by wagerweb

Romo and Austin Out for Game Against Redskins?

The Dallas Cowboys will be the final team in the NFL to have its hope opener this season, with Dallas hosting the surprising Washington Redskins this Monday night. But the Cowboys are completely battered heading into the game.

First the good news: the team is now optimistic running back Felix Jones won’t miss any games after dislocating his shoulder against the 49ers in Sunday’s overtime win. It was originally thought Jones might be out until the bye week, but the Cowboys are now hopeful that Jones might play against the Redskins because he was able to stay in vs. San Francisco by wearing a harness.

Now the bad.

QB Tony Romo has not only a fractured rib but also a punctured lung. Of course Romo was knocked out with those injuries by the Niners but return to the game and led a stirring rally. Despite this, coach Jason Garrett hasn’t ruled Romo out vs. the Skins.

“I would not think there’s any reason to think that he won’t play Monday,” Garrett said. “We’re certainly hopeful.”

Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones doesn’t know whether Romo will be able to play, saying the decision would primarily be based on Romo’s pain management. It was Romo’s decision to return to Sunday’s game, and Jones indicated that the quarterback could have the final say about his status again Monday night.

Romo said Sunday that because he was able to close out the game against the Niners, he would play against the Redskins on Monday Night Football. Romo would not be the first Cowboys’ quarterback to play with a punctured lung. Don Meredith threw for 406 yards in a 31-30 win at Washington on Nov. 13, 1966. Meredith completed 4-of-5 passes for 64 yards and ran for six yards to set up Danny Villanueva’s game-winning 20-yard field goal in the final minute.

The Cowboys don’t feel as good about receiver Miles Austin and center Phil Costa. They are almost certain that Austin will miss at least one game after aggravating a strained hamstring against the 49ers. Austin missed the last three preseason games with a strained hamstring. Costa will be re-evaluated again later in the week but he also aggravated a knee sprain he suffered in training camp that kept him out the final two preseason games.

Florida State QB E.J. Manuel may miss Clemson game

That home loss on Saturday night to top-ranked Oklahoma may be more costly than ever to Florida State. That’s because quarterback E.J. Manuel left the game with a shoulder injury and might be forced to miss this week’s ACC opener with Clemson – this one’s arguably bigger than the OU game because it’s a conference matchup.

Manuel was injured in the third quarter against the Sooners when he took a hit on his shoulder. Freshman backup Clint Trickett performed well in relief, tying the game on a long touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter before OU scored the game’s final 10 points.

An MRI showed no structural damage to Manuel’s non-throwing shoulder, so his ability to play against the Tigers likely will be determined on his ability to manage the pain. And even if he does start, the junior likely will limit his running. He has yet to practice this week.

“It affects you,” Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said. “Injuries are a part of football. We’ll move around and do differed personnel groupings.”

The stakes are high vs. Clemson, which is off a big win over Auburn, because both teams are in the Atlantic Division, giving the winner the head-to-head tiebreaker if it comes into play.

The Seminoles (2-1) might also be without receivers Bert Reed and Kenny Shaw for this weekend’s game. Reed is trying to shake off the effects of an ankle sprain sustained in a 62-10 win over Charleston Southern on Sept. 10. Shaw was removed by ambulance early in the Oklahoma game after a vicious helmet-to-helmet collision with two Sooners defenders.

Already ruled out is the team’s second leading receiver this season, sophomore Scooter Haggins, who requires surgery to repair a broken left hand sustained against the Sooners. Haggins, who has 11 catches on the season, will miss four to six weeks.

For full list of NFL Injuries Go Here

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