Dallas Makes Strides in Loss to 49ers

ARLINGTON, Tx -- The Cowboys offense can be good and bad without wide receiver Roy Williams.

The first-team offense scored 10 points and had a field goal nullified by a penalty in a preseason game on Saturday night against the 49ers. Yet, this same offense didn't score any first-quarter points for the first time this preseason.

Williams is out with a shoulder contusion and coach Wade Phillips said following the 49ers' 20-13 victory that his wide receiver is feeling better.

"He said he was OK tonight," Phillips said. "I don't know for sure, but he thought he could have played."

In Williams' absence on the first team on Saturday were regular wide receivers Patrick Crayton and Miles Austin. Sam Hurd, another regular, who emerged as a nice backup wideout, missed Saturday's game with a quad injury.

No matter, quarterback Tony Romo found another unheralded receiver to throw to in Kevin Ogletree.

Romo found Ogletree on two third-down plays, totaling 36 yards. Austin also got involved with three catches for 44 yards, including a nice diving grab in the middle of the field. "They are playing well," Romo said of Austin and Ogletree. "They know the offense and they're doing a good job. There's a couple of things we are going to have to work out, a couple of timing things. Overall, I felt they did a really good job tonight."

The Cowboys excelled on third down with their first-team offense, converting five of eight attempts.

"It's what we're trying to do," Romo said. "Good teams are successful in the red zone and on third down, and that's part of the next step for us."

The Cowboys also have a deep running game led by Marion Barber, who changed his running style slightly last season. Toward the end of the season, he battled a toe injury that hampered his progress. Barber turned from a physical back to a finesse one by trying to elude defenders.

Well, this entire preseason, especially on Saturday, Barber made sure he started the contact when he ran into defenders.

And while Barber attacks defenders with a physical style, Felix Jones eludes them. He's got fantastic speed -- a 4.3 in the 40 -- that makes him dangerous in space. Most defenders can't cover Jones one-on-one.

Jones almost broke free for a long touchdown run before getting tripped up when he got into the secondary.



"I really thought I did [break free]," said Jones, who averaged 4.6 yards per carry Saturday night. "The offensive line created a big hole for me and the fullback made a great block. They gave me a couple of options to go either way, but I just didn't finish the run right. I need to pick up my heels and I thought I could have scored there."

Of course, the Cowboys can't succeed fully unless Williams returns. All summer the Cowboys talked about Romo and Williams building chemistry because there was none last season. Williams had just 19 catches in his time with Dallas. In the offseason, Williams began his workouts two weeks before the rest of the team. He caught passes with Romo and discussed what he likes and doesn't like in the passing attack.

But for all the good vibes coming from the Cowboys, there was a need to finish drives. The Cowboys should have an extra three points on their side, but a holding call took the made field goal away. Romo didn't throw a touchdown pass and had a costly interception. The offense was shutout in the first quarter for the first time this preseason -- against a questionable 49ers defense, no less.

"One of the thing we emphasize is situational football," offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said. "You got to be good in short yardage, you got to be good on the goal line, you got to be good in the red zone, you got to be good in coming out in situations. All those things are really, really important and drives hinge on those things you convert or you don't convert."