Claremore Daily Progress

Sports

December 11, 2012

NFL: Cowboys may be without WR Bryant for playoff push

ASSOCIATED PRESS Associated Press

IRVING, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys might be without wide receiver Dez Bryant for their playoff push.

Bryant injured his left index finger in an emotional 20-19 victory over Cincinnati on Sunday, one day after practice squad linebacker Jerry Brown was killed in a car accident that landed defensive tackle Josh Brent in jail on intoxication manslaughter charges.

Dallas coach Jason Garrett said Monday that Bryant was still being evaluated. The Cowboys play Pittsburgh at home Sunday in a battle of 7-6 teams trying to keep playoff hopes alive.

Bryant re-entered the game after sustaining the injury and caught a touchdown pass that pulled the Cowboys to 19-17 in the fourth quarter. Dallas won on a field goal by Dan Bailey on the final play.

"I think adrenaline sometimes allows players to continue to play after they've had an injury,'' Garrett said. "He certainly made a big play in the ballgame, and I think that's a real tribute to his toughness and his love for the game.''

If Bryant ends up on injured reserve, he will be the fifth Dallas starter sidelined by a season-ending injury. The other four are defenders, and nickel cornerback Orlando Scandrick is out for the year with a hand injury. Nose tackle Jay Ratliff has missed seven games with ankle and groin injuries.

Brent was set to make his fifth start in Ratliff's place against the Bengals, but police say he was speeding and drunk when the vehicle he was driving clipped a curb and flipped in the Dallas suburb of Irving early Saturday, hours before he was to be on the team flight to Cincinnati. Brown was found unresponsive at the scene and pronounced dead at a hospital.

Garrett told the team about Brown's death on the plane just before takeoff. The Cowboys kept an empty locker for Brown in the visitor's locker room at Paul Brown Stadium, and Jason Hatcher raised Brown's No. 53 jersey over his head as he walked on the field after Bailey's winning kick.

"I think it's the most emotional game that I've ever been a part of anywhere, player, coach,'' Garrett said Monday. "You're trying to place life and football in some kind of context together and it doesn't really fit and you don't really have a whole lot of time to kind of process it.''

Garrett said the Cowboys "absolutely'' will carry Brown's death with them for the rest of the season and beyond. But they still have the postseason to pursue. Dallas is still a game behind Chicago and Seattle for the two wild-card spots in the NFC, and the New York Giants stayed a game ahead in the NFC East by beating New Orleans.

"It was difficult for us to do it in Cincinnati, but it's just the reality of life,'' Garrett said. "We have to continue to move on. We have to honor Jerry. We have to help Josh any way that we can. But then we have to get back to work.''



 

Text Only
Sports
  • DSC_0047web.jpg Verdigris’ Hanslovan commits to ORU

    One of the biggest decisions of her upcoming senior year is finally behind Verdigris High School soccer standout Caitlyn Hanslovan.
    The four-year letterwinner and three-time Class 4A state champion forward announced Tuesday that she will commit to playing NCAA Division I soccer at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa.

    May 22, 2013 2 Photos

  • DSC_0209web.jpg RSU's Loy earns third-straight Academic All American honor

    Rogers State senior outfielder Katrina Loy was named to the Capital One Academic All-America College Division Softball Third Team as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

    May 22, 2013 1 Photo

  • DSC_0202web.jpg Area players earn All-Region baseball awards

    The awards keep piling up for Verdigris High School graduate Blake Battenfield.
    After being named to the Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State Large East team earlier this week, Battenfield and numerous other players from Rogers County earned OCA All-Region accolades.
    Battenfield was joined by his teammate, Ryan Hurd, who was a senior outfielder/shortstop for the three-time Class 3A state champion Verdigris Cardinals.

    May 22, 2013 1 Photo

  • NAIA WORLD SERIES: No. 10 Hillcats fall to Lewis-Clark State, 6-1

    The 10th-seeded Rogers State baseball team struggled offensively in its first game at the Avista-NAIA World Series as the Hillcats fell to the host Lewis-Clark State 6-1 on Friday night at Harris Field.

    May 25, 2013

  • NAIA WORLD SERIES: No. 9 Missouri Baptist whips No. 8 Sterling, 8-3

    No. 9 Missouri Baptist blew the game open with a six-run third inning to win game one of the 2013 Avista-NAIA Baseball World Series 8-3 over No. 8 Sterling (Kan.) Friday at Harris Field. The victory is the first-ever at the World Series for the Spartans.

    May 25, 2013

  • NAIA WORLD SERIES: The Master's outduels Northwood, 4-3

    Golden State Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year A.J. Work picked up his 13th win of the season, as No. 5 The Master’s (Calif.) held off a late surge by No. 4 Northwood (Texas) to earn a 4-3 win in the second game of the 2013 Avista-NAIA Baseball World Series Friday afternoon at Harris Field.

    May 25, 2013

  • NAIA WORLD SERIES: No. 3 Embry-Riddle drops No. 6 York, 8-3

    No. 3 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) snapped a four-game World Series losing streak with an 8-3 win over No. 6 York (Neb.) in game three of the 2013 Avista-NAIA Baseball World Series Friday at Harris Field.

    May 25, 2013

  • NAIA WORLD SERIES: Northwood's Faulkner no-hits No. 8 Sterling

    Cody Faulkner tossed the fourth no-hitter in the 57-year history of the Avista-NAIA World Series, as No. 4 Northwood (Texas) eliminated No. 8 Sterling (Kan.), 1-0, Saturday morning at Harris Field. The no-hit bid is the first since 1992 when Rick Riddle of Wilmington (Del.) held Mount Olive (N.C.) hitless in 1992. The victory is the first-ever for Northwood at the World Series.

    May 25, 2013

  • NBA: Memphis 'Believes'

    The towels are showing up all around Memphis. They hang over neighborhood signs and even at a door to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

    The sentiment? Believe Memphis.

    May 25, 2013

  • BIG 12 TOURNEY: Sooners keep Red Raiders off the board

    Oklahoma has made a complete turnaround in the last two days. The squad that looked dominant early in the season has re-emerged at the Big 12 tournament. The Sooners (38-19) rolled to their second straight tournament victory, thumping Texas Tech (25-30), 8-0, Friday, and improving to 2-0 in the event.

    May 25, 2013