The Dallas Cowboys were already vastly underachieving with their 1-4 record compared to most people’s preseason expectations for the club. Some wild thinkers had them becoming the first NFL team to play for the Super Bowl in their own stadium. I had them finishing second in the division to the Giants and out of the playoffs. They won’t be finishing second, but they’ll definitely be missing the playoffs after getting pummeled by the Giants at home on Monday night.
What started off as a 10-0 lead and nothing but positive emotions for the Cowboys at home turned into bitter disappointment. Quarterback Tony Romo got hurt early in the second quarter when he was hit after throwing a pass. He was driven into the turf and immediately grabbed his left shoulder. Romo left the game and was replaced by backup Jon Kitna who struggled to complete passes and gain yardage. Kitna’s ineffectiveness left the Cowboys’ defense on short fields and made it much easier for the Giants to score, which they did many times.
Now Dallas is 1-5 which would have had them out of the playoff hunt even with Tony Romo healthy. The early word is that Tony Romo’s injury is a fractured left clavicle (otherwise known as the collarbone). The recovery time for such an injury is around eight weeks, and there’s only 10 left in the regular season. With the team already in the doghouse, they may just let Tony sit home and recover to get healthy for next year. 1-5 just happened. Maybe 3-13 will too.
Photo Credit: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
