FRISCO, Texas – Looking back, looking forward and looking into the courts, let's make sure these Mick Shots prevent these nuggets from falling through the cracks midweek after the Cowboys' season-opening win over the New York Giants but before Game 2 in Denver.
- If you remember, a week or so before the start of training camp, I picked my *Mr. Relevant *this year for the Cowboys, the guy who needed to break out if the club was to have success. My top choice: DeMarcus Lawrence at defensive end. Well, so far, so good. In the opener Lawrence had five tackles, two sacks, three tackles for losses and two QB hits. "It was very huge just to let me know I still got it," Lawrence said on Wednesday. "It means a lot, you know, going into this season, really just getting those sacks and more to come. Once you get one they just pile on." Cowboys hope so, since his two in the opener doubles last year's total while playing through that back pain all season long after serving the opening four-game suspension.
- Can't imagine the courts will give the NFL an emergency stay of the temporary injunction pending appeal, which would mean letting Ezekiel Elliott's suspension begin, especially after reading this from Judge Amos Mazzant's ruling last Friday: "Luckily the NFLPA found the fairness needle in the unfairness haystack when (arbitrator Harold) Henderson ordered (Kia) Roberts to testify." Or how about this from the Judge: "Fundamental unfairness is present throughout the entire arbitration process. Due to such fundamental unfairness, the court's intervention is justified."
- Dak had a pretty funny tale when asked if he thought the Denver Broncos, in need of a quarterback themselves, might have drafted him last year. Said an outright, no, didn't think so. How come? Well, he missed his flight from Orlando, Fla., to Denver for his pre-draft interview, arriving much later that night. Said traffic in and around airport caused him to arrive at the gate just as the gate agent was shutting the door. And she wouldn't budge. "I'm sure the quarterback not making the flight doesn't look too well." Instead, the Broncos traded up to select his combine roommate Paxton Lynch, the guy the Cowboys tried unsuccessfully to trade up for. "Everything happens for a reason," says Dak.
- Talk about being thrown a knuckleball on his first play as an CBS game analyst. Tony Romo had to react to, of all things, a game-opening, broadcast career-opening onside kick by the Titans to the Raiders, who recovered. Bet all the practice in the world didn't prepare him for reacting to that. Jim Nance informed the last time a team tried an onside kick to open a season was in 2000, ordered up by Eagles second-year head coach Andy Reid. Sure was. Saw it before my very eyes. Against the Cowboys. Only the Eagles recovered theirs, and went on to score a touchdown leading to their 41-14 victory. Sign of hard times a coming for Cowboys rookie head coach Dave Campo.
