DAN RITCH
RAMSTEIN, GERMANY
Do you think that this game in particular might be the most important one during Romo's absence, based on the fact that it could determine the confidence level of this team going forward and showing them that they can win without No. 9 and No. 88?*
Bryan: I understand your point, but last week they were on the road against a division opponent in a game that could have gone either way. They lost their starting quarterback, but they pulled out a win – that to me is all the confidence they'll need going forward.
David:I think it's a pretty valid point. No one in the locker room or on the coaching staff would ever admit it, but it had to have been demoralizing seeing how much they struggled without Tony Romo last year against Arizona. They aren't going to win all their games while Romo is out, but a hot start here against a good-looking Atlanta team could do wonders to bolster Jason Garrett's message.
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TODD NAKAMURAKANEOHE, HI
It may be just me, but I'm thinking that not having Dez for a few weeks might actually be a silver lining with Weeden at QB? If I recall, when Weeden started against the Cardinals last season, part of his struggles seemed to stem from being too locked onto Dez and forcing the throw just to get the ball to Dez and at times even staring Dez down during his reads.*
Bryan: I am willing to bet if you asked Brandon Weeden would he rather have Dez Bryant on the field for this game or not – I can guarantee his answer would be to have him suit up. These games are all about matchups and not having Bryant on the field not only hurts this offense but the team as well. There is no silver lining when playing without your best players.
David:I've got to give you credit for thinking outside the box, but I agree with Bryan. On top of being a dynamic receiving option, Dez forces the opposition to relax their focus on the run game. I'm confident the running backs would have had more success against Philly had Bryant been part of that game. I don't see many positives about not having an All-Pro in the lineup.
