Jones rambled, but didn't tamper

Last week, while cruising the drive-through line at the Chateau Golden Arches, I happened to hear KTCK (The Ticket) radio's weekly interview with Jerry Jones.

He was no more tampering with Terrell Owens than the cashier at McDonald's was.

The interview can be heard in its entirety by going to The Ticket's website (www.theticket.com), looking in the "Ticket Podcast" section, and clicking on the file under the "Dunham and Miller" selections. Or you can find the interview in the broadcast section of www.DallasCowboys.com.

The Ticket's morning hosts, Craig Miller and George Dunham, were well aware that owner Jones couldn't talk specifically about the Eagles' Owens.

"I just couldn't comment on it and wouldn't comment on it because of the rules," Jones said.

Miller came back with this question: "In general, and not talking about T.O. specifically, but are you more likely to gamble on a troubled player with a troubled past now than you were, say, five years ago?"

The owner hesitated, then answered, "In general, I'm a risk taker, and we've gone down that road."

He immediately mentioned Alonzo Spellman as an example of a player who became a Cowboy even though he "had some issues."

As he sometimes does, Jerry could have been flagged for rambling. But not for tampering.

Yellow journalism

More on this game later, but does everyone agree that the preponderance of yellow flags has totally disrupted the rhythm of this Cowboys-Lions thing?

I'm guessing that the Lions' defensive front thinks they've picked up something -- the snap count? an Al Johnson twitch? -- and trying to beat the Cowboys off the line of scrimmage. It's worked, sometimes, but Detroit is on pace for a Texas Stadium record for times penalized.

Before you rip into the Cowboys' lethargic performance or the play-calling, remember that this was supposed to be the ambush game in the team's three-games-in-11-days test. I'm not inclined to grade them on style points on this one.

More later. Seats are already emptying here at Texas Stadium. They'd rather nap at home.

Need a cue card, Big Bill?

Final thought: Hope you got to see Parcells' postgame remarks on the Sunday night sports shows.

Did anybody else think he looked like a guy who had just wet his pants? It wasn't one of Bill's usual glib and insightful performances.

Dreary day in Seattle

Other random thoughts from a rainy Sunday ...

Peerless Price, you're no Patrick Crayton.

Marion Barber outplayed and outran Shaun Alexander, the league's leading rusher.

Flozell Adams is going to be missed more than I ever imagined.

Adios, Jose Cortez. Is Billy Cundiff still available?

Fun in the outdoors?

That wasn't fog covering the field at the game's start. It was the smoke still hovering from pregame fireworks.

It rained most of the game. Oddly, all the spectator areas at Qwest Field are not covered. This is because, I was told, Seattle residents love the great outdoors. Even when they're sitting under umbrellas.

Sleepless in Seattle, Cowboys edition

Random outrage from a day of watching the Cowboys ...

Until something else comes along, this will rank as the biggest loss of Bill Parcells' tenure in Dallas.

A 5-2 record and the division lead would have firmly established the Cowboys as one of the NFC's best teams. It would have validated everything that Parcells is doing at Valley Ranch.

Instead, yikes!

People are going to question Parcells' approach. If the same aggressive attitudes, both on defense and offense, worked against the mighty Eagles, why turn so conservative against the Seahawks?

Let me take a guess at the answer. Parcells, having seen the poor job that sub RB Anthony Thomas did against the Giants (low in story), decided that he wouldn't have a running game to depend upon. So he saddled Drew Bledsoe with the old Quincy Carter game plan and focused only on the offense playing error-free football.

His defense was playing so well Sunday, Parcells didn't adjust. He was fooled into thinking that the Cowboys' one touchdown was going to be enough to win.

No Julius ... again

The Cowboys arrived in Seattle on Saturday afternoon, and neither Julius Jones nor Dat Nguyen was in the traveling party.

Running back Jones will miss his second game with a high ankle sprain. Linebacker Nguyen practiced last week but is still bothered by a neck injury.

Without Jones, coach Bill Parcells is expected to again employ an assortment of running backs.