Dallas Cowboys hurt; Rangers not quitting

So I decided to take an extended vacation from writing and the sports world here in DFW goes nuts. So much news, so little time, and here’s my take on what is going on.

Dallas Cowboys

Can we just put the entire team in bubble wrap until the first game against the Giants please? Every time I look through the news feed there is another report about a Cowboys player suffering an injury. So far none of the injuries are deemed to be serious, but they are getting worse. The highlight came when All-Pro Guard Zach Martin suffered a scary stinger in his neck. He was on the ground for several minutes before walking off on his own power. With the Martin injury, center Travis Frederick is the only starter that is healthy. Hopefully all these nagging injuries subside once the regular season starts, or it will be a very long season.

Yesterday was a good day for any Darren McFadden fan, which includes me. Slowed by hamstring injuries since the start of camp, McFadden has finally been healthy enough to practice and against the Rams he was pretty good. Showed some great burst, hit the holes well and proved how effective he can be. If he can stay healthy, the Cowboys will have no worries at running back. Again, that is a big IF.

With all the injuries pilling on for the offensive line, maybe it might make sense for quarterback Tony Romo to sit out of the preseason game against San Francisco. It wouldn’t make sense to put him back there behind Frederick and back-ups and risk an injury. He might play two or three series but if I was in charge, Romo would ride the pine until the third game against Minnesota.

 I really like how well the receiving core is playing in camp this year. Terrence Williams, Cole Beasley and Devin Street have really stepped up and have made plays every day in camp. If it continues into the regular season, this offense is going to be unstoppable, especially when Dez Bryant is on the field. Defenses are going to be struggling on who to cover and trust me, someone will be open.

Texas Rangers

Ok, so I had a little debate with my former co-host on KTSR, Tovash Hatcher, about the attendance at Rangers games. He is baffled about the lack of fan attending ball games, especially during day games. I counter that a lot of people aren’t going to spend money to go to a game where they are dealing with extreme heat. Maybe if you got a retractable roof on top of Globe Life Park, those attendance numbers might spike a bit.

Ok, so this team might have a shot of pulling out a playoff appearance this season. Despite a lot of bad baseball early in the summer, the Rangers have fought their way back and find themselves four games out of the division and just one game out of the second wild card position, with two teams ahead. There is still a lot of work to be done. The good news is that Derek Holland returns to the rotation today and that could have some positive effects for this pitching staff. Another capable arm can help put some pressure of this bullpen.

Another thing the team has to do is to keep piling on wins and keep the streaks alive. They ended a five-game win streak last night and have to get another long streak going. If you want to make the playoffs, there is a lot of ground to make up. Houston still manages to keep winning and you have get ahead of both the Los Angeles Angels and the Baltimore Orioles to get that second wild card spot. So the best thing to do is to keep winning.

Do they make it? I still think they lose out, but this team has taught me to never count them out. How fun will the metroplex be when you have October baseball and football? Arlington would be pretty busy. Let’s hope that dream comes alive.