If Cowboys Are Contenders, They Can Beat Jaguars Without Tony Romo

As the Dallas Cowboys prepare to play a game 3,500 miles from the continental United States, every Dallas fan at home and abroad is obsessing over the status of quarterback Tony Romo. 

Romo, of course, missed last week's loss to the Arizona Cardinals after suffering a pair of transverse process fractures in his back the week prior. However, the 34-year-old quarterback returned to practice on Thursday, and owner Jerry Jones believes he'll suit up in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Thing is, that shouldn't be necessary. 

I know, I know—Romo's a hell of a quarterback, while backup Brandon Weeden isn't.

Romo has completed 68.2 percent of his passes and ranks among the top five in terms of yards per attempt, touchdown-to-interception ratio and passer rating. He's having a Pro Bowl-caliber season. 

Meanwhile, Weeden has more career interceptions (28) than touchdowns (25), a career win-loss record of 5-16 and is coming off an abysmal performance in a loss to the Cardinals. 

Make no mistake, the Cowboys probably would have won that game with Romo rather than Weeden, who threw a pair of cringe-worthy picks and was wildly inaccurate most of the day. 

However, the Cardinals have the sixth-best scoring defense in the NFL. What's more, they're the only one-loss team left in football. They're loaded, and they're a Super Bowl contender, too. 

That was the type of game in which Romo's presence was an acceptable difference-making factor. 

This game is not. 

The Jaguars are 1-8 and have lost 34 of their last 41 games.

Based on their DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) formula, Football Outsiders ranks them as the second-worst team in football. They're giving up 27.9 points per game, which ranks 30th in the league, and averaging a league-low 15.7 on offense. 

Team	Record
Jaguars	7-34
Raiders	8-32
Buccaneers	12-28

Even the 0-8 Oakland Raiders have a better point differential total. 

Team	Point differential	Record
Jaguars	-110	1-8
Jets	-98	1-8
Buccaneers	-95	1-7
Raiders	-82	0-8

It's been nearly three full years since the Jags last beat a team with a winning record outside of Jacksonville. 

If the Cowboys are the contender they purport to be, they'll destroy the Jaguars with or without Romo.

A 6-3 team with a jacked-up offense and a well-coached defense should believe it's a contender, and therefore the right decision Sunday might be to give the QB a rest for one more week. 

I'm not a doctor and neither is Jerry Jones. Romo might very well be cleared by a dude with an actual medical degree. However, even if that happens, why push it? Why risk anything with a guy who has dealt with three separate back injuries in the last two years, especially against a team that does everything wrong except rush the passer?

Team	Sacks	Sack rate
1. Vikings	30	9.5
2. Bills	28	8.6
3. Chiefs	27	9.7
4. Jaguars	27	7.6
5. Dolphins	25	8.0

Romo is the sixth-oldest starting quarterback in the NFL, and the Cowboys quite conveniently have a bye week following Sunday's game. Have some faith in your loaded receiving corps, your red-hot running back, your talented offensive line and your underrated defense. Sit him Sunday, and he'll have had a 26-day break before facing the New York Giants in Week 12. 

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFC East for Bleacher Report since 2012.

Follow @Brad_Gagnon