FRISCO, Texas – Nice change in atmosphere out here at The Star so far this week. Win two in a row and there are fewer questions being asked the head coach and the star quarterback. There seemed to be more players hanging out in the locker room during media availability.
And heck, down in The Training Table, folks, including players and coaches alike, gladly made time to listen to the annual Christmas Carols being sung by the Happy Hill Farm Youth Choir.
So now it's on to the next challenge, having to travel coast to coast in a week's time, going from playing at the Giants this past Sunday to the Oakland Raiders this coming Sunday night. The Raiders might be just 6-7, trying to turn their season around by winning two of the past three games, but just have a sneaking suspicion that since this will be a Sunday Night Football game and because it's the Dallas Cowboys, the Black Hole at what is once again being called by its original name of Oakland-Alameda County Stadium, after the curious O.co Coliseum, will be at its zaniest best.
Can't wait for the Cowboys early buses to pull into the parking lot, the reception usually an intimidating recreation of Halloween.
On to some midweek Shots.
* Who Dat: Cowboys safety Jeff Heath was thrown somewhat of a curve ball on Wednesday, asked if he knew much about Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio, and if he knew Del Rio had played for the Cowboys for three seasons, 1989-91. "I don't know anything about him, no. Just that he's the head coach, and a good coach," Heath politely said. And when it was pointed out Del Rio last played for the Cowboys in 1991, Heath sheepishly pointed out, "I was born in March of '91, man, and I wasn't watching football when I was born."
- Jacked UP:Speaking of Del Rio, a very emotional player during his 11-year career with New Orleans, Kansas City, Dallas and Minnesota, Jack wasn't real happy with his team's effort following last Sunday's 26-15 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Especially since a victory over the struggling Chiefs, who had lost four consecutive games, would have left the Raiders tied for first in the AFC West. So to rally the troops this week, he told the media, "Talked about (playing with) hair on fire, talked about the kind of effort and energy, playing fast, that's what I believe in — and I'd love to see it more often." Cowboys beware.
- Snap To It: You probably got the idea Kavon Frazier is playing more plays per game than at any point in his two-year career. You would be right. He played 35 snaps in this past game, rotating in at safety with Byron Jones, and 19 more on special teams. He played all of 37 defensive snaps in his entire rookie season, 21 of those in the final game when the Cowboys pulled their starters. Kavon is tied for the team lead in special teams tackles with 10 and is on the Pro Bowl ballot.
- No Apologies Needed:Prescott basically told Dez Bryant the exact same thing he said he told Cole Beasley on Sunday when both came back to the huddle apologizing for dropped passes against the Giants: "That dropped ball, (Dez) continued to tell me about it, tried to bring it up, and I just told him to just leave it alone. I miss you on passes, it happens. So (the 50-yard TD catch), that's what I expected."
