intercepted during the first three possessions of the game. Admit it now, you were all over Tony Romo, weren't you? Even if the second interception was on Laurent Robinson for not being on the same page with his quarterback.
But in the end, you probably were dancing in your living room when Romo completed that nine-yard pass to Jason Witten while being dragged to the ground and trailing 16-10. Weren't you? Or when he threaded the needle on that 14-yard out to Robinson. Or when Romo took the vicious hit on third-and-3, getting off the five-yard completion to Witten in the nick of time. Or when on the very next play from the 18 you were chest bumping anyone within a leap's reach when he bought time before finding Robinson in the back of the end for the touchdown, giving the Cowboys that brief 17-16 lead.
Man, a guy who to that point was 10 of 19 for 98 yards and two interceptions suddenly erupts to go seven-of-seven for 75 yards and a touchdown.
Admit it, you were back to bemoaning this Cowboys offensive line and the absence of fullback Tony Fiammetta because of the team's inability to sustain a running game. Why, until the game-winning drive, DeMarco Murray had averaged just 3.5 yards a carry. But when the Cowboys needed him most, not only moving the ball down into chip-shot field-goal range for Dan Bailey's 28-yard game-winner, but milking all but three necessary seconds for the kick off the clock, he suddenly averaged 5.4 yards a carry behind that same line and that same fill-in fullback, John Phillips.
Same with the defense, right? Maddening all the big plays it continues to give up, especially the secondary.
But think about this: A defense struggling to turn red-zone possessions into anything but touchdowns, suddenly doesn't allow Miami to cross the goal line once inside the 20 four times. And none bigger than the 14-play possession after the Cowboys took the 17-16 lead, holding the Dolphins to a field goal after they reached a first-and-goal at the three.
And ... and ... after the Cowboys' offense short-circuited on the next possession when trailing 19-17, the defense forced the Dolphins into a three-and-out, giving the offense one last chance with just 2:59 remaining - that same defense that allowed the Redskins to drive the length of the field for the game-tying, overtime-forcing touchdown on Sunday.
Oh, and one last thing: The return game, the one that basically doesn't exist? When the Dolphins had to punt that last time, there goes Dez Bryant, working his magic for 20 yards and getting the ball out to the 36 on his only punt-return opportunity of the game. Huge! Anyone else willing to argue with me about the benefits of getting the ball in Bryant's hands anyway you can, and especially not excluding punt returns - all the time?
So as suggested, at ease, at least through Monday night. Watch them others struggle while your team, by hook or by crook, put two victories in its back pocket in five days and now rests, too. You got nothing to worry about ... at least until next Monday when the Cowboys get back to work or a week from Sunday when they show up in Glendale, Ariz., where, uh, the Cowboys have been beaten the last two times out, once in overtime on a returned block punt for a touchdown and once by a measly point after missing a not-so-extra point.
There will be plenty to worry about again going forward.
Blood pressure pills no longer optional.
