Follow along with the very latest Cowboys updates as staff writers David Helman, Rob Phillips, Nick Eatman and Bryan Broaddus provide in-depth news and analysis.
(Jan. 13, 1:28 a.m.) – Tyrone Crawford had some sage advice for his young teammates on Saturday night.
Boasting the third-youngest roster in the NFL, the Cowboys have a lot of players who have never experienced the pain of a playoff loss. Crawford's advice? Let the pain motivate you.
"I was telling the guys, it's a scar. It's a scar that you're going to wear for the rest of your life," Crawford said. "You can either look at your scar and run from it, or you can look at your scar and remember it and punch somebody in the face because of it."
The Cowboys' defensive captain would know a thing or two about battle scars. As a seven-year veteran, he is one of just eight players on this roster to have played in all three of the playoff losses during Jason Garrett's coaching tenure.
"It's just as difficult as I remember," he said. "I've been here before, been in a close game and didn't get it done."
With a long offseason looming, Crawford was optimistic the Cowboys' young roster would respond the right way.
"Hopefully our guys use this as ammunition for next year and just go into the games remembering this moment," he said.
-David Helman
Beasley & Jarwin Both Active vs. Rams
Cole Beasley and Blake Jarwin will both be active when the Cowboys face off against the Rams on Saturday night.
Throughout the week, that was the Cowboys' biggest injury concern, as both players injured their ankles in last week's win against Seattle. Neither Beasley nor Jarwin practiced at all this week, but both players are feeling good enough to participate in this divisional round playoff game.
With those two players participating, the Cowboys' inactives list featured Mike White, Darian Thompson, Darius Jackson, Chris Covington, Dorance Armstrong, Daniel Ross and David Irving.
Most of those names aren't surprising. White and Covington have been on the inactive list all season long, and Jackson has been a mainstay on the inactives list for most of his time on the active roster. Armstrong was ruled inactive last weekend, too, as the Cowboys have a bevy of healthy options at defensive end. Thompson injured his groin last week during practice, while Irving has been absent for the entire second half of the season.
If there is one surprising move, it's the addition of Ross to the inactives list. Ross has been a factor in the Cowboys' rotation all season, chipping 14 tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack into the equation. But the strong play of Caraun Reid in last week's game probably contributed to the decision to put Ross down for this outing.
The health of Beasley and Jarwin will be something to watch as this game unfolds. Both players worked out upon arrival at the stadium, but it remains to be seen just how much they can contribute.
Given the lack of depth at both tight end and slot receiver, though, any contributions could be crucial.
-David Helman
