"The Dallas Cowboys will be without an offensive starter in the NFC East title game with the New York Giants, but it won't be Tony Romo.

A strained bicep suffered in Saturday's 20-7 loss to Philadelphia landed left guard Montrae Holland on season-ending injured reserve Monday. Owner Jerry Jones told a Dallas radio station Holland will be replaced by veteran Derrick Dockery.

But with the division crown and the No. 4 seed in the NFC playoffs at stake in Sunday's primetime clash at the Meadowlands, there's only one injury that matters for the Cowboys: Tony Romo's bruised right hand. And the news was good on that front, said Jones, who was in coach Jason Garrett's office when Romo walked in.

"He knocked and shook hands with the right hand," Jones told KTCK-AM. "We were all laughing at that.

"It looked a lot better than it did the other night. It had an alarming swelling early the other night. We've run every kind of scan you can run on it. He's sound. He's worked on it over the last couple of days. He's getting more strength.

"It looks like we can count on him playing."

Garrett didn't go that far, but the coach was decidedly optimistic"