Tony Romo’s injury is the final nail in the coffin for the Cowboys 2015 season

On Thursday evening there wasn’t much to be thankful for in Dallas, Texas as Tony Romo headed to the locker room. After heroically rushing back to try and save the Cowboys season, as Romo laid on the turf after a brutal hit by the Carolina defense the same thought ran through everyone’s mind. This season is over.

Technically speaking the Cowboys haven’t been officially eliminated from the NFC East, or as it should be called the NFC LEast. However, given that the team is 3-8 and will once again have to go with the incumbent Matt Cassel, the Cowboys should start waving the white flags.

It’s never easy to blame a season on injuries, but the injury bug is the main reason why Dallas is in their current predicament. It’s been a season that has highlights the Cowboys’ flaws and what they need to improve if this team wants to compete at a high level in 2016.

What are these flaws? An inability to run the football like they did a year ago and more importantly a defense that continues to I’ve games away. In six of the eight Dallas losses this season, the Cowboys had a lead that their defense couldn’t protect. This season also proved that the team needs to invest in a suitable backup for Romo given his injury history and age.

For Dez Bryant and Dallas what once looked like a season to remember has become one they would like to forget.

So what now? The Cowboys have to evaluate their roster to prepare for 2016. One thing the team must consider is what to do with All-Pro wide receiver Dez Bryant. Like Romo, Bryant rushed back from an injury and has not looked healthy on the field. Given their current predicament, it only makes sense to shut down Bryant to make sure that he is completely healthy for next season. True, the Cowboys are still technically in the race, but instead of chasing an almost impossible playoff hope this season, Dallas should reload and prepare to make a run next season.

Given the distraction and lack of production this season, The Cowboys should release Hardy

Finally it’s time for the Cowboys to get the elephant out of the room, and by elephant I mean Greg Hardy. Given the details of the domestic violence case now being released and the locker room issues he has already caused their is no good reason to keep him on the team. Hardy has produced on the field and the only defense that Jerry Jones has had for Hardy’s issues is that he helped the team win games. Given that this season is pretty much over and that the frustration could boil over in the coming weeks, it only makes sense to release this powder keg before their is an explosion the the Dallas locker room during the trudge to finish the season. At this point it’s anyone’s guess on what the Cowboys will do, but I strongly recommend these two actions to put the team in a better position next season.

2015 was simply a disaster for the Dallas Cowboys. Now the key will be to pick up the shattered pieces from the 2015 season and begin the process to rebuild the Dallas roster back into a serious contender is 2016.