Christine Michael has worked with the first-team offense this week for the first time since the Dallas Cowboysacquired the enigmatic tailback from the Seattle Seahawks early last month.
"That's good to see him work with our first group," offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said Thursday, via USA Today. "I think he's up to speed with the offense ... He's been coming along really good."
A healthy scratch in all three games to date, Michael said he finally "has the plays down" now.
"He's done well. He's working hard," coach Jason Garrett said Friday, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "... There are a lot of things to like about him."
Although the Cowboys' backfield committee of Joseph Randle, Darren McFadden and Lance Dunbar combined for 245 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns in last week's loss to the Falcons, they rushed for minus-4 yards after halftime.
If the coaching staff is confident that Michael is ready to contribute on offense, he can offer a power-speed combination missing in the other three backs.
At this point, Garrett isn't tipping his hand as to Michael's status for Sunday night's game at New Orleans.
"Sometimes you have an idea that somebody might play a certain number of plays in a game, but then the game goes a different way, and he doesn't play," Garrett said. "You want to make those evaluations as accurately as you can, but they don't always come out the way you want them to on Sunday."
