Dallas Cowboys Look to Replace Tony Romo Heading Into Falcons Game
By Shawn S. Lealos
The Dallas Cowboys started out the season as a contender to this year's Super Bowl but now find themselves struggling with the loss of their three best offensive stars after just two games. All is not lost, as Dallas is 2-0 with both wins within the NFC East, but losing Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, and possibly Jason Witten has the Cowboys looking at a rough ride over the next two months. With the dangerous and surging Atlanta Falcons next up on the schedule, most of the news this week comes from off the field, which does not bode well for America's Team.
Brandon Weeden's time is now
Last year, Brandon Weeden replaced an injured Tony Romo for one game while Romo sat out with a hurt back. That game ended in an embarrassing loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Romo returned one week later and saved the Cowboys season, leading them to the playoffs. This year, it will be a much longer tenure for Weeden, as Romo will miss at least the next eight weeks with a broken collarbone. Romo doesn't need surgery, but was placed on the Injured Reserve-Designated to Return list, putting him out of action until November. Dallas now needs Weeden to step up, because his backup is Kellen Moore and the Cowboys just traded for Matt Cassel, who needs to learn the system. Luckily, owner Jerry Jones has faith in Weeden and said, "you won't see a more gifted passer, power, accuracy, the entire aspect of it" than Brandon Weeden.
Jason Witten is hurt too
Just when Cowboys fans thought that losing starting wide receiver Dez Bryant and quarterback Tony Romo wasn't bad enough, news breaks out of Cowboys camp that Jason Witten is also hurt. Witten, who has played in 189 straight games—the longest streak in the NFL for a non-kicking player—has two sprained ankles and a sprained knee. Despite that, Witten is practicing in full pads and has no intention of sitting out. With Bryant out of action, Witten becomes the go-to receiver for the Cowboys and their inexperienced quarterbacks. Witten's teammates know what to expect from the big tight end, and most expect him to play. James Hanna said that "He does it all the time," Hanna said. "Like this is a perfect example. He's on another level. I just don't know how he does it. He just puts it out of his mind and doesn't think about it or something."
DeMarco Murray controversy clouds Eagles game
When DeMarco Murray left the Dallas Cowboys for the NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles, he said it was just a business decision. He purchased a billboard in Dallas thanking the fans and said he was just going to the best possible destination when the Cowboys refused to offer him a deal. That was the Eagles with his former Oklahoma Sooners teammate Sam Bradford. Through two games, Murray has rushed for 11 total yards and the frustration boiled over on Sunday. When he ran out of bounds, Dallas kicker Dan Bailey grabbed him, seeming to balance them both. Murray took exception and threw the football at Bailey, and the officials penalized Dallas. Also, throughout the game, Murray was seen on the sidelines talking to the Eagles defensive coaches while Dallas was on the field playing offense. While Murray said he was leaving and there were no hard feelings, he is not doing much now to endear himself to the fans he left behind.
Sean Lee is officially back
One of the biggest losses in 2014 was when middle linebacker Sean Lee tore his ACL and missed the season. Lee is back this year, and on Sunday proved that he is as strong as ever. In Week 2, Lee won the NFC Defensive Player of the Week award. Jason Garrett gives out production points to all players after games, and Lee received the most points ever for a defensive player under Garrett. "It's great to have him back. It's a long road back for him," Garrett said. "He has been outstanding the first two weeks." Against the Eagles, Lee had 14 tackles, two for a loss, two passes defensed, an interception and he recovered an onside kick.
Shawn S. Lealos is a freelance writer who graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2000 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. He writes for a variety of national publications and has over 15 years of sports journalism experience. Follow Shawn on Twitter @sslealos. Examiner.com.