Dallas Cowboys

Cornerback Terence Newman and secondary coach Dave Campo got into a physical altercation on the sideline in the first quarter of Sunday's 7-6 victory against the Redskins.

However, the Cowboys are acting as if it was no big deal and it was nobody's business.

Coach Wade Phillips even got testy with reporters who questioned him about the incident in which Newman pushed Campo and then the two bumped chests. The two jawed at each other toe-to-toe before Phillips and other coaches and players got between the two.

"It happens a lot, sure," Phillips said. "And you're looking at it from one side where you don't know what's going on.

"I don't need to go into detail of who said what, what happened to who, all those things, he said, she said. There wasn't anything big that happened that made a difference. We worked out what we had to work out on the sideline, and that's what we normally do. And that's what happens with a lot of teams a lot of times."

Newman declined to talk about the incident.

Campo said he was trying to stop Newman as he walked off the field, and Newman confronted him.

He said it was no big deal and they were going to move on from the episode.

The players also downplayed the incident, although it's hard to ignore any infighting in a Cowboys locker room that has had a history of acrimony. The divisiveness between Terrell Owens and quarterback Tony Romo splintered the team last year while playing a role in the December collapse. The Cowboys missed the playoffs with a 9-7 record, and Owens was released.

The Cowboys say this year is different.

"It's football man," defensive end Marcus Spears said. "When we get into these meetings (Monday), we'll be laughing and joking with each other. I don't know if you guys have arguments at your respectful workplaces. If you do, just understand that it's just business if you know the guy. Camps knows New, and New knows Camps, and whenever those types of things happen, we'll let (the media) blow it out of proportion and know that we're fine once it's all over with."

—Quarterback Tony Romo vowed after the game Sunday that he would play against the Raiders on Thursday despite a badly bruised back that required pain-killers in the locker room.

On Monday, he told the Cowboys he would be ready to go.

"He says he feels a lot better," coach Wade Phillips said during his late Monday morning press conference. "He had a little bit of stiffness. He had quite a bit during the ballgame (Sunday), but he says he feels a lot better."

• Wide receiver Roy Williams is now getting called out by players on opposing teams. Williams has been a huge disappointment this season. He did not have a catch Sunday against the Redskins.

  Washington free safety LaRon Landry said Williams is "scared" to go over the middle.

  "Yeah, I know he was, y'all can quote it, too," Landry said. "Y'all can tell him right now, tell him I'm saying it. I can say it right now, yeah, he was scared, I think. I told him he was scared."

  Williams was not available Monday to comment.

Player Notes

• KR Allen Rossum was released Monday to make room for the Cowboys to re-sign CB Cletis Gordon.

• T Doug Free and FS Alan Ball received passing grades from coach Wade Phillips for their play in starting roles for the first time against the Redskins on Sunday. Free started in place of injured Marc Colombo, and Ball replaced injured Ken Hamlin. The Cowboys seemingly didn't miss a beat.

  "They weren't perfect, but I thought both of them filled in well enough certainly that you wouldn't say, 'Hey, they've got a weakness there,' looking at us on tape," Phillips said. "I don't believe Oakland is going to say, 'We're going to attack the right tackle because he's not good enough to play,' that kind of thing. The same thing with Alan Ball. I thought both of them played pretty well. They did some things that other guys in that position hadn't done as well. Now they did some things that they can improve on, and they did make some mistakes, but I think playing another week and both of them starting at that position (will help)."

• LB Keith Brooking has a career-high four sacks, and he credits playing next to DeMarcus Ware.

  The 12-year veteran said backs often leave him to help chip on Ware, giving him a free rush lane to the quarterback.

  "The majority of my sacks, just to be dead honest with you, come from I'm just running scot-free and a lot of times the backs are sliding toward No. 94," Brooking said. "I'd do the same thing if I was in the backfield trying to block that guy. I'm just taking advantage."

• K Nick Folk has missed five field goals this season after missing seven his first two years combined. He is 13th among kickers in the league with a 73.7 percent field-goal percentage.

  His biggest problems have come between 40 and 49 yards, where Folk is 4-for-8 this season. His previous two years, Folk was 17-for-18 from that distance.

  Folk said he is in a little funk but that he is not worried about it because he is hitting the ball well. That was the case on the 46-yard miss against the Redskins on Sunday that went wide right.

  "I feel good, I hit the ball really well, it stayed a little to the right. It felt good coming off my foot," Folk said. "I had a good week of practice."

Report Card Vs

. REDSKINS

Passing Offense:

C—Tony Romo threw for just 158 yards and had a passer rating of 69.7. But he was money when it counted, completing seven of eight passes on the game-winning drive.

Rushing Offense:

B—The Cowboys rushed 33 times for 158 yards against the Redskins after gaining just 61 on 14 carries the week before against Green Bay. Marion Barber had 99 yards on 20 carries.

Pass Defense:

B—Jason Campbell passed for 256 yards, and he converted seven of 15 third downs, but they were largely non-consequential. The Redskins couldn't get in the end zone, and he was picked off in the fourth quarter by LB Anthony Spencer.

Rush Defense:

B—The Cowboys held the Redskins to 78 yards on 20 carries. Rock Cartwright surprised them with 67 yards on 13 carries, but 34 came on one run, and it didn't lead to a touchdown.

Special Teams:

C—Nick Folk missed a field-goal attempt for the second consecutive game. The Cowboys got no touchbacks on kickoffs while allowing a 38-yard return. P Mat McBriar was his usual stellar self, with three punts downed inside the 20.

Coaching:

B—The game was ugly, but give the Cowboys credit for coming through late. They are 3-1 this season when trailing after three quarters. Last year they were 1-6 when trailing after three quarters.