Tony Romo Injury: Extra Padding Won't Help Romo Against Washington Redskins

The Dallas Cowboys can’t afford to risk their season and allow QB Tony Romo to play Week 3.

The Cowboys are hoping to enjoy their home opener with a victory against the 2-0 Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football, but they shouldn’t let Romo participate in the contest.

Romo is battling a punctured lung and cracked rib suffered Week 2 against the San Francisco 49ers. The team is looking to find ways to ensure let him play and ensure his safety.

According to ESPN’s Ed Werder:

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“Tony Romo's determination to do whatever possible to avoid missing a game with his fractured rib is evident as the Dallas Cowboys quarterback spent Wednesday being measured for a protective vest, according to a source.

The vest is manufactured by the same equipment company that created a similar device for Michael Vick last season when the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback suffered damaged rib cartilage."

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They can package Romo in a cushioned ball, but it won’t matter. Romo is already having trouble getting dressed, throwing the ball and even calling the plays. One victory against Washington isn’t worth risking the entire season.

Last year on Monday Night Football in Dallas, Romo suffered a broken collarbone at the hands of the New York Giants. With Romo already prone to being destroyed behind an inconsistent offensive line, Dallas is better off sitting their superstar QB and letting him heel.

Washington doesn’t have an elite defense, but they do have an elite, young and motivated linebacker duo in Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan. These two studs have a knack for getting to the ball-carrier and won’t hesitate to pop Romo straight in the midsection. With their supreme speed and power, they will obliterate Romo’s cute little vest and sideline him for more than one game.

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“’Obviously you can think of it like that,’ said Orakpo. ‘If somebody gets injured you want to go after the injury. But we're going to just play our game. We're going to try to get Romo down when we can. We're not going to just target the ribs and forget about trying to get the ball out or forget about trying to get him down and just hit his ribs. Nah, we're going to go the best we can to get him down and get off the field.'”

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Romo does not want to mess with a phenomenal pass-rusher like Orakpo. Romo holds onto the ball too long and won’t be able to complete his patented dodge move to avoid Orakpo and Kerrigan. Romo will get knocked around early and often in this contest, which is the last thing Jerry Jones and the Cowboys want to see right now.

If Romo begins to compensate for the injury, he will surely alter his game. This could negatively affect the offense as he will be trying to do things to mask the pain, which means he could lose accuracy and arm strength. He may not be able to fully focus on the Redskins defense, which could affect making the right read or realizing a blitzer is coming in like a speeding bullet.

Dallas' superstar QB doesn't even have a great track record against Washington. He’s thrown seven touchdowns and five interceptions in his last five games against Washington. 

The Cowboys need to realize that this season is a marathon. It is far more important to end the season healthy and on a hot, winning streak. The NFC is wide open this year with most teams starting 1-1. Even if the Cowboys lose to the Redskins to fall to 1-2, they still won’t be far behind in the race.

More importantly, the Redskins aren’t an overpowering team overall. Dallas could still get the job done with backup veteran Jon Kitna, who was decent last year when Romo was on the shelf. He even beat Washington 33-30 on December 19 when he threw two touchdowns and zero interceptions.

If Romo plays, the Cowboys will risk far more than one game—they will risk their entire season.