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GLENDALE, Ariz. – With about three minutes to play and Sunday's game long since decided, University of Phoenix Stadium started to echo.

It started slowly in one corner of the new building and quickly made it all the way around, "Cowboys, Cowboys, Cowboys, Cowboys," with the chant eventually making its way through the hole in the retractable roof.

Desperately needing a win to start the season's second half, the Cowboys left Arizona with a 27-10 victory, at times looking as good as they have all season.

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The sounds during the game and the feelings after the game were a lot different than last week after a disheartening loss at Washington that left them disconsolate.

"It's something we needed, like some therapy," nose tackle Jason Ferguson said. "The one thing you want to do after you lose is hurry up and get back on the field and play so you can prove yourself. Now we've got to do something we haven't done yet – put two of them together."

Actually, the Cowboys have won back-to-back games this season. It's just that it's been awhile. Not since the Cowboys beat Washington and Tennessee in Weeks 2 and 4 have they won consecutive games, but this week they face undefeated Indianapolis.

Dampening the mood was veteran linebacker Greg Ellis, who could be out for the season with a left Achilles' tendon injury.

"When you lose a player, your team captain and a guy that's one of your pressure players, you worry," coach Bill Parcells said. "But that's football, and that's why you have to have other guys step up."

The Cowboys hope to be the 14th team since 2000 to start the season 4-4 or 3-5 and make the playoffs.

Two of those teams went to a Super Bowl after a .500 record through eight games and one, New England in 2001, won a Super Bowl. The Patriots rode a quarterback change, from an injured Drew Bledsoe to Tom Brady, closing the season with seven wins in their last eight games.

The Cowboys are three games into their quarterback switch from Bledsoe to Tony Romo, and owner and general manager Jerry Jones finds himself thinking big again only a few days after wondering if a loss to the Cardinals would ruin the Cowboys' season.

"I couldn't have anticipated and wouldn't have the kind of poise Tony plays with," Jones said.

Romo completed 20 of 29 passes for a career-high 308 yards Sunday, and the offensive line did not allow a sack. He threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Crayton in the second quarter and a 51-yarder to Terrell Owens in the third quarter.

Owens' seventh touchdown of the season came after Akin Ayodele made his first interception. With DeMarcus Ware barreling off the left end, rookie quarterback Matt Leinart forced a throw to Anquan Boldin, who was circled by Dallas defenders and picked off by Ayodele.

Assistant head coach Tony Sparano, who calls the plays, attacked on the ensuing play.

LOUIS DeLUCA / DMN Marion Barber stretches to the end zone for a fourth-quarter touchdown.

Facing press coverage from Eric Green, Owens slipped off the line untouched. The Cardinals blitzed unsuccessfully, giving Romo enough time to float the ball into Owens' hands for his longest catch as a Cowboy and a 20-3 lead with 5:23 left in the third quarter.

"It's the things we do in practice, things we work on, trying to be in sync, on the same page," Owens said. "We're just going out there and trying to get some kind of momentum going in the game."

Momentum also was a key word in the locker room after the game.

"With teams that have a lot of talent, a lot of times when they're 4-4, you might think people are going to shut it down," tight end Jason Witten said. "We believe we have a great chance to win. Now it's not going to be easy, but we expect to win games."

Some of that has to do with the play of the defense, which allowed just 295 yards and 17 first downs Sunday. Some of it has to do with the offense, specifically the play of Romo.

As Romo left the locker room, he hollered back to Jones, who was surrounded by a cluster of reporters.

"Come on Jerry," Romo joked, "Let's go."

The owner turned and smiled.

E-mail tarcher@dallasnews.com