score points, you have the ability to absolve yourself of sins.
So for the sixth time in nine games the Cowboys have scored at least 30 points. For the seventh time in winning 10 of their past 13 road games they have scored at least 30 points. Why, they have scored 296 points so far this season (32.9 a game), the second-most points the club has scored after nine games to only the 320 the 1966 team tallied.
Points win.
"We have a great offense," Phillips proclaimed, not shy in the least bit to step out twice, saying. "Not a good offense, a great offense."
"Great" doesn't just mean big numbers, though the Cowboys had impressive numbers. Romo threw for 247 yards and four touchdowns - again against the Giants - and in doing so was immaculately efficient, finishing with a 123.1 QB rating. Terrell Owens put together his third consecutive 100-yard receiving game - the first such club streak since Michael Irvin had seven in 1995 - catching six passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Patrick Crayton gave the Giants too much to think about, catching five passes for 66 yards, including a 20-yarder for a touchdown, to make the Giants pay for the preoccupation with Owens - and blitzing.
Sometimes true greatness has to do with timing and performing under pressure. And never was there more pressure on the Cowboys than coming out after halftime tied 17-17 and this crowd all stirred up. All the Cowboys do is go 86 yards in 12 plays, converting three consecutive third downs, to take a 24-17 lead on Romo's 25-yard touchdown pass to Owens.
And then, as if on cue, after the defense held the Giants to but a field goal, the Cowboys brought out the hammer, Romo hitting a wide-open Owens for a 50-yard touchdown when the Giants were spread too thin trying to account for Crayton and Jason Witten, too.
Just too much.
So when Romo was told his head coach had called this offense "great," he said, "I know we're doing some pretty good things," as if hesitant to pull out the G-word, but then decided to defer to Phillips by saying, "I haven't been in the league as long as he has, but I know we put up some points."
That's the point to all this budding optimism for this 2007 season. If you can score, it doesn't matter if you get a baloney personal foul penalty at the end of the half to enable the Giants to kick the half-ending, tying field goal. Or if your quarterback throws short into the wind for an interception. Or if your inside linebacker enhances a Giants touchdown drive with a 15-yard personal foul for tapping the 260-pound running back who has evidently mastered the NBA flop after a play.
Points can cure what ails you.
This offensive prowess is something Crayton howled about early in the season, and many thought he was just full of hot air. Well, he was sort of prophetic. Check this out: The 24 points the Cowboys scored against Minnesota are the fewest they've scored in a game this season, followed by the 25 against Buffalo, and they had to turn the ball over six times to hold themselves to that.
So let this sink in: The Cowboys have now scored at least 24 points in nine straight games this season. Never, and I mean never, have the Cowboys scored at least 24 points in the first nine games of a season. Not any of their Super Bowl seasons. Not in 1983 when they set their single-season scoring record (479 points). Not in 1995 when they last scored more than the 425 points they scored last season.
Hey, they are on pace to score 526 points this year.
"Wide open," Crayton said was the reason behind what everyone thought was foolish boasting on his part so early in the season. "Just look at Coach (Jason) Garrett's mentality. He's not putting his foot on the brakes. He's got a heavy foot on the gas."
And so the Cowboys simply continue zooming along their merry way.
