With Tony Romo out for the year, the Dallas Cowboys will turn to Kyle Orton in their playoff-deciding season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles. Orton last played on December 9 against the Chicago Bears, going 3/5 in just his second game appearance of the year. Orton also played briefly in Dallas' season-opening win over the New York Giants, but didn't attempt a pass.
So, what can Cowboys fans expect from the 31-year-old backup? Orton hasn't played meaningful minutes for a team since 2011, which was split between the Broncos and the Chiefs, and he's played in only three NFL games in the two seasons since then. Orton is 12/15 for 129 yards and a touchdown in his three NFL games as a Cowboy - not horrible, but far too small a sample size to draw conclusions from.
With Orton's lack of live game experience over the last two years, Jason Garrett and the Dallas coaching staff needs to be very careful in designing their game plan. Nick Foles and the Eagles will do everything they can to make Sunday's game a shootout, and they'll try to get Orton out of his comfort zone by making the Cowboys play from behind.
Expect a lot of short throws - after a no-show against the Redskins, Jason Witten should be heavily involved against Philadelphia,