Tuesday, November 24, 1998

Cowboys lose Ernie Mills, Everett McIver to injuries

By Kevin Lyons

Knight Ridder Newspapers

(KRT)

IRVING, Texas - The Dallas Cowboys learned Monday that wide receiver Ernie Mills and right guard Everett McIver will miss the remainder of the regular season with injuries suffered in the club's 30-22 victory against the Seattle Seahawks Sunday.

The injury to Mills, the club's second-leading wide receiver, was the most serious.

Mills underwent surgery at a Dallas hospital Monday to repair a small perforation in his small intestine. He was hurt when he was hit hard in the midsection on a tackle by Seattle's Fred Thomas. A CAT scan Monday showed some fluid in Mills' abdomen and an operation was performed to repair the damage. He was to remain in the hospital overnight.

He could be back in time for the playoffs, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said.

McIver tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee when his leg was caught underneath a pile of players. The club placed him on injured reserve Monday. He had already missed five games this year after spraining his right knee on Oct. 4.

"He took it hard," coach Chan Gailey said. "You work so hard and then you hurt your other knee. He wanted to have a great season and now that's not going to be able to happen."

Mills, 30, had resurrected his career in Dallas after struggling in Pittsburgh and Carolina the past three seasons because of a severe knee injury. He had the most extensive knowledge of Gailey's offense and had split time with Billy Davis as the No. 2 receiver behind Michael Irvin. He ends his season with 28 receptions for 479 yards. He leads the team in touchdown receptions with four.

"He understood our offense and was very instrumental with helping everyone understand the little quirks that happen," Gailey said. "Hopefully we are far enough along now that everyone knows what we are doing. Losing him now is better than losing him in the second game of the season."

With Mills out, and Deion Sanders (toe injury) limited on offense, that means more action for players such as Jeff Ogden, Eric Bjornson, and former Fort Worth Country Day star Patrick Jeffers.

Ogden had a career high four receptions for 26 yards against the Seahawks. Jeffers caught two passes for 40 yards, including a 21-yard reception at the end of the first half that set up the go-ahead field goal.

KICK RETURN DUTIES

Chris Warren, who was returning punts and kickoffs in place of Sanders and Kevin Mathis, is listed as questionable for the Vikings game with a strained right groin.

Gailey said cornerback Kevin Smith and Ogden would return punts if Warren can't go. Ogden, Billy Davis, and Sherman Williams would be the leading candidates to return kickoffs, Gailey said.

INSTEAD OF MOSS

Cowboys rookie defensive end Greg Ellis will come face to face Thursday with the player many observers thought the Cowboys would pick in the draft last spring: Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss.

While Moss has carved out rookie-of-the-year type statistics, Ellis has put together a nice season as well, with 41 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 11 quarterback pressures.

Ellis said he is aware of all the fuss that has been made about Moss. But he added, "nobody has ever come to my face and said, 'Yeah, they should have picked Randy over you.' "

"Randy's a good player," Ellis said. "Mr. Jones knew he was a good player when he didn't take him. He realized the best thing to do for this football team was to take me. Randy, as everyone can see, is an excellent football player. But they needed a defensive lineman here."

BRIEFLY

Quarterback Troy Aikman, who missed 51/2 games with a fractured left collarbone, needs 15 passing attempts against the Vikings to qualify among the league's leading passers this season. Aikman's passer rating of 99.6 would be fifth best in the league, behind Minnesota's Randall Cunningham (108.9), Denver's John Elway (102.3), San Francisco's Steve Young (101.5), and the New York Jets' Vinny Testaverde (100.4). ... The Cowboys added practice-squad player Terry Billups, a defensive back, to its active roster. They signed linebacker Brandon Tolbert to the practice squad.

(c) 1998, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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