The already slumping Dallas Cowboys now must survive a few games without two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Tony Romo, who has a broken finger on his throwing hand.

There was indeed something wrong when Romo badly missed on his last two pass attempts to Terrell Owens in a 30-24 overtime loss at Arizona on Sunday, the Cowboys' second defeat in three games. Coach Wade Phillips said Monday that Romo broke his right pinkie on the first play of OT.

Brad Johnson, the 40-year-old backup whose last start was in 2006 for Minnesota, takes over Sunday when Dallas plays at St. Louis.

"Obviously, it's unfortunate for Tony to have to go through something like this. He'll recover quick; he has a great attitude about it," Johnson said. "At this time, it's really just important for the offense especially to just kind of catch on to my snap count and the way we manage the huddle. ... I'm excited about the opportunity, worked hard to get here."

Johnson, who came to Dallas last year, won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay during the 2002 season and is the only Cowboys player with a championship ring.

Phillips said Romo won't need surgery, and the timing of his return "depends on how fast that heals." The Cowboys have three games before an open date Nov. 9.

Romo wasn't in the locker room Monday when it was open to reporters, but Johnson described Romo as being in good spirits.

The Cowboys scored 10 points in the final 2 minutes of regulation Sunday. They got the ball to open overtime, but Romo fumbled and had two incompletions. He started flexing his hand after recovering his fumble.

Then Arizona blocked the punt and recovered it for a game-ending touchdown — a play that also cost Dallas its punter, Mat McBriar.

McBriar was carted off the field, and an MRI on Monday showed he has a broken foot. He could be out two months, so the team will have to sign another punter.

CHIEFS' GONZALEZ AWAITS WORD ON TRADE: Tony Gonzalez practiced with the Kansas City Chiefs for what could be the last time Monday and then went home to await word on whether he's been traded.

Several teams are thought to be interested in the nine-time Pro Bowl tight end, including Buffalo, Philadelphia and the New York Giants.

But a Chiefs spokesman who asked not to be identified because talks were still ongoing told The Associated Press that no deal was pending.

The trade deadline is 2 p.m. MDT today.

Gonzalez, who holds tight end records for receptions, touchdowns and yards receiving, asked the Chiefs to explore trade talks because he wants an opportunity to make a Super Bowl run before his career is done.

STOKLEY SUFFERING THROUGH 10TH CONCUSSION: Brandon Stokley acknowledged Monday that he actually suffered his 10th career concussion on his first catch against Jacksonville, not on the third one, when he lost his balance and fell to his knees.

In between, he scored his second touchdown of the season.

"It happened on my first catch, I got my head slammed," the Denver Broncos' slot receiver said. "And then the touchdown, I got head-butted a few times from some teammates. So, that didn't help."

But Stokley, who suffered a bad concussion in college and figures he's had three severe head injuries and seven minor concussions — like this one — in his decade in the NFL, didn't want to come out of the game.

MADDEN TO SKIP THIS WEEKEND'S GAME: John Madden will miss calling an NFL game this weekend after working 476 in a row.

The 72-year-old Sunday Night Football analyst, who travels by bus because of a fear of flying, will take a break to spend time with his family instead of making three straight cross country trips, NBC said Monday.

Madden went from Jacksonville, Fla., to San Diego last week; he would have had to return to Florida for this Sunday's game at Tampa Bay. There's no Sunday Night Football game the following weekend, so Madden would have then headed home to the Bay Area.

NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol first approached Madden in the spring with the suggestion of skipping the trip.

Cris Collinsworth, normally a part of NBC's studio show, will fill in for Madden.

Colts acknowledge Manning had second surgery: One surgery wasn't enough to fix Peyton Manning's left knee.

Colts coach Tony Dungy confirmed Monday, after nearly two months of deflecting questions, that Manning was operated on a second time before returning to the field in late August.

Dungy doesn't believe the second operation — to fix an infected bursa sac — was the reason the team had a sluggish start this season.

"I don't think it set him back, it was part of the rehab process," Dungy said Monday. "The time frame we were initially looking at was when he came back."

PALMER WILL MISS ANOTHER GAME: Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer will miss another game because of his sore passing elbow.

Coach Marvin Lewis said Monday that Ryan Fitzpatrick will start against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, giving Palmer another week to rest his right elbow. It'll be the third game Palmer misses this season because of the injury.

METCALF SUSPENDED: Chicago Bears offensive linemen Terrence Metcalf was suspended for four games Monday for violating the league's policy on anabolic steroids and related substances. He is eligible to return to the active roster on Nov. 17.

A seventh-year pro, Metcalf has appeared in all six games this season. He started five games at left guard last year, but struggled and was benched after playing with a broken hand.