Tony Romo Eyes Week 11 Return To Struggling Cowboys

Tony Romo is hoping to rejoin the Dallas Cowboys against the Miami Dolphins in Week 11 of the NFL season. After breaking his clavicle in Week 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Romo was placed on the IR-Designated to Return list. It appears as though things are going well, and the Pro Bowl quarterback is apparently healing with no setbacks. He is also historically a fast healer, which bodes well for him getting back in time.

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports provided the update, and also said that wide receiver Dez Bryant appears to be on track to play Week 7 against the New York Giants. Bryant had foot surgery after an injury suffered in Week 1 against the New York Giants and has missed the previous three games. For a team that started the season 2-0, the Dallas Cowboys have struggled on offense since Romo and Bryant went down. While they put up 28 points in Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons and 20 points against the New Orleans Saints in Week 4, they are missing that special “it” factor that Romo provides.

As Todd Archer of ESPN notes, Romo has been responsible for much of the Cowboys’ success over the past decade. While DeMarco Murray was the leading rusher in the NFL last season, he most likely would not have been able to do it without Romo on the field. He not only makes the right throws, but he commands the offense. If he sees a defensive formation that he does not like before the snap, he audibles to a better play. If his wide receivers are covered, he will throw it out of bounds or check it down to a running back. The majority of the time, Romo makes the correct call on the field.

While backup quarterback Brandon Weeden has done an average job filling in, he is just not able to do the things that Tony Romo can do. Week 3 against the Falcons and Week 4 against the Saints were both winnable games for the Cowboys. While the Cowboys have suffered injuries to players besides Romo and Bryant, the quarterback is the most important position on the field. As Romo goes, the Cowboys will go. With him at the helm, the Cowboys always have a chance to win.

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett updated the media yesterday after Sunday’s loss, via Dallas Cowboys. While linebacker Sean Lee and running back Lance Dunbar also got hurt, Garrett remains optimistic about his team’s chances.

“We’re going to get them as ready as we can each week and learn from those experiences. The more you play in games, the better you’re going to get. We have plenty of examples of that on our team. Teams around the league have those kind of examples. That’s when you grow.”

With Bryant on track for Week 7 and Romo on track for Week 11, the Cowboys will still have to play five games without having both of their star offensive players. Their bye week is Week 6, so that will give everyone more time to heal without the possibility of losing even more games.

Currently sitting at 2-2, the Dallas Cowboys are tied with the Washington Redskins and New York Giants for first place in the weak NFC East division. The preseason favorite Philadelphia Eagles have largely been a disappointment this year, and their lack of talent is going to make it difficult for them to be a real threat in the division. The Redskins and Giants also have a variety of problems that are going to cause them issues the entire season. If the Cowboys can just go 3-2, or even 2-3 until Tony Romo returns Week 11 against the Miami Dolphins, they may have a chance to make a real run in the playoffs this year.

[Images via Tom Pennington/Getty Images]