Cowboys First Teamers Look Spiffy Against Rams

Dallas answered the dress rehearsal bell in impressive fashion in their preseason home opener. Tony Romo, DeMarco Murray and friends appear to be ready for the regular season.

Jay Ratliff Injury Update: Cowboys' NT Has High Ankle Sprain

Cowboys nose tackle Jay Ratliff has been diagnosed with a high ankle sprain, leaving him out for an estimated 4-6 weeks and casting doubt on his availability for Dallas' season opener against the Giants, according to Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram. Ratliff left Saturday night's exhibition game against St. Louis early, and was later seen leaving the arena on crutches.

Ratliff has missed most of preseason camp with plantar fasciitis. He only returned to practice last week, and was making his preseason debut against St. Louis when he was injured. The veteran nose tackle was a key part of Dallas' 3-4 defense, and, as Jerry Jones said, his presence will be missed:

"Well yeah,'' responded owner Jerry Jones when asked if he was concerned about Ratliff's availability. "We're concerned about any of these injuries gettign down where we're within ten days of playing so would have to be concerned about it."

Dallas plays Miami Wednesday night to close out the preseason, and opens the regular season at New York September 9.

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Rams Vs. Cowboys: First-Team Units Were Dominant For Dallas On Saturday Night

The Dallas Cowboys defeated the St. Louis Rams 20-19 on Saturday night, with the Dallas first-team units dominating their St. Louis counterparts in the first half. The fine gentlemen over at SB Nation's Blogging the Boys liked what they saw:

Now THAT's what you call a dress rehearsal. Whether you want to attribute the solid play to a return home from California, facing an overmatched opponent, the sign of a good team on the come or all three... this was a great performance by the Dallas Cowboys. Despite the end-game backups allowing the Rams to get back into the game late, the Dallas first strings and substitutes pretty much did everything they wanted to tonight.

Tony Romo and Dwayne Harris hooked up for two early touchdowns, with Romo finishing nine of 13 for 198 yards and two touchdowns in just a quarter of work. Not to be outdone, the Dallas defense continued its preseason dominance by holding the St. Louis starters to just six first half points.

For more on the Dallas Cowboys, visit Blogging The Boys. For all things St. Louis Rams, head over to Turf Show Times. For news and analysis across pro football, make a trip to SB Nation's NFL hub.

Rams Vs. Cowboys Game Recap: Dallas Starters Shine In 20-19 Win

The Dallas Cowboys beat the St. Louis Rams 20-19 on Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium, with the Dallas starters dominating the Rams in the first half.

Tony Romo and Dwayne Harris took control of the game in the first quarter, with the duo connecting on a pair of touchdowns of 61 and 38 yards on back to back drives. The play of Harris likely answered lingering questions as to who will become the third receiver behind Miles Austin and Dez Bryant. Kevin Ogletree also had a strong game, catching five passes for 75 yards and once again proving to be a solid option for Romo.

The Cowboys defense would continue its dominant play of the preseason, holding the Rams starters to just six points in the first half. The defense would be put back on the field in the second quarter after a successful fake punt by the Rams but would stand tall at the goal line with cornerback Mo Claiborne deflecting a Sam Bradford pass on 4th-and-goal from the 5-yard line.

Romo and many of the Cowboys first-team offense was pulled after the first quarter, with the quarterback 9-of-13 for 198 yards and two touchdowns. DeMarco Murray would also continue his strong preseason play with five carries for 26 yards and two catches for 16 yards in the first quarter.

Kyle Orton was 9-of-12 for 99 yards in the second quarter, but the Cowboys offense would shut down in the second half under Stephen McGee and Rudy Carpenter. The Rams backups would score two fourth-quarter touchdowns to pull close to the Cowboys on the scoreboard, with Rams coach Jeff Fisher opting not to go for the two-point conversion in the final minutes of the game.

For more on the Dallas Cowboys, visit Blogging The Boys. For all things St. Louis Rams, head over to Turf Show Times. For news and analysis across pro football, make a trip to SB Nation's NFL hub.

Rams Vs. Cowboys Score Update: Dallas Dominating At The Half, 20-6

The Dallas Cowboys lead the St. Louis Rams 20-6 at the half, thanks to a tremendous first quarter offensive explosion by Tony Romo, Dwayne Harris and DeMarco Murray.

The Cowboys would march down the field on the opening kickoff, seemingly getting the ball to the Rams 5-yard line before a phantom pass interference call on John Phillips pushed Dallas back and forced the first-team offense to settle for another field goal.

The Rams would sputter on offense, allowing Tony Romo and the Cowboys to recharge and immediately take advantage of the opportunity, with Romo connecting with Harris on a 61-yard touchdown pass. After a Rams field goal, Romo and Harris would strike again with the receiver scoring on a 38-yard catch and run to give the Cowboys a 17-3 lead with the first quarter not even completed.

The teams would trade field goals in the second quarter, with the Cowboys pulling the first-team starters on offense after the second touchdown pass.

It was another dominant half of football for the Cowboys first-team defense, which has become a sure-tackling and hard-hitting unit in Rex Ryan's second year in Dallas. Witness this bone-jarring hit on Rams receiver Brian Quick:

Romo finished the half 9-of-13 for 198 yards and two touchdowns, with backup Kyle Orton 9-of-12 for 99 yards.

For more on the Dallas Cowboys, visit Blogging The Boys. For all things St. Louis Rams, head over to Turf Show Times. For news and analysis across pro football, make a trip to SB Nation's NFL hub.

Cowboys Vs. Rams: Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, DeMarcus Ware, and Miles Austin To Miss Preseason Game

The Dallas Cowboys take on the St. Louis Rams in a preseason game this evening, and they will do so without the most effective weapons in their passing game. Wide receivers Dez Bryant and Miles Austin -- as well as tight end Jason Whitten -- will be inactive against the Rams, as reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Linebacker DeMarcus Ware will also be sitting out tonight.

Bryant, Witten, and Austin were three of the four top targets for the Cowboys a season ago, as they combined for 185 catches, 2449 yards, and 21 touchdowns.

Most notably out for the Rams is Danario Alexander. The wide receiver tallied 26 catches for 431 yards and two touchdowns in 2011.

For more on the Dallas Cowboys, visit Blogging The Boys. For all things St. Louis Rams, head over to Turf Show Times. For news and analysis across pro football, make a trip to SB Nation's NFL hub.

Rams Vs. Cowboys: Game Time, TV Schedule, Injury Updates And More

The third pre-season game is considered the most important of the NFL's exhibition season. What to watch for in the Cowboys game against St. Louis on Saturday night and where to watch it.