IRVING (AP) - Mackenzy Bernadeau and Nate Livings, the veteran guards added by the Dallas Cowboys, played in only one preseason game together. That wasn’t with starting center Phil Costa.

And the starting tackles, Tyron Smith and Doug Free, have switched sides since last season.

So after the Cowboys revamped their offensive line during the offseason, including new position coach Bill Callahan, the first time the group will play together protecting Tony Romo will be in the NFL’s kickoff game Wednesday night.

And that will be against the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants and their standout defensive front of Justin Tuck, Jason Pierre-Paul and Osi Umenyiora.

“They’re very disruptive, and they just have a lot of guys they can throw at you with the great bursts, great energy,” Romo said. “They do some different things with their technique that really allow them to disrupt offenses. And without getting into detail, I think that can provide you with some difficult situations, and so we just have to do some different things to help that.”

On top of their line changes, the Cowboys were still uncertain of the status of tight end Jason Witten (lacerated spleen). The seven-time Pro Bowler again had limited participation in practice Monday, three weeks after he got hurt in the preseason opener and a day before a CT scan that will determine if his spleen has healed enough to be cleared to play.

Livings, who came from Cincinnati, said the linemen haven’t focused on the time they missed because of various injuries, but rather on the time they’ve had together. And he described that as awesome.

“Whether it’s five, 10 minutes, 15 hours, the time we have together is the time we have together. You can’t look on the time we are not together,” Livings said. “It’s just about getting out there, focusing on what we got and getting the job done.”

One of the offseason goals for the Cowboys was to add some experienced bulk in the middle of the line. They gave multiyear contracts to free agents Livings and Bernadeau, both listed at 6-foot-4 and 320 pounds and going into their fifth NFL season.

But Bernadeau missed the entire offseason and the start of training camp after hip and knee surgeries. Then Livings suffered a hamstring injury in camp.

“We signed these guys for a reason,” coach Jason Garrett said. “When they’ve been healthy, they’ve done a real nice job for us. It’s our good fortune, they’ve been healthy the last couple of weeks. … We’re excited to see them play together against a really, really formidable defensive line the Giants have.”

As for the tackles, Smith moved to the left as Romo’s blind-side protector after starting all 16 games as a 20-year-old rookie on the right side, where Doug Free returned.

While Costa is the only line starter in the same spot as last season, the Cowboys went into camp with every intention of giving the 16-game starter competition for the job. But Bill Nagy and Kevin Kowalski both sustained ankle injuries, ensuring Costa kept the job even after being sidelined himself.

Costa was the only expected starter on the entire roster to play in the preseason finale Wednesday against St. Louis. He got 12 snaps after missing the first three preseason games and time in camp because of back stiffness.

“We are just happy to have Phil back and to have everybody getting the reps now with one another. … We are at least taking advantage of all the reps we are now getting,” said Bernadeau, who came to the Cowboys from Carolina. “We are just focused now on protecting Romo, improving our running game. It all just comes with reps. Communication is the key. Phil does a great job of leading the line. We are getting better every day.”

But there were only a few days for them to be together on the field for practice.

The next time they put the pads on will be for that unprecedented midweek opener, a game preceded by the Giants marking their second Super Bowl championship in five years.  It will be the Cowboys’ first game since their season-ending 31-14 loss at MetLife Stadium on New Year’s Day that clinched the NFC East title and league’s last playoff spot for the Giants.

“We got a lot of stuff going on trying to figure out what kind of looks we’re going to get,” said Tuck, one of the Giants’ ends. “Some of the guys we know very well. Some of the guys we don’t know at all. For the most part it’s going to come down to playing our keys throughout the game, make sure we play everything straight up and trying to get a feel for them early in the football game.”

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - New York Giants receiver Hakeem Nicks stood at his locker and didn’t even wait for the question to be asked.

“I’m playing, period,” Nicks said emphatically after being held out of Sunday’s practice for the NFL kickoff Wednesday night against the Dallas Cowboys.

Just hours earlier there was some concern when Nicks rode a stationary bike as the Super Bowl champions stretched, and then he watched the workout.

Was the right foot that he broke this spring acting up?

The answer was no. The Giants wanted to give him some rest so he would be full speed going against the Cowboys’ new cornerbacks — Brandon Carr and rookie Morris Claiborne.

Those guys are there in large part because of what Nicks and Victor Cruz did against Dallas last season.

New York won both regular-season games, capturing the division with a 31-14 win Jan. 1.

If there was a difference in those games it was Eli Manning throwing to Nicks and Cruz. The two receivers combined for 14 receptions for 237 yards in New York’s 37-34 win in Dallas on Dec. 11 and they had 11 more for 254 yards and two touchdowns in the division-deciding game that catapulted the Giants to their second title in five seasons.

The bottom line was that Mike Jenkins and Terrence Newman couldn’t handle the wide outs, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones spent the offseason trying to improve his cornerbacks.

Dallas signed Carr, a four-year starter with the Chiefs, as a free agent, and moved up eight spots in the first round of the draft to take Claiborne, the star of the LSU defense.

Cruz, who ignited the win in the regular-season finale with a 74-yard catch and run for a touchdown, said the Cowboys’ new cornerbacks weren’t afraid to take risks.

“It will be an interesting test for us — for myself, Hakeem, all of the receivers just being able to decipher what coverages they’re in and making our routes according to what they’re in,” said Cruz, who 13 catches against Dallas for 261 yards and a TD in the two games. “We’ll see how it goes. We know they like to play physical and they’re jamming up a lot and we have to use our ability to get off the jam and stuff like that. It should be a good test for us.”

Nicks, who started training camp on the physically unable to perform list and only played a couple of series in the final preseason game, refused to speculate on why the Cowboys changed their cornerbacks.

“You can’t necessarily say they made the changes for us,” the fourth-year receiver said. “They feel like they tried to better their team. So they went out and tried to better their team. You know, we’re just going to pay out game according to our game plan and do what we have to do when we go out there.”

Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said the Cowboys used different strategies against New York in the two games.

In the first one, they used a lot of man-to-man coverage along with a combination of double teams against the wide outs. In the second game, they played more zone.

Manning found his way around each defense, hitting a combined 51 of 80 passes for 746 yards and five touchdowns and one interception.

“I feel we have a number of guys who can make big plays for us, who know the offense, who are going to be consistent, who can do the correct things and they’re guys who have a great understanding of what we’re trying to do,” Manning said. “Guys who have been here, either a number of years or just have quickly picked up the offense, so that’s always a good feeling when you have faith in the guys that they are going to be doing the right things and winning for you when you’ve got one-on-one matchups.”

The Giants’ also have depth at the receiver spot. Veteran Domenik Hixon, who is coming off a knee injury, has played well in preseason and rookie Rueben Randle has shown flashes, particularly going deep.

Randle also has mentored the veteran receivers about Claiborne. They were roommates at LSU and went against each other in practice.

“I told them he likes to hit them a lot, so just be prepared for that,” Randle said. “You have to get his hands off you because once he gets his hands on you, he can control you. So that’s what I remember coming from the practice field You got to get him to open up his hips, because if he gets comfortable, he’s going to he’s going to be able to break and run with you.”

The key for the Cowboys will be getting pressure on Manning and preventing the Giants from establishing the run.

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett will settle for pressing Manning if he had to choose.

“He’s an outstanding pocket passer; he can move around and make plays on the move,” Garrett said. “He’s a very smart player. He can make any throw that you need to make on the football field. He clearly makes his teammates better, makes his team better.”

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 IRVING, Texas (AP) — Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten won’t know until Tuesday if he will be cleared to play in the season opener.

Witten is set to have a CT scan before the team leaves for New York to determine if his lacerated spleen is healed. Owner Jerry Jones says that scan probably will dictate if the seven-time Pro Bowl tight end gets to play against the Giants on Wednesday night.

Witten had limited participation in practice Sunday, but says he’s doing everything he can to be ready to play if he’s cleared.

Also Sunday, cornerback Mike Jenkins practiced for the first time since shoulder surgery forced him to miss offseason workouts and training camp.

Jenkins feels good, but isn’t sure about his chances of playing.

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IRVING, Texas (AP) – The Dallas Cowboys have released quarterback Stephen McGee from their 53-man roster and claimed tight end Colin Cochart off waivers from Cincinnati.

The moves were announced Saturday as the Cowboys started practice four days before their season opener at the New York Giants.

Dallas also had a full eight-man practice squad in place and on the field. That group included rookie receiver Danny Coale, the injury-hampered fifth-round pick who was left off the 53-man roster at Friday’s deadline.

With seven-time Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten still questionable while recovering from a lacerated spleen, Cochart provides some extra depth at that position. Cochart started three games as a rookie last season.

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IRVING (CBSDFW.COM) - Up-to-the-second whispers from Valley Ranch on the Dallas Cowboys’ moves to trim their roster to 53 by the Friday evening deadline:

Team sources tell me QB Steven McGee is “probably out.’’ The same status applies to the defensive standout of the final preseason game against Miami, LB Orie Lemon, though he can return to the team as a practice-squadder.

QB Rudy Carpenter is also out and is also practice-squad eligible.

Sources tell me other players to be cut include DL Clifton Geathers and Ben Bass; OL Pat McQuistan, Daniel Loper, Ron Leary, Harland Gunn and Jeff Adams; FB Shaun Chappas; WRs Danny Coale and Tim Benford; and LB Adrian Hamilton.

RB Lance Dunbar, the offensive star of that final exhibition game, was working at Valley Ranch on Thursday but that does not necessarily indicate his status.

Notable keeps: S Matt Johnson, despite his injuries; and WRs Cole Beasley and Andre Holmes, a possible candidate to be the sixth guy at the position.

Notable trade stuff: OL Ryan Cook comes from the Dolphins for a reported seventh-round pick. The Dallas personnel dept. is arguing hard to keep OL David Arkin, though Cook’s veteran versatility threatens Arkin’s spot as the backup center.

Also, I’m told the Cowboys have spurned Detroit calls regarding a trade for RB Felix Jones, and that Dallas is dangling veteran DLs in trade, with no takers yet.

Injury update: By Saturday, Dez Bryant and Miles Austin should be a go to line up with the first team at WR … CB Mike Jenkins (shoulder) has medical clearance to be on the field .. NT Jay Ratliff (ankle) and TE Jason Witten (spleen) are pushing to join them.

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IRVING (AP) - The Dallas Cowboys can now completely focus on what they’ve already been thinking about for a long time.

Their three-win preseason is done, and next is their unprecedented midweek season opener at the New York Giants. They return to the same stadium where they played last year’s finale, with a loss that kept them out of the playoffs.

What was a Thursday for everybody else was essentially the Monday of a game week at Valley Ranch. The Cowboys had a walkthrough session focused on the defending Super Bowl champions.

Tony Romo and 20 other expected starters didn’t play in the preseason finale Wednesday night.

Coach Jason Garrett says those guys were able to get their bodies and minds right and get an early start on preparing mentally for the Giants.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Lance Dunbar was stressing all day about getting on the field in the preseason finale for the Dallas Cowboys.

When the undrafted rookie running back from North Texas got his chance, he gave Cowboys coaches plenty to consider when putting their final roster together.

Dunbar ran 15 times for 105 yards, including a 58-yard touchdown after halftime when he made several defenders miss, and the Cowboys wrapped up their preseason with a 30-13 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday night.

“I know it was a big day. It was all or nothing for me today. I did what I could do. Hopefully it’s enough,” Dunbar said. “I was so tired (after the TD) I didn’t remember to look at the replay at first. … It was my first touchdown and it’s like a dream come true.”

Orie Lemon returned an interception 26 yards for a touchdown for the Cowboys and Phillip Tanner, who started at tailback with DeMarco Murray and Felix Jones sitting out, had a 1-yard score while carrying nine times for 48 yards.

A week before playing in the NFL’s kickoff game against the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants, the Cowboys (3-1) kept quarterback Tony Romo and their front-line starters standing on the sideline.

The Cowboys said after the game that former Pro Bowl cornerback Mike Jenkins, who missed the entire offseason and preseason recovering from shoulder surgery, passed his physical earlier Wednesday. That means Jenkins could practice Saturday and possibly play against the Giants.

Miami rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill, the first-round draft pick from Texas A&M already tabbed the Dolphins starter, was 5-of-7 passing for 35 yards playing the first two series. Miami led 3-0 when he was done.

“It was frustrating at times, but I think we got better every week,” Tannehill said when asked to evaluate his preseason. “It was a matter of not making the same mistake twice, and I think we did that as an offense. … We just have to put it all together.”
Miami (0-4) finished its preseason winless under new coach Joe Philbin. The season opener is Sept. 9 at Houston.

Another former Texas A&M quarterback, Stephen McGee, possibly took his last snaps for the Cowboys after going 9 of 18 for 124 yards in the first half.

Two years ago in another preseason finale against the Dolphins, McGee passed for 304 yards while going all the way in the victory that probably assured him the spot as the team’s third quarterback that season. The fourth-round pick in 2009 has played in only three regular-season games with one start.

With Kyle Orton signed during the off season to be Romo’s backup, Dallas likely will carry only two quarterbacks on its 53-man roster that has to be set by Friday evening. Plus, McGee is no longer eligible for the practice squad like Rudy Carpenter (4 of 10 for 48 yards) would be.

Even though they were playing at home again only four days after a win over the St. Louis Rams, the Cowboys had already turned their attention to the Giants.

When they get to their Valley Ranch practice facility Thursday, it will be essentially a Monday of game week.
Pro Bowl receiver Miles Austin didn’t play in the preseason because of hamstring issues, and receiver Dez Bryant was held out for the second straight game because of right knee tendinitis. Both are expected to be ready for the Giants, though Pro Bowl tight end

Jason Witten (lacerated spleen) is less certain for the unprecedented Wednesday night opener.
Lamar Miller had 17 carries for 60 yards for the Dolphins. His 1-yard TD capped a 14-play, 89-yard drive that took exactly half of the third quarter to complete.

Dan Bailey kicked three field goals for the Cowboys while Dan Carpenter had field goals of 21 and 53 yards for Miami less than 2 minutes apart late in the first quarter.

“We moved the ball early, we’ve just got to capitalize when you’re down in the red zone,” Tannehill said. “You can’t stall out on the 3 yard line. … We realize we’ve got a long way to go and have a lot of work to do, but we’re excited about the opportunities that we have.”

After Carpenter’s shorter kick, Teddy Williams fumbled the ensuing kickoff at the Cowboys 33. That’s when Matt Moore took over for Tannehill.

Moore was only 4 of 12, including the pass over the middle early in the second quarter that Lemon picked off and took into the end zone for a 10-6 lead.

The Cowboys had two big passing plays to set up Tanner’s 1-yard score. McGee threw deep to Andre Holmes for 32 yards, then scrambled and was side-stepping the sideline when he threw 36 yards to Tim Benford.

Dallas cornerback Lionel Smith sustained a concussion, and offensive lineman Daniel Loper tweaked a hamstring. Derrick Dockery started at left guard, and got in a few plays before leaving to catch a flight to Washington D.C. to attend a family funeral.
——
Online: http://bigstory.ap.org/NFL-Pro32 and http://twitter.com/AP–NFL

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ARLINGTON (105.3 THE FAN) – Mike Jenkins’ return to action for the Dallas Cowboys was supposed to include a Thursday trip to Florida in order to get medical clearance from Dr. James Andrews.

Instead, sources tell 105.3 The Fan, the former cornerback starter spent Wednesday following a different path: Up and down the stairsteps at Cowboys Stadium and in and out of a check-up in North Texas that he and his surgically repaired right shoulder passed – freeing him to return to the practice field this week.

First must come the CBA-mandated three-day waiting period … and then quite possibly can come Jenkins’ participation in next Wednesday’s Cowboys-at-Giants NFL season-opener.

Jenkins’ change in travel plans may involve Tropical Storm Isaac, which is causing problems throughout the Gulf Coast. Or it may simply be a change of heart, with Jenkins – who reportedly spent part of the offseason wishing to be traded from a Dallas team that acquired new starting corners in top rookie Mo Claiborne and pricy free agent Brandon Carr – re-investing himself with his team.

Jenkins was examined by Dr. Andrews earlier this month and did not get clearance. But at this point, it seems the consideration of the PUP list (which would mean a six-week sitting-out stint) is lessened. And quite possibly the challenges for Jenkins – who hasn’t played full-speed football since the end of last season – are more about conditioning and mental readiness than they are about that troublesome shoulder.

(© Copyright 2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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