Cowboys Jersey Now Romo has a broken bone in his back — his fourth back injury in less than four years — and no timetable for a return. Witten would also like to remind people that the player he came into the league with 13 years ago once returned to a game with broken ribs and a punctured lung.
"People are going to bet against him, that's fine, and I don't think that's unfair to do so," Witten said. "But if you know what he's about, which everybody in this building does, he's going to be back sooner than probably expected and he'll play better than anybody thought he would because I know that's what he's about."
Before even taking a question at his opening news conference for training camp, owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the Cowboys were finished waiting for star players to return after injuries to Romo and receiver Dez Bryant and suspensions for linebacker Rolando McClain and defensive end Greg Hardy set the tone for a first-to-worst slide to 4-12.
In keeping with that vow, Jones is talking up rookie fourth-round pick Dak Prescott, who figures to start at least the first few games as long as he's healthy, starting with the opener Sept. 11 against the New York Giants. And Prescott has been impressive enough in
Patriots jersey the preseason for Jones to lose interest in adding a veteran after backup Kellen Moore broke his right ankle in a camp practice. Romo's injury forces the Cowboys to look outside for a quarterback, but now it will be a backup to Prescott instead of to the team's 36-year-old leader.
"We've got a lot of energy here," Jones said Tuesday on his
cheap jerseys radio show. "And we can win with this. I
think Dak under center brings a lot of that there. That doesn't mean you didn't have a lot of excitement with Tony being healthy. We've got a chance to develop that energy, that asset so to speak with Dak."
The failures last year were the result of spotty play from backups Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel and a defense that finished last in the NFL in takeaways and turnover margin. The Cowboys also struggled to develop a deep threat without Bryant, an All-Pro in 2014 when the Cowboys won the NFC East and a playoff game.
"I think when I talked to you guys in April, the first thing we had to do coming off that season was we had to evaluate that thoroughly," Witten said. "I think as a football team we did a really good job of that, and that's hard. It's hard to look at yourself and say I didn't play well. We didn't play well."
The injuries to Romo and Bryant (broken foot) overshadowed a defense that was missing Orlando Scandrick, who was lost for the season to a knee injury in training camp. The Cowboys missed his playmaking, and maybe his straight talk as well.
"What do you want us to do, quit?" Scandrick shot back at reporters this week. "We are here to win games. Tony is not going to play football one day. Nothing is forever. People get hurt. You build a team to withstand this kind of stuff."
Romo is 78-49 as the starter, and the Cowboys are 7-20 when he has been sidelined by injuries that include a broken finger, three breaks of his left collarbone, a herniated disk and another small fracture in his back.
The broken ribs and punctured lung don't count because he didn't miss a game, returning in a come-from-behind win at San Francisco and playing eight days later in a home win on a Monday night against Washington in 2011.
"I think on the face of this, it really does hurt," Witten said. "But I don't think the expectations adjust any. I think the reason for that is we believe in the construction of this team, that it is strong, and the people around us. We've decided that with Tony."
While it is foolish to try and project when and cheap jerseys where we will see Tom Brady next, the Patriots quarterback discussed with reporters this week that he has not been told he won't be taking snaps against the Panthers. As we've said before, this preseason was always about Jimmy Garoppolo, but even the NFL's best quarterback would like to take some game snaps before a four-week hiatus.
» We have been subjected to a non-stop barrage of Devin Funchess hype this offseason and, according to reporters on the ground in Carolina, the hype is warranted. The Panthers will take that over a Terrelle Pryor preseason that could eventually go nowhere, but Funchess is currently 177th among wide receivers in the preseason with three grabs for 29 yards and a touchdown. Here's hoping the robust dress rehearsal doubles that total.
» Bill Belichick downplayed the importance of the third preseason game significantly in an interview this week. It will be interesting to see if he decides to handle his starting lineup any differently than the norm this year given his situation at quarterback and offensive line.
» Seantrel Henderson made his return to practice this week, and according to the Buffalo News, the former 16-game starter made his presence known. Henderson missed nearly a year with Crohn's Disease, but Patriots jersey could find himself in the thick of things soon. Amid a very crowded tackle depth chart in Buffalo, his frame and intensity make him hard to ignore. Hopefully Ryan allows him the chance to suit up this weekend.
» Linebacker Bryson Albright is climbing up the Bills' depth chart and could be your plucky undrafted free agent to keep an eye on against Washington. As the News noted, that distinction was once handed to Eric Striker, but now Rex Ryan & Co. seem to be favoring the Miami (Ohio) product.
» Robert Kelley is the currently the Redskins' en vogue running back now that Matt Jones is out for the rest of the preseason. Keith Marshall struggled again a week ago, leaving the team desperate to find a dependable option at No. 2. This could be the game that convinces Washington whether or not to hit the waiver wire on cut down day.
