The Sports Xchange

The Dallas Cowboys are embarking on a two-month stint without starting quarterback Tony Romo and owner Jerry Jones isn’t anticipating a drop-off.

In fact, Jones is expecting the Cowboys (2-0) to continue their early-season surge, beginning with Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. He’s confident the club will only get better despite standout receiver Dez Bryant (foot) also on the sidelines with Romo (clavicle).

“If we improve from within because they’re not here, and then we have them come back, which will make us better when they do return, then I think we have a chance to be a better team,” Jones told the Dallas Morning News on Thursday. “That’s certainly the way I look at it. But from the standpoint of them not being here and falling off the map, I don’t see that at all.

“The game is not designed that way. There are too many people who have to get on the field and play the game. Now, do we depend inordinately on Tony Romo? Yes. There’s no question. But we’re going to have him. We just don’t have him right now.”

Dallas has struggled to run the ball after losing DeMarco Murray to free agency and Jones said improvement in that area is a must with backup quarterback Brandon Weeden now running the show for at least the next seven games.

“We have to work hard to have a game, have a game that lets us dwell on the running game. We haven’t had that,” Jones said. “Now, maybe that’s because we didn’t get the running game going to begin with, but we all know how that works.

“But the reason Weeden has my excitement is because they better back off or he can hit it, and he can make the throw. That’s one of the reasons I feel good about him. If he keeps them backed off, then we’ve got to emphasize that we’re going to run the ball.”

Weeden has thrown 27 touchdowns and 28 interceptions in 29 career games. He has a 5-16 record as an NFL starting quarterback but only one of those starts (a loss in 2014) was with the Cowboys.

Faced with the possibility of having practice-squad player Kellen Moore as the No. 2 quarterback for two months, Dallas acquired veteran Matt Cassel from the Buffalo Bills to be the backup and Jones envisions that gives the team three solid quarterbacks for the stretch run.

“To get an opportunity to back (Weeden) up with Matt Cassel was just too good,” Jones said. “And we were able to make it work in terms of the trade and so it just improved our team. That’s how that happened. We had already been in communication several times before we had the workout with the other quarterbacks that were here. He was our guy going in if we could get him.”