IRVING, Texas—When Tony Romo broke his pinkie, the Dallas Cowboys soon discovered a weakness that went far beyond bumbling backup quarterbacks.

Believe it or not, Romo’s absence exposed the Dallas defense.

Throughout last season and the early part of this year, Cowboys defenders fell into the habit of being the supporting cast for Romo, Terrell Owens and crew. Knowing those guys would score in the 30s, the defense got comfortable trying to hold teams in the 20s. And they really liked how long their teammates held the ball because that meant fewer chances for them to giv...

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