11/27/12: Cowboys chat with SportsDay beat writer Rainer Sabin

Welcome to today's live chat. The Cowboys are 5-6 after a loss to Washington last Thursday. This Sunday they face the Eagles, a team that has lost seven straight games.

Spencer has definitely had a good season. He has set a career-high mark in sacks with 6.5. And he has excelled in pass coverage. Considering that the Cowboys generally have a fear of the unknown, it wouldn't be surprising that they make a bid to keep Spencer rather than try to find another player on the open market who may or may not be compatible with their system.

I think he is facing a sobering reality. The Cowboys don't resemble a playoff team. They have a lot of flaws and the injuries they've suffered have only exacerbated their problems.

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones seemed confident that Ratliff would return. As for the others, their availability seems uncertain at this point. Jones did say Murray is looking better than he has in previous weeks.

Well, there is always that possibility. Jason Garrett is standing on shaky ground and it's uncertain how long he will be the head coach. If and when he is removed, Jerry Jones will certainly look for viable candidates to replace him. He has a lot of connections in the NFL and seems to have developed many strong relationships with coaches who have proven they can win in the league.

Obviously the most optimistic Cowboys fan probably maintains hope that the team can make the postseason. And it is still possible. But it just doesn't look realistic at this point because the team hasn't performed well during long stretches in many of their games. Add in the fact that injuries have taken a toll and the outlook isn't good.

That's true. That question was asked to Jason Garrett in a press conference earlier this year and he didn't have a good answer other than the fact that the red zone is a condensed area of the field with a lot of bodies packed into a small area. But Witten seems to make catches in heavy traffic in other parts of the field so that reasoning doesn't make much sense. I know it's not because Tony Romo isn't looking for him in the end zone.

I'll see if our media columnist, Barry Horn, can find out that information.

It will be interesting to see if the Cowboys will feel inclined to move away from the core this team has been built around since the middle part of last decade.