The Dallas Cowboys thought they could offset the loss of Michael Irvin, who was suspended for the first five games of the season for violating the league's substance abuse policy, by using cornerback Deion Sanders at wideout.
But the words that Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman spoke in training camp have, unfortunately for the team, come true. "Deion's a Pro Bowl cornerback, not a Pro Bowl receiver," Aikman said.Thus far, the Deion plan has gone bust. Opposing teams have figured out that the best way to take Sanders out of the action is to play a two-deep zone - locking a cornerback on him and bringing a safety over to double-team him.
And with Kevin Williams, who was supposed to take Irvin's place as the most experienced receiver in the lineup, out with a foot injury for Monday night's game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Veterans Stadium, the Cowboys are really hurting at wide receiver.
Sanders' number of receptions has been shrinking since the opening week. He began the season with 9 catches for 87 yards against the Bears. The next week he had 3 for 38 against the Giants. In Week 3, he had 2 for 27 against the Colts. And last week, the Bills held him to 1 for 20. Total for the grand experiment: 15 catches for 172 yards.
Many of the Cowboys' problems at receiver stem from their inability to develop quality pass-catchers beyond their recent first-round picks - Irvin; Alvin Harper, now with Tampa Bay, and Kevin Williams.
Consider that recent picks like Alexander Wright (second round in 1990), Jimmy Smith (second round in 1992), Willie Jackson (fourth round in 1994) and Corey Fleming (a Niners' third-rounder the Cowboys traded for in 1995) are no longer with the team.
Smith is now Jacksonville's third-leading receiver with the same number of receptions (15) as Sanders. Jackson caught 53 passes for 589 yards and 5 touchdowns with the Jaguars last season.
DIALING LONG DISTANCE: At one point during his 214-yard rushing performance against New Orleans last week, Cardinals running back LeShon Johnson's legs became so rubbery that he wondered whether he could keep going.
He did, and in the process Johnson became the first player since 1977, and just the third since the National Football League merged with the American Football League in 1970, to have two touchdown runs of longer than 50 yards. Johnson had touchdown jaunts of 70 and 56 yards, joining Benny Malone of the Dolphins (52 and 66 in 1977) and the Steelers' Frenchie Fuqua (72 and 85 in 1970) as the only players in the modern era of the NFL to accomplish the feat.
Johnson wasn't even the starter in the game. He had been slowed since the first week with an ankle injury, and Arizona Coach Vince Tobin wanted to see what the rookie Leeland McElroy could do before giving Johnson a shot.
"Because of my ankle the coach told me he didn't think I was capable of making the big plays," Johnson said. "I was a little upset about it. But I just decided when I got in there I'd show them what I could do."
Entering the game, a 28-14 Arizona victory over the Saints, Johnson had played in 17 NFL games for Green Bay and Arizona and had rushed for just 99 yards on 26 carries. He said he was never really comfortable in the Packers' split backfield. He has taken to the Cardinals' I-formation.
Johnson missed part of his rookie season with the Packers with a torn ligament in his knee. The next year, the Packers waived him midway through the season and the Cardinals signed him.
FAULK RARING TO GO: Indianapolis Colt running back Marshall Faulk has returned to the practice field for the first time since suffering a dislocated big toe in the third quarter of a Sept. 8 victory over the New York Jets.
"It felt great," said a smiling Faulk after the team's 45-minute workout on Friday. "Practice gets you ready for the games, and I'm just happy to be out here."
Faulk said he expects to play in the Colts' next game Oct. 6 at Buffalo.
"Any game is good to come back on," he said. "It's just fortunate I was able to come back a little faster than planned. They were planning on four to five weeks, and I'm back."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.