The Cowboys were the success story of the first half of the NFL season. The Cowboys started 6-1, thanks in large part to a resurgence by Tony Romo. But a back injury to Romo meant that backup Brandon Weeden would get his first start with the Cowboys this week... and...
The Cowboys started Brandon Weeden and it went very, very badly
Tony Romo was out for the Cowboys against the Cardinals, so Brandon Weeden had to play. It went poorly.
Weeden’s statline isn’t that bad -- 18-for-33 with 183 yards, a touchdown and two picks -- but it masks a much worse game. 79 of those yards, seven of those completions, and the only TD came on a last-ditch drive with the Cowboys down 28-10. Only that late drive prevented the Cowboys from their first game without an offensive TD since 2008.
That drive also provided Dez Bryant with his only two catches of the day. Weeden couldn’t establish a rhythm with his former Oklahoma State teammate, who had his worst game of the year in terms of receptions (2) and yards (15). Not for lack of trying -- Weeden threw Bryant’s way 10 times.
Brandon Weeden flamed out on bad Browns teams, but in Dallas he was presented with talented weapons, and a star with whom he once had rapport. And he still made pretty much nothing out of it. There were questions about whether Romo could return this week -- Jerry Jones told the press it was a matter of pain tolerance, not risk of future injury, that kept him out -- and after Weeden’s dismal performance, calls for Romo to return will be loud in Dallas.
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