DALLAS Teams

Josh Weinfuss ESPN Staff Writer 

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said Thursday during a conference call with Arizona media that one of the reasons the Cowboys drafted RB Ezekiel Elliott was because of how much Ohio State coach Urban Meyer touted his effort without the ball. "His coaches at Ohio State stood on the the table for him in that regard," Garrett said. "Urban Meyer told us he's the best player he's ever had when he doesn't have the ball in his hands. He's demonstrated that to us over the course of the last year or so. That's just who he is."

Josh Weinfuss ESPN Staff Writer 

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said on a conference call that he's addressed Ezekiel Elliott's effort on the two plays from Sunday night's game with the star running back. "You're honest, you're very clear with what the expectations are and you learn from them and move forward."

Todd Archer ESPN Staff Writer 

Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald turned the tables on the Dallas media after answering questions and asked if Orlando Scandrick practiced. When told he did, Fitzgerald called Scandrick one of the best corners in the NFL working the slot.

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Cowboys buscan mejorar su rendimiento de cara a la semana tres (1:36)
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Elliott not making excuse for poor effort (0:36)

Stefano Fusaro ESPN 

Ezekiel Elliott on his controversial lack of effort plays in loss to Denver. "Obviously I was very frustrated, but there's no excuse for the lack of effort I showed on tape. I just can't do that, being one of the leaders of this team. I'm a guy that people count on here so I can't put that on film. We addressed it in house. I'm definitely not that type of player and that's definitely not who I am for this team. I was frustrated and I wasn't myself."

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What will go down in Week 3 of the NFL? (0:47)

Todd Archer ESPN Staff Writer 

Linebacker Anthony Hitchens, who suffered a right tibial plateau fracture on Aug. 26 against Oakland, is on the practice field for the first time in the regular season. He is not in full pads but he is going through rehab on the field.

Todd Archer ESPN Staff Writer 

Defensive tackle Stephen Paea is not at practice during the portion open to the media. He has a knee condition that the Cowboys will monitor from time to time. Cornerbacks Orlando Scandrick (hand) and Awuzie (hamstring) are on the field but Awuzie is going through rehab work. Nolan Carroll is not practicing because of a concussion.

ESPN Stats and Info

Rangers back in the hunt?

The Twins' chances for the second wild-card spot went down slightly after being swept by the Yankees. Combined with a loss by the Angels, the door is now open for the Rangers, who saw their chances nearly double. The Royals aren't out of it just yet either.

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Garrett says Zeke's lack of effort was addressed (0:36)
Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports

Average low, power high for Odor

Rougned Odor's grand slam in the Rangers' win over the Mariners on Wednesday was his 30th long ball of the season to go along with his .209 batting average. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, only three players in major league history have hit 30 or more homers while posting a batting average below .210 in a season: Dave Kingman in 1982 (37 HR, .204 BA), Mark Reynolds in 2010 (32 HR, .198 BA) and Adam Dunn in 2012 (41 HR, .204 BA).

Todd Archer ESPN Staff Writer 

Cornerback Nolan Carroll will not practice today because of a concussion suffered last week against Denver and his availability for Monday's game at Arizona is in doubt. Jason Garrett said Carroll is not at The Star because the medical staff did not want him in meetings. Garrett was unsure of the degree of Carroll's concussion.

Tim MacMahon ESPN Staff Writer 

Mavs guard J.J. Barea, the NBA's lone active Puerto Rican native, has set up a fund to raise money for those affected by Hurricane Maria in his homeland. The link to the fund, which has a $100,000 goal: https://www.youcaring.com/jjbareafoundation-956792

Todd Archer ESPN Staff Writer 

Arizona coach Bruce Arians is looking at the production of the Cowboys' offense last week against Denver as an anomaly. “You never prepare for just one week of what you see on tape because scoreboards indicate a lot of things that happen during games,” Arians said, “and we anticipate what they've done for the last year and a half, not just what happened last Sunday.”