The Dallas Cowboys Get An Ugly Win Without Romo...Now What?

It was Week Six in the NFL, and the Dallas Cowboys were riding pretty high.

4-1 entering a game against the Arizona Cardinals on the road, a team that had just given up 56 points two weeks before to the offensively challenged New York Brett's.

'Zona had just defeated the previously undefeated Buffalo Bills the week before, and seemed to be getting a little swagger heading into the Cowboys game.

Anquan Boldin was out due to a horrible-looking face injury that he suffered against the Brett's. Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston would have to shoulder the receiving load.

Tony Romo was healthy and ready to go, and the Cowboys would have another win after 60 minutes of football, right? After wins against the Packers, Browns and Eagles, they wouldn't lose to Arizona would they?

Apparently, the Cowboys were who Whisenhunt thought they were as the Cardinals won the game in overtime, and dominated the whole contest.

The game wasn't the only thing the Cowboys lost, as QB Tony Romo broke his pinkie finger on his throwing hand, and despite encouragement from Brett Favre, he won't be playing again until mid-November.

In comes 75-year-old veteran Brad Johnson. Out goes the Cowboys offense.

After putting up an average of 29.1 PPG in their first six games, since Johnson has took the helm the Cowboys offense has been split right down the middle, averaging 13.5 PPG in their last two.

What was that about Romo being overrated?

After the loss to the Cardinals, the 'Boys went into St. Louis, a one win team at the time, and were trampled like a soccer riot 34-14. The game was never close, and every analyst with a brain were counting Dallas out.

With Jeff Garcia and Tampa Bay coming to dinner, Dallas would surely lose their meals right? They couldn't possibly score enough and hold down the Bucs with their under-achieving defense to win could they?

Call the cliche police on me, but, "contrere muh frere."

Not only did the Cowboys hold the Buccaneers to three field goals, but they scored 13 including a touchdown pass to Roy E. Williams. Also, they held Garcia's offense out of the end zone with under one minute to play in the 4th quarter to win.

What? The Dallas Cowboy defense? The one that gave up 34 points to the Rams, 37 to the Eagles and 30 to the Cardinals? That defense?

Let's just say defense actually mattered in Big D yesterday.

All of this without CB Terence Newman or Adam "Pacman" Jones. Not that the Buccaneers have a high-powered offense or anything, but they did defeat the Carolina Panthers, a six win team, 27-3 a few weeks before.

Is it just me, or this Cowboys team is quite baffling?

To put things in perspective, there is no way on God's green Earth that the Cowboys can win consistently averaging under 14 points per game. Two simple reasons why:

1. Their defense isn't consistent or potent enough to bail them out. Compare the Cowboys to the New York Mets. Run support is great, but doesn't matter if your defense (pitching) isn't good enough to sustain leads.

2. Their offense can't produce with Brad Johnson. The running game of Marion Barber loses a lot of steam because Felix Jones is injured and nobody fears the pass. Therefore, Terrell Owens and Williams don't get open, and if TE Jason Witten misses time, Cowboys fans can put their heads down now.

Basically, getting an ugly win against the Buccaneers was good because 4-4 in the NFC East puts you way behind, but if things don't change the Cowboys may end up 5-5 when Romo returns.

Here are the NFC East standings right now:
1. NY Giants—6-1
2. Washington Redskins—6-2
3. Dallas Cowboys—5-3
4. Philadelphia Eagles—4-3

Dallas has a huge rivalry game against the New York Giants next week, a game that they really can't lose. If they do, they just may forfeit the NFC East crown.

If the Cowboys lose to the Giants and go 5-4 while the Giants go 7-1, that will put them three games behind. With a bye the week after, November 16th they would face the Washington Redskins on the road.

The toughest division could possibly be determined by the middle of November.

If Romo can't go for either game and the Cowboys lose to both the Redskins and Giants, they would be 5-5 while the Giants could be 8-1 and the Redskins 8-2. A four game lead?

Forgettaboutit.

The team that has the 13 Pro Bowlers and the most talent could be 5-5 in November? Wow, how things change in the Not For Long league.

Dallas needs to assert themselves, and do it now. The schedule won't get any easier, and Tony Romo is not Brett Favre. He won't be making any miracles and playing well on a broken pinkie finger.

Dallas' putrid offense is hardly what we all projected, and needs to get better in Romo's absence. If Philly and Arizona can run through the Cowboys D, Eli Manning and Mr. No INT's himself Jason Campbell can do it.

The Redskins already did with Romo.

Can Dallas continue to win and make a push for the NFC East? At this point nobody knows, but with the offensive production I witnessed Sunday, the answer to that is as obvious as Ryan Howard's nose.

No.

And that's word to Troy Aikman.