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Smith22
09-03-2004, 02:22 AM
Knee injury takes down Peterman; Julius Jones does not play


12:39 AM CDT on Friday, September 3, 2004

By TODD ARCHER / The Dallas Morning News

IRVING – Playing their second game in four days, the Cowboys avoided any injuries to their starters, but backup offensive lineman Stephen Peterman suffered a season-ending knee injury.

According to owner and general manager Jerry Jones, Peterman has a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and could have damage to his medial collateral ligament. An MRI will not be performed until the swelling subsides.

Peterman's injury will affect the makeup of the final roster with the Cowboys probably keeping nine offensive linemen.

Peterman, a rookie, suffered the injury on a point-after attempt in what some of his teammates felt was a cheap shot by a Kansas City defender. Earlier, he walked off the field with a minor calf injury but returned in time to help spring ReShard Lee for a 28-yard touchdown run.
Julius Jones sits it out: Rookie running back Julius Jones was in uniform Thursday after missing Wednesday's practice with an undisclosed injury, but he did not play against the Chiefs.

"We felt it was worth it for him to rest," Jerry Jones said.

Julius Jones is also bothered by a sprained left wrist.

Paring down the roster: Now that the preseason games are behind them, the Cowboys will go about selecting the final 53-man roster for Sunday's mandatory cutdown.

It makes for a nerve-wracking time for players unsure if they have done enough to make the team.

"If you're going to get cut, that's something that is going to happen," said safety Keith Davis, who is in a fight for one of the final defensive back spots. "You can't hide from it. If the Turk is coming to find you, he's going to find you."

Davis may have helped his cause with a solid performance on special teams and a team-high five tackles on defense.

Wide receiver Randal Williams had a solid outing, catching four passes for 34 yards. Williams, Dedric Ward and Patrick Crayton are probably fighting for one of the final receiver spots.



Woodson staying: When the Cowboys resume practice for the Sept. 12 season opener, the only regular they will not have is safety Darren Woodson, who is on the active physically unable to perform list.

Woodson, recovering from back surgery, is not expected to play vs. Minnesota, but he does not expect to be placed on the reserve physically unable to perform list, which would keep him out for the first six weeks of the season.

Lineup comings and goings: Coach Bill Parcells kept the rotation at weakside linebacker and center the same by starting Bradie James and Al Johnson on Thursday, but Torrin Tucker and Pete Hunter started for the third time this preseason at right tackle and right cornerback.

Top Cowboys feted at luncheon: The Cowboys held their annual luncheon Thursday at the Intercontinental Hotel in Addison. Those in attendance heard brief remarks from owner and general manager Jerry Jones and coach Bill Parcells and also watched as Flozell Adams (2003 offensive player of the year), Dat Nguyen (2003 defensive player of the year), Jamar Martin (Ed Block Memorial Courage Award) and Don Perkins (Tom Landry Legend Award) were honored.

Briefly: The Cowboys recognized five members of the silver-medal winning United States women's gymnastics team before the game. Terin Humphrey, Courtney Kupets, Courtney McCool, Mohini Bhardwaj and Annia Hatch were in attendance, but Allen's Carly Patterson was not. ... Backup offensive lineman Matt Lehr and wide receiver Terry Glenn served as the pregame captains. ... Kicker Matt Bryant, who has a hamstring strain, did not play for the second straight game.

Staff Writer Richard Durrett contributed to this report.

Hostile
09-03-2004, 07:44 AM
This just stinks. I hate pre season. Andre Gurode better live up to expectations now.

SoTex
09-03-2004, 08:12 AM
Terrible news. Al Johnson last year and Peterman this year. I don't like this trend. Hopefully, he makes a full recovery.

Smith22
09-03-2004, 08:14 AM
The message has been sent to Gurode despite the injury, perform well or you can be replaced. Hate to see injuries like that though. Hopefully he can bounce back.

slick325
09-03-2004, 08:19 AM
The depth on the OL is much better than recent years. Although the injury puts a dent in the depth chart, at least we have Lehr and Walter who can play Guard if need be.

big dog cowboy
09-03-2004, 08:46 AM
I thought Peterman was drafted to be LA's or Gurode's replacement next year. At least he has spent some time with the team and won't be completely green if we do need him next year. Not to mention he should be healthy by then andnstronger from another off season of workouts. Any way you spin this it still sucks. :(

Eddie
09-03-2004, 08:55 AM
Peterman was expected to be a solid contributor this season. The injury is bad news. Our OL is suspect as it is. We can't afford these injuries.

Was he cut blocked?

SA_Gunslinger
09-03-2004, 09:26 AM
this is a big loss....we need all the bodies we can get and he sounded like a winner.

two straight years losing a rookie OL....sucks.

2 games in 4 days....where's the justice?!!!!!!!!


but all in all....our injury situation could be worse.....

InmanRoshi
09-03-2004, 09:36 AM
I don't think it was that big of a loss. Lehr and Walter can play guard if needed. Peterman was such a huge liability in pass defense, I would have been awfully quesy about him seeing any extended action. He still had a long way to go before stepping out on the field against the Cory Simons of the NFL.

big dog cowboy
09-03-2004, 09:50 AM
Peterman was expected to be a solid contributor this season. The injury is bad news. Our OL is suspect as it is. We can't afford these injuries.

Was he cut blocked?

It was a borderline dirty play by the Chefs. At least 3 guys just piled on him and the play was ending. It just looked bad and when he started acting like he was hurt I wasn't surprised.

MichaelWinicki
09-03-2004, 09:53 AM
this is a big loss....we need all the bodies we can get and he sounded like a winner.

two straight years losing a rookie OL....sucks.

2 games in 4 days....where's the justice?!!!!!!!!


but all in all....our injury situation could be worse.....


Guys get hurt... better him than so Flo or Newman.

Wulfman
09-03-2004, 10:41 AM
I hate to see anyone get hurt, especially with a knee injury, as I've had them myself. But he'll be able to come back from it and contribute next year.

And, to be honest, it answers a roster quandry the Cowboys had. They were unsure whether to keep 9 O-linemen or 10, with the possibility of Matt Lehr getting traded. Now, Peterman goes on IR, and Lehr stays. They can go with 9 guys there, knowing that DiNapoli should be available to provide further depth after week 6.

RedLine
09-03-2004, 11:01 AM
Please don’t take this as “Parcells bashing” because I think he is a great coach. I am just a little concerned about this “don’t tap your helmet at me” attitude. I realize Peterman’s knee injury is more than likely not related to the calf injury he had a few plays earlier. However, I also know that once you have an injury, and you are out there playing hurt, you are more susceptible to further injury. I feel that while a veteran player understands how to play with injury, a rookie may not. I hate the thought that Peterman may be out for the season because he was trying to play with an injury due to Bills “no tap rule”. I truly hope that is not the case or a sign of things to come.

Reef Engineer
09-03-2004, 11:45 AM
BP has been doing things his way for quite some time now and it's made him the coach that he is - I think it folly for people to pick and choose what he should or shouldn't do as a coach. That's the way he does things and things have worked out in the end ... why question it now? It's nothing different than he's ever done and done pretty darn well. I leave the coaching decisions to him and just enjoy the game.

InmanRoshi
09-03-2004, 12:00 PM
Please don’t take this as “Parcells bashing” because I think he is a great coach. I am just a little concerned about this “don’t tap your helmet at me” attitude. I realize Peterman’s knee injury is more than likely not related to the calf injury he had a few plays earlier. However, I also know that once you have an injury, and you are out there playing hurt, you are more susceptible to further injury. I feel that while a veteran player understands how to play with injury, a rookie may not. I hate the thought that Peterman may be out for the season because he was trying to play with an injury due to Bills “no tap rule”. I truly hope that is not the case or a sign of things to come.

Given how amazingly healthy the Cowboys have been the past two years coming out of camp, I would say that whatever Bill is doing is working. In fact, its borderline amazing that Peterman was the only significant injury we had last night considering this was their 2nd game in 4 days played in the Dallas late summer heat.

I believe staying healthy is about mentality, first and foremost. Once you start anticipating injury is when you likely get injured. Players need to have an attitude of invulnerability. Guys watching their teammates tap out and sit on the bench with ice and bandages on their assorted nickes and boo-boos dissolves that attitude.

Reef Engineer
09-03-2004, 12:04 PM
InmanRoshi,

Exactly - it's a mentality that needs to be fostered. I didn't see too many people too upset when BP didn't let Hambone tap out last year.

RedLine
09-03-2004, 01:14 PM
Given how amazingly healthy the Cowboys have been the past two years coming out of camp, I would say that whatever Bill is doing is working. In fact, its borderline amazing that Peterman was the only significant injury we had last night considering this was their 2nd game in 4 days played in the Dallas late summer heat.

I believe staying healthy is about mentality, first and foremost. Once you start anticipating injury is when you likely get injured. Players need to have an attitude of invulnerability. Guys watching their teammates tap out and sit on the bench with ice and bandages on their assorted nickes and boo-boos dissolves that attitude.

I agree that we have been “amazingly healthy”, and I do give Bill a lot of the credit for that. That is one of the many reasons I think he is a great coach. I am just pointing out the possible down side to his approach. There is no denying the upside.

hipfake08
09-03-2004, 01:20 PM
this is a big loss....we need all the bodies we can get and he sounded like a winner.

two straight years losing a rookie OL....sucks.

2 games in 4 days....where's the justice?!!!!!!!!


but all in all....our injury situation could be worse.....

The Cowboys have a hand in this schedule.
So it's part of our own making. :(

SMCowboy
09-03-2004, 01:55 PM
I agree that we have been “amazingly healthy”, and I do give Bill a lot of the credit for that. That is one of the many reasons I think he is a great coach. I am just pointing out the possible down side to his approach. There is no denying the upside.

I disagree that their is a downside. As parcells said in an interview, their is no way to protect a player. The quickest and most sure fire way to get hurt on the football field is to try not to get hurt.

A strained calf, or what ever the injury was to his calf, in no way even helped or added to the likely hood, that he would tear an MCL. It was a 100% pure coincedence.

RedLine
09-03-2004, 02:12 PM
I disagree that their is a downside. As parcells said in an interview, their is no way to protect a player. The quickest and most sure fire way to get hurt on the football field is to try not to get hurt.

A strained calf, or what ever the injury was to his calf, in no way even helped or added to the likely hood, that he would tear an MCL. It was a 100% pure coincedence.

Well, we will just have to disagree on that then. I believe Bill’s old-school mentality on players playing injured will put some of our players at greater risk of more serious injury. Now, with that mentality, he will also get more out of the players, and the team as a whole. Therefore, the result is mostly good. However, there is a down side to these tactics.

InmanRoshi
09-03-2004, 02:18 PM
Parcells just said that Peterman's earlier injury to his leg was a cramp. On the play where he got injured he used poor technique and got his leg caught up with the player lined up next to him and got pushed backward because he wasn't low enough.

Reef Engineer
09-03-2004, 03:11 PM
Parcells just said that Peterman's earlier injury to his leg was a cramp. On the play where he got injured he used poor technique and got his leg caught up with the player lined up next to him and got pushed backward because he wasn't low enough.

I just read the same thing on Wulfie's recap - kinda thought it funny that he said it was partly Peterman's fault - ouch. Talk about insult to injury!

In any event, hopefully we can get past this thing that a calf cramp somehow led to a torn acl ... please.