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**BeastJacobs** · 12-23-2007, 11:01 AM

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Maybe a certain thumb injury wasn't so bad after all.

Maybe the starting quarterback is more focused than he has been given credit for recently.

Maybe the Cowboys' December woes are behind them.

And maybe the race for home-field advantage isn't that critical, considering the Cowboys are still undefeated on the road.

The Cowboys got back to their winning ways Saturday, outlasting a gritty Carolina squad for a 20-13 win here at Bank of America Stadium. The win improved the Cowboys to 13-2 and a perfect 7-0 on the road.

"It's a big win for us," head coach Wade Phillips said. "Our team played well. Well enough to win. I thought it was another solid game for us on the road."

But despite the Cowboys' dominance away from Texas Stadium this season, they still want to make sure they stay at home in the playoffs. They can clinch home-field with a Packers loss to Chicago on Sunday. However, a Green Bay (12-2) win would mean the Cowboys would still have to beat the Redskins next Sunday to lock up home-field.

The big question now is if wide receiver Terrell Owens will be available for next week's regular-season finale.

The Cowboys were able to get past the Panthers, but not without a real scare.

After catching five passes and a touchdown by the early part of the second quarter, Owens suffered a high ankle sprain that ended his night early.

X-rays results were negative, but Owens will have an MRI on Sunday to check for further damage.

Owens left the locker room after the game in a walking boot and wearing crutches, although he told reporters the injury "definitely could've been worse."

Whether or not the Cowboys still have home-field to play for next Sunday in Washington, there could be a strong possibility that Owens' regular season has ended and he won't play again until the NFC divisional round of the playoffs.

Coincidentally, the Cowboys are optimistic veteran wide receiver Terry Glenn will return to action next Sunday after missing the first 15 games following a Sept. 13 knee scope.

But the Cowboys proved Saturday night they could win without their top two receivers.

Record-Breakers

While the Cowboys can become the first team in franchise history to win 14 regular-season games next Sunday in Washington, a few players continue to rewrite the team record books.
Quarterback Tony Romo became the first player in Cowboys history to pass for more than 4,000 yards in a season, surpassing Danny White's mark of 3,980 yards set in 1983. By throwing for 257 yards Saturday night, Romo now has 4,125 passing yards, with still one game to go.
Wide receiver Terrell Owens might not get another game in the regular season thanks to a high ankle sprain suffered in the second quarter. But it wasn't before he found the end zone for his record-setting 15th touchdown catch of the year, surpassing Frank Clarke's record of 14 set in 1962.
Jason Witten continued to add onto the most prolific season by a tight end in Cowboys history. With six more catches on Saturday, Witten now has 94 this year for 1,121 yards - both career highs and team records by a tight end.
And all the records being set weren't just on offense. With two more sacks against the Panthers, DeMarcus Ware now has the team lead with 13, just ahead of Greg Ellis, who added a sack to give him 12½ this year. However it ends up, Ware and Ellis will have the two-highest single-season sack totals for linebackers. Ware's 13 sacks are the most in a season since Jim Jeffcoat had 14 in 1986.

Quarterback Tony Romo proved a few things as well.

Not only that he could play with a little pain in his right thumb that he injured last week against the Eagles, but he could withstand some personal adversity of his own.

Romo, who didn't take center snaps all week because of the bruised thumb, threw the ball 42 times, completing 28 for 257 yards, a touchdown and interception. His 81.2 quarterback rating was a vast improvement from his career-low 22.2 mark last Sunday against the Eagles.

Romo also answered critics who have suggested this week that his relationship with pop singer Jessica Simpson might have altered his focus.

The quarterback chose not to speak to reporters this week, saying after the game he wanted to block out all distractions.

"I just put tunnel vision on," Romo said. "I knew we needed to come out here and get a win. I had to get myself in the right frame of mind to play at my best. I felt like this week, there were so many distractions, about just junk sometimes. I just felt like the important thing for my team was to get myself in football-mode 24-7."

Romo said there was some pain in his right thumb, but nothing he couldn't overcome.

"Adrenaline is a great equalizer," Romo said. "Somehow you find a way to get through it. Either it's hurt or you're injured. When you're injured you can't play. When you're hurt, you can play. I guess it was a hurt thing."

The first play of the game wasn't a good start. He fumbled the first snap exchange with center Cory Procter, making his first career start in place of an injured Andre Gurode.

But Romo recovered the ball, and the Cowboys never really looked back.

Now they never could totally shake the Panthers, who added a late field goal to cut the Cowboys' lead to seven with 3:01 to play.

However, the Cowboys were able to close out the game on the ground. Marion Barber, who rushed for a season-high 110 yards, picked up two first downs to allow the Cowboys to run out the clock.

"It's tougher to run on the road, usually," Phillips said. "But we just wanted to come in and play our game. I thought we did a good job mixing it up. But we ran the ball well tonight."

The Cowboys were coming off a season-low 53-yard rushing total against Philadelphia and had only 87 the previous week in Detroit.

But Barber, who was one of 11 Cowboys selected to the Pro Bowl this past week, racked up 80 yards in the first half, thanks in part to a 37-yard run that led to his 5-yard touchdown, his 10th of the season.

The Cowboys finished with 148 rushing yards, their fourth-highest game total of the season.

While the Cowboys established the run more than previous weeks, their defense made sure Carolina had problems on the ground. The Panthers had only 69 rushing yards, with 39 coming on one play by DeAngelo Williams.

What kept Carolina in the game was superstar receiver Steve Smith, who had 137 receiving yards and a touchdown. Rookie quarterback Matt Moore, who spent training camp with the Cowboys before being released just before the start of the regular season, played more like a rookie this week. Moore led the Panthers to an upset win over Seattle last Sunday, but struggled against a Cowboys defense that registered five sacks, including two by DeMarcus Ware, who now has 13 ½ this season.

While the Cowboys did give up a pair of big passing plays to Smith, the secondary played rather well, even without starting safety Roy Williams, who served a one-game suspension from the NFL for violating the "horse-collar" tackle and Pat Watkins, who was inactive with an ankle injury.

"Keith Davis came in and did a nice job for us and made some plays," Phillips said. "I really thought our defense played well down (in the red zone) with their backs against the wall. We made some plays. I was happy for that."

Twice in the game, the Cowboys staved off first-and-goal for the Panthers and forced Carolina field goals.

"Our defense is really playing sound right now," Phillips said. "I thought we did a good of getting pressure tonight. We had five sacks. Overall, I thought our defense played really well in the ballgame. Our whole team played well."

That definitely includes, and probably begins, with the quarterback.

Being the franchise quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, this week won't be the last time Romo endures a little criticism.

But if anything, he proved he could answer the bell.

Their defense played like a bunch of crazed animals.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news.cf...EEA9A69EF103BF

**Professor** · 12-23-2007, 01:05 PM

i don't know if they are back on track, that offense looked mediocre in the second half

**RoyWilliams** · 12-23-2007, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Professor

i don't know if they are back on track, that offense looked mediocre in the second half

Showed why we will need a wideout in FA or the draft.

**Professor** · 12-23-2007, 01:56 PM

especially if crayton leaves. Stanback could turn out to be a good one though, you never know

**RoyWilliams** · 12-23-2007, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Professor

especially if crayton leaves. Stanback could turn out to be a good one though, you never know

Yeah ive seen the Parcells Crayton rumors already.

But we def are going to need a star wideout soon.

**gruntbygod** · 12-23-2007, 02:05 PM

IMO Tuna can have Crayton. He is good and all, but not great, and he has been doing alot of talking this year. I would rather get Berrian, and have Malcolm Kelly take Crayton's 3rd WR role next year

**BeastJacobs** · 12-23-2007, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoyWilliams

Yeah ive seen the Parcells Crayton rumors already.

But we def are going to need a star wideout soon.

I agree, perhaps you guys should take Early Doucet, in the first round.

**gruntbygod** · 12-23-2007, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shockey256

I agree, perhaps you guys should take Early Doucet, in the first round.

He's another guy I like. I like Malcolm Kelly better tho

**BeastJacobs** · 12-23-2007, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gruntbygod

He's another guy I like. I like Malcolm Kelly better tho

Yeah, they both have very, very good hands and Kelly has some better speed but Doucet is more physical and powerful. I just like Doucet more because I'm a huge LSU fan.

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