second-longest reception of his career.
Romo to Patrick Crayton for an 80-yard touchdown, Romo's longest completion of his career and PC's longest reception of his.
In all, the Cowboys produced 10 plays of at least 18 yards, which included a fourth-quarter completion to Crayton for 44 more yards, helping them to 462 yards of total offense and Romo to 353 passing yards, thus increasing his club record to 17 of those 300-yard passing performances, and allowing him to finish with a ridiculous 140.6 QB rating.
On top of all that versatility - the Cowboys ran for 118 yards, averaging 4.9 a carry - there were no turnovers, just one sack and as a team, just four penalties.
Best of all, no one seemed to care, and probably didn't even know that Witten and Williams were targeted seven times apiece by Romo and Crayton six, or that Barber ran the ball just 14 times or Felix Jones six.
What mattered most was . . . 34-21.
Could almost hear the orchestra pounding out the ending of the "William Tell Overture."
"We don't think about explosive plays, we just try to execute the play," Romo said, then later pointedly adding that "you're not judged by yards, you're judged by winning and losing at this position, and I think our team understands it's about winning and losing. That's what we're trying to do."
Warms the cockles of your heart every time you hear one of these guys utter the word "team," doesn't it?
Or how about Crayton saying, "Just a matter of getting everyone involved" as the 34 points scored matched the most in the past six games and were the second most (by one point) in the past 15 games, and this against a Tampa Bay defense playing with new-found aggressiveness and one Witten insists is "not a bad defense at all."
And maybe best of all with this near unprecedented scoring and totally the most yards since last year's season opener in Cleveland, the Cowboys actually left some plays on the field. There was the go-route Romo just overthrew Austin on for what would have been a 65-yard touchdown pass. There was the time Williams tripped over a defender's foot as he was spinning into the open on a short slant and another time Romo thought better of drilling a deep hash-throw to him, knowing he would have to wait an extra tick for Roy to clear the safety, a no-no this season. Or that 16-yard completion to Crayton wiped out by the unnecessary roughness call on Flozell Adams.
Like 500 yards and 40 points were not out of the question. And as it was, only the Saints and the Ravens totaled more yards than the Cowboys heading into the final two games of Week 1 in the NFL, and only Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and New Orleans QB Drew Brees threw for more yards than Romo did in the opener.
So much for the perceived dink and dunking, at least for one game, since one game is no trend, not on offense, nor on defense, either. So ease up on banging heads against the wall in frustration over the run defense leaking 5.6 yards a carry thanks to a 35-yard run and a 22-yard run. For on Tampa Bay's other 29 runs, they averaged a more palatable four yards a carry.
You know, let the Bucs average 5.6 yards a carry if Romo is throwing for a career high and averaging 12.6 yards per attempt, not to mention 22 yards per completion.
"Career-high passing yards? Without T.O.?" Williams quipped, even his smirk dripping with sarcasm. "No, it's good . . . everybody contributed."
And that's music to everyone's ears.
