Crayton confirms that Austin will start

[Arch Stanton]

Crayton confirms that Austin will start

By Tim MacMahon
ESPNDallas.com
Archive
IRVING, Texas -- Patrick Crayton is willing to say what the Dallas Cowboys coaches won't: He's been replaced in the starting lineup by Miles Austin.

Crayton just wishes somebody would have told him that. He figured it out Monday, when Austin worked opposite Roy Williams in two-wide receiver sets.

Austin continued to get reps with the starters during Wednesday's practice, but none of the coaches have explained the situation to Crayton.

"I would have loved it," Crayton said of an explanation from head coach Wade Phillips or offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. "It would have been real stand-up. That's not what happened. Oh, well."

Crayton, who dealt with a similar demotion after the Cowboys traded for Williams in the middle of last season, isn't pouting about becoming a No. 3 receiver again. He considers his role "to help in whatever way possible." He just feels that, as a six-year veteran, he deserves an explanation.

"That way you're not in the dark about why the change is made," Crayton said.

It's not as if Crayton didn't see it coming. He knew when Wade Phillips told the media last Monday that Austin would play "50-something" snaps per game on the heels of his franchise-record 250-yard performance. But Crayton wonders how much his admittedly poor performance in Kansas City affected the decision.

Based on production, one could make the case that Austin (15 catches, 331 yards, three touchdowns) and Crayton (15 catches, 243 yards, one touchdown) should be the starters with Williams (11 catches, 214 yards, one touchdown) relegated to the third receiver role. But, considering Williams' arrival in a blockbuster trade and $9 million per year salary, Crayton knew that wasn't a realistic scenario.

"When you give up a first and third and a sixth and you pay a guy that much," Crayton said, "he's gotta play."


Tim MacMahon covers the Cowboys for ESPNDallas.com. E-mail tim.macmahon@espn3.com.

http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/news/story?id=4583208&campaign=rss&source=NFLHeadlines

 

[Tusan_Homichi]

It doesn't surprise me that no one sat him down and explained he was being demoted. I really dislike our coaching situation these days.

 

[NextGenBoys]

It doesn't surprise me that no one sat him down and explained he was being demoted. I really dislike our coaching situation these days.

He deserves an explanation. What a joke by the coaching staff.

To hear no explanation at all is worse than hearing that Austin is better than he is.

What a classless move by Wade, Garrett, and our coaches.

 

[WoodysGirl]

Crayton says he's been demoted
3:18 PM Wed, Oct 21, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Bill Nichols/Reporter Bio | E-mail | News tips

Cowboys receiver Patrick Crayton said Wednesday that he believes he has been demoted, making way for Miles Austin.

Crayton said he was disappointed that he had not been informed of the lineup change. He said comments from coach Wade Phillips indicate he's being replaced by Austin as a starter on Sunday against Atlanta.

Austin set a club record with 250 reception yards against Kansas City, a game in which Crayton mishandled a punt out of bounds.

``He said it to you guys without saying it,'' Crayton told reporters. ``If he tells you you're going to play as many plays as you played the week before, that means you're starting.''

Crayton said he understood the move, but was disapointed he was not told.

``I would have loved it. It would have been real stand-up,'' he said. ``That's not what happened. ... Nothing was explained to me. I had the dropped pass and I had the muffed punt. Maybe that was it. ... This thing is not about fair. That's what you come to realize. Life is not fair. You've just got to roll with the punches.''

 

[Shadowy329]

This is definately on the coaches and really stupid that this would not have been taken care of by them kind of a coaching 101 thing to sit down the player and explain the situation

 

[Tusan_Homichi]

If anyone needs further proof that our coaching staff is just terrible, this is all you need.

 

[UnoDallas]

I want this WHINER gone

it was clueless act by coaching staff

but still want this guy gone traded or cut

 

[Chocolate Lab]

He deserves an explanation. What a joke by the coaching staff.

To hear no explanation at all is worse than hearing that Austin is better than he is.

What a classless move by Wade, Garrett, and our coaches.

Give me a break. Did you say this about Parcells, too?

And Wade said Crayton was told Miles would start in the meetings. He wasn't told he wouldn't start this game because they don't know yet if Roy would start with the bad ribs.

 

[Dave_in-NC]

Eh, Phillips has probably been telling Crayton every thing is fine, no worries.
Plus he might have hurt Craytons feelings. Lord knows we can't have that.

 

[21Savage]

The Mcmahon article is the worst crap I've ever read and just got me riled up. Because that quote by Crayton was from last year and that's not made clear at all.

I DARE ANYBODY WHO'S ALWAYS DEFENDING THE DALLAS MEDIA TO DEFEND THAT STUPID PIECE OF WRITING AND CONVOLUTION.

Also, he took out the fact that Roy missed a game and a half from the numbers on there.

 

[Mansta54]

I want this WHINER gone

it was clueless act by coaching staff

but still want this guy gone traded or cut

Seems to me that PC has handled this like a mature adult. He's not whinning, he's explaining the situation and acknowledged that life isn't fair.

 

[Nav22]

"That way you're not in the dark about why the change is made," Crayton said.

It's not rocket science, Pat. Or did you sleep through the KC game?

 

[utrunner07]

Good greif, can we PLEASE stop posting DMN and ESPND articles here? PLEASE. Just a short summary of what is supposedly happening would be nice.

 

[landryscorner]

Our coaching staff is spineless plain and simple....be stand up with the guy....if Austin is better then tell him. Once again Wade and the coaching staff sucks big time that's why they need too go. can't wait.....

 

[Arch Stanton]

Good greif, can we PLEASE stop posting DMN and ESPND articles here? PLEASE. Just a short summary of what is supposedly happening would be nice.

Now we've got the censorship police.

 

[8FOR!3]

I want this WHINER gone

it was clueless act by coaching staff

but still want this guy gone traded or cut

I agree. Patrick Crayton and Marion Barber need to be traded together next year. Should've happened yesterday, I like Barber, but at this point we really don't need him. Tashard Choice can get the job done blocking. You put a guy in the game mainly for blocking anyways and the other team are going to start predicting when the pass is coming. Our best bet with Crayton and Barber is to trade.

 

[Mansta54]

Our coaching staff is spineless plain and simple....be stand up with the guy....if Austin is better then tell him. Once again Wade and the coaching staff sucks big time that's why they need too go. can't wait.....

 

[Everlastingxxx]

I am still a Crayton fan, he had one bad game. How many has Romo & Flozel had? He has been a good player for us for a long time.

The coaching staff has no backbone. Classless and backstabbing.

On another note, what Crayton said on the Crayton show on the Dallas Cowboys website...that this team was in need of a coach like Parcells to eliminate the discipline (penalty) problems. Also talked about camp being tougher under Parcells. Was an interesting under the radar tidbit.

 

[WoodysGirl]

DC.COM Blog

Lack Of Communication Frustrates Crayton
Posted by nickeatman at 10/21/2009 2:44 PM CDT on truebluefanclub.com

In two weeks, Patrick Crayton has seen the Cowboys remove him from punt return duties and demote him to a second-team wide receiver.


As expected, Crayton expressed his frustration with the double whammy.



“Yeah, it’s been a tough two weeks,” Crayton said. “It comes with the territory though. You have to be able to respond and bounce back from it and go about your business. My job now is to help wherever possible.”



More frustrating than the demotions for Crayton was the fact he said the Cowboys coaching staff has never talked to him about the moves.



“I just had to see it,” said Crayton, referring to the practice field when Miles Austin took the first-team reps. But Crayton said he saw the writing on the wall last week when Wade Phillips told reporters that Austin would play as many snaps this week as he did in Kansas City.



“Well, (Phillips) said it to you guys without saying it. That means you’re starting. If he tells you you’re going to play as many plays as you did before, it means you’re starting.”

So why not just tell Crayton straight up? That’s a question Crayton wishes he could answer.



“Ask Coach Wade that, buddy. Ask Wade that, ask Garrett that,” Crayton said. “Yeah, that would’ve been real stand-up. But that’s not what happened.”



Fair or not, Crayton understands the business.



“It’s not about fair. That’s what you come to realize,” Crayton said. “Life is not fair. You just have to roll with the punches.”

That being said, you have to respect a lot of what Crayton said on Wednesday. Not only was he frustrated by the move, but he’s still a team guy. He may be upset with the situation, but happy for the guy replacing him on offense.



“I’m excited for Miles because he’s getting an opportunity,” he said. “I’m going to back him regardless.”

 

[AdamJT13]

Based on production, one could make the case that Austin (15 catches, 331 yards, three touchdowns) and Crayton (15 catches, 243 yards, one touchdown) should be the starters with Williams (11 catches, 214 yards, one touchdown) relegated to the third receiver role.

If one made that case, one would be ignoring the fact that Williams missed a game because of his injury and was our most productive wide receiver before getting hurt.