Matt Cassel to Start over Brandon Weeden for Cowboys After Bye Week

The Brandon Weeden experience appears to be over in Dallas, as the Cowboys will turn to newcomer Matt Cassel to lead America’s Team at quarterback as the franchise and its fans impatiently await the return of Tony Romo.

Weeden, who started for Dallas in week 3 and has led the former 2-0 team to three straight losses – though not all were necessarily his fault – was informed by Cowboys coaches that Cassel will start in week 7, a crucial NFC East clash against the division-leading New York Giants.

The veteran backup played safely in Romo’s absence. Perhaps a little too safely, in fact. Despite a high completion percentage, he was good for less than 8 yards per passing attempt, and broke even with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions over that span.

Last week against the Patriots, he looked incredibly uncomfortable even attempting a pass beyond the first down marker, as Dallas’ “small ball” offense was crushed under the weight of a New England juggernaut that has scored points at will this season.

Weeden told reporters he was “obviously pissed” about the decision, but also claimed he’d handle the decision “as a pro.”

When the Cowboys executed a trade with the Buffalo Bills for Cassel following Romo’s injury, the expectation from many was that Cassel would take the reigns once sufficiently acquainted with his new offensive playbook.

Cassel may not be the saviour Dallas is after, but he may well be their best bet at keeping afloat in a once-again volatile division, at least until the offense’s top two players in Romo and Dez Bryant re-join the team.