It's looking more and more like Tony Romo will be under center for the Dallas Cowboys in this Sunday's game against the St. Louis Rams.
According to an article in today's Dallas Morning News, Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones proclaimed in a radio interview that he expects Romo to play on Sunday despite breaking the pinkie finger on his right hand during the club's 30-24 overtime loss at Arizona last week.
The two-time Pro Bowl quarterback was initially expected to miss around four weeks due to the injury, but has reportedly been able to take snaps and throw without incident during recent practices after being fitted with a splint. Romo was listed as having limited participation in Thursday's session.
If Jones can be taken at his word, it reveals two things about the Cowboys' current state. First off, risking further injury to his team's franchise signal-caller further illustrates how much Jones is willing to turn to desperate measures to quench his insatiable thirst for a Super Bowl title this season, as if forking over a king's ransom to acquire wide receiver Roy Williams earlier this week to fortify what wasn't a real area of need wasn't enough of an obvious indicator.
It also shows who's really calling the shots amongst the Dallas brass when it comes to on-field decisions.
All indications are that Jones has been feverishly pushing for Romo to play, while head coach Wade Phillips and his staff would rather have their invaluable triggerman at 100 percent before throwing him back into the fray. When told of Jones' comments at his Friday press conference, Phillips remarked: "Whatever Jerry says, I'm going with."
The way I see it, if the Cowboys are worried that they can't beat the wayward Rams with a still-serviceable Brad Johnson directing the offense, the consensus preseason NFC favorites may have a few more problems than we outsiders are all led to believe.
Stay tuned.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Romo has broken finger
The Dallas Cowboys' nightmare of a week just got even worse this morning, as news is filtering out of Big D that star quarterback Tony Romo has a broken pinkie finger on his throwing hand and is expected to be sidelined around four weeks.
Romo is believed to have suffered the injury on the first play of overtime of Sunday's 30-24 overtime loss at Arizona, when he was sacked by the Cardinals' Chike Okeafor. The Pro Bowl signal-caller had thrown for 321 yards and three touchdowns on the afternoon.
If the initial prognosis is correct, Romo would miss three games and return to action for a key showdown at division-rival Washington, which dealt the Cowboys' a stinging two-point loss last month, on November 16. Dallas has a bye the week prior to that game.
However, the standout triggerman appears likely to miss a crucial clash with the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants at the Meadowlands in Week 9, as well as what should be a tough home test with 4-2 Tampa Bay the previous Sunday.
For the time being, Dallas will roll with 40-year-old Brad Johnson under center and journeyman Brooks Bollinger as the backup. With the league's trade deadline coming on Tuesday, it will be interesting to see if Jerry Jones makes a move to bolster the quarterback position, although the chances of acquiring an impact player appear to be slim.
Romo's injury comes one day after the Cowboys gave up two touchdowns on special teams to suffer a deflating loss in Arizona, and less than a week after trouble-making cornerback Adam Jones' latest escapades provided an unnecessary distraction to the league's most-scrutinized team.
Romo is believed to have suffered the injury on the first play of overtime of Sunday's 30-24 overtime loss at Arizona, when he was sacked by the Cardinals' Chike Okeafor. The Pro Bowl signal-caller had thrown for 321 yards and three touchdowns on the afternoon.
If the initial prognosis is correct, Romo would miss three games and return to action for a key showdown at division-rival Washington, which dealt the Cowboys' a stinging two-point loss last month, on November 16. Dallas has a bye the week prior to that game.
However, the standout triggerman appears likely to miss a crucial clash with the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants at the Meadowlands in Week 9, as well as what should be a tough home test with 4-2 Tampa Bay the previous Sunday.
For the time being, Dallas will roll with 40-year-old Brad Johnson under center and journeyman Brooks Bollinger as the backup. With the league's trade deadline coming on Tuesday, it will be interesting to see if Jerry Jones makes a move to bolster the quarterback position, although the chances of acquiring an impact player appear to be slim.
Romo's injury comes one day after the Cowboys gave up two touchdowns on special teams to suffer a deflating loss in Arizona, and less than a week after trouble-making cornerback Adam Jones' latest escapades provided an unnecessary distraction to the league's most-scrutinized team.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Rosenfels looking just fine
Sage Rosenfels' unexpected start at quarterback for the Houston Texans is going quite well so far. The capable veteran, subbing for an ill Matt Schaub, has completed his first five passes and just led the Texans on a nine-play, 71-yard touchdown drive. Houston still trails the Indianapolis Colts, however, by a 10-7 count early on.
Schaub spent Saturday night in a local hospital due to a virus, but is active for today's game and would be available if needed.
Schaub spent Saturday night in a local hospital due to a virus, but is active for today's game and would be available if needed.
Rodgers, Westbrook to start
As the first wave of inactives for today's early games filter in, a resolution has been reached on the status of two of Week 5's most significant injury concerns.
In Green Bay, quarterback Aaron Rodgers will start the Packers' matchup with the Atlanta Falcons after apparently making it through a pregame workout okay. Brett Favre's successor was a 50/50 shot to play after spraining his throwing shoulder in last week's loss at Tampa Bay.
In Philadelphia, the Eagles will have star running back Brian Westbrook at their disposal for today's pivotal divisional clash with the surging Washington Redskins. As most of you know, the versitale All-Pro has been dealing with an ankle sprain that kept him out of last Sunday's loss at Chicago. FYI, the Redskins won't have a key member on defense available, as cornerback Shawn Springs is inactive with a strained calf.
In Green Bay, quarterback Aaron Rodgers will start the Packers' matchup with the Atlanta Falcons after apparently making it through a pregame workout okay. Brett Favre's successor was a 50/50 shot to play after spraining his throwing shoulder in last week's loss at Tampa Bay.
In Philadelphia, the Eagles will have star running back Brian Westbrook at their disposal for today's pivotal divisional clash with the surging Washington Redskins. As most of you know, the versitale All-Pro has been dealing with an ankle sprain that kept him out of last Sunday's loss at Chicago. FYI, the Redskins won't have a key member on defense available, as cornerback Shawn Springs is inactive with a strained calf.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Davis Flogs Kiffin Back to the Stone Age
After watching Al Davis' bizarre press conference explaining the Lane Kiffin firing on Tuesday, Scott Linehan must have felt as lucky as a Titanic survivor.
A day earlier, Rams owner Chip Rosenbloom had praised Linehan as a hard worker, said he was a good man, and took personal responsibility, along with his deposed head coach, for the team's struggles.
Not quite the tack Davis took in removing Kiffin. The 79-year-old owner reading the warning letter he had sent to Kiffin weeks earlier was akin to a teenager breaking up with his girlfriend, then going to the schoolyard to read his Dear John letter to the whole class. It's one thing firing someone, it's another one humiliating them in such a public way. Davis took that route for a couple of reasons. One, he needed to publicly emphasize the reasons for firing Kiffin as part of his legal justification for not continuing to pay him. Second, Davis just isn't the classiest guy in the world, and doesn't really care that this kind of spectacle is not the way business is typically conducted in the NFL circa 2008.
My jaw was on the floor listening to all this, but there is little disputing that it made for great theater. The revelations about Kiffin wanting the Arkansas job in 2007, Bobby Petrino leaving the Falcons with three games left in order to block Kiffin from getting it (bet you didn't think Bobby Petrino could ever look like MORE of a scumbag), and Kiffin not wanting to Draft JaMarcus Russell were the juiciest tidbits, but there was a whole lot to choose from.
Oh yeah, Davis also called ESPN's Chris Mortensen a "professional liar," which probably trumps him calling NFL Network's Adam Schefter a "false rumor mongerer" a couple of years ago.
The best part of the press conference, by the way, may have been Davis' get-up. Autumn is here, and I too am donning my burlap hoodie underneath garish silver and black jacket.
A day earlier, Rams owner Chip Rosenbloom had praised Linehan as a hard worker, said he was a good man, and took personal responsibility, along with his deposed head coach, for the team's struggles.
Not quite the tack Davis took in removing Kiffin. The 79-year-old owner reading the warning letter he had sent to Kiffin weeks earlier was akin to a teenager breaking up with his girlfriend, then going to the schoolyard to read his Dear John letter to the whole class. It's one thing firing someone, it's another one humiliating them in such a public way. Davis took that route for a couple of reasons. One, he needed to publicly emphasize the reasons for firing Kiffin as part of his legal justification for not continuing to pay him. Second, Davis just isn't the classiest guy in the world, and doesn't really care that this kind of spectacle is not the way business is typically conducted in the NFL circa 2008.
My jaw was on the floor listening to all this, but there is little disputing that it made for great theater. The revelations about Kiffin wanting the Arkansas job in 2007, Bobby Petrino leaving the Falcons with three games left in order to block Kiffin from getting it (bet you didn't think Bobby Petrino could ever look like MORE of a scumbag), and Kiffin not wanting to Draft JaMarcus Russell were the juiciest tidbits, but there was a whole lot to choose from.
Oh yeah, Davis also called ESPN's Chris Mortensen a "professional liar," which probably trumps him calling NFL Network's Adam Schefter a "false rumor mongerer" a couple of years ago.
The best part of the press conference, by the way, may have been Davis' get-up. Autumn is here, and I too am donning my burlap hoodie underneath garish silver and black jacket.
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