Redskins at Cowboys
THE STORY: Tony Romo shouldn't be feeling confident enough to book a reservation in the penthouse suite yet, but at least he's out of the outhouse as the Dallas Cowboys prepare for their home opener against bitter division rival Washington on Monday night. Romo returned from a fractured rib and tiny tear in his lung to rally the Cowboys to a 27-24 overtime win at San Francisco last week. The performance helped blot out the memory of two killer turnovers in a season-opening loss to the New York Jets. The unbeaten Redskins are the surprise leaders in the NFC East but are venturing on the road for the first time.
TV: ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET. LINE: Cowboys -5.5, O/U 46
ABOUT THE REDSKINS (2-0): Washington erased an eight-point deficit in the final 5 ½ minutes to overcome Arizona 22-21 last week for its first 2-0 start since the 2007 season. Rex Grossman, who brashly predicted Washington is the team to beat in the NFC East, had thrown for 596 yards and four touchdowns. Tim Hightower and rookie Roy Helu combined to rush for 170 yards on 30 carries as the Redskins held the ball for 38 ½ minutes. TE Fred Davis has averaged 17.4 yards on 11 receptions. Defensively, safety LaRon Landry (hamstring) is expected to make his season debut for Washington, which has registered seven sacks.
ABOUT THE COWBOYS (1-1): Romo came off the bench to ignite a fourth-quarter rally that prevented a second straight 0-2 start. He has thrown for 342 and 345 yards in the first two games. Romo did not practice Thursday but was fitted for a protective vest Wednesday. If he plays, Romo could be without his top two receivers. Miles Austin (hamstring), who caught three TD passes last week, has already been ruled out and Dez Bryant (thigh) is questionable. In addition, RB Felix Jones has a separated shoulder. The Cowboys top the NFL in sacks with 10, led by league leader DeMarcus Ware’s 4.0.
EXTRA POINTS:
1. The Cowboys own an NFL-high 42 wins on Monday Night Football, but they have split 14 meetings with Washington, which is seeking its first 3-0 start since the 2007 season.
2. Romo holds a franchise record with a TD pass in 20 straight games for Dallas, which has lost both its home openers since Cowboys Stadium opened in 2009.
3. “I want to get a chance to put my helmet on whatever’s hurt. Romo’s ribs – I’m going to be asking for some corner blitzes. If I know Felix Jones’ shoulder’s hurt. … I’m definitely going to try to hit him up high. If you know something’s wrong with an opponent, you’re going to try to target in on that. We’re going to try to definitely get as many hats on that team as possible.” – Redskins CB DeAngelo Hall on attacking Dallas’ injured players.