While Romo sits, playoff hopes sag for Cowboys
IRVING — The Dallas Cowboys are on the verge of making the return of quarterback Tony Romo a moot point — if they haven’t already.
The team’s longest losing streak since 1989 — all six games that Romo has missed with a broken left collarbone — has the defending NFC East champions facing this sobering stat: Only one team has made the playoffs in NFL history after starting 2-6.
“I think you always want to address that, the perspective of where we are, where we’ve been, and where we’re going and what’s out there,” coach Jason Garrett said Monday, a day after Philadelphia beat Dallas 33-27 on Jordan Matthews’ 41-yard touchdown catch in overtime. “But I don’t think you want to spend too much time on that.”
The Cowboys have one more game before Romo is eligible to return — the first of consecutive games in Florida at Tampa Bay on Sunday. Dallas visits Miami the next week, when Romo can come back.
Two of the losses have been on opposing touchdowns to start overtime (New Orleans and the Eagles), another thanks to a go-ahead kickoff return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter (Giants), and a fourth on a late drive to a field goal (Seattle).
The only blowout was something of a given — a 30-6 loss to undefeated New England.
Matt Cassel had his best game in three starts against Philadelphia, but he and Brandon Weeden are both 0-3 trying to fill in for Romo.
“We have to address why it hasn’t been good enough,” said Garrett, whose previous longest losing streak in five years as coach was two games.