NFL Notebook: Cowboys hope for second-half change
BY Associated Press
Friday, November 09, 2012
11/09/12 at 3:44 AM
The season that once looked so promising for the Dallas Cowboys is halfway done.
After losses in four of their last five games, the Cowboys (3-5) have plenty of work to do just to have another .500 season.
No matter how the situation is described - coach Jason Garrett prefers "urgency" and despises the term "desperation" - the Cowboys have clearly faltered since kicking off the season with a win at the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants two months ago.
"Obviously we didn't expect to be 3-5," tight end Jason Witten said Thursday. "At this point where we're at, it's tough to swallow. You've got to change it."
Peterson's brilliance not helping Vikes' air game: Adrian Peterson's remarkable return from a knee injury has been one of the feel-good stories of the season. He leads the NFL with 957 yards rushing and accounts for nearly 37 percent of the Vikings' total offense.
While Peterson has run better and better each week, the pass offense has been stuck in a downward spiral. The problems are many. Receivers are having difficulty creating separation, QB Christian Ponder has been woefully inaccurate and the Vikings (5-4) have struggled to pick up the blitz and keep their quarterback protected while losing three of their last four games.
