The Larely Beagle – The Community Newspaper of Larely, California

Dallas, TX – Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo held a meeting with head coach Wade Phillips and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett today to express his desire to create more rushing plays for tight end Jason Witten.

After the meeting, Romo met briefly with reporters and said, “When Witten and I have our weekly private meetings to design new routes for him, we always talk about how much damage he could do to the other team if he was getting some handoffs.  While he may not have the same speed as a traditional running back, at 6’5’’ and 262 pounds, he’s a difficult load to bring down.  Plus, now that Marion [Barber III] is banged up, I think it’s the perfect time for Witten to start getting some carries and get more involved in this offense.  That being said, I want these carries to be in addition to the plays he’s lined up at tight end.  I can’t afford to lose him there, as only Witten knows the secret routes he’s supposed to run on pivotal plays in the game.”

Witten, the Cowboys Pro Bowl tight end, has been a large part of the Cowboys’ offense this year and he leads the team in total receptions with 69.  However, Witten’s emergence has reportedly not sat well with wide receiver Terrell Owens, who apparently felt as though he was being frozen out of the offense in favor of Witten.  Owens also reportedly told coaches that he thought Romo and Witten were creating secret pass routes for Witten that they would run at crucial moments of the game.  However, since that story emerged, it has been downplayed by all parties involved.

Romo also mentioned that he’d like to see Witten get a chance to start kicking field goals of 40 yards or less.  “Nothing against [current Cowboys kicker] Nick Folk, but I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Witten miss a kick that’s been less than 40 yards.  I think it’d be a good fit for him and would also get him more involved in the team’s offense.  I think it would also give this team the emotional lift it needs to get into the playoffs.”

These last two games of the season are extremely important for the Cowboys, as they’re in stiff competition for one of the NFC’s wildcard playoff spots.  The Cowboys’ next game is this Saturday night against the Baltimore Ravens, who consistently have one of the best defenses in the NFL.