What little hope the Dallas Cowboys had at resurrecting their 2010 season ended on a Monday night in Week 7 when quarterback Tony Romo broke his collarbone at Cowboys Stadium against the New York Giants. The Cowboys came into the game 1-4 and would lose the next three before Wade Phillips was fired and Jason Garrett was promoted to head coach. Coaching changes continued into the offseason as Rob Ryan was brought in from Cleveland to be defensive coordinator.
On the offensive side of the ball, Dallas shook things up by cutting three of their long time offensive lineman; guard Leonard Davis, center Andre Gurode, and tackle Marc Colombo. In their stead, the Cowboys will be featuring two rookies in guard Bill Nagy and Tyron Thomas. Replacing Gurode will be Phil Costa who has only one year of NFL experience. The Cowboys believe their offensive line will be better this year and will improve upon a season in which they allowed their quarterbacks to be sacked 31 times, tied for 11th in the league. One concern has been injuries. As of Sunday night at 6PM, Costa and Thomas are listed as questionable for the game with knee problems.
While losing Romo definitely affected the team, the 23rd ranked defense was a big reason why Dallas finished 6-10. Only the Denver Broncos (29.4) allowed more points per game than the Cowboys (27.2), despite players that include Pro Bowl linebacker DeMarcus Ware and Pro Bowl nose tackle Jay Ratliff, who recently agreed to a five-year contract extension. The secondary will be without cornerback Terence Newman who has a groin injury. Mike Jenkins, the other starting cornerback, is listed as questionable due to neck issues.
The last time Dallas faced New York was Thanksgiving of 2007. The Cowboys defeated the Jets 34-3. Romo completed 21 of 28 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns. Marion Barber rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown, and Newman returned an interception 50 yards for a TD.
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