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| Paul Sakuma / Associated Press |
| Tony Romo's return helped the Cowboys snap a three-game road losing streak. |
LANDOVER. Md. -- Tony Romo's post-victory press conference late Sunday night needed to come to an end. The jovial Cowboys quarterback didn't want to stop talking, but the threat of the bus leaving without him to the airport was brought to his attention by a team official.
He responded with a trademark smirk. He's seen the Cowboys try to make their way without him and it wasn't pretty. The bus wasn't leaving without Romo. So, standing with his cream-colored Ben Hogan-style cap that drew almost as much conversation as the game he just played, Romo took a few more questions without further prodding, then stepped away from the mic with a cool swagger.
He knew full well his value to everything Cowboys.
Playing for the first time in three games because of a broken pinkie, Romo led Dallas to a much-needed, 14-10 victory Sunday night over the Washington Redskins, the team that first shattered the perceived invincibility of the Cowboys four weeks into the season. Romo completed 19 of 27 passes for 198 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. While the numbers were far better than his replacements, Brad Johnson and Brooks Bollinger, generated in his absence, they weren't overly impressive.
| |||||
| Best career road win percentage (since 1966; minimum 15 road starts) | |||||
| Player | W-L | Win Pct. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Romo | 14-3 | .824 | |||
| Joe Montana | 61-20 | .753 | |||
| Tom Brady | 41-14 | .745 | |||
It was Romo's presence that made the difference.
Though he's had a week or so to get used to it, Romo was still getting a feel for playing with a splint that was secured by a wrap that ran beyond his wrist. Near the end of the first quarter, he threw a ball well behind wide receiver Terrell Owens that was intercepted by new Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall. Following the pick, the defense stoned the Redskins, just as it did after Owens failed to hold onto a more accurately thrown ball that was intercepted by linebacker Rocky McIntosh in the second quarter.
The backstopping of the quarterback the team believed in was rewarded when Romo connected on four straight passes to four different receivers totaling 73 yards before the half. Following a 25-yard completion to Owens, Marion Barber bowled into the end zone from 2 yards out to tie the score, 7-7. And in the fourth quarter, Romo dropped a 25-yard touchdown pass into the arms of rookie tight end Martellus Bennett for what turned out to be the winning score.
"It was exciting because I got rid of the ball pretty quick a few times, we didn't take any sacks," Romo said. "I was pretty happy."
Scoring two touchdowns hardly shows that the Cowboys are in full-working order. This wasn't a survival point total, though, like the 13 Dallas accumulated to beat Tampa Bay with Johnson at quarterback in Week 8. This was a hard-earned tally against a team that slugged back at every opportunity and matched the Cowboys in grit -- especially tailback Clinton Portis, who played with a severely sprained knee ligament and managed 68 yards on 15 carries. It was the type of game where those two touchdowns felt like a reward.
Offensive lineman Leonard Davis said the Cowboys played with a sense of urgency, unlike the team had for some time. With a loss possibly burying Dallas, urgency was a must. Then again, urgency was a must a few weeks ago, when owner Jerry Jones told coach Wade Phillips to fix the defense he felt was underperforming under the stewardship of coordinator Brian Stewart.
Now, at 6-4, Dallas is tied with Washington in the NFC East and Atlanta for a possible wild-card spot in the NFC playoffs. Carolina, Tampa Bay, Arizona and whichever team comes out of the NFC North -- Minnesota, Chicago and Green Bay are tied for the division lead at 5-5 -- are positioned to get into postseason play.
The Cowboys inserted themselves back into the mix. They have beatable NFC West opponents San Francisco and Seattle up next before ending the season with a ghastly battery of Pittsburgh, the New York Giants, Baltimore and Philadelphia. Those games might not look as tough as they do now if Dallas uses the next two games to further build momentum and get into the type of groove that has the New York Jets, Indianapolis and Miami looking like teams nobody wants to face.
"We all know what was at stake here," Jerry Jones said. "I have a lot of respect for the Redskins as a team, but I really know what this win meant, and we can really build off of it."
Owens, while sitting at his locker before addressing the media, boasted to teammates that this was just a start. The focus has been refined and the synergy was back, he said. Several of his teammates weren't quite as profound, claiming more than one win needs to be strung together before they can feel safe.
But a puncher knows when he's got his power back. The No. 3 batter knows when his stroke is back. The shooting guard knows he's in his flow before his shots get close to the rim.
The Cowboys sense they've re-awakened.
"One game at a time," said defensive tackle Jay Ratliff, who had two of the Cowboys' three sacks and dominated the defensive interior against a Redskins line that had its way in the first meeting. "No more looking ahead."
The Cowboys played the type of all-around game they've sought. The defense played better, tougher and more physical because the offense played better, tougher and more physical. Barber thumped his way to 114 yards, his second-highest rushing total of the season. Running lanes opened up because the threat of Romo throwing the ball downfield kept Redskins defenders more on guard.
All of the success Dallas had against Washington in this second meeting was there for the taking in the first. Romo was healthy and the Cowboys were unbeaten. The problem was, they got too comfortable, Romo included.
"I missed playing ball," Romo said. "It gave me a chance to miss the game quite a bit. I feel good about the time and effort everybody put in just to get a win."
Romo took his time getting to the team bus. Nobody complained. The Cowboys are well aware that they're not going anywhere without him.
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