IRVING, Tex. — The Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl odds have slipped from 25-1 to 150-1 after quarterback Tony Romo fractured his left collarbone for the second time. The Cowboys (3-8) have lost seven of their last eight and only the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans have a worse record.
If the season ended today, the Cowboys would draft fourth overall.
Yet, the Cowboys’ still have hope and their post-season hopes remain alive heading into Monday’s game against the Washington Redskins (5-6). The Cowboys stand only two games behind the Giants and the Redskins in the NFC East. The Eagles are one game better than Dallas.
“There’s a lot of hope,” cornerback Morris Claiborne said. “It seems the way we’re playing, we’re losing and our record, but if you sit back and look at the overall picture, we’re not out of it just yet. It’s not over until the fat lady sings.”
If the Giants lose to the Jets on Sunday, and the Cowboys beat the Redskins on Monday night, Dallas will move to within one game of the division lead with four games to play. The Cowboys have hope. But they are also not the type that will give up. They have shown that all season and every day in practice.
“This is a group of guys … that there’s no quit at all,” center Travis Frederick said. “Everybody has got the attitude every week that it’s a new week and a new day. I think coach (Jason) Garrett has done a good job of instilling that in everybody, and everybody has done a really good job of taking it to heart and going and out just doing it. Guys are showing up ready to go, and we’re excited to go to practice today.”
“Our mindset is still the same: continue working and continue to finish the rest of this season out,” tackle Tyron Smith said. “You never know what could happen. You have to still stay positive throughout the whole thing and work on small things and stay focused on the rest of the season.”
Consider that one reason the Cowboys are not putting Romo on the injured reserve list with a fractured collarbone is the off chance that they make the playoffs, allowing him to return for a wild-card game or a divisional playoff game.
The Cowboys believe they have a chance because they believe Matt Cassel will be better and more comfortable at quarterback in his second stint in place of Romo.
“He’s an experienced guy, been around a lot of offenses, he’s played a lot of football,” Garrett said. “But understanding how we do it and understanding the guys he’s playing with is critical. I think we’ve seen him grow and develop in so many areas over the course of the four games that he played.
“He got better and better because he was more experienced in this environment. But then when you get a chance to step back, watch somebody else, I think if you approach it the right way that can be really productive. There’s a reason he has played in this league for as long as he has. I think he maximizes his opportunities to get better and so I think he benefited from that.”
Cassel said he learned a lot from watching Romo play the past two weeks.
When he arrived via trade in September, Cassel had five weeks to sit back and learn before being promoted to fill-in starter over the now released Brandon Weeden. But when Romo returned to play against the Dolphins and Panthers, it crystallized things for Cassel.
“The little nuances to it or the cadences, the simple things that he does at the line of scrimmage, some of the protections that he was able to get to – it was great for me to see that and see that in person,” Cassel said. “Because when you’re watching it on film, you’re just watching a cut-up reel or something like that. You don’t completely understand it. But when you’re out there on a day-to-day basis and watching practice and seeing it in a game, it was very helpful for me.”
SERIES HISTORY: 109th regular-season meeting. Cowboys lead series, 65-41-2. Dallas has won nine of the last 13. Dallas won the last meeting at Washington, 44-17. Dallas’ 65 victories over the Redskins are the most vs. any team in the league.
GAME PLAN
–The Cowboys must stop the Redskins running game and put Kirk Cousins in long passing situations. Everything the Redskins do on offense is based off their running game. Don’t let their average of 96.2 yards per game on the ground fool you. The Redskins can run it and run it well, which sets up their deep passing game. The Cowboys must stop the run and pressure the quarterback. Offensively, Darren McFadden must get going again on the ground and take some pressure off Matt Cassel. Receiver Dez Bryant needs to make plays again. Cassel can’t turn the ball over.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
–Redskins LT Trent Williams vs. Cowboys DRE Greg Hardy.
Hardy leads the Cowboys with 4.5 sacks and he needs to get the quarterback to help this Cowboys defense make plays. He has usually been handled with double teams and chips but Williams is the Redskins’ best offensive lineman and can handle Hardy by himself. If Hardy can’t do damage against Williams, look for the Cowboys to move him around to create a mismatch.
–Redskins WR DeSean Jackson vs. Cowboys CB Brandon Carr.
Jackson has been injured for much of this year. But he is healthy for the stretch run and remains on of the league’s top big-play threats. He is very effective in the Redskins’ run-based scheme because of the play-action pass and his ability to take the top off the defense. Carr has struggled in coverage for much of the year and will be hard-pressed to keep up with Jackson.