The Dallas Cowboys began the season with Super Bowl expectations, but a series of crushing defeats (and at least one play that 'will live in infamy') has the team at 1-5 and all but eliminated from playoff contention. Things went from bad to worse during last night's home loss to the New York Giants, with quarterback Tony Romo suffering a broken clavicle, an injury that will likely sideline him the remainder of the season. For America's sports writers, it was the kind of game that could only be described in Texas metaphors:

• "Last Rodeo for the Cowboys. Ride 'em Giants." - Steve Serby, New York Post

• "We’re about to see the Cowboys without Romo, and it’s probably not going to be pretty. His replacement, Jon Kitna, is a gritty competitor who has had success at times during his career, but he’s 38 and immobile and starting his journey from the bottom of a Texas-sized hole." - Michael Silver, Yahoo! Sports

• "Don Meredith wasn't the only one singing, 'Turn out the lights, the party's over.' The ol' Cowboys quarterback and Monday Night Football legend no doubt had a lot of company telling Wade Phillips goodnight." - John Lopez, Sports Illustrated

• "Welcome to Texas where this hot mess is sold as the best 1-4 team in the NFL who were beating themselves and just caught a few bad breaks." - Jennifer Floyd Engel, The Forth Worth Star-Telegram

• "If fans are worried that the Giants will become too big for their britches after leaving Texas, [Giants coach] Tom Coughlin is on the case." - Toni Monkovic, The New York Times

• "Did [the Cowboys] quit on defense? They quit, and this creates a serious challenge this week for even [Cowboys coach] Wade Phillips to mealy mouth his way through an explanation for a defense -- his defense -- that back-doored the Alamo." - Randy Galloway, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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Ray Gustini