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LB Kevin Burnett (calf), OLB Greg Ellis (calf), LB Bradie James (elbow), NT Tank Johnson (ankle) and S Pat Watkins (neck) are all listed as probable after having fully participated in every practice this week.

The Bucs have four key offensive players listed as questionable: RB Warrick Dunn, WR Joey Galloway (foot), QB Brian Griese (elbow) and WR Ike Hilliard (head). Griese would back up Jeff Garcia if he dresses out Sunday.

Kyle Kosier is practicing for the first time since re-injuring his foot in the win over the Packers, the only game he has played this season.

We'll find out later whether that means there's a chance that the Cowboys will have their starting left guard for Sunday's game against Tampa Bay.

SS Pat Watkins is also out there and has a new neck roll. No sign of OLB Anthony Spencer.

Outside the Edward Jones Dome there are plenty of Cowboys fans surrounding the place. There is one fan handing out yellow flyers that say "2008: the return of the Relentless Rams!"
The flyer is supposed to rile up the Rams fans for today's game.

Inside, Jerry Jones is signing autographs and there is a thong of reporters looking for Tony Romo. He will be the No. 2 QB today.

Kevin Burnett is running around. Burnett said if he was 85 percent he would play today and that seems to be the case. Also, Isaiah Stanback will get some time on kickoffs today. It's first time he's been active since the Packers game on Sept. 21.

Loud cheer for Romo, just now. A NFL films guy is following him around and he's about to throw some passes to his favorite target, Jason Witten. Two completions from Romo, one to Wit and another to Cricket Anderson. Now another to Marion Barber. Tight spirals.

SS/core special teamer Pat Watkins (stinger) participated fully in every practice this week, but he has been ruled out of Sunday's game against the Rams.

RB Felix Jones (hamstring), OG Kyle Kosier (foot), CB Terence Newman (abdomen) and OLB Anthony Spencer (hamstring) are also out. LB Kevin Burnett (calf) and QB Tony Romo (pinkie finger) are questionable. SS Keith Davis (thumb), SS Roy Williams (forearm) and NT Tank Johnson (ankle) are probable.

Listed as out for the Rams: WR Drew Bennett, CB Tye Hill and RB Antonio Pittman. OT Orlando Pace (thigh) is questionable.

UPDATE: Dallas DE Marcus Spears (illness) was a late addition to the injury report. He did not practice and is listed as probable.

Wade Phillips wanted to keep the starting QB decision under wraps until Sunday, but his boss apparently didn't get the memo.

Jerry Jones, in his weekly appearance with The Ticket's Norm Hitzges, said that it looks like Tony Romo will play with a fractured pinkie finger.

"It's very likely that he'll be ready to play," Jerry said. "The question is, can he handle the pain?"

So Jerry essentially said that it's a matter of whether Romo is tough enough to play with a pinkie injury. This comes on the heels of Brett Favre encouraging Romo to gut it out and making sure ESPN knew about the conversation. After his boyhood hero and boss challenged Romo, do you really think he'll wimp out because of pinkie pain?

Whether it'll be a smart decision to start Romo against the Rams, dude, is an entirely different debate. Jerry said there is no concern about causing further damage to the pinkie, which seems like an opinion based more on optimism than orthopedic expertise.

Phillips made some conflicting comments in his press conference, saying there are some risks. Informed of what the owner said on the radio minutes earlier, Wade cracked, "Whatever Jerry says, I'm going with."

Hey, the Cowboys are trying to get out of a tailspin and worried that a team with 13 returning Pro Bowlers might not even make the playoffs.

"I know how important the game is and how important it is to us," Jerry said. "Our team, certainly, we're under siege to a certain degree with our injury situation right now, so I think we'll be a better team weeks down the road. But what we can't do is, with something of our own making, so to speak, or decision making relative to who's playing and not playing, we shouldn't compromise ourselves relative to our won-loss record. We've got to get into the playoffs."

You might not want to put too much stock into that advice, though, since the doctor is 1,700 miles away and has never met Tony Romo, much less poked and prodded his pinkie finger. Nevertheless, the ESPN video below is worth watching if you want to hear an orthopedist's take on Romo's situation.

Jerry Jones says he wants to leave it up to Wade Phillips to make the final call about whether Tony Romo will play. But Jerry will step in and tell Romo to sit down Sunday if he fears that he'll cause long-term damage to his fractured pinkie.

"That's the concern and there is that risk," Jerry said. "And it's fractured and the wrong kind of lick on it might make it more severe. But they've developed a way to protect it so that he can throw.

"It's so interesting in how he's explaining to me he's found out he can put the emphasis with the little finger on the [ring] finger and do what the little finger does. He said I just had to get it through in my mind and let me see how much I can throw it. He's trying to work with this ...

"This is a decision that Wade and Tony will have to make regarding the pain. As it would pertain to the long term risk, then I'll be a good observer of that decision."

Jerry has literally been hands-on with the decision making on this one, catching passes from Romo in the Cowboys' indoor facility yesterday morning. Romo wanted the owner to feel firsthand how much velocity he could put on the ball.

We're tracking a rumor that Jerry got into the role so much that he borrowed a pair of T.O.'s tights.

(Photo: Dallas Morning News photographer Louis DeLuca)

Just as Jerry Jones expected, Tony Romo returned to practice today. That doesn't necessarily mean that he'll start Sunday against the Rams.

Brad Johnson took the reps with the starters during the media access portion of practice. The limited snaps that Romo got were all out of the shotgun. It appeared that more of Romo's passes fluttered than normal.

In other news, LB Kevin Burnett (calf) and OLB Anthony Spencer (hamstring) didn't practice for the second consecutive day. Burnett isn't wearing a protective boot on his left leg.

While hanging out at his under-construction billion-dollar football palace, Jerry Jones threw another log on the fire of speculation about Tony Romo playing Sunday.

"He looks promising," Jerry told Todd Archer.

Jerry added that he expects Romo to practice this afternoon. The decision on whether Romo plays a week after fracturing his pinkie finger will ultimately be up to Wade Phillips, according to Jerry, who claims he'll only step in if he believes the risk for further damage is too great.

We'll have more on this from the fellas in the locker room in a little bit. Romo didn't make an appearance, but TE Jason Witten and RG Leonard "Bigg" Davis said they're preparing as if Brad Johnson will start but know Romo will try to talk his way onto the field.

I'm not sure how much Brett Favre's phone call influenced Tony Romo's decision to try to play Sunday against the Rams, but Romo might want to call Drew Bledsoe to pick his brain about toughing it out with a broken pinkie.

Actually, Bledsoe and Romo had sort of a frosty relationship, so we'll just let Tom Curran of NBCSports.com explain.

In 1998, Bledsoe smashed his throwing hand on the helmet of a Dolphins defender and broke his pinky. He played with the pain for a three games (all wins, helping to resuscitate a Patriots season) but the finger worsened and he ultimately had to have pins placed in it. The pins hurt. A lot. And Bledsoe had to be shelved which led to the Patriots being led by Scott Zolak in a playoff game and a quick exit from the postseason.

Is it really worth the risk to play against the Rams, dude?

Add LB Kevin Burnett, who plays in nickel and dime situations and leads the team in special teams tackles, to the Cowboys' lengthy injury list.

Burnett is sitting out practice and has a protective boot on his left foot. We'll let you know when we know more about his injury.

OLB Anthony Spencer, whose hamstring injury resulted in some personnel shuffling that Arizona's Sean Morey exploited on the game-winning punt block, is also sitting out.

A busy day is coming to an end, we think.

Let's recap the injuries.

Rookie running back Felix Jones is out two-to-four weeks with a left hamstring injury suffered in the third quarter of Sunday's loss at Arizona. It's a major blow to the Cowboys' struggling offense, even though Wade Phillips contends, Tony Romo did throw for 300 plus yards and the offense scored 24 points.

Phillips said Marion Barber would get an increased role, probably some of the snaps Jones was supposed to get, and rookie Tashard Choice will see some time, but very little.

Also, Sam Hurd will undergo surgery tomorrow on his left ankle. Hurd has ligament damage and it could cost him six-to-eight weeks. This might end Hurd's season and he could go on injured reserve.

Outside linebacker Anthony Spencer has a hamstring strain and Phillips said he's week-to-week. I doubt if he'll play on Sunday.

Todd Archer reports that P Mat McBriar suffered a fractured right foot when Arizona's Sean Morey blocked the punt in overtime. He's expected to miss 6-8 weeks.

We'll let you know as soon as we have some info about potential punting replacements.

UPDATE: Agent Jack Bechta said the doctor's recommendation was that McBriar be placed on injured reserve, ending his season.

Bechta also represents Jay Ottovegio, the rookie punter from Stanford who was in the Cowboys' training camp. Bechta said the team had contacted him about Ottovegio, but they were just putting together a list of punting candidates.

Sam Paulescu, who was in the Cowboys' camp last year and the Broncos' camp this year, is a more probable candidate.

Sam Hurd re-injured his ankle that he hurt during the preseason finale and needs surgery. Wade Phillips wasn't sure how long Hurd would be sidelined, but the Cowboys will be without their No. 4 WR and a core special teamer for a while.

Other injury news:

P Mat McBriar (ankle) and RB Felix Jones (hamstring) will have MRIs today.

OLB Anthony Spencer (hamstring) is week-to-week. By the way, Spencer's injury forced the personnel change on the punt team that Arizona's Sean Morey exploited on the game-winning block.

Phillips stopped short of saying that QB Tony Romo (broken right pinkie) would be out a month.

"We don't know how long that he'll be out," Phillips said. "It depends on how fast that'll heal."

A lot of Cowboys, some of whom didn't hear about Tony Romo's anticipated absence until after arriving at Valley Ranch, tried their best to downplay the gloom-and-doom factor with Brad Johnson running the offense.

"We can still be just as explosive," Patrick Crayton said. "I think that they're definitely two different quarterbacks. I think Coach Garrett and the offensive staff have to call plays more geared toward Brad's strengths, which I'm pretty sure is what they'll do."

Miles Austin insisted that he didn't think the scheme would change too much, even though Romo has a significantly stronger arm than Johnson.

"He earned his shot to back up Tony," Austin said. "Now he gets his shot to play. ... I have all the confidence in the world that he'll get the job done."

We'll have to wait until Wednesday to find out what T.O. thinks. He snapped at an approaching cameraman and informed reporters that he wouldn't talk until his usual day.

Johnson and Romo weren't available in the locker room. We might get a chance to chat with Johnson later today.

Felix Jones should play a significant role in this offense no matter that. But the Cowboys especially need the rookie's explosiveness with Brad Johnson under center.

The Cowboys obviously will have to rely on the running game more than when Tony Romo was running the show. And the running backs should play much bigger roles in the passing game with a QB teammates kiddingly call "Checkdown" operating the offense.

Jones didn't say much after yesterday's loss, which he exited in the third quarter after straining his hamstring on a 14-yard run.

"I'll be all right," he mumbled on his way out the locker room door.

The Cowboys better hope he's right.

UPDATE: Jones, who was getting stimulation treatment on his hamstring, said he expects to practice Wednesday.

We'll know much more about the severity of these injuries tomorrow, but here's a list of Cowboys who were hurt during the loss to the Cardinals.

QB Tony Romo (sprained right pinky finger)

RB Felix Jones (strained left hamstring)

P Mat McBriar (bruised right ankle)

LT Flozell Adams (stinger)

SS Keith Davis (cut left thumb)

OLB Anthony Spencer (strained left hamstring)

NT Jay Ratliff left the game briefly, but he returned. Not sure what his ailment was, but it wasn't mentioned in the injury rundown.

The official injury reports have been released. No shocking news from the Cowboys -- like Terence Newman suddenly popping up on the report last Friday. SS Pat Watkins has been ruled out.

Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin also won't play two weeks after taking a frightening hit under the chin from Jets safety Eric Smith. That means Steve Breaston, who had seven catches for 77 yards in last week's whupping of Buffalo, will start opposite Larry Fitzgerald again.

Arizona TE Ben Patrick (knee) is doubtful. Three-fourths of the Cardinals secondary -- CB Rod Hood (groin), CB Eric Green (groin) and SS Adrian Wilson (hamstring) -- is questionable. So is DE Bertrand Berry and LB Clark Haggans, who are both nursing sore groins.

Roy Williams had limited participation in today's practice for the first time since breaking his forearm against the Eagles. He could play as early as next week against the Rams.

No news on Terence Newman until he sees the sports hernia specialist tomorrow.

Wade Phillips said CB Terence Newman is "probably out" of Sunday's game in Arizona because of an abdominal strain, not the groin injury that sidelined him from the first week of training camp through the season opener.

SS Pat Watkins (shoulder) is also doubtful.

In somewhat related news, Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt hasn't ruled out the possibility of WR Anquan Boldin playing against the Cowboys. Boldin is recovering from surgery after he took a vicious knockout blow late in the Sept. 28 loss to the Jets.

I looked up at lunch and read on ESPN's Bottom Line that Terence Newman had been ruled out of Sunday's game because of his abdominal strain.

That isn't the case, we're told. No determination has been made yet on Newman's status for the game against the Cardinals.

Newman could miss his third game of the season, but we won't know whether that'll be the case until later this week.

Wade Phillips was able to provide some concrete information on two injured starters. LG Kyle Kosier (foot) will not be available this week. SS Roy Williams (forearm) might return to practice, but he won't play against the Cardinals.

Heck if Dr. Wade Phillips knows. Or perhaps he just doesn't want that information to be public.

Newman sat out Sunday's game after popping up on the injury report Friday afternoon as questionable (groin). Did he aggravate the injury he originally suffered the first week of training camp?

"I don't know," Phillips said. "You'd have to ask him."

Phillips also claimed not to know what kind of medical test Newman underwent today. The official word on Newman is that the Cowboys are "re-evaluating" his injury.

(Photo: Vernon Bryant/DMN)

Pro Bowl C Andre Gurode practiced today and said his sprained left ankle won't keep him from playing against the Bengals. "I'm good," he said while removing the tape from his ankle.

That means Cory Procter will start at left guard again, although the Cowboys plan to give Montrae Holland some playing time there, too.

UPDATE: Gurode was listed as "limited participation" on the official practice report. He's listed as questionable.

Wade Phillips said Andre Gurode rolled his left ankle during yesterday's practice.

"We're pretty optimistic that he can play," Phillips said.

SS Pat Watkins (shoulder) is doubtful. Phillips confirmed that Keith Davis would start with Courtney Brown coming in with the sub packages.

DE Stephen Bowen (hamstring) and NT Tank Johnson (ankle) were limited in today's practice.

Pro Bowl C Andre Gurode isn't practicing today. He walked out onto the field, wearing shorts and a sweatshirt and with tape on his left ankle, just before the media got booted.

Cory Procter was working at center and Montrae Holland at left guard.

More to come on this when we get briefed by Dr. Wade Phillips.

The second-year fullback says the team's athletic trainers and doctors agree, too. He's getting in extra conditioning after sitting out two weeks due to minor knee surgery and expects to practice Wednesday.

Maybe Jason Garrett will give the running backs more than eight carries next game with a fullback back in the mix.

Tank Johnson (sprained ankle) is listed as questionable on the official injury report. He had limited participation in today's practice after rehabbing with associate athletic trainer Britt Brown yesterday.

Wade Phillips said he thought Johnson would be ready to go, but that was before today's practice.

Wade Phillips said backup NT Tank Johnson (slight ankle sprain) is expected to return to practice and play Sunday.

Backup NT Tank Johnson told Wade Phillips that his ankle sprain was getting better "hour by hour," but he isn't on the practice field today. We'll address this during the always thrilling Phillips daily press conference and pass on whatever info we get.

Wade Phillips said OLB Anthony Spencer and Sam Hurd had full participation in today's practice, so it looks like both will be able to play Sunday against the Redskins.

Hurd's return doesn't necessarily cut into Miles Austin's role. Phillips said the coaches would find ways to get both receivers onto the field, and they might even give the starters an occasional rest.

In other news, Cory Procter returns to the starting lineup at left guard with Kyle Kosier out, but Montrae Holland is getting some first-team reps.

UPDATE: Forgot to mention that NT Tank Johnson has a slight ankle sprain, which is getting better "hour-by-hour." And all Cowboys fans should check out this video!!!

OLB Anthony Spencer (knee) and WR Sam Hurd (ankle) are practicing today. We'll find out later whether they were limited.

Wade Phillips confirmed that LG Kyle Kosier will be sidelined awhile after re-injuring his foot. Cory Procter returns to the starting lineup.

LG Kyle Kosier's left foot was stiff and sore last night. He played well last night, especially in the running game, in his first game after suffering a sprain and hairline fracture in the foot Aug. 22. He re-aggravated the injury on the Cowboys' final drive after having no issues with the foot during practice last week.

Kosier wore a protective boot on his left foot when he arrived at the Cowboys' Valley Ranch facility. He walked into Blue Star Imaging, the office connected to the facility where the Cowboys get MRIs done.

S Pat Watkins, who replaced Roy Williams in the starting lineup, injured his right shoulder during the first half. Watkins played through the injury, and he'll be evaluated today.

We'll have updates after Wade Phillips' press conference this afternoon.

Well, OLB Anthony Spencer apparently didn't present his case very well. Less than an hour after telling reporters that he would try to talk the coaches and athletic trainers into letting him play Sunday night, he's listed as out on the official injury report.

WR Sam Hurd is listed as questionable. LG Kyle Kosier (foot) is listed as probable, which means he'll be back in the starting lineup barring a setback.

OLB Anthony Spencer and WR Sam Hurd hope to talk the coaches and athletic trainers into letting them play Sunday night in Green Bay.

Spencer said he had an MRI on his right knee Wednesday, and the results were negative. He experienced soreness and stiffness in the knee, which was scoped in late August, after playing limited snaps against the Eagles.

"I think it was just some scar tissue breaking down," Spencer said.

Hurd, who suffered a high ankle sprain in the preseason finale, said he would play against the Packers if it were up to him. But he acknowledged that the team's medical staff might want him to wait a week.

UPDATE: So much for Spencer's persuasive skills.

Wade Phillips confirmed that OLB Anthony Spencer sat out practice today because of soreness in his right knee, which he had scoped last month. Phillips refused to speculate on whether Spencer would play Sunday night, but it doesn't sound good.

"We're trying to be cautious there and will investigate that further," Phillips said.

Spencer originally injured the knee in the preseason opener against the Chargers. It was diagnosed as a bone bruise, and he was expected to be day-to-day. He had arthroscopic surgery two weeks later after the swelling didn't go down. Spencer sat out the season opener and played "OK," according to Phillips, in Monday night's win over the Eagles.

Follow the jump for a couple more injury tidbits.

Wade Phillips said left guard Kyle Kosier, who sat out the first two games with a foot injury, fully participated in today's practice and looked good doing so.

"He could have played a game today," Phillips said. "If he's real sore, it could be a problem. But other than that, I'm encouraged about Kyle being ready to play."

Cory Procter performed well in Kosier's place at the first two games, but Phillips said there's no question about Kosier returning to the starting lineup if his foot is up to the task.

Not sure if this is a case of his knee acting up again. We'll find out during Wade Phillips' press conference.

Deon Anderson (knee surgery) and Roy Williams (forearm) missed the walkthrough today. Sam Hurd (ankle) and Kyle Kosier (foot) were limited in the practice.

But Miles Austin, Terence Newman, Anthony Spencer, Isaiah Stanback and Jason Witten practiced with no problems.

The Packers report says safety Atari Bigby (hamstring), running back Korey Hall (knee), tight end Tory Humphrey (knee) and cornerback Charles Woodson (toe) missed practice.

There was limited participation in practice by tackle Chad Clifton, running back Ryan Grant, guard Josh Sitton and center Scott Wells.

The knee problem of defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila didn't hamper him or wide receiver Ruvell Martin (finger) from fully participating from practice.

Wade Phillips said FB Deon Anderson will have arthroscopic surgery to clean out his left knee. Phillips said there is no ligament damage, but Anderson is expected to miss at least a couple weeks.

More to come after the press conference.

UPDATE: Phillips said there are no plans to add a fullback to the roster at this point. The tight ends will fill in as fullbacks until Anderson returns.

(Photo by Louis DeLuca/Dallas Morning News)

So says Wade Phillips. He added that Miles Austin looks like he's the best bet to be full strength by Monday night.

Austin (knee), Terence Newman (groin) and Anthony Spencer (knee) were all limited again during today's practice, but they all appear to be making progress.

"They all looked a little better," Phillips said while walking to his office. "I'll say that, but you know I can't predict. Gee!"

Terence Newman indicated earlier this week that he would be on the field against Donovan McNabb and Co. Wade Phillips is still wishy-washy on the subject.

Phillips said Newman was "less limited" in practice today than previous days, as was the case with WR Miles Austin and OLB Anthony Spencer.

"He's better than he was last week," Phillips said of Newman. "I'm not trying to dance around it. You never know with injuries certainly. But he looks better than he did last week, so it's a real positive sign as far as I'm concerned. Said he felt good and had a nice interception on a deep ball in kind of a live action deal. So I'm encouraged."

Could Newman start? "Yes," Phillips said.

Do you know for sure whether he'll play? "We don't know that yet," Phillips said.

What do you need to see? "If he looks like himself," Phillips said, "and he says, 'I'm ready.'"

Here's the official report from the Cowboys:

Did Not Participate in Practice

WR- Sam Hurd - Ankle

G- Kyle Kosier - Foot

Limited Participation in Practice

WR- Miles Austin - Knee

CB- Terence Newman - Groin

LB- Anthony Spencer - Knee

Full Participation in Practice

RB- Marion Barber - Ribs

WR- Isaiah Stanback - Shoulder

Miles Austin will practice today for the first time since injuring his knee Aug. 16, but he's not ready to think about whether he'll be able to play Monday night against the Eagles.

"I don't have a plan," Austin said. "I'm going to take it day by day."

That's what Wade Phillips said. Austin and Spencer, both rehabbing after getting their knees scoped during the preseason, could play against the Eagles.

In other news, Richard Bartel was released.

Sam Hurd is no longer wearing a protective boot on his left ankle. He will work on the treadmill the next two days and plans to test his ankle by running on ground Wednesday.

Hurd, who suffered a high ankle sprain in the Aug. 28 preseason finale, is expected to miss 2-4 weeks. In other words, there is a slim chance that he'll be able to play Monday night against the Eagles.

Marion "The Barbarian" Barber didn't stop to answer questions about his sore ribs. But fullback Deon "Cricket" Anderson, Barber's self-appointed spokesman, said the Pro Bowl running back is recovering well.

"He's going to be practicing Wednesday," Anderson said. "He'll be all right."

Terence Newman briefly discussed defending Donovan McNabb en route to the trainer's room for treatment.

Newman mentioned that he hoped "we" wouldn't have to cover for 13 seconds while McNabb scrambled, a reference to the unforgettable scramble and throw McNabb made at Texas Stadium a few years ago.

We?

"I'm in that 'we' for sure," Newman said, indicating that he plans to play against Philadelphia.

Of course, word was that Newman would only miss three weeks after pulling his groin July 28. And he supposedly sat out the preseason finale for precautionary reasons.

But the Cowboys sure could use a Pro Bowl cornerback against McNabb, who threw for 361 yards and three TDs in the Eagles' rout of the Rams. Newman plans to answer the bell.

CB Terence Newman (groin) and WR Isaiah Stanback (shoulder) are listed as questionable on the Cowboys' official injury report.

All signs are that Stanback will play. He has fully participated in every practice this week, and Wade Phillips has said the Cowboys are counting on Stanback to be the No. 3 receiver. He probably won't play any special teams this week.

Newman's status is much murkier. He had limited participation in today's practice, as has been the case since he returned after missing nearly all of training camp with a partially torn groin. (Phillips said the Wednesday practice report released by the Cowboys, which listed Newman under full participation, was not accurate.)

Newman, who didn't talk to the media this week, might be a gametime decision. A likely scenario is that Adam "Pacman" Jones starts at Newman's left cornerback spot with Newman playing the slot in nickel and dime packages. If Newman does not play, fifth-round pick Orlando Scandrick will be the slot corner.

UPDATE IN RESPONSE TO COMMENTS: First-round pick Mike Jenkins plays left cornerback in the nickel and dime packages. Scandrick being Newman's backup in the slot has nothing to do with Jenkins.

UPDATE: Browns injury report after the jump.

Don't expect the Cleveland Browns to feel sorry for the Cowboys because they'll come to town without a couple backup receivers and a reserve outside linebacker. The Browns have a bunch of injury problems of their own.

The following info is swiped from the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

QB Derek Anderson (concussion) -- Practiced Monday and is expected to start.

WR Braylon Edwards (foot) -- Practiced Monday and is expected to start.

LB Willie McGinest (groin) -- Practiced Monday.

S Sean Jones (knee) -- Returned to practice on limited basis.

OG Ryan Tucker (hip) -- Returned to practice on limited basis.

WR/KR/PR Josh Cribbs (high ankle sprain) -- Participated in walkthrough, but doubtful for season opener.

RG Rex Hadnot (knee) -- Did not practice.

FS Brodney Pool (concussion) -- Did not practice.

TE Martin Rucker (knee) -- Did not practice.

RB Jamal Lewis (hamstring) -- Did not practice.

OLB Anthony Spencer, who had arthroscopic surgery Aug. 20 to clean up cartilage in his knee, has been ruled out of the season opener. His goal is to return for Week 2, when the Eagles come to Texas Stadium for a Monday night showdown.

"I want to be back yesterday, but we'll see," said Spencer, who injured the knee in the preseason opener but didn't have the cartilage damage detected until a week and a half later. "I want to be back for that second game, but we're just taking it day by day."

The physically unable to perform list is not an option. A player has to be placed on the PUP list at the beginning of training camp to be eligible to be on it during the regular season.

Wade Phillips mentioned that Stanback has not been ruled out for the season opener in Cleveland, so it's a safe bet that the 2007 fourth-year pick isn't going to land on the injured reserve.

Stanback said earlier this week that he wants to put off shoulder surgery until after the season.

Cowboys PR chief Rich Dalrymple just poked his head into the media room and informed us that Sam Hurd (high ankle sprain) will not play in the season opener. He did not have any further information on when Hurd might return.

Wade Phillips is not available for comment.

You would think Sam Hurd's MRI results would rank pretty high on the Valley Ranch priority list today.

However, Wade Phillips said he didn't have an update on Hurd yet. Phillips thought the MRI results were in, but he claimed to not have seen them.

Whatever.

You're fooling yourself if you think Hurd, who suffered a high ankle sprain last night, can play the season opener in Cleveland.

Phillips did offer one medical update: LB/blogger Kevin Burnett (knee) will practice Wednesday.

The good news is that the X-rays on Sam Hurd's left leg were negative. The bad news is that he suffered a high left ankle sprain.

It was considered a minor medical miracle when T.O. came back from a high ankle sprain in three weeks to play in the Cowboys' playoff loss last season. Hurd, who will have an MRI to determine the severity of his sprain, hopes to play in the Sept. 7 season opener in Cleveland.

"Hopefully it only takes a couple days or maybe a week," said Hurd, who was wearing a protective boot. "I think I heal fast, and hopefully with the Lord's will, I can heal fast."

That's being awfully optimistic, but Hurd feels a tremendous sense of urgency due to the receiving corps' rash of injuries. Miles Austin (knee) is out for the opener, and Isaiah Stanback (shoulder) is doubtful.

"Miles' thing is very serious," Hurd said. "That's a knee, and a knee is something you don't want to play with. People get ankle sprains all the time and bounce back."

But they don't bounce back in a week from this kind of ankle sprain. However, the Cowboys are holding out hope that Hurd can.

"It'd be early to rule him out," Jerry Jones said. "I understand the nature of his injury, but not the severity of his injury, and nobody else does, either."

He did go through the passing lines with the receivers at the beginning of today's practice.

I'm just kidding about reading anything into that. Newman routinely does that when he practices.

The news here is that Newman is practicing for the first time since pulling his groin during the first week of training camp. Not sure whether he'll play in the preseason finale, but it looks like he'll be ready for the season opener, as anticipated.

OLB Anthony Spencer's right knee injury was worse than the Cowboys thought.

Wade Phillips said Spencer is expected to miss 2-4 weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee today. That means the 2007 first-round pick could miss the first two games of the regular season, putting plans to increase his role on hold.

The Cowboys thought Spencer suffered a bone bruise on his knee during the preseason opener. They considered him day-to-day after it happened, but doctors decided to clean up part of the patella tendon because of swelling.

"It kept getting irritated," Phillips said. "It'd go down and then it'd go back. There was just a particle in there that kept catching."

Spencer's surgery significantly increases the odds of sixth-round pick Erik Walden making the team.

Here's what Wade Phillips had to say about injured Cowboys who will probably play significant roles this season:

WR Miles Austin -- Confirmed he's out 4-6 weeks with a sprained MCL in his right knee.

LB Kevin Burnett -- Expected back for season opener after getting left knee scoped.

CB Terence Newman -- Groin has recovered well enough to probably practice this week. Might play in preseason finale.

LB Justin Rogers -- He's fine after suffering first-degree sprain of AC joint in left shoulder. "It's nothing," Rogers said on his way to lift weights.

DE Chris Canty -- Dr. Phillips used a fancy term, but Canty basically bruised his butt by his right hip. He's OK.

LB Anthony Spencer -- Should return this week. Spencer said there's still swelling in his right knee, and he's not sure he'll be able to practice tomorrow.

Kevin Burnett says blogging instead of playing will bug him, but keeping his spirits high will speed the recovery time on our Cowboys Insider blog.

Columnist Jean-Jacques Taylor knows Kevin Burnett very well. They did a radio show together last year. Jacques gives his take on Burnett's injury on his blog.

OLB Anthony Spencer might practice against the Broncos tomorrow after sitting out the last two days with a bruised right knee.

"It's just a little swollen," said Spencer, whose MRI didn't reveal any structural damage. "I bumped knees with somebody. Everything's good."

Terence Newman probably won't practice or play against the Broncos, but Wade Phillips said it "won't be long" until the Pro Bowl cornerback returns to practice. Newman has been sidelined since the first week of training camp with a groin pull.

"Newman's coming along," Phillips said. "We're being real cautious. We really want to get him 100 percent before he comes back."

Anthony Spencer didn't mention anything about his knee hurting after Saturday's game in San Diego. But he said something after it swelled up once the team returned to Oxnard.

The preliminary diagnosis, per the owner/GM, is a bone bruise. Spencer is getting an MRI to make sure it's not more severe.

"They didn't think it was a big deal," Wade Phillips said, "but they just wanted to make sure."

Wade Phillips said that DeMarcus Ware getting dinged in this morning's practice wasn't a big deal.

"It just made him dizzy a little bit," Phillips said. "We took him out. There were only a couple plays left. He's fine now."

CB Alan Ball's left ankle sprain is not of the dreaded high variety. "He'll be back fairly soon," Dr. Phillips said.

CB Alan Ball sprained his left ankle late in this morning's practice. We'll have more on that when we get it, which will probably be during Dr. Wade Phillips' press conference.

Ball is in a battle for a roster spot. He's been getting reps covering slot receivers in the Cowboys' first-team substitution packages.

When the dust settles, Terry Glenn just might be a Cowboy.

He's clearly come to the realization that he has precious little leverage against the Cowboys and isn't going to help himself by negotiating via the media. Calvin "Lucky" Watkins reports that Glenn rehired his agent, which reopened the direct line of communication between team and player.

Calvin "Lucky" Watkins took a break from vacation to track down Terry Glenn and get his side of the story.

"I was told that I would be released if I didn't sign [the split salary agreement]," Glenn said. "So I said that I wasn't signing, I think we should get on with it, I don't see what the problem is. If I can't participate in team activities, then what's the use? I'm frustrated as hell. I thought it was unfair in the first place."

Glenn was offered $345,000 before the NFL draft as a split salary offer by the team and said if he didn't sign it he would be released. The team upped it to $500,000 about three weeks ago and Glenn told them he wouldn't sign it. Glenn said he likes Jerry Jones a lot but feels it's unfair to sign the split salary agreement. Glenn said if the Cowboys believe in his health they should let him just play without the split salary agreement. Five weeks ago, Glenn said the team told him to visit his doctor in Ohio to get his knee checked out. Glenn said an MRI showed his knee was fine.

"That's all I needed to know and if they want to play that card, then so be it," Glenn said. "There's nothing they're going to be able to do. It doesn't bother me, even if they pull and twist on it, it wouldn't hurt. They just have to go off on what they think."

Terry Glenn told ESPN's Ed Werder that he will not sign the injury waiver and wants to be released if the Cowboys continue to bar him from practicing until he agrees to the split contract.

Jerry Jones declared that he wouldn't negotiate through the media, but he sure didn't sound like a guy who planned on budging while chatting during the Cowboys' afternoon workout.

"I'd like for him to come back, but the nature of his injury is one that it can go in the next step," Jerry said. "So that's two big of a risk for our team to take, and I don't think any team will take that risk."

Jerry said that Glenn has not directly informed him of his desire to be released, and he doesn't have a sense of urgency on the issue.

"We'll just see what happens between now and training camp," Jerry said. When asked when this situation needs to be resolved, he said, "Day after Labor Day, as far as I'm concerned."

Morning News alumnus Matt Mosley analyzed key injuries for each NFC East team over at Hashmarks. And since we've already been through the Terry Glenn thing 10 times over, we'll give you the link, and then pick out the one thing we haven't discussed 98 times -- the fantasy impact of Glenn's injury.

Here's Matt's take (I have no idea, by the way, about the fantasy skills of this blog's pioneer) ...

Fantasy spin: Draft Terry Glenn as a deep, deep sleeper for your fantasy team, but be very wary of making him one of your starting receivers. Granted, if his knees hold up, Glenn becomes an intriguing deep threat for one of the league's most explosive offenses. But it seems more likely that he'll struggle with injuries again, in which case Patrick Crayton will resume the starting role he inherited all last season. Crayton probably isn't an every-week fantasy starter, either, but he's certainly a safer pick than Glenn.

In case you're wondering, the other three "key injury" guys in the East are Jason Campbell (Redskins), Jeremy Shockey (Giants) and LJ Smith (Eagles).

So says Jerry Jones.

But Terry Glenn and the Cowboys' brass don't believe it's in anybody's best interests to test his surgically repaired knee during OTAs, which are basically teaching sessions. As a result, the plan is for Glenn to continue to sit out these sessions.

"I assume, and I think he does too, that he'll be fine come training camp," Tony Romo said. "I think he'll surprise you with just his level of play."

We knew that FS Ken Hamlin (contract situation) and SS Roy Williams (family vacation) wouldn't be on the field today. WR Terry Glenn was the only other veteran who didn't participate in today's OTA workout.

Glenn was at Valley Ranch for meetings yesterday, according to Terrell Owens. He plans to continue to rehabilitate his knee and play next season, but the Cowboys don't have a timetable for when Glenn will be back on the field.

You might think that the Cowboys would plan not to have Glenn, who was a nonfactor in the regular-season finale and playoff game after sitting most of the season. But Tony Romo expects Glenn, who will turn 34 this summer, to be an impact player in 2008.

"He's very much in mind," said Romo, who raved about Glenn's ability. "I think Terry Glenn is going to surprise a lot of you guys."

Fullback Deon "Cricket" Anderson isn't participating in the rookie minicamp, but he attended the workout. He sported a red Stewie T-shirt and looked a lot like the Kool-Aid Man.

You see, Cricket has swelled up to 260 pounds, 20 more than he weighed as a rookie. He plans to slim back down to 240 by September. What the heck has he been eating to get so big?

"Children, cattle, crickets," he deadpanned.

Cricket reports that his surgically repaired rotator cuff is just fine. He's been lifting a lot at the dinner table and in the weight room.

"I had 405 on the bench the other day," Cricket said, flexing just in case I didn't believe him.

Get ready for that cry if the Giants lose.

Truth is, looked like one of those DeMarcus Ware, great-jump-off-the-ball scenarios, where the guy just looks like he's offsides.

Either way, it killed the Giants on a third-and-10.

It has been for both teams, actually, which is just one more affect of the ice rink these two are playing on right now.

If you ever covered a kick, you know why. The return team is going forward. The coverage unit is going forward, then reacting, and it's probably not that tough to block them.

The Giants get great field position, again.

Cowboys FB Oliver Hoyte underwent an MRI today and it was determined he will not need to have surgery to heal a C-5 neck sprain.

Hoyte was injured against the Dolphins on Sept. 16, and missed the next six games. He returned despite the risk of re-injury, after nerve damage has left his right deltoid, biceps and rotator cuff weakened.

The MRI determined that that the nerve damage had not worsened in the nine games he played after coming back, making the surgery unnecessary.

G.J. McCARTHY / DMN

The Cowboys didn't veer off course today. Even though Terrell Owens practiced and looked OK during the media period, and despite the fact he passed around the locker room area with no brace or tape on his left ankle, his status hasn't changed.

That is to say he's a game-time decision.

"I thought that he moved well," owner/GM Jerry Jones said. "I thought he competed right around the level that we practicing at. Those weren’t half speed out there. It is a decision that needs to be made at game-time. We know how critical this is, nothing else happens if we don’t win this game.

"On the other hand, his availability will be determined probably in large part on what kind of risk is involved on not having him for later games. He obviously can run a route, but I think it is a very legitimate game-time decision. He’s in very good spirits, very competitive spirits, very focused on our success here Sunday."

As is posted below, the Cowboys granted DeMarcus Ware leave and he's expected back tomorrow. So don't worry about it. Here's the rest of the report:

DID NOT PRACTICE: OLB DeMarcus Ware (Personal Matter)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: WR Terrell Owens (Ankle)
FULL PARTICIPATION: WR Terry Glenn (Knee); G Andre Gurode (Knee)

A little change today, after sitting out Wednesday work, WR Plaxico Burress and OT Kareem McKenzie returned to practice. Here's the rundown:

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE: TE Kevin Boss (Illness); CB Kevin Dockery (Hip Flexor); CB Sam Madison (Stomach)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE: WR Plaxico Burress (Ankle); OT Kareem McKenzie (Ankle); C Shaun O’Hara (Knee)

One omission from my practice report was the absence of Cowboys OLB DeMarcus Ware.

He wasn't there. We'll pass along more as it becomes available.

Cowboys WR Terry Glenn was listed as a "full" participant in today's practice, and he was almost all that. "Terry Glenn participated in practice, more than limited, I would say," is the way coach Wade Phillips put it.

Today marked several firsts for the Buckeye alum. It was the first time he's put pads on for a practice since summer. It was the first time he's taken part in team drills since then. And as such, it may be OK to think he may be ready for another first-since-September on Sunday: His first catch.

"Whatever you get from Terry is a bonus certainly," Phillips said. "He’s a very good player that’s been hurt and has tried to come back and has made a valiant effort and I think he may be able to play. Anything we can get would be a bonus for us."

Coach Wade Phillips was adamant that WR Terrell Owens missed all of today's practice, and that he hadn't even seen him, at the just concluded press conference here at Valley Ranch.

The hope is to ramp Owens up to Sunday, in hopes he can play. And that means having a plan, while also going day-to-day.

"It’s day-to-day, but we’re going through a plan or process that’s going to try and get him ready, and he’s adhered to that," Phillips said. "He works out at home, all the time, trying to get better. This is sometimes, a 6-8 week injury, sometimes it’s a four-week injury. So we’re trying to get him back in three. That’s where we are."

Wade said he'd have no qualms over suiting T.O.without practice work. Phillips declined to speculate on the receiver's availability for Thursday's practice.

"If he’s ready to go, and I feel like he could play without hurting himself, yeah, I would play him," Phillips said. "But we don’t know until we get there."

Here's the Giants side:

DID NOT PARTICIPATE: WR Plaxico Burress (Ankle); CB Kevin Dockery (Hip Flexor); CB Sam Madison (Stomach); T Kareem McKenzie (Ankle)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: C Shaun O’Hara (Knee)

Here's the injury report. Believe what you want to believe.

DID NOT PARTICIPATE: WR Terrell Owens (Ankle)
FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE: WR Terry Glenn (Knee); C Andre Gurode (Knee)

Access to Cowboys practice just wrapped up (which means Terrell Owens is coming out from behind a curtain as I write this) and 81 was the only one not in attendance.

The team was in shoulder pads and shorts, after going in that gear twice last week. Looks like they need a little more drilling on the fundamentals.

WR Terry Glenn was in full gear at practice for the first time since rejoining the team last month, and looked smooth running in early passing lines. And that's all we got.

So Wade Phillips took to the mic today and said that there's really no news on his injured players.

WR Terrell Owens looks the same. Terry Glenn's still in sweats. Andre Gurode still taking part in everything but team drills. It's status quo at Valley Ranch, and the coach sees that as a good thing.

"(For) this time of year, I think we feel good about the overall health of our team, and with some rest here, most guys will be (healthy)," Phillips said. "Some of the guys that have been banged up and bruised will be a lot better. Gurode, of course, Terrell, those guys, Terry Glenn, we'll have to see on them."

Not that it's a surprise, but WR Terrell Owens was the only player to miss practice today, held inside the field house in shorts and shoulder pads.

WR Terry Glenn was in sweats and a helmet again, with the schedule calling for his return to full work this week.

Being suited up as they were for the second straight day, after a month in shells or sweats, allowed for a little more contact during the media period. We saw some running game "middle" drills with the offensive linemen working on things at speed much closer to "full" than has been seen during our access in a while.

T.O. was the only Cowboy not participating in practice. Terry Glenn was the only one not wearing shoulder pads. Other than that, everybody was full go.

That includes C Andre Gurode (knee), NT Jay Ratliff (knee), CB Terence Newman (knee), S Pat Watkins (ankle) and S Keith Davis (knee).

There wasn't a whole lot of action during the time the media was allowed to watch, but the offensive line got the pads popping pretty good. Gurode was running with the first team and looked fine.

T.O. skipped his Wednesday chat with the media for the second consecutive week, but word is his ankle is healing as quickly as the Cowboys hoped.

He put his left shoe on today for the first time since suffering the high ankle sprain in the first half of the Dec. 22 win at Carolina.

"I thought he was ready to go today the way he was talking," Sam Hurd said. "He was excited."

There were just three healthy scratches on Sunday: Isaiah Stanback, Jim Marten and Nate Jones.

Wade Phillips explained today that Stanback sat largely because of the wet weather. He said that the coaches wanted to see the rookie catching the ball, but since it was going to be difficult to throw it, they didn't see the sense in activating the rookie.

And in Jones' case, the team was trying to get a look at another rookie, that being Alan Ball. No word on Marten, but from the looks of it, he was caught in a numbers game at tackle, especially since the team is thin at the interior positions with Andre Gurode hurt.

Keith Davis sprained his left knee in tonight's game, a result, he says, of getting rolled up with teammate Justin Rogers in kick coverage.

Davis will be re-evaluate in the morning, but the belief is that he's fine. He was walking around the sideline without a limp at game's end.

And the special teams captain assessed his availability for the division playoffs like this: "I will be right there on the opening kickoff."

Special teams captain Keith Davis suffered a left leg injury on that punt return, and is being helped off the field.

We'll have more on that soon. Plus, check out this offensive line the Cowboys just rolled out:

LT Doug Free
LG Kyle Kosier
C Cory Procter
RG Joe Berger
RT Pat McQuistan

The white flag's heading up the pole.

We've got five of them already. They are ...

C Andre Gurode
CB Terence Newman
WR Terrell Owens
NT Jay Ratliff
S Patrick Watkins.

OK, to me, this says that there's a good chance the remaining receivers and defensive backs will be active. On the defensive line, I believe the Cowboys almost have to dress all five of their players. They never de-activate linebackers if they're not injured, with only eight on the roster. And both quarterbacks will dress, without question.

So that leaves running back, tight end, and offenive line as the place to find the three remaining inactives. If this is a normal week, that probably means Doug Free, Jim Marten and Tyson Thompson wouldn't play. This week? I think the team would like to get Free and Marten some reps. Trouble is, there's just one center/guard backup available, that being Joe Berger.

My guess would be that it will, indeed, be Free, Marten and Thompson sitting. But it's real hard to project, given the circumstances.

No news here. Todd Collins will be the Redskins QB, as expected:

OUT: QB Jason Campbell (Knee)**
PROBABLE: TE Todd Yoder (Knee)*

** -- Did not participate in practice
* -- Limited participation

The Cowboys are filing this to the league:

DID NOT PRACTICE: C Andre Gurode (Knee), WR Terrell Owens (Ankle), NT Jay Ratliff (Knee)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: WR Terry Glenn (Knee), CB Terence Newman (Knee), S Patrick Watkins (Ankle)

WR Terrell Owens and C Andre Gurode were the only two players missing from the early portions of practice that were open to the media.

Gurode was on an exercise bike at the back of the field house, while T.O. was nowhere to be found. NT Jay Ratliff, listed as a non-participant yesterday, was out there today in shells and a helmet, like the rest of his teammates.

WR Terry Glenn looked fine going through passing lines, and seems to be working behind only Patrick Crayton and Sam Hurd offensively. He did a good job exploding off the line, coming in and out of his breaks, and catching the ball. The real big question that awaits is how he deals with contact.

Here's the rundown from the team:

DID NOT PRACTICE: C Andre Gurode (Knee); WR Terrell Owens (Ankle); NT Jay Ratliff (Knee)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: WR Terry Glenn (Knee); CB Terence Newman (Knee); S Patrick Watkins (Ankle)

Wade Phillips wouldn't go so far as to say he was confident that T.O. could play in the Cowboys' first playoff game. Tony Romo did so without hesitation.

"I'd be very surprised if he wasn't back," Romo said. "There's a few guys that on this team that you just know they'll do whatever it takes in certain situations. Jason Witten and some guys like that, you just know they'll fight through certain things and give you everything they've got."

T.O., who didn't make his normal Wednesday appearance in the locker room, proved his toughness and competitiveness by playing in Super Bowl XXXIX six weeks after breaking his ankle and tearing ligaments in his leg while being horse-collared by Roy Williams. He has three weeks to recover from a high ankle sprain. His quarterback figures T.O. will crank up his trusty hyperbaric chamber and be fine.

T.O.'s high ankle sprain will sideline him this weekend in Washington. Everything after that is to be determined.

The best-case scenario is that T.O. is ready to go for the divisional game on Jan. 12 or 13. He'll surely crank up the hyperbaric chamber and do everything else possible to make that a reality. But T.O. playing in the Cowboys' first playoff game is far from a sure thing.

"I'm hopeful," Wade Phillips said, "but I wouldn't say confident."

T.O. is a no go this week, but the Cowboys expect to use a thirtysomething receiver against the Redskins. The goal is for Terry Glenn, who has had two arthroscopic knee surgeries since the start of training camp, to make his season debut.

How do the Cowboys plan to use Glenn?

"As a wide receiver," Wade Phillips said, pausing for courtesy laughter from reporters. "Split him out and throw it to him."

On a serious note, Phillips said Glenn wouldn't play a maximum amount of snaps, but they'd like to get the ball in his hands and let him get back in a rhythm.

T.O. suffered the dreaded high ankle sprain, which sidelined CB Anthony Henry for three games earlier this season.

T.O. is already looking forward to the playoffs. He mentioned that it's a good thing the Cowboys have a first-round bye.

"I will follow the doctor's orders," he said. "I won't rush anything. I have all the confidence in the world that this team can win. As you saw tonight, those guys gutted it out."

The Cowboys had a walkthrough at Valley Ranch today, prior to boarding the charter for North Carolina, and the injury report came across as expected. Here's the lowdown:

OUT: WR Terry Glenn (Knee); C Andre Gurode (Knee); S Patrick Watkins (Ankle)
PROBABLE: DE Chris Canty (Knee); OT Marc Colombo (Ankle); TE Anthony Fasano (Head); QB Tony Romo (Right Thumb)

WR Terry Glenn will not make the trip to Charlotte for Saturday night's game against the Panthers.

He was at practice today, but was largely inactive for the portion open to the media. Before practice, coach Wade Phillips said that the team would make its determination based on what it saw at the workout, and that evidently wasn't enough to warrant Glenn playing in the game.

Phillips has said that he wouldn't hesitate to put Glenn in playoff games without regular season action.

With a long list of wounded this week, there could be a shakedown on the 45-man gameday roster on Saturday in Carolina. Here's a look at what happens if any of these guys can't go:

QB Tony Romo: He's expected to play, so it probably won't be an issue. If he can't because of his injured thumb, Brad Johnson gets the call. In the unlikely case that happens, the Cowboys would be woefully short at QB. Would Richard Bartell be signed from the practice squad for a week as the backup? Would college QBs Isaiah Stanback or Patrick Crayton be the emergency guy?

S Patrick Watkins: With his injury compounded by the loss of Roy Williams, it's likely that Keith Davis gets the start at strong safety, alongside Pro Bowler Ken Hamlin. What's real interesting is the nickel defense situation. Does Courtney Brown play deep, with Davis at Roy's nickel linebacker spot? Or does Bobby Carpenter, Akin Ayodele or Bradie James play alongside Kevin Burnett in that package?

C Andre Gurode: Cory Procter's in line to start at center, and he'll be backed up by Joe Berger, who will likely dress for the second time this year.

WR Terry Glenn: This would be if he does play, and not if he doesn't. If he's in there, it'll likely be on a limited basis, with more snaps to come in Washington. Like we've said here before, they'll probably try to ramp him up a bit before the playoffs.

C Andre Gurode (knee) and S Patrick Watkins (ankle) will not play against Carolina. Wade Phillips said both players might be able to play against the Redskins in the regular-season finale.

Cory Procter will start at center. Joe Berger will be on the active roster and back up the guard and center positions.

Rookie Courtney Brown will take Watkins' spot in the Cowboys, who also take a huge hit on special teams with Watkins' injury. He has a team-high 24 tackles on special teams.

Wade Phillips said there is a possibility that WR Terry Glenn could play Saturday against Carolina.

Glenn, who has undergone two arthrosopic knee surgeries since the start of training camp, ran routes during today's practice. The plan is for him to fully participate in tomorrow's practice. It's wait-and-see from there, but this is the first time Phillips put any type of timetable on Glenn's return to game action.

Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said that the team is closely monitoring the precious right thumb of Tony Romo, but that its status is such that he expects the QB to be ready to go on Saturday in Charlotte.

"He said he felt better today," Phillips said. "He has a bruised thumb. It was just a bruise, he did have some swelling, I think that went down. We expect him to play."

As we posted earlier, Romo walked into the coaching offices with his right hand iced and heavily bandaged, with an electronic device attached. Phillips said that the offense didn't do any throwing at the walkthrough today, and the team kept Romo from taking any snaps from center.

The coach said he thinks the QB will practice some tomorrow, while the team may also get Brad Johnson some "just-in-case" reps. Plenty of players don't think that's necessary.

"He's a competitor," Patrick Crayton said. "Carolina's gonna get a heavy dose of 9."

I'm assisting Albert "Einstein" Breer with his Tale of the Tape duties, and we just pinpointed the play on which Tony Romo injured his thumb.

He banged it on RG Leonard "Bigg" Davis' helmet on a 13-yard completion with 10:20 to go in the third quarter. It happened just as Romo appeared to be finding his rhythm, hitting Crayton for 41 yards on the previous play. His next pass was a flutterball that sailed way over Sam Hurd's head in the end zone.

Romo's pre-injury stats: 8-of-21 for 152 yards and two interceptions. Post-injury: 5-of-15 for 62 and an interception.

Much, much more to come. Einstein will post his Tale of the Tape, etc. by the morning.

Here's how Wade Phillips assessed the injury situation going into this week:

QB Tony Romo: The parade of "I don't know" answers went right through into today. Phillips said that the trainers will determine whether or not Romo's practice schedule will be affected by the thumb injury.

C Andre Gurode: The center had an MRI done on his left knee, and the team is awaiting results. Phillips said that Gurode is up and walking around fine, as he was in the locker room yesterday.

DE Chris Canty: The sprained left knee the defensive end suffered against the Eagles looks minor. Phillips termed Canty as "alright."

TE Anthony Fasano: The mild concussion he suffered will be further assessed, and Phillips plans to be "very careful" with him, based on it being a head injury.

S Patrick Watkins: Perhaps the most seriously injured Cowboy, the left ankle sprain that left Watkins in a walking boot last night is a reprisal of any injury he suffered earlier in the year. Phillips said he could miss a week, and if he does, it may take a couple players to replace his special teams contributions, while defensively, in the nickel, rookie Courtney Brown should take his spot.

WR Terry Glenn: According to the coach, Glenn may be ready to practice this week, with the hope that he can play some against Carolina, and more against Washington in an effort to ramp him up for the playoffs. Glenn is dealing with some swelling in his right quad, and may need to have it drained at some point if it persists over the next few days.

Just so we cover our bases here, this is how Andre Gurode described his injury, which came on a third-and-3 at the Eagle 5 in the third quarter:

"We were in the red zone, they ran a twist and one of the defensive ends was stunting, coming inside towards the center position," he said. "I think he may have tripped or something, and he rolled into my knee."

Gurode will have an MRI in the morning. But as we posted earlier, the expectation is that this is a sprain and he'll be ready to go in Charlotte.