Texas NFL Capsules: Cowboys curious to see if they can handle Eagles

IRVING — By all accounts, the Dallas Cowboys are a vastly different team than the version that left Philadelphia in shame last December.

Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett has turned Tony Romo into a smarter, more patient quarterback who throws to anyone who is open without playing favorites. Quite often, that’s become a guy named Miles Austin.

Wade Phillips has added defensive coordinator to his title, plugged a hole at strong safety and gotten a huge boost from Keith Brooking at inside linebacker. DeMarcus Ware has snapped out of an early slump to again become a ferocious quarterback stalker, despite a stress fracture in his left foot, and the cornerbacks are playing better, too.

The arrival of Joe DeCamillis as special-teams drill sergeant has paid the biggest dividends. Patrick Crayton has returned punts for touchdowns the last two weeks and rookie kickoff specialist David Buehler has a league-best 17 touchbacks — 17 more than Dallas had last season.

Still, when the Cowboys return to Philadelphia on Sunday night, the main story line won’t be whether they are simply good enough to match up with the Eagles. The scrutiny will be about whether they are tough enough to handle everything that is on the line: a showdown for first place in the NFC East, plus the bonus of seeking revenge against the team that so demonstratively kept them from making the playoffs last season.

Even Dallas players are eager to find out if they’re up to it.

"I’m curious, a lot of guys are curious, to really know where we are," defensive co-captain Bradie James said Wednesday. "This is a chance for us to get over the hump, I would say, because it’s a division game. We’ve got some stuff on the line — again — and I want to see how we will respond. ... It’ll speak volumes for a lot of different things."

Bill Parcells used to say that coaching the Cowboys is like playing the big room in Las Vegas. Along those lines, then, this game is showtime, a performance on prime-time television with everyone across the league and the country watching. Remember, beyond the dramatic elements, this a battle between 5-2 teams.

"You don’t know what’s going to happen, you don’t know who is going to show up," Dallas receiver Roy Williams said. "You don’t know if the Eagles are going to show up, if the Cowboys are going to show up or what’s going to happen. We didn’t show up the last time we were out there, but ... ."

Mental toughness has been a question about the Cowboys for years; after all, they haven’t won a playoff game since 1996. In just the last two seasons, Dallas has gone 13-3 in the regular season only to lose its first playoff game, then went 1-3 last December to miss the playoffs.

Because of the team’s recent late-season flops, players know they’re going to be reminded about it plenty come December. That’s why winning a game like this could go a long way toward showing things might be different this time around.

And, of course, losing would indicate the same old, same old.

"I think everybody realizes what’s at stake in this game, how crucial this one really is," Crayton said. "I’m not going to call it a ‘must win’ because it’s not going to break the season. But I think it’s a ‘have-to-win.’"

Phillips hasn’t brought up last year’s finale. Then again, why should he? Everyone remembers.

"We want this year’s team to be motivated by how we’re playing and what we’re doing, with a different team," Phillips said.

Still, it’s important to realize those differences stemmed from the 44-6 debacle.

Team owner Jerry Jones re-evaluated his entire organization after that game. He dumped Terrell Owens and several other malcontents, fired defensive coordinator Brian Stewart and special teams coach Bruce Read, and made the offense more "Romo-friendly."

The revamped unit is averaging 411.1 yards per game, second-best in the NFL, and Romo has gone three straight games without an interception for the first time in his career. Dallas has won all three, too.

The Cowboys have been helped by a soft schedule. Only one of their victories was against a team with a winning record, and that team, Atlanta, is only 4-3.

Philadelphia has won four of five. The exception was failing to score a touchdown in a loss against Oakland. However, last Sunday, the Eagles jumped all over the New York Giants on the way to a 40-17 victory. When the Cowboys played the Giants, they blew a lead in the final minute in the opener of their $1.2 billion new stadium and lost.

Something else to consider: Dallas and Philadelphia have split the season series the last two years, with the Cowboys winning both early season games and the Eagles taking both rematches.

"If we win, it’ll be, ‘All hail to the Cowboys,’" Williams said. "If we lose, we can’t beat the top-notch teams, yada, yada, yada. So we just want to go out there and play our game and hopefully it’s a W."

Eagles RB Westbrook expects to play vs. Cowboys

PHILADELPHIA — Eagles running back Brian Westbrook says he will be back on the field for Sunday’s game against Dallas following a concussion that forced him to miss a game.

Westbrook returned to practice Wednesday. He says he is feeling no effects from the concussion that forced him to miss last week’s 40-17 win over the New York Giants.

Westbrook was knocked unconscious when he was hit in the head by a knee a week earlier in a win over Washington.

Eagles coach Andy Reid says Westbrook should be "good to go" against the Cowboys, who are tied with Philadelphia for first place in the NFC East.

Texans RB Slaton may lose starting role to Moats

HOUSTON — Steve Slaton became a key to Houston’s offense as a rookie last year when he ran for a franchise-record 1,282 yards.

This season he’s tied for the NFL lead in lost fumbles with five and his job as a starter is in jeopardy after Ryan Moats had a huge day filling in for him. Moats, a career backup, ran for 126 yards and three touchdowns after Slaton was benched in the first quarter of Houston’s 31-10 win over the Bills.

Coach Gary Kubiak won’t say who’ll start in Sunday’s key division matchup at Indianapolis. Along with Slaton and Moats, Houston has Chris Brown, who is primarily used in short-yardage and goal line situations.

"They know they’re all going to play and they know they’re all going to be a part of what we’re doing, so I just think we keep working them," Kubiak said. "Obviously, Ryan earned some time on the football field the way he played. But we’ve got to get all three of them ready to play."

Regardless of who starts, coaches and players agree they’ll need Slaton’s playmaking ability against the Colts.

Slaton has gotten off to a slow start this season with 110 carries for 342 yards rushing and two scores, but has supplemented his work in the running game with 314 yards receiving and three touchdowns.

Left tackle Duane Brown talked to Slaton after the game to remind him that everyone is rooting for him and expects him to rebound from this adversity.

"Everyone here has so much belief in Steve and what he can do," Brown said. "It’s just about him bouncing back and this will definitely be a big week to do it. We’re going to need everyone to get this win and he’s a very key part of this team and what we have going."

The Texans continue to run drills in practice focusing on trying to make the running backs fumble. On Wednesday, they even had a cornerback run after them after plays were done to try and knock it loose.

Slaton was not made available to reporters Wednesday, but talked about his struggles after the game Sunday.

"It’s hard," he said. "You always want to go out there and be a part of the team game, but we rode the hot hand and Moats had a great game and got it done for us."

If Slaton doesn’t start on Sunday, it will break a streak of 23 consecutive starts for the third-round pick. Moats said who starts doesn’t really matter.

"When you were a younger guy in high school and college, starting was a big thing to you," he said. "But in this situation, I don’t think it’s that important because in this league today no one back can do it all. You have to do it together."

Moats, who is in his second year with the Texans after two seasons with the Eagles, has found himself in the strange position of comforting Slaton while possibly taking his job.

"You can’t deny that he’s a good back and you can’t deny that he’s a great runner and he’s going to continue to have great runs in the future," Moats said. "So I think with me playing for a longer time than he has, I try to help him as much as I can. You never want to play out a guy that’s going to be an important part of this offense for a long time to come."

-- Kristie Rieken

Colts lose starting LB Hagler for rest of season

INDIANAPOLIS — The unbeaten Colts have lost starting linebacker Tyjuan Hagler for the rest of the season with a ruptured biceps.

Coach Jim Caldwell said Hagler was placed on injured reserve Wednesday.

Second-year linebacker Philip Wheeler and undrafted rookie Ramon Humber are expected to replace Hagler. Indy also will promote rookie linebacker Cody Glenn to the active roster from the practice squad.

Hagler was fourth on the team with 36 tackles.

Running back Donald Brown (shoulder) practiced Wednesday, while cornerback Marlin Jackson (strained ACL) did not. Also missing practice were receiver Anthony Gonzalez (knee), cornerback Kelvin Hayden (knee) and safety Bob Sanders (elbow). Defensive end Dwight Freeney was held out to rest.