The Dallas Cowboys hope the return of quarterback Tony Romo will reverse the team's offensive woes and put them back in playoff contention. It's a tall order, given they have lost seven consecutive games and trail the other three teams in the NFC East, but the division isn't yet out of reach and there is some room for confidence. The only two wins the Cowboys have this season came with Romo at the helm.
Cowboys vs. Dolphins 2015 live stream: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Tony Romo is back and his first task is to keep the Cowboys’ playoff hopes alive by taking down the Dolphins on Sunday.
Romo led Dallas to wins over the rival New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles in Weeks 1 and 2, before suffering a broken collarbone and missing the next seven games. The Cowboys lost all seven of those games, with Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel starting at quarterback.
Those losses included the rematches against the Eagles and Giants, which will likely be the biggest barrier to the team making a postseason berth this year. But all the Cowboys can do now is look at what’s ahead of them.
Miami is 4-5, last place in the AFC East and with a seemingly worse shot at making the playoffs than the Cowboys despite having two more wins. Ryan Tannehill has played well this season, but the team hasn't been able to win close games, and they have been blown out multiple times this year. Head coach Joe Philbin was fired early in the year and his replacement hasn't done much better overall.
The Dolphins are coming off a 20-19 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Offensively, they have a lot of weapons at their disposal. Tannehill has completed 63.5 percent of his passes for 2,454 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Rishard Matthews and Jarvis Landry lead the way at receiver, and running back Lamar Miller is having a solid season, with 4.9 yards per carry.
But Miami ranks below average on both sides of the ball overall. They come in at 24th in the league in total defense, and 22nd in the league in total offense. That’s good enough to put them above the Cowboys on that side of the ball, though, as Dallas ranks 27th on offense. The Cowboys are average on defense, ranking 16th in the league in yards allowed.
Weeden did little under center for the Cowboys, making few mistakes but also never really threatening to lead a high-flying offense. Cassel had a bit more scoring potential, but he also made more mistakes. He completed just 61.7 percent of his passes for 809 yards with four touchdowns and five interceptions.
It didn't help that Dez Bryant was injured for much of the season as well. The superstar wide receiver has 17 receptions for 209 yards and a touchdown on the season. Darren McFadden leads the team in rushing, with 130 carries for 494 yards and two touchdowns. The running game is significantly worse than it was with DeMarco Murray a season ago. Murray was the NFL's leading rusher, but Dallas' combination of Joseph Randle -- who has since been released -- and McFadden has been nearly invisible at times this year.
How to watch
When: 1 p.m. ET
Where: Sun Life Stadium, Miami
TV: FOX
Announcers: Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch, Pam Oliver
Online: NFL Game Pass
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