Photo: ESPN
November 22, 2015
Peter Solari Follow @4PeteSakeNY
The Cowboys (3-7) had their hands full on Sunday. The Dolphins (4-6) gave Dallas all they could handle, but Tony Romo and his boys scraped by with a 24-14 win, ending their seven game losing streak. With the win, Dallas is now the favorite to win the fledgling NFC East.
Sunday marked Tony Romo's first game since week 2, when he suffered a broken collarbone. The Cowboys struggled mightily in his absence, going 0-7 with Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel under center. However, neither the division leading Giants (5-5), nor the Redskins (4-6) and Eagles (4-6), have been unable to create any separation.
New York went 5-3 while Romo was rehabbing, but at 0-2, they were already sitting two games behind Dallas before the quarterback went down. The Giants are only two games in front of the Cowboys after 11 weeks of play, and that lead could shrink even more before they take the field again. The Giants had their bye in week 11 and don't play again until next Sunday in Washington, but the Cowboys will host undefeated Carolina on Thursday in a Thanksgiving clash. They're a long shot, but with a win over the Panthers (10-0), the Cowboys could move within 1.5 games of New York, which would make Sunday's Giants/Redskins game even more important.
The Redskins have kind of been flying under the radar all season. That's not hard to believe, because they aren't very good. But neither is the rest of the division. They only went 3-4 while Dallas was without Romo, but it's certainly been enough to keep them right in the thick of things in the division. They were slaughtered by Cam Newton and the Panthers in week 11, but at 4-6, they're only a game behind the division leading Giants, who will be in DC week 12. The Redskins are still very much alive in the division race.
The Eagles have probably been the biggest disappointment in the division to this point, but they too are very much alive in this race. They were hosting the Cowboys when Romo broke his collarbone, and they were able to go 4-3 while he was out. For the most part, however, they haven't been very good. DeMarco Murray hasn't been anywhere close to the same player he was in Dallas last year, and Sam Bradford is a long way from being an 'elite' NFL quarterback. Questions have always surrounded coach Chip Kelly's decision to have Bradford run his offense, but he's been given the benefit of the doubt thus far, due to the success he had at the college level. If Kelly doesn't finish this season strong, he could be out in Philadelphia, which would signal a rebuild for the Eagles, as Kelly has been very involved with personnel decisions. Right now, with an overall record of 4-6, the Eagles have every reason to believe they'll win the NFC East. Like Washington, they're only one game behind division leading New York. Unlike Washington, they've already beat the Giants this season, 27-7, in what has been their best, most complete game of the season thus far. They will be in New York week 17 for a game that could have playoff implications.
And then there's Cowboys. Sure, they're sitting in last place, but by this time next week, they might be only one game out of first place. More importantly for Dallas, is the fact that they're getting healthy! That's a stark contrast from the first place Giants, who seem to lose a player every week. Dallas' all-pro wide receiver, Dez Bryant, is back. So is their Pro Bowl quarterback. A team getting healthy at the right time, could be a very scary thing. The Giants rode that formula to a Super Bowl title in 2011, and it wouldn't be surprising if it helped the Cowboys make the playoffs.
There's plenty of football left to be played, and the NFC East is obviously wide open at this point. However, Dallas appears to be a team on the rise right now, while their division rivals all seem to have holes. The Cowboys struggled some in Romo's first game back, but they won, and you've got to believe Romo is only going to get better. Don't be surprised if Dallas gives Carolina a game on Thanksgiving. If Dallas can pull that off, they'll still have an opportunity to go 9-7, which will definitely be enough to win the NFC East. But even if they come up short against the Panthers, don't be surprised if Dallas still takes the division at 8-8.
