IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys moved practice to the stadium Wednesday after ice and snow enveloped the Valley Ranch field.
Head coach Jason Garrett would have liked to practice in the frigid Texas weather to prepare for this weekend's freezing conditions, but it wouldn't have been safe to practice on the normal field.
"It's just not functional right now," Garrett said. "It's a sheet of ice."
Garrett said the team didn't have all the necessary equipment to get the ice to thaw out to the point the team could practice. He didn't seem concerned that a practice at the stadium with the roof closed would affect any preparation for Sunday.
As of Wednesday, the weekend weather in Washington appears to be in the 30s, with a chance of precipitation more likely on Saturday than Sunday.
"Regardless of where you're playing, who you're playing, you have to be your best, so we'll try to do that and we'll try to do our best in our preparation," Garrett said. "We're going to practice at the stadium today and hopefully be able to practice on our field tomorrow."
Here are a couple notes from Wednesday's practice at Cowboys Stadium:
-Linebacker DeMarcus Ware attended practice but wore a cap rather than a helmet and didn't seem to be preparing for a full workload. Ware's played through multiple injuries the last few weeks, particularly to his elbow and shoulder, and could use as much rest as possible. Garrett said earlier in the week he expects Ware to play.
-Linebacker Ernie Sims, who sat out most of the Steelers game with a concussion and left early in the Saints game with dizziness, was on the practice field with a helmet. He appeared ready to practice in some capacity.
-Defensive lineman Jason Hatcher was on the field without a jersey, wearing sweat pants and a sweatshirt.
-Linebacker Brady Poppinga and defensive lineman Robert Callaway didn't appear to be present.
