The Dallas Cowboys' season is on ice. The team had a lot of hope after seven straight losses when Tony Romo returned and sparked a win. However, that hope ended quickly when Romo went down against the Carolina Panthers re-injuring his collarbone and getting ruled out for the remainder of the season. That is not how Dallas saw things going this year after getting to the playoffs last season and with 2015 likely in the books, just how far into the future will the Cowboys be setting their focus on?
Injuries have certainly been an issue for Dallas this season, but with most everyone healthy outside of Romo, owner Jerry Jones made it clear that the Cowboys will still compete. The biggest question after Romo went down was whether or not Dez Bryant would sit out the remaining games. The wide receiver suffered a foot injury at the start of the year and underwent surgery, but has since returned to the field. Jones made it clear that Bryant would play for the rest of the season and not rest just because Romo is out.
"He needs to practice. He needs to play," Jones said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. "That's the best thing for Dez. He plays with pain. He's Superman with pain. To come back as quickly as he came back with his fractured foot, was just an example of it."
The Cowboys will put the ball back in Matt Cassel's hands for the remainder of the season. That did not work out well the first time and expectations are low for his second stint as the starter. Kellen Moore will take over the role of the backup. The quarterback completed 74 of 120 passes for 809 yards and four touchdowns and five interceptions in place of Romo earlier in the season. He never recorded a win. Cassel will have a healthy Darren McFadden to work with along with an improving Robert Turbin which will help him out. The quarterback told the media he is always ready to step in as it is simply next-man-up right now.
"That's part of what you embrace when you become a quarterback. You have to step in and try to fulfill that role," Cassel said, via the team website. "Hopefully the guys rally around you. You have to move forward. I have confidence in myself and I have confidence in this team. We have to start getting back to work."
Fantasy owners would be wise to look elsewhere in the receiver category. McFadden remains a solid RB1 option, but Bryant, Terrance Williams and Jason Witten could see a drop in production. Cassel and Bryant struggled to connect when he was the starter while Cole Beasley saw an increase in targets. The passing game is expected to be inconsistent at best with Cassel under center.
