IRVING, Texas - Kickoff returns weren't supposed to be part of Felix Jones' job description when the second-year running back returned from a knee injury last Sunday against Atlanta.
But Allen Rossum's strained hamstring forced Jones back into his old special teams role. And with Rossum sidelined two-to-four weeks, Jones is ready for more.
"It's my time to step up," he said Thursday. "Hopefully we don't do it too many times, but I'm ready when my number is called."
The Cowboys signed Rossum in part because they wanted less special teams work for their incumbent kickoff returners, Jones and new starting receiver Miles Austin. Head coach Wade Phillips said Austin and rookie receiver Kevin Ogletree remain options.
Jones has missed 12 of 18 career games, including two with a posterior cruciate ligament injury this season. Phillips isn't concerned that returns will risk further injury.
"I don't think you coach scared," Phillips said. "The guy's well right now and he's ready to play. We'd like to get him the football and I think that's an opportunity to do that."
Said Jones: "Hey, there ain't no way around that. This is a physical game. You can get hurt walking a straight line. You just play football; there's no way around not getting hurt."
Jones has averaged 25.8 yards on 24 career returns and scored one touchdown last year.
He said his knee continues to improve.
"The knee brace really helped out a lot, and you just go from there," he said. "Every day it's getting better until the point where I don't need it anymore. From now on I guess I'll be using it until I feel 100 percent, and confident about what's going on with my knee."
Stadium Visit
Impending rain forced the Cowboys to relocate practice sites yet again Thursday. But with no scheduling conflicts at Cowboys Stadium this week, the team moved indoors to their $1.15 billion new venue.
The Cowboys haven't practiced there since late August, the week of their third preseason game.
"Just to be more familiar with your surroundings, even though it's 100 x 53 1/3 when you play," said Phillips, referring to every field's dimensions no matter the location.
Phillips said the team could practice there again Friday depending on the weather conditions. He said the 30-minute drive didn't affect the players' usual workout or meeting schedules.
Erasing Penalties
In more than three decades of coaching, Phillips hasn't seen a direct correlation between highly-penalized teams and losing teams. The old Oakland Raiders were one of the most penalized - and successful - groups, he recalled.
But Phillips would like to reduce his team's penalties, particularly pre-snap infractions. The Cowboys drew eight pre-snap flags against Kansas City and are tied for sixth in total penalties this season (45 for 381 yards).
Phillips did emphasize that offensive pre-snap penalties sometimes happen when the quarterback makes line-of-scrimmage adjustments - and those have often resulted in big plays this year.
"A lot of it has to do with your snap count," Phillips said. "Sometimes now if you want to be able to audible plays, change plays, those kinds of things, it can happen, those things can happen. And you have to keep working on that constantly so when you change something, somebody doesn't jump."
Anderson Returns
Rossum was the only idle player at Thursday's practice because fullback Deon Anderson returned from a one-day illness.
Anderson said he felt dizzy and began to sweat before Wednesday's practice, so the team held him out as a precaution. He said the symptoms have subsided.
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Rob Phillips - 
