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Show 4 HERALD DAILY C4 Wednesday, December 19, 2007 NFL Cowboys' Williams appeals; QB Rorao recovering, likely to play Wednesday, even though he'll likely have a new center. Starter Andre Gurode hurt his left knee and probably wont play IRVING, Texas Tony Romo took it easy on his against the Panthers. Romo didn't speak to reportbruised right hand Tuesday, ers Tuesday, but he was seen throwing nothing more than lobs during practice. During all after practice with his right hand wrapped with ice and a his down time, he might have Jaime Aron THE ASSOCIATED PRESS gotten a good laugh by looking at the playing out in the Dallas Cowboys' secondary. On one play, safety Roy Williams was with the first team, with backup Keith Davis right be- - v hind him. On the next play, Davis was with the first team, with Williams waiting in the wings. Williams was told Monday that he has to sit out Dallas' game Saturday night against Carolina as punishment for his merry-go-roun- d suspended-but-appealin- third "horse-Collar- " g tackle this season, He appealed Tuesday and a hearing was set for ; Wednesday. While the delay gave his defenders more time to prepare their case, it left coach Wade Phillips with less time to prepare his defense. He's already hampered by a shorter-than-usu- "We're week. in a little bit of limbo here," Phillips said. "We just need to get it settled." This practice was only a walkthrough as Phillips didn't want to push his players too hard two days after a game. Tuesday is normally their day off. Romo was limited because of an injury to the thumb on his passing hand. He didn't take snaps and might only take them out of the shotgun Pro Bowl Thus, the trip to Carolina is no longer playing out the string. Dallas also wants to get back to playing at a high level, something it hasn't done the last two games. Phillips' challenge is to figure out how to do that while also trying to set up contingency plans at so many stimulation machine. positions. Besides Williams, Romo and "He said he felt better," Gurode, Dallas probably will be Phillips said, adding that the bruising and swelling had gone without Pat Watkins, a backup down. safety and special teams standout, because of an ankle injury. Tight end Jason Witten has Then there's Terry Glenn, who no doubt Romo will play Sathasn't played all year because urday. "Oh yeah," he said. "He's reof two knee operations but is ally tough. I'd be shocked if he close to returning. Williams has known since didn't." Romo, Witten and Gurode early October that another horse-colla- r were among 11 Cowboys chomight cost him sen Tuesday to the NFC Pro a game, which could explain Bowl roster. It tied a team rewhy he was angrily bounccord and was the most among ing up and down after being all NFL clubs. Dallas has seven flagged for doing it again starters and four backups, Sunday against Philadelphia's including Marion Barber, who Donovan McNabb. Then again, the violation is doesn't even start for the Cowknown as the Roy Williams boys. Rule because it was put in folPhillips called the Pro Bowl announcement a nice mood-lifte- r lowing his takedown from befor a club dealing with in- hind of Terrell Owens in 2004. Owens broke his leg and tore juries, the Williams suspension and lingering disappointment ankle ligaments on that tackle. from a 10-- loss to Philadelphia Since the move was outon Sunday. lawed, Williams has been Dallas already has locked up a fined $ 10,000 in October 2006; bye, but no longer has $ 12,500 in September and a cushion over Green Bay in the $15,000 in October. He also was told the last time that if he chase for home-fiel- d advantage in the playoffs. The Cowboys and did it again, he might be fined Packers are both and suspended. This suspenalthough Dallas holds the tiebreaker. Still, sion, if upheld, would cost him his weekly salary of $35,000. the Cowboys must win the last two games to guarantee them"He's been given so many selves the No. 1 seed; otherwise, warnings, plus the rule was they may face a trip to Lambeau put in place for him," Cowboys Field in late January. receiver Patrick Crayton said. 6 first-roun- d 12-- ; "That'd be a red light flashing in my head." Williams' defensive team- mates were far more supportive, saying the tactic is far less dangerous than cut blocks that are legal for offensive linemen. "It's a dumb rule," linebacker Akin Ayodele said. "It handicaps him being an aggressive safety. He sees someone running by him, what's he supposed to do? Stop? It's a split second decision." Linebacker Greg Ellis said -- it's wrong for the league to take away a starter for a game that has playoff implications over something like this. "Obviously I'm biased, but if it was another team, I'd say that's a bad way to enter a critical game off a guy trying to be aggressive and trying to make a play," he said. Phillips tried to avoid giving a direct opinion, but made it pretty clear he doesn't like the rule or the ruling. He also noted that McNabb wasn't hurt and that none of the other people Williams has taken down this way the last two years nave been, either. "Roy's been in on 105 tackles now and three of them have been on that variety," Phillips said. "Where is the line as far if you hit them too hard or are have a helmet to helmet we going to suspend them? ... But we have to go by the rules, whatever those rules are. They've been basically : fining people to keep them MIKE STONEAssociated Press from doing these things. They Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) sits on the bench in evidently thought it got to the point with Roy where they felt the fourth quarter of their 10-- 6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles like they needed to do more." on Sunday. has had four straight rushing games and has 1,091 yards rushing and has a average per carry while splitting time with Mauville, who 100-yar- d Continued from CI Dallas' contingent included the obvious: quarterback Tony Romo and wide receiver Terrell Owens. And with the Cowboys at the fans came out for more of their favorites on "America's Team." One of the Cowboys, running back Marion Barber, is not a starter for Dallas, although he leads the team with 871 yards rushing. That's 315 more than starter Julius Jones, but is just seventh in the NFC, although Barber does have 1 1 touchdowns. Green Bay, tied with Dallas at the top of the NFC, had four players on the team, including Brett Favre, who will start at quarterback. It is the ninth Pro Bowl for the Favre, his first since 2003. San Diego, like New England, had eight players chosen. Minnesota was second in the NFC with seven, including rookie Adrian Peterson, who leads the conference in rushing. Redemption also was a theme. Jared Allen of Kansas City, suspended for the first two games of the season after multiple drunken driving convictions, will be a starting defensive end for the AFC "I was always raised that a man has to have great character," said Allen, whose suspension was reduced from four games to two by commissioner Roger Goodell after he promised to stop drinking. "The measure of a man is what you do when no one is around and how you handle adversity. You can go two ways. You can bury yourself and just use it as a crutch and an excuse. Or it can motivate you and you can prove everybody wrong by working hard." Albert Haynesworth of Tennessee, suspended for five games by Goodell last season after stomping on the head of Dallas' Andre Gurode during a game, made the AFC team at defensive tackle. He will play against Gurode, the starting rice Jones-DreFred Taylor is the 18th leading rusher in NFL history, but has never been to the Pro Bowl. That makes him the only one of the top 43 rushers in history not to make it to the league's game. He anticipated that last week. "Whatever happens, happens," he said. "They've got to tally up the votes, and however it comes out, I've got to live with it. I've always felt like I'm so everything Pro else doesn't matter," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio refused to lobby for votes for his players and ended up with no Pro Bowlers on a team that right now is one of the NFL's five best. "Hometown people want to get their hometown guys in," coach Del Rio said last week. "When you get a bunch in, you can say we're the greatest, and if you don't, you think you got robbed. It's the same everywhere." The three backs chosen ahead of Fred Taylor were LaDainian Tomlinson of San Diego, Willie Parker of Pittsburgh and Joseph Addai of Indianapolis. Parker and Tomlinson have gained more yards than Taylor, but Parker is averaging 4.1 and Tomlinson, last season's league MVP, is averaging 4.7. Addai, one of five Colts on the AFC squad, has 1,019 yards rushing, 72 yards fewer than Taylor and an average of 4. 1 yards per carry, a full yard less than the Jacksonville star. Three rookies made the NFC team: Peterson, who is third in the NFL with 1,278 yards rushing and first among regular backs with a 5.9 average; linebacker Patrick Willis of San Francisco; and Dallas place-kickNick Folk. The Pro Bowl selection also proves that you don't have to be a high draft choice from a big school to make it. There are three undrafted center for the NFC. "The season I wanted to have free agents from Kent State on this year was one to rewrite the the AFC team. One is tight end Antonio Gates of San Diego, history books on me, so that on the AFC team for the fourth people would remember me as a good football player, not straight year. The others are linebacker James Harrison for what happened last year, of Pittsburgh and return man having the longest suspension," Joshua Cribbs of Cleveland. said Haynesworth, whose cons There are 18 on tract is up after this season and the AFC team, 11 in the NFC is expected to be a prize free with Offensive tackle Jonathan n agent if he doesn't of Baltimore was voted to the Titans. One of those left off the team his 11th straight Pro Bowl in his 12th seasoa was Fred Taylor of Jackson 12-- : . v all-st- ." r fl xv l' v '. Bowl-qualit- r 1" Bin.. m JT IS-- :t tlt . . mm m 1 I i I 1) .iWx 1 I5 J r I ;! first-timer- n Og-de- FILEAssociated Press d touchdown in the fourth quarter Top: San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson poses after he scored a against the Kansas City Chiefs on Dec. 2. Bottom left: The Indianapolis Colts' Reggie Wayne (87) pulls in a pass for a 34-yatouchdown against the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 9. Bottom right New England Patriots Randy Moss, left, and Tom Brady talk on ' the sideline in the fourth quarter on Oct. 21. 1 ' ! . r i f4 Townhomes In Salem ' . tl'i Jon Mat. dahSx mil GARDNERYILLAGE.C i T '" O M i L T r fr Jl-- "' 1 r ' i ! Website for News and Information m Central Starting At $179,000 !L- -r; r- - (..-- |