TONY ROMO HURT, RETURNS IN COWBOYS’ WIN OVER GIANTS

(AP) -The Dallas Cowboys were forced to finish the first half of Sunday night’s 36-31 win over the New York Giants without quarterback Tony Romo. Romo left the game late in the second quarter after taking a nasty hit from Giants pass rushers Mathias Kiwanuka and Justin Trattou. Romo had the wind knocked out of him but returned in the second half, finishing 36-of-49 passing for 263 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.

Romo remained down for an extended period of time before slowly walking to the sideline. He appeared to be in significant discomfort. “We certainly didn’t think it was serious enough to have any treatment when he came in,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters Sunday. “I’m sure it’s sore, I’m sure it hurt, but still we certainly felt comfortable with him going back out there.” Cowboys quarterback Kyle Orton replaced Romo and handed the ball off once before the Cowboys punted.

Romo did not immediately head to the locker room for X-rays. Still, the last thing Cowboys coach Jason Garrett wanted was to see his franchise quarterback writhing in pain on the turf. X-rays were negative for broken ribs, Cowboys VP Stephen Jones told Dallas radio station 105.3 FM. While Romo’s ribs are still sore, the injury is not expected to affect his ability to play next Sunday at Kansas City.