Dallas, other perceived contenders at crossroads

It's often amazing how quickly things can change in the NFL.

Before the season, the Dallas Cowboys were the No. 2-rated team in the league by Las Vegas Sports Consultants. The Cowboys trailed the New England Patriots at the top.

Exit Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, and the Cowboys occupied the top spot for the next five weeks.

But how important is a pinkie finger? In mid-October, Dallas plummeted to No. 13 and did not respond well to the absence of star quarterback Tony Romo. The Cowboys scored only 41 points while going 1-2 in three Romo-less games.

Returning tonight off a bye week and in a must-win situation at Washington, Dallas faces the prospects of kissing the playoffs goodbye. The good news is the Cowboys, 11/2-point favorites, expect to have Romo back.

This question begs to be asked: How can Dallas owner Jerry Jones throw money around like water and not invest in at least a serviceable backup quarterback?

LVSC projects the Cowboys (5-4) to end the season with a 9-7 record and gives them a 28 percent chance of making the playoffs. Should they lose tonight's game, they would fall too far behind the Redskins (6-3) for the second spot in the NFC East.

How do the oddsmakers view the fall from grace of America's team?

"Two things stick out for me," LVSC odds director Tony Sinisi said. "Part of the reason the Cowboys are underachieving is they're getting old in a hurry at critical positions, specifically the all-important left tackle spot with Flozell Adams really struggling. Also, it's easy to poke holes at coach Wade Phillips, but he is definitely in an awkward situation with heir apparent Jason Garrett running the offense."

Romo might be back, but don't expect him to perform miracles, according to LVSC's Kenny White.

"With the time he's missed, the challenge for Romo will be to quickly catch up to the speed of the game," White said. "He'll be going 55 in a 75 mph zone. His lack of timing is the major concern."

But LVSC oddsmaker Mike Seba said don't bury the Cowboys just yet.

"There's simply too much talent to say Dallas is out of it," Seba said. "As for tonight, it's a revenge spot and a game the Cowboys absolutely have to win. Adding to the equation, (running back) Clinton Portis is out for the Redskins, which certainly should enhance Dallas' chances."

Other games this week could spell doom for some teams' postseason chances.

San Diego (4-5) is one game out of first in the AFC West, but it seems to be hanging on by a thread. The Chargers are 41/2-point road underdogs against the banged-up but tough Pittsburgh Steelers.

Jacksonville needs to go on a major run to sniff the playoffs, but the Jaguars host unbeaten Tennessee, which is a 3-point favorite.

The Titans' jack-rabbit start has relegated the Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts to AFC wild-card contenders, meaning they have to leap past a multitude of teams.

Indianapolis (5-4) finally might have turned the corner and has a home date with Houston. The Colts are 71/2-point favorites.

The Cleveland Browns, who have turned to Brady Quinn at quarterback, probably are toast at 3-6. They visit Buffalo on Monday night, with the Bills on a hideous three-game losing streak.

Despite a 5-4 record, these are desperate times for the Bills, who are 0-3 in the AFC East and face a significant tiebreaker crisis even if they get hot again.

Plenty of football remains to be played. For many teams, the question is, after this weekend will those games mean anything?

Brian Blessing, project manager for Las Vegas Sports Consultants, can be reached at bblessing@lvsc.com. Listen to the LVSC oddsmakers on "Sportsbook Radio," weekdays at 4 p.m. on Fox Sports Radio (920 AM). Visit vegassportsconnect.com for more odds information.