* Jason Witten OK the day after

by KeithUCF Sat Sep 08, 2012 11:48 pm

IRVING, Texas -- Jason Witten reported no problems Thursday from playing against the New York Giants 23 days after lacerating his spleen in the preseason opener at Oakland.

The day after getting hurt against the Raiders, Witten went to the hospital in Oxnard, Calif., where the laceration was diagnosed.

Witten played in 49 snaps and caught two passes for 10 yards after receiving medical clearance Tuesday. With 10 days to get ready for Seattle, the Cowboys’ hope is that Witten will be able to return to a normal practice schedule after he was limited in three days of practice leading up to the New York game.

“He seemed good after the game,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “In terms of using him, we wanted to make sure we didn’t overuse him. We felt like communication was really, really important. He was going to tell us how he was feeling. We were going to check in with him as much as we could. The thing that we wanted to make sure that we did, though, is let him play with the normal playing rhythm that he typically plays with. He’s been starting for a long, long time. So we wanted to make sure we weren’t spot playing him, so he’s in for one play; he’s out for three plays; he’s in again. He wouldn’t really get into any kind of rhythm that he’s used to playing with.”

Statistically, the game did not compare to some of the best in Witten’s career, but Garrett said this might be the most memorable.

“He’s been as good a player as I’ve been around in my career,” Garrett said. “He’s just outstanding. He’s so productive and he does everything the right way as far as his preparation and performance. Last night’s game is going to be one that I remember more than any other game that he’s played when I’ve been around him just for all the different circumstances and his approach to it and his determination and a willingness to be a part of it. We just need to adjust as coaches whether he’s available or not available and make sure we have enough stuff in the plan to just go down the next road really kind of seamlessly.”