There was already going to be panic on the airwaves surrounding the Cowboys offense this week. Now it’s well founded. ESPN’s Michael Smith reports that Tony Romo will miss four weeks (three games) with a broken pinkie, forcing Brad Johnson into the starting lineup.

Johnson is hardly a 40-year-old virgin as an NFL starter, but he’s barely taken a snap since a mediocre run in Minnesota in 2006. He’s a classic “game-manager” and will probably have the weakest arm of any NFL starter in Week 7. The Cowboys now must rely heavily on their mammoth offensive line and running game. There should be no complaints about the workload of Marion Barber and Felix Jones over the next three weeks. The passing attack will stop going vertical to Terrell Owens and start going horizontal to Jason Witten and Patrick Crayton. That should go over well with T.O.

If Smith’s report is accurate, Romo will miss games at St. Louis, vs. Tampa Bay, and at the Giants. The Rams game becomes a must-win because Johnson will struggle to move the ball the following two weeks against two of the best defenses in football. A Week 9 loss in the Meadowlands could put the Cowboys dangerously far behind the Giants in the NFC East, making them just another Wild Card contender.

This is a Cowboys team with the personality of their head coach, always convinced the sun will shine brighter tomorrow on America’s Team. They have been criticized for failing to handle adversity well. They will either prove everyone wrong or spectacularly implode. It should be good theatre either way, just like Jerry Jones wants.