ESPN NFL

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has declared himself ready for action Sunday against the Rams, according to a high-ranking club source. The source told the NFC Beast blog that a throwing session before Wednesday's practice convinced Romo that he could play with a broken right pinkie.

Romo

He informed the coaches of his willingness to play, and now he's waiting to hear back. The Cowboys' medical staff initially said that Romo would be out for four weeks (three games), which meant he would return for a road game in Washington.

I'm told the club is fearful that Romo could end up missing more time if he returns too quickly. On Tuesday, Jets quarterback Brett Favre told ESPN's Ed Werder that he'd encouraged Romo to play through the pain if he could. But I don't think Favre's advice is directly responsible for Romo wanting to play Sunday.

On Wednesday morning, eyewitnesses said that Romo had good velocity on the ball. Quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson told reporters about the session, but apparently word didn't get back to head coach Wade Phillips, who said he not only skipped the session, but hadn't received a report on how things went.

As one of my buddies in the media said Wednesday night, "I go back and forth on when Phillips is clueless and when he's being wily."

If Phillips truly showed up at a news conference four hours after Romo's throwing session without a report, he needs to have a visit with his staff. But the important question is whether Romo can convince the Cowboys' coaching and medical staffs to let him play.

I think it's very important to him that his teammates know how desperate he is to play Sunday. And I'm sure he's been reading the ludicrous columns in local newspapers regarding how his absence might be a good thing for the Cowboys. You know, because it's always inspiring to lose your team's best player and then replace him with a 40-year-old check-down specialist.

Jerry Jones compared the Cowboys' current situation to what the New York Giants went through last season. I'm assuming he was talking about the Giants' slow start following Michael Strahan's holdout in training camp. But that team was coached by the no-nonsense Tom Coughlin, a man who doesn't offer excuses and a shoulder to lean on following sloppy performances.

Romo started his first game in Charlotte, N.C., two seasons ago and has been in the starting lineup for 32 consecutive games. He knows that Brad Johnson's capable of leading the Cowboys to a win over the Rams on Sunday, but it's still his team. The Cowboys have earned the reputation of being soft through six games, and I think Romo realizes that playing through a painful injury would send a strong message to his teammates.

And yes, I'm sure he's heard all the current and former quarterbacks talking about how they played with broken fingers. But though it's fair to criticize Romo for not protecting the ball at times, it's wrong to question his toughness. I've watched him take shots throughout his three seasons as the starter, and he always gets up.

Right now he's going through an awkward time, because he hasn't had to miss games to injury at any level. He feels helpless having to report for therapy instead of meetings.

If the Cowboys give him the green light Sunday, I think he'll have a superb game. But I expect the club to err on the side of caution and give Romo time to heal.

Just another slow news week at Valley Ranch.