Following Saturday’s death of linebacker Jerry Brown and arrest of teammate Josh Brent on intoxicated manslaughter chargers, Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said he wouldn’t talk about the incident until after Sunday’s game against the Bengals.

Following the Cowboys’ 20-19 win at Paul Brown Stadium, Garrett stepped to the podium and delivered a heartfelt, six-minute statement that included the following comments:

“I have had the pleasure of being on many different teams, and the word ‘teammate’ is very special,” Garrett said. “I remember (Brown) as a big, strapping guy with bright eyes and a bounce in his step everywhere he went.

“Now, at 25 years of age, he is no longer with us. It is hard for everyone to handle, especially how we found out about it on the plane ride to Cincinnati. There was a feeling of numbness on the field, but they focused and found a way to win. It’s a day I’m never going to forget. However it is a tragic day for all of us. We will never forget Jerry Brown.”

Cook returns

Center Kyle Cook made his season debut Sunday after missing the first 12 games with an ankle injury he suffered in the third preseason game.

Undrafted rookie Trevor Robinson started his sixth game in a row, but Cook came in to start the third drive of the game and alternated with Robinson the rest of the game.

“The ankle felt great,” said Cook, who was able return rather than being lost for the season thanks to the NFL’s new Injured Reserve/Designated For Return rule.

“If it was the old rule I would have been out for the season. It’s a good thing it was approved. It’s a good rule, and hopefully teams are making the best of it. That’s another reason why I wanted to come back because I didn’t want to be the first guy on it and waste the rule.”

Jones rebounds

Dismayed by a dropped pass last week against San Diego that resulted in an interception, Bengals rookie receiver Marvin Jones bounced back with a solid game Sunday against Dallas in his second career start.

Jones finished with three catches for 45 yards, both career highs, to go along with a 37-yard run on a reverse.

“After that drop last week, I looked at it, debriefed and erased it from my memory,” Jones said. “I know the type of player I am, and those drops don’t happen often. It was easy for me this week to focus on the task at hand and get ready for the Cowboys.”

Key kicks

Signed off the street Thursday morning to replace injured Bengals kicker Mike Nugent, Josh Brown went 4-for-4 on field goal attempts and had four of his five kickoffs result in touchbacks.

“I feel good and have worked hard,” said Brown, who hit from 25, 25, 33 and 52 yards to tie his career high of four field goals. “My goal was to be ready and as sharp as ever when my opportunity came.”

All five of Brown’s kickoffs reached the end zone, and the only one that was returned was a high archer the Bengals coverage unit stuffed at the Dallas 13.

Sack stat

Defensive tackle Geno Atkins’ sack of Dallas quarterback Tony Romo on the second play of the fourth quarter gave him a team-leading 10.5 for the season.

Atkins becomes the ninth player in Bengals history to record double digit sacks, and the first since Robert Geathers in 2006. He already owns the franchise record for sacks by an interior lineman, breaking the previous mark of eight set by Dan Wilkinson in 1995.