Dallas Cowboys: Tony Romo Will Press on Through Broken Rib and Punctured Lung

Say what you want about Tony Romo fumbling away a win for the Dallas Cowboys at the New York Jets in Week 1. The guy did more than enough this past Sunday—leading a comeback victory over the San Francisco 49ers with a broken rib and a punctured lung—to redeem himself in the eyes of NFL fans, and then some.

Romo could hardly breathe, much less stand up straight, yet he was actually better after getting the wind knocked out of him than he was before Ahmad Brooks came calling. Romo connected on just 8-of-17 attempts for 143 yards and a touchdown in the first half.

After spending the bulk of the third quarter on the bench, Romo jumped back in the saddle with 12 completions in 16 attempts for 201 yards while stewarding three key scoring drives to help the 'Boys pull out their first win of the young season.

Apparently, watching Jon Kitna throw two picks in the third quarter was painful enough to get Romo back in the game and playing like a man on a mission, physical limitations be damned.

That mission, of course, is to guide Dallas to the Super Bowl, just one year removed from a chaotic campaign in which Romo's collarbone went bust in October and Wade Phillips got sacked in November.

One in which the Cowboys had hoped to claim the Vince Lombardi Trophy at home but, instead, ended up with a nightmare 6-10 season. 

For now, Romo will be ready to go next week when the Cowboys welcome the Washington Redskins to Irving, Texas on Monday Night Football. The discovery of the punctured lung hasn't changed Romo's status for Week 3, which is about as much good news as Dallas could've hoped for. The Cowboys will be without wide receiver Miles Austin, who aggravated a lingering hamstring strain while hauling in nine passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday, and may still have to press on in the absence of Dez Bryant, whose bruised thigh kept him out of action against the Niners.

Luckily for Romo and the Cowboys, running back Felix Jones should be good to go despite separating his shoulder. In the meantime, though, Dallas will lean on a wheezy Romo to work his magic on Monday night with a receiving corps that's almost as beaten up as he is.

Despite the physical anguish, the odds are in Romo's favor to push through to the Cowboys' ultimate benefit. After all, if Romo had the guts to play through pain in his guts before anyone knew the extent of the damage, he should be that much better off with a long week to rest, heal up a bit and prepare himself, both mentally and physically, to win at all costs.

Because, like it or not, those are the expectations that have been and will always be heaped upon him, as the face of the most popular franchise in the NFL, if not all of American sports.

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