In case your wondering, I'm still concerned about our secondary. Fortunately we had a backup plan going into the draft and now that plan needs to pay dividends.

Rookies Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick are now being thrust into the spotlight. With Newman down and the NFL investigating Adam Jones, the effectiveness of our secondary may hinge on this talented, yet inexperienced duo.

Scandrick will continue to fill in for Newman in the slot in the nickel package, while Jenkins would start if Jones ends up missing any time. Jenkins will continue to work in the dime defense if Jones is not sanctioned.

Newman's absence for almost all of training camp allowed Jenkins and Scandrick more work in practice. Jenkins started three of the four preseason games, and Scandrick started once.

"Game experience is a lot different than practice," Jenkins said. "The games are much faster."

These rookies importance to our defense is underscored by their double duties as cornerbacks and special team participants. As talented as they are, it seems the coaching staff isn't entirely comfortable with playing press coverage just yet. Expect to see the dreaded "cushion" that we gave to Philly and Cincinnati receivers.

The rookies have a full load playing on defensive sub-packages. Jenkins lines up wide right when the Cowboys use four cornerbacks and slide Henry over to cover a tight end, and Scandrick has replaced Newman as the slot cornerback in nickel and dime situations. Both have special teams duties, with Scandrick among the team's leading tacklers in the kicking game.

Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said the team was hoping to play more man coverage going into the season, but that changed with an unhealthy Newman.

While the Cowboys play a combination of man and zone in the secondary right now, the plan to eventually use mostly man coverage hasn't changed, according to Phillips, it's just dependent on Newman's availability. With a youth movement filling in for now, the defensive backs will play primarily in soft coverage, allowing underneath throws and forcing teams to three-step drop against them. One defender said press coverage could help lead to more pressure against quick passes, but the Cowboys have been giving receivers plenty of space. This takes away from the effects of the front seven's pass rush, but it also cuts down on deep passes.

So who are these rookies? Well, Mike Jenkins is a talented, physical (6-foot, 200 pounds) and fast soul (4.38-second 40 at the NFL Combine) with return ability. He's so fast he caught Greg Olsen, who runs a 4.4, from behind despite a 10-yard head start. He decided to stay close to his Bradenton, Fla., home for college despite the pursuit of major universities. He wanted to stay close to his mom who suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure.

He's played against big-time competition and succeeded. If he gets his hands on the ball and he has a clear path, expect him to end up in the end zone. Newman has already taken a liking to him and T.O.'s also impressed.

What about Orlando Scandrick? He's a 5-foot-10, 192 pound burner (4.3 in the 40) from the O.C. He was an ace special teams guy in college as well as well as a big-time playmaker. The coaches have been impressed with his saavy and ability to learn and absorb information quickly. Here are some draft day thoughts on Scandrick.

Get used to these guys. You'll be hearing more about them in the coming weeks.

Welcome to the big leagues guys.

Now that you're on the stage.

It's time to give us a show.

Time to check in with cgolden at Revenge Of The Birds, SB Nation's  Arizona Cardinals blog, for a session of 5 Questions. Be sure to visit ROTB for all your Cardinals updates.

Blogging The Boys: Kurt Warner has been playing excellent ball. But in the past, if you get pressure on him, he makes mistakes. Is that still what you're seeing this year?

Revenge Of The Birds: That still holds true for the most part, with one minor exception. Through the first five games, Warner has actually been able to handle when teams bring multiple blitzers. The problem that he's run into is when the defense is able to generate pressure with their front three or four. The Jets were able to do that and it disrupted the entire offense for a quarter. If the offensive line can hold their own and the Cowboys have to bring five or six to put pressure on Warner, he can hurt you especially given the injury situation in the Dallas secondary.

BTB: In the running game, has Tim Hightower looked better than Edgerrin James? How are the carries split between the two and what are their strengths and weaknesses?

ROTB: The Cardinal running game is hard to describe other than to say, it's pretty ineffective for the most part. It keeps defenses honest but they gain 3.3 yards per carry so it's not like they're actually move the ball on the ground. Most of us are tired of watching Edge fall forward for three yards on every carry and even though Tim Hightower isn't averaging a Felix Jones-like 9.0 yards per carry, we're ready for him to start getting a 50/50 split in carries. As one of your readers stated earlier, a good description of Edge is "when you need a yard, he'll get you three, but when you need five he'll get you three." He simply doesn't have the speed or quickness to be a starting back anymore, at least not on a team without a dominant offensive line. Hightower runs alot like Marion Barber, not that he's got that kind of talent, but that's his running style. He's a force around the goal line because he's got great vision and makes decisive, explosive cuts and he runs with a full head of steam.

BTB: What's the injury situation? Is Boldin for sure out? What about the rest of the team?

ROTB: Boldin's hasn't been ruled out yet but it would be a minor miracle if he played. As for the rest of the team, Ben Patrick (sort of the starting TE) hasn't practiced all week and will have to practice tomorrow if he wants to play. Bertrand Berry, a good pass rusher, has been limited after missing the previous two games, but he's still questionable at best. Everyone else should play including Adrian Wilson, Eric Green and Roderick Hood (all starters). Hood is the only question mark since his injury sounded worse at the beginning of the week, but I haven't heard it even mentioned since Monday so I'm assuming he's good enough to play.

BTB: How much has coach Ken Whisenhunt played in the resurgence of the Cardinals? What's his style of play on offense and defense?

ROTB: Whiz is a huge reason why this team is on the verge of becoming a respectable franchise. He's brought heart, toughness and accountability to a franchise that's lacked it for as long as I can remember. His offensive philosophy actually works against the strentghs of the current players because at times I think he forgets that he's not in Pittsburgh anymore. He'll get caught up in "run on first down, run on second down, try to convert a 3rd and 6" at times but Todd Haley (former Cowboy) is helping open up the offense. On defense, I'm not sure how much he gets his hands dirty. This is Clancy Pendergast's system and it seems as if he's in complete control over it. Whiz's biggest contribution in my mind is that he isn't going to accept losing and it seems like it's trickling down through the franchise. He's got some learning to do with clock management and when or when not to challenge but that's to be expected.

BTB: OK, give me the prediction and how you think the game will play out.

ROTB: I'll try to be too much of a homer with this but I've got to go with my gut. I think the Cardinals can win this game and it wouldn't be a total shock either. It's probably cliche to say this game comes down to match ups but I think the Cardinals match up well with the Cowboys, especially with the state of the Boys' secondary. The Cowboys' offense is going to score points and this game will come down to whether or not the Cardinals can give Warner enough time to score points as well. For a score, I'll go with 34-30 Cardinals.

We interrupt the Pacman Jones drama for some coverage about the rest of the team and the game that will be played Sunday against the Cardinals. Oh? Yes, that's right, there is STILL a season to be played!

April 26, 2008. A date we had all anxiously awaited.

Most Cowboys fans were certain the Cowboys would be selecting a running back in the first round, it was just a question of which one and what pick. As each team's draft choice was called out and the draft moved steadily closer to the Cowboys' pick one thing started to become clear: the Dallas Cowboys would have their choice of Rashard Mendenhall and Felix Jones at running back. It was almost inconceivable that both would be available at #22, but a run at offensive linemen by teams with obvious running backs needs left the Cowboys with an enviable decision to make. Should they go with the franchise running back from Illinois or the explosive game changer from Arkansas?

Most fans, myself included, were foaming at the mouth at the chance to grab Mendenhall. As we all know the Cowboys selected the swift-footed Jones over the powerhouse Mendenhall, and Dallas fans everywhere cried out in uproar! Here's a few choice reactions from draft day here on BTB:

"I cant believable
Jones > Mendenhall???"

"I hate Jerry Jones"

"just a very silly silly move"

"What's the deal with Jerry taking a liking to RB's with the last name Jones over superior RB's that have slipped?"

"can't believe Jones passed up the best back in the draft"

All I have to say is thank you, thank you, thank you Mr. Jason Garrett.

As we all saw on Hard Knocks, Garrett described Felix Jones as the perfect combination to Marion Barber and would be a much better fit for the Cowboys' offensive gameplans. Talk about an understatement.

The Cowboys have a dynamic to the running game that has not been there in a long time. With Barber pounding the rock, Felix Jones has the ability of taking it to the house any time he touches the ball. Through week five the Cowboys have the 7th ranked rushing offense in the league at 138 yards per game, which is mighty impressive considering the Cowboys gained a measly 44 yards against the Redskins. That low total coincidentally is also the only game in which Felix Jones did not get a carry.

As the Cowboys gear up to play the Arizona Cardinals much of the focus and debate has been on which passing attack will have the biggest game. Kurt Warner is back in top form and poses a significant threat against a depleted Cowboys secondary and it's questionable on if the Cowboys will be able to contain it.

The best defense against a high powered offense: keep the ball away from them.

The Cowboys have the ability to rack up a ton of yards on the ground, and now are doing so before the 4th quarter where in the past Barber had gotten the majority of his yards. Dallas has the manpower to play a ball control offense against a decent Cardinals defense, and it wouldn't be the worst idea to limit Tony Romo's touches. Despite what the numbers say, Romo has been uncharacteristically "off" the past few weeks. Perhaps another big game from Barber and Jones would help take some pressure of Romo and allow him to find his groove again.

Marion Barber, do what you do best. It was questionable whether he would be able to shoulder the load of a starting running back and so far the answer has been a resounding yes. Does anyone have a doubt that if faced with a fourth and one, Barber will find someway to get the first down? He has also shown he is an elite pass blocker, time again blowing up blitzers before they could get to Tony Romo.

Felix Jones is the perfect example of a player making the most of limited opportunities. He instantly silenced all doubters and has quickly become one of the league's premiere playmakers. While he deceptive speed has left many defenders behind, it's his uncanny ability to make defenders miss while never losing speed that is his best weapon. Many thought Jones was just a one-trick speedster in college, yet he has shown he has the strength and elusiveness to make plays between the tackles.

Together Jones and Barber are one of the league's most dynamic running back tandems. Against a dangerous offensive team like Arizona, the ability to steadily move the chains on the ground while also threatening to score with any touch will prove the difference in what most likely will be a high scoring affair.

Pound the ball, burn them deep.

Interesting stat of the day: While averaging just 3.3 yards per carry, the Arizona Cardinals lead the league with 8 rushing touchdowns. The Dallas Cowboys are tied for 2nd with 7.

Jerry Jones just addressed the media about the Pacman Jones situation. It was a long press conference and Jerry talked about a lot of stuff. I'll try to sum it up as best I can.

-         The Dallas Cowboys will not discipline Adam Jones in anyway because he did not break any team rule.

-         Jerry described the incident as a case of Adam and his security guard Tommy Jones getting into a scuffle that was not that big of an incident. He described it as two guys, because of the amount of time they spend together, had gone beyond the professional and into a personal relationship. Because of that, they were involved in friendly, but obvious uncomplimentary banter, that escalated. At some point, the wrong thing was said and they got physical.

-         The only damage was a piece of the vanity display in the bathroom.

-         The league is investigating the matter and Jerry didn't want to give all the details because he didn't want to preempt the league's investigation.

-         The incident was over by 11:15 PM or so and was not a late into the evening affair. Alcohol was consumed but Adam was not drunk.

-         Jerry was disappointed in the incident.

-         Jerry had given permission for Adam to go to the party because it was supposedly a private affair and a limited guest-list, so he thought it wouldn't be a problem. He never guessed that a problem would arise between Adam and one of his security team. He reasoned that he learned a lesson that when two people spend that much time together that it could turn into a personal relationship, a friendship and because they were friends, they could have playful arguments. And those could turn into something more like a fight.

-         Jerry made a point that Adam has done everything that he has asked of him. He's passed drug tests three times a week for the past couple of years and whenever Jerry asked him not to go somewhere or do something Adam has never argued. Jerry has given him pages of places in the Dallas area that he should never go to. It was also revealed that Jerry handles all of Adam's finances.

-         Jerry has no idea how soon the league will finish with their investigation and what the results of that will be.

So, what does everybody think now?

Well, that was interesting. For the first time, Wade Phillips really showed a temper with the press. It wasn't pretty. But here's a recap.

Terence Newman will be looked at by another doctor about his abdomen, we'll know more tomorrow, obviously he didn't practice. Pat Watkins will probably be out , Roy Williams was limited in practice but he's not ready yet. Andre Gurode, Deon Anderson, Stephen Bowen and Jason Witten all practiced.

On Pacman, we have all the facts, Jerry will address it later and how it will be handled. We're trying to get the team to focus on this ballgame, a tough game, we're moving on.

(Is this a distraction?) This team, from the get-go, has dealt with distractions, that's what we emphasize. The HBO deal was supposed to be a distraction, anything outside of us practicing, meeting and working on games. We feel like we focus and not let it bother us. I still remind them a lot of things are going on but this game is the most important.

I'll let Jerry address the facts. As far as I know he'll play Sunday. No indication on a suspension. The facts will come out, the real facts.

(Should he have been out at 11 o'clock drinking given history?) He's a part of the team. We're all part of the team. If you want me to police players being out at 11 o'clock, that is not reasonable. Let's get the real facts first.

(Have you talked to him?) I talked to Adam and what he said and I said will be kept private. (Did he apologize to the team?) I think he did apologize to the team, I wasn't there for it but that's what I was told. (What has Roger Goodell said?) I don't have any idea about Roger Goodell. Jerry will talk to you.

(Do you need him on the field Sunday?) He's been active every game for us, so I would hope he'll play. I coach the team, he's here early every day, he's in the meetings, does all the things on the field, trying to be a good football player. The incident off the field, if there was one, we investigated it, and have the facts. Our security people are investigating the issue and Jerry will address it.

(If there was an incident? The police said there was an incident?) You're saying what the police said, I'm telling you what's going to happen. I don't know what the police said, our security people checked out. They'll tell you what happened. (very angry exchange)

(Are you disappointed in the incident?) If there was an incident, then yes, it would be disappointing. I trust my players, he's one of my players, I think he'll do the right thing.

(Is it tough planning game-to-game with the possibility he would be suspended?) A player can be hurt and not be there, it's the same with any player. You play with what you have and a player might not be there so you get the next guy ready. I believe he'll play on Sunday.

(Are Jenkins and Scandrick getting more reps because of this?) We practiced today like we did the past two days, we're getting ready to play the game. I have no idea if anything will change, I suspect not.

Roy, like Watkins, wasn't in pads, the worked on the show team, just moving around doing those things.

We're being prudent with Terence, we're having an expert in the field look at him again. Don't know the long term or short term.

Roy won't play this week, maybe in the next couple of weeks. It was a good step that he practiced. We let him do that and it wasn't a problem.

I'm waiting for Jerry Jones to address the facts, as it's been termed.

I haven't seen any significant news on Adam Jones so far, except for this.

An internal investigation by the Dallas Cowboys into Adam "Pacman" Jones' latest incident concludes that he was not in violation of his contract, or the understanding about conduct he had with owner Jerry Jones, a high-ranking team official said.

The team plans no disciplinary action, the source said.

Hat tip to Mullin for the post.

You might want to check out this article on Leonard Davis. The Cardinals just never figured out how to use him correctly. But Kurt Warner knew it.

"I think of the greatest moves with Leonard was moving him to guard," Warner said. "I remember talking to Leonard a number of times when he was here. I just knew that was his natural position. That was a position he felt more comfortable in, felt like he could really be dominant in smaller spaces because of his size and his stature and his athletic ability. I mean, the guy can get his hands on you and you can't do anything."

So T.O. was crying on the sidelines last week and the press went cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs over it. We now know why it happened, he had a death in the family, but Owens explains it even further.

The night before the game, [Owens' pastor] Gardner told Owens he would cry on the sideline and told him to profess his love for God in the news conference following the game.

A quote from Owens:

"Everything that happened on Sunday, I had talked [about with] my pastor Anthony Gardner out of Philadelphia the night before the game," Owens said. "When I got emotional, it was an anointed emotion, is what he explained to me.

"When it happened, I knew it was going to happen. He told me the night before it was going to happen, so when I went to the sideline, the emotions hit me."

You can read another take, here. 

I'm just waiting to hear from Wade this afternoon and see what he has to say about Adam Jones.

I'm going to be honest.

I've got a bad feeling about Sunday's game.

I think we're going to win. Don't get me wrong.

But I'm concerned about our secondary.

Suddenly what seemed like a deep, talented unit has now been hampered by injuries and altercations. This unit is in crisis. Our best cornerback is hurt. Two of our safeties (Roy Williams and Pat Watkins) are hurt. Our prized acquistion is making the wrong kinds of news again. This unit has no interceptions in the first five games. The controlled, short-drop, quick-hitting passing game has bothered us all season. And our pass rush hasn't been consistent enough to hide some of our deficiencies. And as if that wasn't enough, this week we face Kurt Warner, who is a master of the short-drop, quick-release that has given us problems this year.

There are four things that I've been obsessing over: Newman's injury and how it impacts the unit, Jones' altercation and how that could impact the unit, the Cardinal offense and how they could exploit these new developments and the opportunity for others to step up and meet these challenges head on.

Terence Newman's injury

Newman is unquestionably our fastest, highest-paid and most accomplished cornerback. We need him to achieve our ultimate goal IMO. So this makes the discovery of his abdominal strain (ESPN is calling it a sports hernia) that much more worrisome. If he has surgery, he could miss six weeks. Can we survive without him for six weeks? I have confidence in rookies Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick, but with Torry Holt, Plaxico Burress and Santana Moss on our schedule, do you trust them in a pivotal situation to man up on these receivers?

This week his absence is critical. We face one of the top-rated passing offenses in the league. We face Larry Fitzgerald -- one of the top receivers in the league. Without Newman's leadership and gifted physical skills, there will need to be a team effort to curtail Fitzgerald. There's just no other player on this team that can physically match up with him. Without Newman, we are more dependent on Jones, who replaces him in our standard defense. Scandrick takes Newman's spot in the nickel package and Jenkins will stay in the dime package. 

Pacman Jones' altercation

I agree with Grizz. This is the worst time for this to be happening, particularly with Newman's injury. With all due respect to Anthony Henry, Jones is arguably our best cornerback when Newman isn't on the field. If he's suspended, then that means we'd be down two cornerbacks and two safeties. As I put on my rose-colored glasses I'll say this: I see an argument for Jones. He was not arrested and the situation has been resolved. But the whole thing just doesn't pass the smell test. He was drinking, he hit someone and (although I could care less) he was hanging around a rapper which I'm sure does not please Gestapo Goodell (if anyone has any evidence that he's a Ludacris fan, I'll apologize immediately). This incident brings back my trust issues with Mr. Jones.

This week we should be focused on the Cardinals. But now it has instantly become "Pacman Jones Week." The media will focus on this incident and we'll all be waiting on Goodell's decision, should there be any. If Jones does play, he'll need to stop his tendency this year to drop picks. Warner has strengths but he can turn the ball over in bunches. He will throw picks, he will force throws and he will fumble if you get pressure on him. Jones has good anticipatory skills and a lot of his gambles have paid off. We'll need that aggressiveness against a quality opponent on the road.

But if Jones is suspended that leaves us with the possibility of a rookie starting in our base defense and an expanded role for our other rookies and fifth and sixth-string cornerbacks. Not. Good.

The Cardinal Offense

This offense is the kind of offense that could give us serious trouble. We lucked out that we won't have to face Anquan Boldin. But his replacement Steve Breaston is also dangerous. In the last two games, Breaston has 16 catches and 199 yards. Fitzgerald has almost 500 receiving yards and four TDs this year. Warner is the third ranked QB in the league with more than 1,400 passing yards and 10 TDs. In other words, this offense is for real.

What wakes me up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat is how quickly Warner gets rid of the ball. I watched highlights of him against the Bills defense -- a pretty solid group -- and the ball was gone so quickly. Three-step drop and boom! Ball's gone. His short immediate passes were accurate, on-time and hit receivers in stride. Sound familiar? This is exactly the gameplan that the Redskins used against us two weeks ago and it worked like a charm.

The difference is, unlike Jason Campbell, Warner does turn the ball over. He has four INTs this year and his history shows that he's highly susceptible to fumbling and being stripped. The problem is you have to get pressure on him to do that and that's something we haven't done consistently so far this year. Also, like any QB, the less pressure you get on him, the more confident Warner gets. And lemme tell you. Once Warner starts getting confident and firing on all cylinders, he's almost impossible to stop, particularly when he has tools at his disposal. If Sunday rolls around and Warner's staring at a rookie cornerback (assuming Jones gets suspended) and a third-string safety in our secondary, his eyes are going to light up. And as a consequence we might get lit up.      

The Opportunity

Our team is faced with dire circumstances and I'm worried. Our most vunerable group -- due to injuries, altercations and inexperience -- faces a team who's strength could expose them. The Cardinals, IMO, can not only beat us, but they could make us look bad. They hung 41 points on the previously undefeated Bills. They played the Redskins as tough as we did. They've played well at home. Now is not the time to have a depleted secondary.

But in the midst of this crisis arises an opportunity. There's an opportunity for increased time for our rookies Jenkins and Scandrick. They might get exploited but then again they might respond and validate why the coaching staff is so high on them. There's an opportunity (assuming the Commish shows mercy) for Jones to validate the high-risk, high-reward trade for his services. There is an opportunity for the secondary to create the turnovers that have been so rare this season.  

We'll see come Sunday. This team has risen to face many challenges this season. Our secondary will be shorthanded but their ability to overcome this adversity is essential to our success.

I hope they respond.

They better.

Or I'm really going to be worried.

This couldn't happen at a worse time for the Dallas Cowboys. Not that there is actually a good time for this to happen, but if it was the offseason, then it wouldn't hurt as bad if some action is taken by Roger Goodell. And if Terence Newman wasn't injured, possibly for much longer than initially thought, then it wouldn't hurt as bad either, if some action is taken.

Yes, I'm talking about this newest incident involving one Adam "Pacman" Jones. So far, we don't know a whole lot more than he was involved in a fight with one of his own bodyguards at a Dallas hotel. Of course, even that is being doubted by one of his lawyers, but the preponderance of evidence is on the side of a fight taking place. Why? Because the police were called and one of them is confirming that much of the story. 

No one was arrested and no one will be charged in connection with the fight late Tuesday night at The Joule, an upscale downtown hotel.

[snip]

"Someone from the business called police," Dallas police spokesman Cpl. Jerry Monreal told The Associated Press. "Police arrived and spoke to the parties after they had a verbal argument. Both parties agreed to leave, and they left."

Adam Jones has been cited as one of those parties. So even that much could lead to the hammer coming down from the Commish. Here's where it gets even worse. If the bodyguard was one of the babysitters hired by Jerry Jones to watch over the talented but troubled cornerback, then it's possible he could automatically be in violation of the Personal Conduct Policy. I loath to use Pro Football Talk as a reference, because they are hit and miss in their coverage of rumors, but here's what they say according to sources.

Per a league source, the "bodyguard" with whom Jones fought in the bathroom of a Dallas hotel was an off-duty police officer who has been hired by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to babysit Pacman.

If this is true it could really force Goodell's hand.

The open question is whether the bodyguard was someone whom Jones had hired, or whether the bodyguard was retained by the team to shadow and/or babysit Jones.  If it’s the latter, Jones might have committed an automatic violation of the Personal Conduct Policy since, technically, the bodyguard is a co-worker.

So what was Jones doing at the hotel? 

According to the sources, Jones was attending a party hosted by the rapper Ludacris, who is in town shooting a movie with actor Mark Wahlberg.

And why did he get into the alleged fight? More from PFT.com.

The source says that the problem started because the babysitter popped off to Jones' female companion.  Jones, who had been drinking, then started up with the guy, and it culminated in a scuffle.

Jones, we're told, had marks on his face at practice on Wednesday.

Before anybody starts with the whole macho "I would fight him too if he said something to my girlfriend" idiocy, stop and think a second. Sure, if I was out with my girlfriend and someone started popping off to her, and I couldn't handle it without resorting to fisticuffs, then I would throw some haymakers, too. But that wouldn't end with me getting fired from my job. I'm also not a professional athlete who has a specialized skill who is getting one last chance to play the game he supposedly loves. On top of that, if he gets into trouble again he's likely squandering any chance of millions upon millions of dollars, the future security of his baby daughter and all kinds of other things. So no, it would take a hell of a lot more than someone saying some random comment in that situation to get me to throw away all that. They're just words, and if your brain can't function on a level high-enough to understand that, then you deserve what you get.

Now that was a long rant, but here's the shorter version. If what's being alleged actually happened, then I have no sympathy for Jones. Do I hope he gets suspended again? Heck no, we need him right now. Is a fight that sounds pretty minor really worth suspending him? Normally the answer is no way. But this isn't just any ordinary player we're talking about.

I guess all I can do is hope Goodell has some sympathy for Jones (fat chance) and by extension, sympathy for all Cowboys fans.

But listen to this from the Star-T's article referenced above.

Jones apparently got in a violent scuffle with his bodyguards. According to a source, it's not the first time Jones and one of his bodyguards have come to blows.

If true, the guy has zero self-control.

Of course, his lawyer is spinning fast and furious.

"I'm not satisfied anything has happened,'' Robinson said. "I perform due diligence on rumors anytime there is an allegation made against a player I represent, and at this point I can tell you that I'm not satisfied that anything occurred.''

Well, the cops seem to think something occurred, and so do patrons at the hotel, so I'm pretty sure that line of defense isn't going anywhere.

Sometime soon, Jones will be making another trip to New York to explain himself.

The expectation is that Jones is likely to be called to New York to explain his conduct to Goodell, a source close to the player said. Jones' reinstatement is contingent upon his ability to conduct himself appropriately.

For the sake of the Cowboys season, I hope this is all an overblown incident just because the name Pacman is involved. But I'm having a hard time convincing myself of that reality. Probably about as hard a time as Jones will have convincing Goodell.

Oh by the way, there is other stuff going on.

An Arizona paper has whole list of players and things they hate about the Dallas Cowboys.

An opinion that the Cowboys have the best offense in the NFL. 

Our old friend, The Breerman, takes some shots at the Cowboys. 

The news on Terence Newman's injury sure doesn't sound good.