–When the chance to come back to Dallas popped up last week, former Cowboys receiver Brice Butler was apparently all over it.
The Cowboys and Butler parted ways last spring and Butler signed in the offseason with the Arizona Cardinals. The new team didn’t work out for Butler, who was released by the Cardinals on September 1. Butler said former teammate Dez Bryant suggested last week that Butler should return to Dallas and the Cowboys reached out soon after.
Butler was ready for the call.
“I’m on the street, so if you guys want me back here, I will be back here in a heartbeat,” Butler said, recalling his response to the Cowboys.
Dallas signed Butler on Tuesday. The wide receiver said that his role with the team as far as playing time had not been discussed as of Tuesday afternoon.
Butler has played in 36 games for the Cowboys during the last three seasons, making 43 catches and scoring six touchdowns.
–The Cowboys made a surprise move when they cut longtime kicker Dan Bailey on Sept. 1 and went with rookie Brett Maher as their kicker.
With a high level of scrutiny on him, Maher missed his first NFL field-goal attempt, a 47-yarder in Carolina in the season opener. He didn’t score in the game as the Cowboys went for a two-point conversion on their only touchdown.
So, Maher scored his first NFL point when he nailed an extra point following Tavon Austin’s 64-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter against the Giants on Sunday night. Maher added a 37-yard field goal later in the first quarter, a 29-yarder in the third quarter and another extra point in the fourth quarter.
–The Cowboys started the season by preparing for the dual-threat capabilities of Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.
Now it’s more of the same in Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. Granted Wilson, at 5-foot-11, 215 pounds, doesn’t have the same kind of intimidating physical presence as Newton (6-5, 245), but Wilson is still plenty accomplished using his arm and feet to make plays.
“(Wilson) certainly challenges you a lot of different ways,” head coach Jason Garrett said. “He is a dual threat. He can beat you with his feet. He can beat you on designed runs, when plays break down, when he gets out of the pocket he extends plays. He can stand in there and throw it too.”
Newton passed for 161 yards and ran for 58 in the Panthers’ 16-8 victory over Dallas in the season opener. It figures that the Cowboys need to make Wilson more one-dimensional.
BY THE NUMBERS: 7-2 — The Cowboys have won 7 times and lost 2 when quarterback Dak Prescott has rushed for more than 30 yards in his career. He had a career-high 45 rushing yards in Dallas’s 20-13 victory over the Giants on Sunday.
