It's likely going to be 10 weeks or so until we see Tony Romo return to the field for the Dallas Cowboys. And the 'Boys need help at quarterback ... badly.

Backup Brandon Weeden performed well after Romo left Sunday's game against Philadelphia, completing all seven of his passes and threw a touchdown to Terrance Williams to seal the Cowboys' 20-10 win.

But here's the issue: The Cowboys don't have a third quarterback on their roster.

Kellen Moore is probably going to be promoted from the practice squad to back up Weeden, but Moore has never thrown a pass in an NFL game.

It's likely Weeden will remain the starter for the entire time Romo will be out, but there are a few options available via free agency or trade that the Cowboys could jump on to help the quarterback situation.

Here are five possibilities:

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    1

    Christian Ponder

    It doesn't bode well for a guy who couldn't win the backup job in Oakland to come into a place like Dallas and be successful, but Ponder has experience as a starting quarterback and could be a viable backup. It's no secret the Cowboys will be leaning heavily on their running game over the next two months or so, and Ponder can manage that.

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    2

    Matt Flynn

    The Tyler native was released by the New York Jets earlier this month, and he's still looking for a team. Flynn has experience backing up great quarterbacks (see Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay), and has filled in nicely when he's needed to. It even earned him a big contract in Seattle.

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    3

    Robert Griffin III

    Getting Robert Griffin III is probably the least likely scenario, since the Washington Redskins won't be prone to trade with their bitter rival. But it's been no secret that Griffin and the Redskins aren't on good terms; the team has even talked of moving him to free safety (dumb). Bringing Griffin to his home state and not far from where he won a Heisman Trophy (Baylor) could mean a significant turnaround for him.

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    4

    Matt Cassel

    The reason we all know the name "Matt Cassel" is from his time filling in for an injured quarterback. Cassel replaced Tom Brady in 2008 and went 10-5 with 21 touchdowns. It earned him a big payday in Kansas City, but he's had trouble finding his footing ever since. If Buffalo would be content in having EJ Manuel back up Tyrod Taylor, a trade here could be possible.

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    5

    Brian Hoyer

    Another not-too-likely scenario, but since Ryan Mallett has taken over the starting job in Houston, this could leave a door open for the Cowboys to trade for Hoyer. Hoyer outplayed Weeden when the two were in Cleveland together, and could even be someone to push Weeden for the starting job.

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