Good news has been hard to come by for the Dallas Cowboys over the last few days, in spite of their 2-0 start to the season. Monday they got some, at least, when it was announced that quarterback Tony Romo won’t need surgery to help repair his broken left collarbone.
Romo will still miss at least the next seven games.
Thank you for all your prayers and support. No surgery needed. We're just getting started cowboys nation. See you soon
— Tony Romo (@tonyromo) September 21, 2015
All this came on the heels of the news that wide receiver Dez Bryant may end up missing 10-12 weeks with his broken foot instead of the foour-to-six the team had hoped after he suffered the injury in Week One.
The earliest Romo could be back will be the Cowboys’ Nov. 22 game against the Miami Dolphins. Over the next six weeks the Cowboys face off against four legitimate playoff caliber teams and the New Orleans Saints, who find themselves in a similar situation after Drew Brees went down with a shoulder injury and is questionable for next week’s game against the Carolina Panthers. It’s important to not that Brees has never missed an NFL start with an injury.
Payton on @WWLAMFM on NFL Network’s report that Brees could miss several games “I would say that report is inaccurate”
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) September 21, 2015
In the meantime, the Cowboys are going with Brandon Weedon as their starter for the foreseable future. Weedon is the only other quarterback on Dallas’ roster, so look for them to address that any day with a free agent signing. Weedon is 5-16 as a starter in the NFL so that has to sting a little bit, but he played spectacularly in relief of Romo against the Eagles Sunday night, going 7-for-7 passing for 73 yards and a touchdown for a 149.7 passer rating. You could say that Weedon was the second best quarterback in the stadium Sunday night, which I’m sure has Eagles head coach Chip Kelly reaching for the Nexium as I type this.
Was told last night that Tony Romo's injury is "similar" to the one in 2010. If you remember that, you'll remember uncertainty on timetable.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) September 21, 2015
So what are the Cowboys going to do in free agency? My best guess is that they’ll sign Christian Ponder, who, with Weeden, will help them corner the market on first-round busts backing up their undrafted starter. Ponder played well for the Oakland Raiders in the preseason and I was kind of surprised the cut him, so he’s probably the top quarterback on lots of teams’ lists when disaster strikes. Matt Flynn, formerly of every team in the AFC East, would be my next guess if he could pass a physical.
And I’m one of the biggest Tim Tebow advocates around, but you can cross him off the list. The Cowboys’ offense is completely out of his league and any crazy articles you read about a possible Robert Griffin III trade with the Washington Redskins should be grounds for the author to turn in his or her press pass immediately.
And Brees? I bet he plays, but if he doesn’t, it’ll make those Luke McCown Verizon commercials kind of ironic, won’t it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwF5tzFi11s
Cutler out two weeks with a hamstring injury
Jimmy Clausen will get another shot to take quarterback Jay Cutler’s job in Chicago. Cutler went down Sunday with a hamstring injury and according to the NFL Network, will miss at least two weeks.
Jay Cutler is expected to miss at least 2 weeks with a hamstring injury. Jimmy Clausen will start, via @RapSheet pic.twitter.com/9JglnrXF1O
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) September 21, 2015
Cutler was hurt trying to tackle Arizona Cardinals safety Tony Jefferson after tossing an interception, which, for Cutler, at least shows he actually gave a damn at that moment.
Clausen will be thrown right into the fire against the 0-2 Seattle Seahawks, so that probably won’t go well. If it does as Clausen somehow leads the 0-2 Bears to a win, he’ll be hard to send back to the bench.
Matt Stafford may not start Lions’ Week Three game against the Broncos
The injury report on Detroit Lions quarterback Matt Stafford reads more like the instructions to the kids’ game, Operation. Stafford is hurt all over, with injuries to his right arm, chest and ribs. Sunday, Stafford got a chest X-ray after getting the hell beat out of him in a 26-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Caldwell on Stafford; "He's sore" Wouldn't say if X-rays showed anything broken
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) September 21, 2015
When asked about Stafford’s health and a possible Broncos’ start, Lions head coach Jim Caldwell told reporters, “We’ll see. He’s very, very sore. There’s no question about that. He got hit far too many times.”
Stafford has also been forced to throw the ball way too much, opening himself up for those hits in the Lions first two games, both defeats. Stafford has completed 61.4 percent of his passes for 532 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions.
If Stafford can’t go, then it will be 10-year journeyman quarterback Dan Orlovsky quarterbacking the Lions. Orlovsky hasn’t taken a snap since 2012, so you can see why guys like Josh Freeman and Tim Tebow can’t make an NFL team.
Other injuries
Green Bay Packers Eddie Lacy injured his ankle against the Seahawks Sunday night. X-rays were negative.
Buffalo Bills cornerback Aaron Williams suffered a neck injury against the New England Patriots and has been released from the hospital.
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Denard Robinson will miss several weeks after suffering a knee injury Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.
Atlanta Falcons running back Tevin Coleman will probably miss at least a week with a fractured rib. According to the Falcons, Coleman will play again when he can handle the pain.
Tennessee Titans right tackle Chance Warmack will miss at least a week with a knee sprain.
