IRVING – Tony Romo stood on the podium, wearing the same ratty Burlington (Wis.) High School T-shirt he has worn under his jersey for every game.
The Cowboys had just beaten Tampa Bay, 38-10, at Texas Stadium on Thanksgiving – four days after they had knocked off unbeaten Indianapolis – and Romo could not stop smiling.
"I smile a lot," Romo said. "I'd probably be smiling just walking down the street."
Everyone was smiling Thursday after the Cowboys posted their second-largest margin of victory in their 39-game history of playing on Thanksgiving. There was no reason not to.
A third consecutive victory put the Cowboys (7-4) a half-game ahead of the New York Giants for first place in the NFC East, and only Chicago (9-1) has a better record among NFC teams.
"This is the best we've played this year," owner and general manager Jerry Jones said. "And, frankly, these back-to-back wins are the best we've looked in 10 years. This is a championship effort."
Five weeks ago, the Cowboys were an average 3-3 after an embarrassing 36-22 loss to the New York Giants. The Cowboys were preparing for a starting quarterback change and wondering if and when their season would turn.
On Dec. 3, the Cowboys will play their biggest regular-season game under Bill Parcells. With five games to go, they are in a similar position to the one they were in a year ago heading to Giants Stadium. They lost, 17-10, and ended up missing the playoffs.
"It's a different position because we came out of this game winning, in first place with 10 days to get ready," Parcells said. "It's a little bit different. We know where the competition is. You don't have to tell me. I know where it is. We have to go play it out well. I am looking forward to the next one, and I am sure the players are, too. I think we are going to be in it for a little while, the race."
Which brings us back to Romo. He is 4-1 as a starter and completed 22 of 29 passes for 306 yards Thursday. He also joined Eddie LeBaron, Don Meredith (three times), Craig Morton (twice), Danny White and Troy Aikman (overtime) as the only Cowboys who have thrown five touchdown passes in a game. And Romo was the first to do so at Texas Stadium.
He became only the fourth quarterback in NFL history with a five-touchdown-pass performance in one of his first five starts. The last was Kurt Warner, who did so in 1999 in leading St. Louis to a Super Bowl.
Warner once worked as a stock boy in a supermarket before becoming an NFL MVP after Trent Green suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason.
Romo waited three-plus seasons for this chance.
"I think it is just a testament to the guys we have on our team," Romo said. "The guys up front played great. We just got good talent out there on both sides of the ball. We are starting to come together as a team, and I think it showed out there."
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JOHN F. RHODES / DMN Tony Romo throws a touchdown pass to Marion Barber (24) under pressure from Buccaneers linebacker Derrick Brooks (55). |
Sitting in the locker room with a 21-10 lead at halftime, Parcells made a point of seeking out Romo and telling him about the importance of a touchdown to start the third quarter.
"That is what a good quarterback does," Parcells told Romo.
Romo completed his first four passes, including a perfectly floated throw to Terry Glenn for 45 yards from the Dallas 44, but the Cowboys were facing fourth down from the Tampa Bay 2 after Marion Barber was stopped short of a first down.
Romo rolled to his right, but Terrell Owens was blanketed. Barber, however, wiggled free and Romo hit him for the backbreaking touchdown and a 28-10 lead.
"It was good to see us go down the field and score," Romo said. "We've been in that position before and let teams stay in the game. It was good to put the foot down."
With five games to go, the Cowboys hope to continue to put their feet down.
Their defense has not allowed more than two touchdowns in the last three games and gave up only 10 first downs Thursday. The offense put up a season-high 435 yards and is as confident as ever.
Said Parcells: "We will see what we've got from here."
E-mail tarcher@dallasnews.com
| SECOND HELPING |
| In the second halves of the last three games, Tony Romo has been nearly flawless – misfiring on only two of 31 passes. |
| Opponent | C-A | Yards | TDs | INTs | Sacks |
| at Arizona | 10-10 | 144 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| vs. Indianapolis | 10-11 | 130 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| vs. Tampa Bay | 9-10 | 135 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
