Dez Bryant

The Dallas Cowboys have come up with a plan to help keep receiver Dez Bryant, who was arrested in July in connection with the alleged assault of his mother, out of trouble. "What we've tried to do is come up with a plan for Dez like we would for any player who we feel like needs our support, and help him be his best as a player and as a person," Cowboys Coach Jason Garrett said. "And the accountability factor is an important part of that with him and with anybody on our football team.

Happy Aaron Rodgers Day Eve, everyone! Ah, don't you just love the holiday season. Thanksgiving just last month, Christmas a mere two weeks away, New Year's Day right after that. And this year is very special because we get a day to honor the Green Bay Packers' Super Bowl-winning quarterback smack dab in the middle of all that, on Dec. 12! That's 12/12/12 -- a.k.a. Rodgers' jersey number/Rodgers' jersey number/Rodgers' jersey number. Get it? The Wisconsin Legislature designated the day to pay tribute to last year's NFL MVP, something it did not do on April 4, 2004, for Rodgers' predecessor, Brett Favre, who wore No. 4. But just what does one do to celebrate Aaron Rodgers Day?

Dez Bryant caught a key fourth-quarter touchdown pass for the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday while playing with what turned out to be a fractured index finger on his left hand. Whether Bryant continues to play with the injury or has season-ending surgery will be left up to the third-year receiver, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday on his weekly local radio show. “It has not been decided by Dez, who will be the ultimate decision maker, whether or not he wants to try to continue to play with a lot of protection or whether or not he should have surgery,” Jones said on 105.3-FM The Fan. Bryant was certainly able to play through the pain Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Dez Bryant caught a key fourth-quarter touchdown pass for the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday while playing with what turned out to be a fractured index finger on his left hand. Whether Bryant continues to play with the injury or has season-ending surgery will be left up to the third-year receiver, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday on his weekly local radio show. “It has not been decided by Dez, who will be the ultimate decision maker, whether or not he wants to try to continue to play with a lot of protection or whether or not he should have surgery,” Jones said on 105.3-FM The Fan. Bryant was certainly able to play through the pain Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Darrelle Revis, the No. 1 cornerback for the New York Jets, goes by the nickname Revis Island, and he can make any receiver feel like a forgotten castaway never heard from for four solid quarters. Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant is unfazed. In fact, if Revis is shadowing him tonight, Bryant plans to do a little island hopping. "I'm not going to change up my game for no corner," Bryant told reporters this week. "I'm not the type of guy to single anybody out — no DB, nothing like that.

Oklahoma State Coach Mike Gundy said Monday the school is backing the reinstatement of wide receiver Dez Bryant , less than a week after declaring him ineligible for lying to the NCAA. The school put the All-American on the sidelines on Wednesday for lying to the NCAA about his relationship with former NFL star Deion Sanders . Bryant sat out Saturday as No. 16 Oklahoma State won, 36-31, at Texas A&M. Bryant played in Oklahoma State's first three games this season while compliance officials were investigating his meeting with Sanders and another former NFL player, Omar Stoutmire , that Bryant later lied about to the NCAA.

Indiana (4-4) at No. 7 Iowa (8-0) Saturday, 9 a.m. ESPN This wouldn't appear to be much of a game, but Indiana isn't bad, coming off a one-point loss to Northwestern. Iowa's four home wins have been by a total of 16 points. Two of those opponents were Northern Iowa and Arkansas State. Also, Iowa will be without top running back Adam Robinson, who has a high ankle sprain. The pick: Iowa. No. 1 Florida (7-0) vs. Georgia (4-3) Saturday, 12:30 p.m., Channel 2 Florida has won 16 of its last 19 games against Georgia but isn't playing well enough right now to take this "cocktail party" at Jacksonville, Fla., for granted.

Happy Aaron Rodgers Day Eve, everyone! Ah, don't you just love the holiday season. Thanksgiving just last month, Christmas a mere two weeks away, New Year's Day right after that. And this year is very special because we get a day to honor the Green Bay Packers' Super Bowl-winning quarterback smack dab in the middle of all that, on Dec. 12! That's 12/12/12 -- a.k.a. Rodgers' jersey number/Rodgers' jersey number/Rodgers' jersey number. Get it? The Wisconsin Legislature designated the day to pay tribute to last year's NFL MVP, something it did not do on April 4, 2004, for Rodgers' predecessor, Brett Favre, who wore No. 4. But just what does one do to celebrate Aaron Rodgers Day?

The lockout might not be the only thing that ended in the NFL. Hazing seems to be on the endangered list too. The Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars recently curbed the decades-old practice of veterans' roughing up rookies, setting an apparent trend of limiting the embarrassing incidents involving first-year players. There's a long tradition of rookies being tied to goal posts, singing off-key songs in front of teammates and donning silly costumes at training camp. But is hazing now considered hazardous?

Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys offense really didn't do much for most of the first half of their game against the Chicago Bears on Monday night. And they were better off that way. Starting late in the second quarter, all but two of the Cowboys' next seven drives ended in interceptions thrown by Romo, as the Cowboys lost, 34-18, and dropped to a three-way tie for second in the NFC East at 2-1. The five picks tied a career high for the Dallas quarterback, who now has eight interceptions and five touchdowns this season.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently said that he would not fire his general manager even though the team is 3-5 and in danger of missing the playoffs for the third straight year. His reason for not firing the person who put together this team? That person is him. Writers from around the Tribune Co. will discuss just how far the Cowboys can go with Jones as their general manager. Check back throughout the day for more responses and join the conversation by voting in the poll and leaving a comment of your own. Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times Legendary Cowboys GM Tex Schramm left the Rams for Dallas on one condition: There would be a strict hierarchy in place, whereby the players could go only as high as the coach for their complaints or concerns, the coach could go only as high as the GM, and it was the GM who dealt with the owner.

Tony Romo had a career day on Sunday. At least that's what some people are saying about the Dallas Cowboys quarterback's performance against the New York Giants. And those people are absolutely correct. His 437 passing yards are the most Romo has thrown for in his seven years as the Cowboys' starter. He also set a franchise record with 62 passing attempts, and if his late pass to Dez Bryant in the end zone hadn't been reversed, Romo would have set a new team mark with 474 passing yards.

Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys offense really didn't do much for most of the first half of their game against the Chicago Bears on Monday night. And they were better off that way. Starting late in the second quarter, all but two of the Cowboys' next seven drives ended in interceptions thrown by Romo, as the Cowboys lost, 34-18, and dropped to a three-way tie for second in the NFC East at 2-1. The five picks tied a career high for the Dallas quarterback, who now has eight interceptions and five touchdowns this season.

The Dallas Cowboys have come up with a plan to help keep receiver Dez Bryant, who was arrested in July in connection with the alleged assault of his mother, out of trouble. "What we've tried to do is come up with a plan for Dez like we would for any player who we feel like needs our support, and help him be his best as a player and as a person," Cowboys Coach Jason Garrett said. "And the accountability factor is an important part of that with him and with anybody on our football team.

Reporting from Denver - The city of Denver on Monday? Two miles high. The afterglow of the spectacular 29-23 victory over Pittsburgh won't soon fade - the memory of Tim Tebow connecting with Demaryius Thomas for an 80-yard touchdown on the first play of overtime - even as the Broncos began their preparations Monday for a divisional playoff game Saturday at New England. "That would be the greatest moment in the history of this stadium for sure," said Broncos President Joe Ellis, who was with the team when the new Mile High opened in 2001.

Rob Ryan, defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys, has tried something new heading into Sunday's game at New England: The silent treatment. Ryan, whose comment that Detroit's Calvin Johnson would be the third-best receiver on the Cowboys came back to haunt him, thought it best to keep his opinions to himself on the Patriots' Wes Welker. "I'm afraid to comment on wideouts," Ryan told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram when asked about Welker. "Apparently, I don't know anything.

Tony Romo had a career day on Sunday. At least that's what some people are saying about the Dallas Cowboys quarterback's performance against the New York Giants. And those people are absolutely correct. His 437 passing yards are the most Romo has thrown for in his seven years as the Cowboys' starter. He also set a franchise record with 62 passing attempts, and if his late pass to Dez Bryant in the end zone hadn't been reversed, Romo would have set a new team mark with 474 passing yards.

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard has been fined $35,000 by the NBA for criticizing officials on his blog. Howard was in chronic foul trouble and constantly complaining about officiating in the Magic's series sweep over Charlotte. Orlando Coach Stan Van Gundy and forward Matt Barnes also were fined $35,000 each last week for criticizing officials. Howard posted on his blog: "I'm not looking to say anything to get myself in trouble with the league, but I just don't see other star players getting called for fouls the way I get them.

Four weeks into the NFL season, and whom can you trust? Philadelphia can't trust its rookie kicker. Alex Henery was wide right on two field-goal tries in the fourth quarter of a 24-23 home loss to San Francisco. Ben Roethlisberger can't trust his patchwork offensive line. The Pittsburgh quarterback was sacked five times and repeatedly hammered in a 17-10 loss at Houston. Cincinnati fans can't trust their home team. It was far from a full house that witnessed the Bengals upset Buffalo, which came into the game as one of three undefeated teams.

The sight of Dallas Cowboys receiver Jesse Holley getting behind San Francisco's defense in Week 2 and turning a deep pass into a 77-yard gain in overtime — the most memorable play in a 27-24 victory — prompted a corresponding route at the NFL Network headquarters in Culver City. Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin burst out of his office at the studios and ran whooping down the hall. "I felt like a father watching his son," said Irvin, who's hoping for more of the same Monday when the Cowboys play host to Washington on "Monday Night Football.