or less in nine of those final 12 games. The Super Bowl nucleus was aging. The core could no longer dominate the way it did in winning three titles in four years. “We were going from an older team to a younger team,” Galley said. “We were trying to win in transition.” Initially, the club was energized by the coaching change. The Cowboys scored 30 or more points in seven of their first 12 games under Gailey, finished with a 10-6 record and went to the playoffs. It turned out to be the last gasp of a proud team. The Cowboys snuck into the playoffs on the final day of the ‘99 season with an 8-8 record. Deion Sanders said the players came to the realization early in the season that they weren’t that good of a team. Aikman said the Cowboys needed to remove the phrase Super Bowl from their vocabulary. ‘We were slowly but surely deteriorating,” Lacewell said. “The hardest thing to accept is diminishing talent. It was difficult for all of us to suddenly look up and see. “Chan was there at a tough time, yet he held that thing together.” Balancing egos Gailey’s star was on the rise with the Pittsburgh Steelers when Jones picked him to replace Switzer. His reputation for getting more out of less went back to his days as a college coach, when Lacewell and his Arkansas State staff went to Texas State to learn from Gailey. The Cowboys were a power running team with a precision passing game. Gailey brought multiple formations, moving pockets and the shotgun. He asked Aikman and his receivers to read and react to the defense rather than rely on the timing offense that had become part of their DNA. A team that could no longer overpower opponents would shift their offensive emphasis. A certain level of deception made sense. “Chan was the first change we had,” Lacewell said. “I think the players were very apprehensive about another change, another guy, another way.” Gailey made mistakes. He was stubborn. As he said, the first time you’re a head coach in the NFL, “you don’t know what you don’t know.” Aikman endured the brunt of the changes. But he wasn’t alone. Smith was asked to run more to the outside. There were rumblings that Irvin didn’t fit what Gailey wanted to do with his scheme. “I tried to play Michael Irvin in the slot,” Gailey said. “Because he was a really good receiver, I was trying to find a different way to uncover him. “That didn’t work. In retrospect, it wasn’t smart. It was short-lived. I learned in a hurry not to do that and left him outside, where he could go be one-on-one with guys.” Unable to sustain their initial burst of offensive success under their new coach, the carping began. The players had won Super Bowls without any help from Gailey. Who was he to come in and change what they were about? “You talk to the offensive guys, and I’d say 70 percent didn’t like him,” Woodson said. “You talk to the defensive players, and I’d say 70 percent did like him. We saw what he wanted to do offensively, and it made sense. He put players in situations to win those one-on-one battles. “I thought he was a damn good offensive mind.” Jones was loyal to the players who had won titles. His door was always open, and the players went around Gailey and into the owner’s office to voice their complaints. But there was more at work. Jones stated publicly that he felt foolish sinking $41.5 million in signing bonuses into a .500 team. Aikman was the NFL’s highest-paid player in the late ‘90s. Gailey was one of its lowest- paid head coaches. Aikman never lobbied to remove Gailey. That wasn’t necessary. All the quarterback needed to do was express his discontent with the offense. On the eve of the Cowboys’ final regular-season game under Galley, with a playoff spot hanging in the balance, Jones publicly absolved Aikman of any blame. The owner declared Aikman had not been given a chance to succeed and vowed that would change. Everyone knew what that meant. “There is no way you can be a head coach when you always have to look over your shoulder,” Woodson said. “If a player had an issue with him, they didn’t go to Chan. They went to Jerry. “It fell apart because of that.” The aftermath Gailey calls it an honor to have coached the Cowboys and is “forever grateful” to Jones for the opportunity. The two have a good relationship and talk comfortably when they bump into each other at the league meetings or scouting combine. ‘We get along well,” Gailey said. “We’re in a business, and he had to do what he thought was best for his business. I don’t ever begrudge a guy for that. “If I think I’ve got a decision I have to make, I make it. You just go on with life. That’s part of it.” Jones made it clear if he had that episode of Cowboys history to do over again, he would not have given up on Gailey so quickly. Does the Bills coach ever allow himself to linger on what might have been? “Those coulda, woulda, shoulda things you think about, but if you dwell on them, you’re wasting brain cells,” Gailey said. “There’s no sense in dwelling on that kind of stuff. You go on with life. “If you’re spending too much time in the past, all you’re doing is hurting yourself. “I learned a lot. I can’t even remember everything that I’ve learned, but what I did became a part of me. I’ve been able to take those experiences, and hopefully I’m better now than I was then.” Buffalo wins with run game; Cowboys should follow suit RICK GOSSELIN Dallas Morning News Published: Nov 12, 2011 5:27 PM The Cowboys taught the Buffalo Bills quite a few lessons during their consecutive Super Bowl pairings in the 1990s. If the Cowboys pay attention Sunday, there’s now a lesson to be learned from the Bills. New England with Tom Brady was again tabbed the favorite in the AFC East in 2011. The New York Jets with their top-five defense were viewed as New England’s strongest competition for division and conference honors. The Patriots won the East in each of the previous two seasons, but it was the Jets who advanced to the AFC title game each time. Little heed was paid to the Bills, who hadn’t qualified for the playoffs in more than a decade. Buffalo didn’t have a quarterback to match Brady nor a defense to match the Jets. Yet at the midway point of the season, the Bills bring a share of the AFC East lead into Cowboys Stadium on Sunday. Buffalo, New England and New York are all tied at 5-3. The Bills have Fred Jackson and a commitment to the ground game. He’s the AFC’s leading rusher with 803 yards. Jackson has rushed for 100 yards in five games and the Bills have won four of them. This season was all about the pass through the last two months. Drew Brees of the Saints threw for more yards through the first eight games than any other quarterback in league history. Brady has a 500-yard passing game, and Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers has already thrown for 24 touchdowns. But when November arrives and the weather turns, teams that can run the ball annually benefit. Cold weather and hard fields transform football from a game of finesse to a game of power. The ball moves from the air to the ground. Houston and San Francisco joined Buffalo with early commitments to the ground this season and now all are well-situated for a stretch run toward the playoffs. The 49ers became a running team out of necessity. Alex Smith was one of the most inefficient passers in the NFL. New coach Jim Harbaugh decided Smith handed the ball off better than he passed it, so he featured running back Frank Gore from the start. The 49ers rank sixth in the NFL in rushing and Gore ranks fifth. Smith has passed for fewer yards than any other eight-game starter at quarterback this season and hasn’t even cracked 200 yards in five of the games. Yet, the 49ers sit atop the NFC West with a 7-1 record. Houston became a running team by choice. The Texans have a Pro Bowl quarterback in Matt Schaub, but a decade-long commitment to the pass didn’t produce a single playoff berth. So coach Gary Kubiak shifted the focus even more in 2011 to the ground, where Arian Foster and Ben Tate have combined to give Houston the best 1-2 rushing punch in the NFL. The Texans rank second in the NFL in rushing, and Foster and Tate rank in the top 10. Like the 49ers, the Texans sit atop their division at 6-3. DeMarco Murray has emerged as a player capable of becoming the focal point of both a running game and an offense. He can do for the Cowboys what Jackson is doing for the Bills. Cowboys running backs coach Skip Peete said in training camp that anyone can run the ball in the NFL. “You just have to be committed to do it,” he said. It’s time the Cowboys commit to the run. Celebrity quarterback Tony Romo has passed for 300 yards four times this season. That may get him to the Pro Bowl, but it’s not going to get the Cowboys to the playoffs. The Cowboys have lost three of the four games in which Romo has thrown for 300 or more yards. Murray has rushed for 100 yards twice this season, and the Cowboys won both games. League-wide, there have been 68100-yard rushing games this season. Teams with those 100-yard rushers have posted a 53-15 record. When you run the ball in the NFL, you win. Especially in November and December. If the Cowboys hope to extend their season deep into January, they’d be wise to focus on Murray and the ground game. Sunday would be an opportune time to start. A preview of Sunday's Cowboys-Bills game By RAINER SABIN Dallas Morning News Published: Nov 12, 2011 10:56 PM Buffalo Bills (5-3) at Cowboys (4-4): noon today TV: Ch. 11 Radio: KRLD-FM (105.3), KMVK-FM (107.5, Spanish) Line: Cowboys by 5 ½ FOR THE COWBOYS A win would mean ... The Cowboys have a winning record for the first time since early October and score a big victory over an opponent that is expected to be their toughest challenger over the next 28 days. A loss would mean ... The Cowboys fall to the Bills for the first time since 1996 and squander another opportunity to capitalize on the momentum generated from a victory the previous week. They drop to 0-3 against AFC East teams this season. HOW THEY MATCH UP When the Cowboys run: The emergence of DeMarco Murray has been a boon for the Cowboys. The rookie tailback has gained 466 yards in Dallas' last three games and has flourished in the expanded role he was given after Felix Jones sprained his left ankle Oct. 16 against New England. With Jones expected to remain sidelined this Sunday, Murray will try to attack a Bills defense that is allowing 120.8 rushing yards per game, the 20th highest average in the NFL. Edge: Cowboys When the Cowboys pass: Earlier this season, when receiver Miles Austin missed two games, the Cowboys still averaged 293 yards through the air. The Cowboys' passing offense forged ahead then and it will have to continue to find a way to survive now that Austin is out again for the foreseeable future with a right-hamstring injury. Expect Tony Romo, who has posted a 92.2 quarterback rating this season, to rely on tight end Jason Witten and Laurent Robinson. Both players will try to find holes in a Bills defense that has surrendered 260.4 passing yards per game - eight-worst in the NFL -- but has intercepted 15 passes, the second-highest total in the league. Edge: Cowboys When the Bills run: Fred Jackson is the centerpiece of the Bills' offense, the engine that makes it go. He has accumulated 803 rushing yards - the third-highest total in the NFL. And he has gashed teams, collecting 18 runs of 10 yards or more. Jackson has also punished opponents that have used aggressive tactics. Against Washington, he gained 194 yards from scrimmage. The Cowboys will try to contain Jackson, but their run defense has struggled in the previous two games. Against Seattle and Philadelphia, they have yielded an average of 200.5 rushing yards after surrendering 69.7 in their previous six games. Edge: Bills When the Bills pass: Through eight games, Buffalo's Ryan Fitzpatrick has thrown for more touchdowns, has a higher completion percentage and has a posted a better passer rating than Tony Romo. Is he an elite quarterback? That's subject to debate. But what can't be disputed is that Fitzpatrick can make plays. Among his targets is Cowboys castoff and Southlake Carroll alum Scott Chandler, a tight end who has six touchdown receptions. The Cowboys, who will also have to track the speedy Stevie Johnson, have their work cut out for them. They are yielding 232.5 passing yards per game, the 16th highest average in the NFL. Edge: Bills Special teams: Mat McBriar remains bothered by a left-foot injury and consequently the Cowboys still have two punters. But now their roster features only one kicker -- Dan Bailey, who has made 19 consecutive field goals. Not too long ago, Bailey was competing for a job with several candidates, one of whom was Dave Rayner. Rayner, who was released by the Cowboys in September, was signed by the Bills this week to replace the injured Ryan Lindell. Rayner joins a special teams unit that hasn't impressed. Bryan Moorman has a net punting average of 38.5 yards while CJ Spiller and Brad Smith have failed to make much of a mark in the return game. Edge: Cowboys Intangibles: The Cowboys haven't lost to the Bills since 1996 and are 3-1 against Buffalo in Dallas. But that's old history. These are the upstart Bills and they are led by a coach Chan Gailey, who should be particularly motivated to beat the Cowboys on their home turf. In the late-1990s, Gailey coached two years in Dallas and was fired despite directing the Cowboys to consecutive playoff appearances. Now he gets a chance to exact a measure of revenge against his former employer. Edge: Bills FOUR DOWNS: KEYS TO TODAY’S GAME 1. Protect Romo: Last Sunday, the dimensions of the Cowboys' offense expanded. After weeks of moving down the field by way of short and intermediate passes, Dallas took a different approach against Seattle. The Cowboys went deep. Quarterback Tony Romo connected with Miles Austin, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten on passing plays that covered 30 yards or more. The success the Cowboys experienced attacking the Seahawks downfield was directly related to the protection Romo received. As it did against Seattle, the Cowboys' offensive line needs to shield Romo from the Bills' pass rush. 2. Get Fred: Fred Jackson can run, He can catch. And, yes, he can throw. Jackson has attempted one pass in his career. The result? A 27-yard touchdown. That's not surprising considering that almost everything Jackson has done this season has been noteworthy. The Arlington Lamar product has accumulated 1,194 yards from scrimmage and scored six touchdowns, developing into one of the NFL's most dynamic players. He drives the Bills offense and the Cowboys know they need to stop him if they have designs on winning Sunday. 3. Run, run, run: Not too long ago, few would have objected if the Cowboys willfully abandoned their running game. After all, it seemed to be stuck in neutral. But the emergence of DeMarco Murray has revitalized the Cowboys' once-sagging ground attack. The rookie has run for 466 yards in Dallas' last three games and the Cowboys have shown they can move the ball without relying on Romo's right arm. The Cowboys need to continue to ride Murray, a tailback that has shown he deserves to have the ball in his hands. 4. Be on red alert in red zone: Buffalo has shown a knack for closing drives once it gets inside its opponent's 20-yard line. This season, the Bills have reached the red zone 28 times and have scored 18 touchdowns. Only one team, Tennessee, has had a higher rate of success in that compressed area of the field. The Cowboys know the game could hinge on their ability to keep Buffalo out of the end zone once the Bills close in on it. KEY MATCHUP: BUFFALO WR STEVIE JOHNSON VS. COWBOYS CB TERENCE NEWMAN After a breakout performance in 2010, Stevie Johnson has staged an encore this season. The Bills wideout has collected 42 catches, 523 receiving yards and four touchdowns while developing a strong connection with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Johnson's accomplishments are impressive. But they're even more remarkable considering that he has produced those numbers without the luxury of having another big-play receiver drawing attention away from him. He has thrived in spite of the circumstances and this week it's expected that Terence Newman will be one of the Cowboys' defenders assigned to track Johnson's every move. At 33, Newman has experienced a revival in his career. He has yielded only 13 completions and has defended four passes while intercepting two others this season. According to STATS LLC, Newman has been burned at a lower rate than 331 other defenders in the NFL. "I think he's playing better and better," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. But Newman will be tested by the fleet-footed Johnson, a player who is better than advertised. Edge: Johnson LINEUP TWIST: ANOTHER CHANCE TO SHINE FOR ROBINSON For the third time this season, the Cowboys will have to play without their leading wide receiver in the starting lineup. The absence of Miles Austin, who injured his right hamstring last Sunday, will loom large for a team looking to foster some consistency in the passing game. The man charged with filling his role is Laurent Robinson, whom the Cowboys picked up off the street in September and has proven to be quite the find ever since. Robinson has made 24 receptions for 368 yards and two touchdowns in six games while averaging more yards per catch than Austin. "I think he's doing a great job," quarterback Tony Romo said. "Laurent has a great understanding of the offense. He puts himself where he needs to be at the right time, so I trust him. And he's an explosive player, so it's a good combination to have." SportsDayDFW staff picks for Cowboys-Bills game Dallas Morning News Published: Nov 12, 2011 10:56 PM Tim Cowlishaw: Bills, 26-23: Homecoming for RB Fred Jackson, WR David Nelson, and coach Chan Gailey — of sorts — brings out big-play best in 5-3 Bills. Brandon George: Bills, 24-20: The back-to-back games only twice over their last 24. Rick Gosselin: Cowboys, 24-20: Jerry Jones has a long memory — and he remembers those two Super Bowl victories over the Bills. So does Jason Garrett. Barry Horn: Bills, 27-24: A triumphant homecoming for Arlington Lamar’s Fred Jackson. Jon Machota: Cowboys, 27-24: Rob Ryan’s defense is focused on slowing Fred Jackson, and they respond, holding the former Arlington Lamar running back under 100 yards. David Moore: Cowboys, 23-17: Playoff push for Dallas must begin now or it’s not going to happen. Rainer Sabin: Bills, 27-24: Fred Jackson has a homecoming to remember while Chan Gailey gets a measure of revenge against his former employer. Kevin Sherrington: Cowboys, 21-17: Cowboys running game continues to pound away.