Dallas Cowboys defensive end Jay Ratliff during training camp. Ratliff was back on the field Wednesday after missing five weeks due to a high-ankle sprain. (US Presswire) |
The Cowboys had three injured starters back on the practice field Wednesday, the only practice for the club during this bye week.
Most notably, four-time Pro Bowler Jay Ratliff was back on the field after missing five weeks with a high-ankle sprain that has kept him out of every regular season game so far.
Also back on the field were defensive end Kenyon Coleman, who has missed the last two games with a hyper-extended knee, and center Phil Costa, who has been out with a back injury he sustained three plays into the regular season opener.
It’s not clear whether Costa will unseat veteran backup Ryan Cook. It’s expected that Coleman would be back as the starter at end, as well as Ratliff, who suffered the injury in the third preseason game against the Rams on Aug. 25.
Josh Brent has played nose tackle in Ratliff’s absence. The Cowboys have the fourth-best overall defense in the NFL, but rank 17th against the run, allowing 108 yards per game.
No expected O-line changes: While the Cowboys have struggled to run the football this season and rank 30th in the league, coach Jason Garrett made it sound as if there wouldn't be any major lineup changes on the offensive line after the bye week.
Right guard Mackenzy Bernadeau hasn’t played too well and whispers around Valley Ranch suggest that veteran backup Derrick Dockery could be in line to replace him. While Garrett said there is always room for evaluation and possible change, he gave a vote of confidence to the current line, which includes Bernadeau.
"We like the five guys who are playing up front,” Garrett said. "I think collectively as a group they blocked that front fairly very well, particularly in the passing game the other night against Chicago, and Mackenzy is a part of that. Like everybody on the football team, it can get better. It's nice to have a guy like Dockery sitting right there where we feel like he's a guy who has some experience and we're certainly confident in his ability to go out there and play."
Limited bye week: The Cowboys don’t have the opportunity to get a lot of extra work in during the bye week this year. With the Monday night game against the Bears, the Cowboys have just one day of practice this week, before the NFLPA-sanctioned four straight days off which starts Thursday. So Wednesday’s practice is the only session of the week. Garrett called it a “training-camp-like” practice that focused more on team drills without a specific game plan. The Cowboys will have a bonus practice Monday, the first day of preparation for the Ravens.
For more Cowboys information follow @CBSCowboys and @nickeatman