Broken Finger Sidelines Romo

After getting off to a quick start and being hyped by many as the best team in the NFL, things have begun to spiral downward for the Dallas Cowboys over the last few weeks. And bad went to worse on Monday when it was learned that quarterback Tony Romo has a broken pinkie on his throwing hand and will be out four weeks, as reported by ESPN's Michael Smith.

That means veteran backup Brad Johnson will run the offense for at least the next month. That, of course, is assuming he survives that long. The way Romo was knocked around, beaten, and consistently battered Sunday behind an offensive line that suddenly seemed to forget how to block, you have to wonder just how long the immobile Johnson will last. The guy's like a statue in the backfield who gives the opposing pass rush a relatively stationary target to tee off on. Which could ultimately lead to an appearance by third-stringer Brooks Bollinger.

The good news for Cowboys' fans, though, is the team is currently 4-2, despite coming off a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals. And they do have a bye week during the stretch Romo is expected to miss, which could limit his absence to just three games. So even if they lose two out of the three upcoming contests against the Rams, Buccaneers, and Giants, they would still be sitting at 5-4 when Romo (hopefully) returns for a rematch with the Redskins at FedEx Field.

Considering the strength of the NFC East, Romo's injury -- originally believed to be just a sprain -- certainly appears to put a damper on the Cowboys' chances at a division title. There's no denying that. But there's certainly no reason to start jumping off the bandwagon just yet either. The Cowboys are still a very talented team and the Giants proved last season that anything can happen if you simply make the playoffs. And 5-4 after nine games certainly keeps the Cowboys in the playoff hunt.

Cowboys chances going forward? Discuss it on the forum...

Photo: Lisa Blumenfeld / Getty Images