NFL Predictions Week 3: Dallas Cowboys Will Be Doomed by Injuries

For sports fans, there's nothing worse than having to watch your favorite team come undone thanks to a wave of injuries. It's even worse when such a wave hits during a single game.

That's what happened to the Dallas Cowboys in San Francisco on Sunday. And despite the fact they came away with a 27-24 win in overtime, the injuries they suffered are not going away any time soon.

This is because, courtesy of a report from ESPNDallas.com, we found out on Monday just how bad these injuries are. Tony Romo suffered a fractured rib and a punctured lung, Felix Jones suffered a dislocated shoulder and Miles Austin aggravated a hamstring injury that he first suffered during training camp.

The good news for the Cowboys is that Romo and Jones should be able to play against the Washington Redskins on Monday night. The bad news, I think, is that their presence alone is not going to be good enough.

I would feel differently if either player were heading into the game 100 percent healthy, but they're not. Romo showed a remarkable ability to play through pain on Sunday, and you have to credit Jones for returning to the game after hurting his shoulder, but that doesn't change the fact that the two of them are damaged goods.

Against a team like the 49ers, the Cowboys were able to get away with this. Against the Redskins, they're not going to be so lucky. While I'm not so sure I buy the 2-0 Redskins as true contenders quite yet, they are certainly a better team than the 49ers. The playing field between them and Cowboys would have been level even if the Cowboys weren't banged up. But since they are, I think you have to give the Redskins the edge.

And come Monday, it could end up being pretty easy for the Redskins. With Austin out and Romo and Jones banged up, Dallas' offense is not going to be as dangerous as it otherwise would have been. And if the Redskins can neutralize Jones, who hasn't been very good this year anyway, it will be up to a banged-up Romo to beat them. Without the services of Austin, Dallas' best receiver, that's going to be difficult.

Sure, it can be done. But the odds, in my humble opinion, are not in favor of a Dallas win. That would be a great story, but it's not a realistic expectation.

Prediction: Redskins 28, Cowboys 20