IRVING, Texas (AP) — With tape still wrapped around his bruised throwing hand after practice, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo insists that he will be ready to play in what is essentially a playoff game against the New York Giants.

“Everything’s coming together like we thought, just each day it’s getting a little bit better,” Romo said Thursday. “We’ll be good to go this weekend.”

Romo wore the protective wrap on his swollen right hand, the one he banged on a defender’s helmet on the opening series Saturday against Philadelphia before coming out of the game. The wrap leaves his fingers and thumb free. He wasn’t wearing anything on the hand Wednesday.

The Cowboys go on the road to face the Giants on Sunday night, a matchup of 8-7 teams that will decide the NFC East and fill the NFC’s last playoff spot.

Romo, who played through a broken rib early this season, said he isn’t worried about whether he will feel normal Sunday.

“You have to go out there and practice all week and get yourself ready to go to the game on Sunday. I’m excited that we’re in this position and we have an opportunity to go and play in a big game like this,” he said. “This is when it gets fun. No matter what, you’re not going to sit one of these out.”

During the few minutes early in practice open to reporters Thursday, Romo came out of the locker room wearing the protective wrap and made a few soft tosses. He was also bantering with teammates.

“Tony did a little bit more today than he did yesterday. I wouldn’t constitute a full practice, but he’s making some progress,” coach Jason Garrett said. “The swelling still is there. … All the functional things that a quarterback has to do, he has to be able to do by game time, and he’s making progress in all those areas.”

Garrett said backup quarterback Stephen McGee, who finished Saturday’s game after Romo got hurt, got some work with the first-team offense again Thursday.

Even with the rib injury in Week 2 and not playing much last week against Philadelphia, Romo has already thrown for 3,895 yards and 29 touchdowns. He still has a chance for his third 4,000-yard passing season and his second year with at least 30 TDs. No other Dallas quarterback has reached 4,000 yards or 30 TDs in a season.

Romo threw for 321 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions in a 37-34 home loss three weeks ago against the Giants, who overcame a 12-point deficit in the final 3½ minutes.

Dallas might have already clinched the division had it won that game.

“It’s obvious that this is basically a playoff game. For us, it’s been great energy all week. Guys are ready to go, and they’re excited,” Romo said.

The quarterback’s bruised hand just adds another twist to the important game.

“A lot of quarterbacks throughout the league play through stuff every week,” Romo said. “Sometimes it can be magnified because you’re playing in a game that’s like this. … No one cares, and once you get out there, it’s about winning and losing, so that’s all it’s going to be about.”

Romo said he won’t decide until later this week about whether to wear tape on his hand during the game. He never said how much pain he was feeling, saying only that, “like anything, you just have to deal with it and overcome it.”

Notes: Just like last week, the Cowboys are easing Pro Bowl defenders DeMarcus Ware (neck) and Jay Ratliff (ribs) into practice this week. Neither practiced Wednesday, and were limited Thursday … RB Felix Jones (hamstring tightness) was limited again in practice, but Garrett said he’s looking good in the work he’s doing. … LB Sean Lee missed practice for the second day in a row because of illness.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

84,834 excited Dallas Cowboys fans showed up at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington Christmas Eve hoping for an early Christmas present and a Cowboys victory over the hated Philadelphia Eagles. Philly embarrassed the Cowboys earlier in the season in Philadelphia, and Dallas was hoping for revenge to maintain their 1-game lead over the New York Giants in the NFC East on the next to the last game of the regular season. Unfortunately, it became pretty evident early on things weren’t going to go Dallas’ way.

The Eagles won the coin toss and elected to receive to begin the game. Michael Vick led the visitors down the field, aided by a couple of spectacular catches by his receivers and a face mask call on Anthony Spencer. He hit Brent Celek in the end zone from 13 yards out with 11:30 left in the first quarter, capping an 8-play, 80-yard drive that took 3:30. Alex Henery added the PAT and Philly led 7-0.

Dwayne Harris returned the kick from the goal line out to the 34, setting Tony Romo and the offense up with good field position. The offense picked up 1 first down and moved the ball to midfield, but on a 4th-and-4, the offensive line fell apart, forcing Romo to rush his throw, and after an incompletion Matt McBriar punted the ball away to the Eagle 19.

Vick moved his team out to his 45, but the Dallas defense stiffened and Dallas went back to work on offense at their 20. The offense came back on the field with Stephen McGee at the helm after it was announced that Tono Romo had suffered an injury to his right hand and was in the locker room undergoing x-rays.

McGee moved the offense out to the 48, but the drive stalled and McBriar punted the ball down to the Philly 9 and the Eagles took back over on offense from there with 2:44 left in the opening period.

The Eagles picked up 1 first down and then stalled out, and Dallas got the ball back at their 21 after Chas Henry punt with 14:52 left in the first half of play. It was announced as the drive began that x-rays on Romo’s throwing hand were negative, but McGee came back on the field with the offense.

McGee moved the team down the field, but a holding call resulted in the possession running out of gas, and McBriar punted away down to the Philadelphia 10. A holding call against the visitors during the kick moved the ball back to the 5 and Vick and the offense took the field again.

Vick carved the Dallas defense up like slicing a turkey, aided by a bone-headed unnecessary roughness call on Anthony Spencer. Philly moved 95 yards and appeared to score their second touchdown of the game on a 9-yard pass from Vick to Jason Avant, but when the call was reviewed it was determined that Avant fumbled the ball into the end zone prior to the ball crossing the goal line, and Dallas was awarded possession on a touchback at their 20, averting what could have well been a deficit too large to overcome. The turnover gave the Dallas fans new life and hope that their hometown heroes would still find a way to win the game.

The ‘Boys got a good drive going, but stalled out on the Eagle 39 and McBriar punted the ball down to the Philly 13 where the visitors got the ball back with 55 seconds left in the first half.

Vick took his team 87 yards in just 6 plays, using 50 seconds off the clock, and hit Jeremy Macklin from the 5 on a 3rd-and-goal play for the second Eagle TD of the day. Henery added the point after and Philly had a commanding 14-0 lead going into the locker room.

Dallas got the ball to begin the 3rd quarter, but had a quick 3-and-out and the visitors got the ball back. Thanks to an intentional grounding call against Vick, Dallas got the ball back on a punt. Dwayne Harris took the ball and took a helmet-to-helmet blow from an Eagles defender, giving the Cowboys an additional 15 yards out to their 47.

McGee hit Martellus Bennett for a gain of 14 on the first play of the drive, moving the ball to the Philly 39. Two incompletions and a run for no gain later, McBriar punted the ball away to the Eagle 12 with 10:50 left in the 3rd quarter.

Rob Ryan got the defense motivated and after a 3-and-out, the offense got the ball back again. The offense came back out at the Dallas 25 after a 56-yard punt. The inept offensive line was non-existent as far as protecting McGee, and the ‘Boys suffered another 3-and-out. After a 43-yard McBriar punt, the Eagles had excellent starting field position at their 41.

On the first play of the possession Vick hit Celek for a gain of 39 down to the Dallas 20, and Cowboys fans began to realize the game was almost certainly a lost cause. The defense stiffened, forcing a 43-yard Henery field goal, but the visitors had an almost insurmountable 17-0 lead with 4:30 left in the 3rd quarter. The scoring drive was 5 plays, 34 yards, and 2:27.

The offensive line was inept yet again in the next Dallas possession, and the Cowboys suffered yet another 3-and-out. Chad Hall returned McBriar’s punt 1 yard to the Philly 41 with 2:53 left in the quarter.

The Eagles went on a 9–play, 26-yard drive in 4:28 before settling for a 51-yard Henery field goal, putting the visitors ahead 20-0 with 13:25 left in the game.

Harris returned the ensuing kickoff 51-yards to his 49, giving his team their best starting field position of the contest. It didn’t do any good though, as the offense proved once again they didn’t belong on an NFL field this day, going 3-and-out yet again.

Philly picked up one first down before having to punt away on the next series. Harris returned the punt to his 23 and Dallas took over with 9:33 left in the game, trying to find the end zone for the first time.

The offense FINALLY managed to put a decent drive together, converting on a 4th down at the Eagle 34. They ‘Boys had another 4th-and-8 at the Philadelphia 16 with 2:22 left in the game. McGee’s pass for Bennett in the end zone was incomplete and the Eagles took over at their 16 with 2:13 left in the game.

The defense rose to the occasion, forced a punt, and Bruce Carter blocked the kick inside the Philly 20, giving the home team one last chance to get on the scoreboard and avoid a shutout. The inept offense finally got it together and McGee hit Miles Austin with under 30 seconds left for a touchdown. Dan Bailey hit the PAT, and the gap narrowed to 20-7. The Cowboys attempted an onside kick but the Eagles recovered, ran one play, and the game was over.

To make matters even worse, on top of the loss, the Giants defeated the New York Jets, earlier in the day, technically giving the Giants the lead back in the NFC East, with both teams at 8-7 on the year.

It all comes down to Sunday at the new Meadowlands when the Cowboys travel to East Rutherford, NJ. The winner of the game will win the NFC East, while the loser is done and doesn’t make the playoffs. Cowboys’ fans hope the ‘Boys take care of business, realistically they DON’T deserve to make the playoffs and they very well may be one-and-done if they do.

As fans seem to say about them annually, there is always next year!

The Dallas Cowboys didn’t give their fans a very Merry Christmas with their performance Saturday.

In a game where little was on the line, the Cowboys couldn’t do anything to build on the momentum from the previous week at Tampa Bay.

But the Cowboys and Giants did wrap a big present and put it under NBC’s tree. The network of Sunday night football gets a chance to wrap up its season with a ratings bonanza.

But given one final chance to show they deserve to be in the playoffs as the NFC East Champions, can the Cowboys demonstrate the ability to receive?

Opportunity has knocked on the door all season long. The season opened on NBC’s big stage in New York and the Cowboys couldn’t close the deal against the Jets.

Fourth-quarter leads have led to head-scratching failures in many cases. The Cowboys probably realize they should be sitting down at the postseason party with 11 or 12 wins and letting Stephen McGee and Sammy Morris play out the string Sunday as they rested up for the playoffs.

The completely mediocre Broncos and Chiefs with gaping holes all over the roster should be fighting it out on NBC to be the last team in.

The Giants are in the same boat as the Cowboys as at times they look better than their record. They have an excellent quarterback and a couple of name players who can rush the passer. But the only consistency has been their inconsistency.

Both are considered dangerous teams in the NFC. We’d be surprised if the NFC East winner made it to the Super Bowl, but an upset win at New Orleans or San Francisco wouldn’t shock anyone.

I’ve been picking Dallas to win this division all year. There’s a chance I’m proven wrong on Sunday night.

As easy as I can make the argument that the Cowboys should already have won this division, there’s the fact that they are 2-3 in division games and those two wins were the result of a little bit of luck with a wild scramble pass to Dez Bryant and then a missed field goal in overtime turning two Washington victories into narrow Dallas escapes.

It’s not Tony Romo that has given me reason to doubt. It’s more a result of the defense and Jason Garrett’s brief history in decision-making down the stretch of close games.

I’ll pick the Cowboys one more time. They were the better team for 55 minutes just two weeks ago. But seizing on opportunities, the way the really good teams do in this league, has been a season-long problem for the Cowboys.

I guess we’ll watch and find out if everything really does begin and end in New York, at least for the Cowboys of 2011. Recent history doesn’t favor the Cowboys in any game considered big. Their previous “last-chance” for playoff finale at Philadelphia three years ago was a disaster.

But just as we pull out our new calendars, they get one more chance to prove this team is different.

Dallas fans felt like they got the short end of the “Dirty Santa” game on Saturday evening. Garrett, Romo and Rob Ryan will see if they can do better for a Happy New Year.

The Philadelphia Eagles beat up the Dallas Cowboys for the second time this season. The big difference this time around is that no one cares. The Eagles beat the Cowboys, 20-7, in a game that meant absolutely nothing to either team.

When the game started, it still meant something. If the New York Jets could have come from behind to beat the New York Giants, the Eagles could have had something still to play for. Dallas could have clinched the NFC East with a win. Since the Giants lost, the Eagles were eliminated from playoff contention and Dallas will play for the NFC East title in Week 17, win or lose.

That is why when Tony Romo hurt his hand by slapping it off a helmet in the first quarter, his coaches wouldn’t let him return even when X-rays came back negative. That is why, with Felix Jones running on a tight hamstring, he also left the game along with Romo to protect his health.

These are not excuses, these are facts. Dallas pulled their starting quarterback and starting running back in the first quarter to protect them from further injury because the only game that matters is Week 7 against the Giants.

Instead, Stephen McGee got some pretty solid playing time. Sure, Troy Aikman made all kinds of backhand comments while announcing the game, saying Romo better get healthy because the way McGee is playing, he won’t win for the Cowboys. He didn’t win but he did throw 24-of-38 for 182 yards and a touchdown at the end of the game to Miles Austin. He didn’t throw an interception. That is a lot better than Aikman gave him credit for.

Sammy Morris shouldered the running game, but did little on the ground. Morris ran for 29 yards on 13 carries, only one yard more than McGee scrambled for on four carries. Felix Jones finished with four carries for 24 yards. Newly signed Chauncey Washington carried the ball once for negative one yard.

Plus, you have to credit the defense. They did give up 293 yards through the air to the Eagles, and two passing touchdowns for Michael Vick, but they held LeSean McCoy to 35 yards rushing on 13 carries. This wasn’t a butt kicking in any sense. Even with the Cowboys’ offense anemic, the Eagles managed a touchdown in the first quarter, another in the second quarter and two field goals in the second half.

That was it for scoring.

Now, Dallas prepares for the Giants and a chance at the playoffs. A banged up hand will not keep Tony Romo off the field and a tight hamstring won’t keep out Felix Jones. Week 17 actually means something and will determine if the Cowboys’ season ends or continues on.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: dallascowboys.com

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