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Status quo Campo says after injury heals, Wright will start
IRVING, Texas (AP) -- No matter how well Anthony Wright performs over the next few weeks, he will still be the Dallas Cowboys' stopgap solution at quarterback. Rookie starter Quincy Carter will be out 4-to-6 weeks with a torn left hamstring. Cowboys head coach Dave Campo said Carter will start again when he's healthy, despite having played less than five quarters this season. Campo said the injury is a setback. "But I don't think there's any question that you all know what our plan is. It really doesn't change our plan at all," he said. That plan doesn't leave Wright much hope of advancing up the depth chart.
He will be the starter Monday night when the Cowboys (0-4) play winless Washington and for about five games after that. Then, it appears he'll have to dutifully head back to the bench -- regardless of his performance. "If you do what you're supposed to do, things will work out for you," Wright said. "All I wanted was a chance to get some time under my belt. I've been preparing myself for this." Wright started two games when Carter was out with an injured thumb, then finished Sunday's 28-21 loss at Oakland after the rookie tore his hamstring in the first quarter. Wright, who has struggled at times this year, is 33-of-70 for 352 yards and five touchdowns with four interceptions. But he has been on the field for 44 of Dallas' 66 points this season, including touchdown throws of 80 and 40 yards. Even running back Emmitt Smith has said Wright should start in place of Carter, who is just 10-of-24 for 38 yards with two interceptions and no touchdowns in his limited time. While Wright's production has been more impressive than Carter's, he is 0-5 as a starter. His only starts before this season came in the final two games of 2000, when he lost both while replacing the injured Troy Aikman, who retired during the offseason. The Cowboys also want to evaluate whether Carter, their top pick in the 2001 draft, is the team's quarterback of the future. He was named a starter in the preseason after the Cowboys released Tony Banks. Wright plans to use the next few games as an audition for somebody -- perhaps even the Cowboys. "Anybody in this business knows you're only given so many chances to produce," Wright said. "I think this is going to be a major factor in my development and maturity." Wright says he isn't frustrated with the Cowboys' insistence to plug in Carter as the starter, but Campo thinks otherwise. "He's probably upset -- rightfully so," Campo said, "and I like that, because I think what he's doing, he's showcasing his talent for us and for anybody else that's looking at him, and that benefits us in both cases." It's clearly an uncomfortable situation for Wright and Carter, whose lockers are next to each other. The usually affable players sat side by side for nearly 10 minutes after a recent practice and didn't speak to each other. Carter said he doesn't want to comment on the situation. Meanwhile, the Cowboys hope that Wright can shoulder the load while Carter's hamstring heals. It would be one of the few pleasant surprises for the team this season. "We have a quarterback who is starting to develop," Smith said. 'Hopefully it will give us some stability."
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