Jason Witten had nearly as many drops as catches through three games, back when his side still hurt just about every time he moved because of a lacerated spleen.

The Dallas Cowboys tight end dismissed the suggestion that the injury had anything to do with an uncharacteristic case of stone hands. The seven-time Pro Bowler didn't really even want to say how long it took to feel normal again after injuring the spleen in a preseason game.

Dallas coach Jason Garrett puts it somewhere around a month into the season. That's about when Witten started a career-best stretch that has him six catches from breaking Tony Gonzalez's tight end record of 102 in a season.

Witten could get it Sunday at home against New Orleans (6-8).