Romo status unclear
Tony Romo led the Dallas Cowboys to a comeback win Sunday that kept their playoff hopes alive. The Cowboys need an even bigger comeback from Romo this week.
An MRI on Romo’s back did not offer good news Monday: He has a herniated disc that could require surgery, according to a source.
The Cowboys, even while refusing to rule out Romo for Sunday’s win-or-go-home game against the Philadelphia Eagles, are making backup plans.
Kyle Orton, whose last start was Jan. 1, 2012, for the Kansas City Chiefs, is the Cowboys’ likely starter Sunday. Dallas will sign a veteran quarterback today, since it has no other quarterbacks on its active or practice rosters. Tyler Thigpen, John Skelton and David Carr will work out at Valley Ranch today, a source said.
“Obviously, you hope that’s not the case,” tight end Jason Witten said of Romo being out for the year. Romo’s back was sore last week though he never appeared on the injury report. He said after Sunday’s season-saving victory over the Washington Redskins that it began to bother him after a hit in the first half. He was in obvious pain after tripping over Rob Jackson’s foot in the fourth quarter, limping back to the huddle after completing a 9-yard pass to Miles Austin.
Romo’s injury is unrelated to the cyst he had removed from his back in April. That injury kept him out of the team’s offseason workouts.
The Cowboys, though, would not confirm Romo is out for the season.
Rodgers’ return up in air
Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy isn’t sure if quarterback Aaron Rodgers will start the team’s winner-take-all NFC North matchup with the Chicago Bears on Sunday at Soldier Field.
McCarthy did say that the team wants to make a decision on Rodgers’ “sooner than later.”
Rodgers has not played since fracturing his left collarbone against the Bears on Nov. 4. Since then, the Packers have gone 2-5-1 with three different starting quarterbacks.
Throughout the process, the team has emphasized that Rodgers has not been “medically cleared” by team physician Dr. Pat McKenzie.
McCarthy also emphasized last week that the decision not to start Rodgers was an “organizational decision,” suggesting that general manager Ted Thompson, McCarthy and McKenzie made the call.
Broncos lose Miller again
The Denver Broncos began the season without strongside linebacker Von Miller, and they’ll end it without him, too.
Miller is done for the year after tests revealed a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, which he injured early in Denver’s win at Houston over the weekend.
Miller’s injury ends a rough third season for the Broncos star, which began with a six-game drug suspension and included just five sacks and 33 tackles in 10 games.
The best-case scenario for Miller, is that he’s back for training camp after surgery sometime next month. ACL recoveries generally take six to nine months.
In the meantime, the Broncos will once again rely on Nate Irving at strongside linebacker in the base defense and on Shaun Phillips, Robert Ayers and newcomer Jeremy Mincey on passing downs.
The Broncos (12-3) can wrap up the AFC’s top seed with a win at Oakland (4-11) on Sunday.
Schwarts regrets shouting
Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz reluctantly acknowledged he did say something to the crowd during the final seconds of Sunday’s overtime loss to the Giants.
The previous day at his postgame news conference, Schwartz insisted he wasn’t responding to the fans who voiced their displeasure with the decision to play for overtime.
“I probably should have done just what I did at the end of the second quarter and just kept it in my mind,” Schwartz said.
Detroit had the ball at its 25 with 23 seconds and two timeouts left, needing about 40 yards to give David Akers a shot to at a winning FG. Instead the Lions ran the ball once and let the clock run out.