Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys VP: We can win games without Dez and Romo

Published Sep. 30, 2015 5:43 p.m. ET

foxsports

Given the injury issues facing this franchise, it's an understandable thought that the Cowboys are just hoping to hold on for a few more weeks.

That doesn't mean team executive vice president Stephen Jones has to agree with it.

"Hold on? I wouldn't say hold on. We've got to play our ass off," Jones said.

It's a stiff challenge, to be sure. The Cowboys are without Tony Romo for at least six more games. They won't have Dez Bryant until after the bye week, which puts him another two weeks away at minimum.

In the meantime, Sunday's road trip against New Orleans looms large -- and that's not to mention the approaching game against the defending champion Patriots. Even with those limitations, though, Jones said the Cowboys can't afford to have a "hold on" mentality entering the next few weeks.

"You can't hold on to anything. We're going to play with what we have. We're going to play as hard as we can play," he said.

It helps that reinforcements are on the horizon -- and at a variety of positions. Bryant and Romo can't be expected back in the lineup in the near future, but plenty of other key players should be bouncing back in short order.

"We're getting guys back starting next week and the week after and getting guys back this week -- should get Mincey back and Leary back," Jones said. "We'll continue to look for ways to get better. Got a player off Kansas City's practice squad to help us there in the defensive line."

On top of that, one big boost will be coming in less than a week. Both Greg Hardy and Rolando McClain are eligible to return from their suspensions on Monday, Oct. 5 -- the day following the Saints game. Their return will give the Cowboys two starter-caliber players to help bolster their defensive front seven. And that doesn't include the impending return of Randy Gregory from an ankle sprain.

There's no denying the impact of losing both Romo and Bryant, but Jones was quick to point out that they are in the minority when it comes to player injuries on the Cowboys' roster -- most of which are not quite as severe.

"We don't have eight to 10 guys that are going to be missing eight weeks," Jones said. "We're getting ready to get most of them back over the next two weeks or three weeks. Last week was tough, but no excuses. Everybody has issues. We're not the only team in the league having issues. No one's feeling sorry for us so we've got to go out there and work."

That work starts immediately with a challenging road date. It doesn't get any easier after the Oct. 18 bye week. During that stretch while Romo is absent, the Cowboys will also have to find ways to deal with division games against New York and Philadelphia, not to mention a big home date against the NFC champion Seahawks.

Jones didn't bother denying that he's taken a look into the upcoming schedule. But he came away confident that the Cowboys can do a bit more than just "hang on."

"If we go oh-fer while Tony's out, we're probably out of it. But I don't think we feel like that's going to happen," he said. "I think we can win football games with the team that we have. We're going to get better."

MORE FROM FOX SPORTS SOUTHWEST:

- PHOTOS: Cowboys Cheerleaders Auditions

- Ranking NFL quarterback salaries

- Highest paid player on every NFL team

- College football's biggest video boards