LANDOVER, Md. – As a team, the Cowboys were trying to go 8-0 on the road for the first time ever and a perfect 4-0 in December.
DeMarco Murray was looking to break a pair of Emmitt Smith's single-season records, including the most rushing yards in franchise history. Dez Bryant was trying to catch the most touchdowns by a Cowboy in one year as well.
While all of those plateaus were reached, Tony Romo had his share of milestones as well, and might even be looking at a bigger prize.
If Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has anything to say about it, Romo would win the NFL MVP award, which will be voted on by the media this week.
"He's my MVP. He should be every Cowboys fans' MVP – and by the way, that's a lot of votes," Jones said following Sunday's 44-17 win over the Redskins to improve to 12-4. "If we could vote it in, he might win it on that ballot alone. But seriously,
you're talking about a guy that's used his skills, whether they have been honed an acquired or whether they were God given, he's used it about as efficiently, this year, at that position, as you'll ever see."
By one point, Romo held off Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers to finish the season as the NFL leader in QB rating at 113.2.
For a guy coming off two back surgeries the past two years, including herniated disk surgery in January, Romo admitted to having satisfaction with the team and individual success. But don't mistake that for being satisfied.
"I think there is no question that I am playing on a level that I am proud of and I have to continue to get better," Romo said. "It's exciting when the stuff you've worked on [comes to life] and it felt really good. Like I said earlier, why you want to get back when you're hurt [is] to be healthy so you can see that the stuff that you think gives you a chance to be an improved player is going to show up. I think that's taken shape. I'm just excited about the progression of improvement."
Obviously, Romo has had to manage his back injury all year long. And it's been proven that he's not the same when he doesn't have a full week to rest. For that very reason, there were discussions just how long the Cowboys might play the quarterback, if at all.
Romo not only played well into the fourth quarter but said he wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
"I think that if you love the game and you're passionate about the game, you have an opportunity to really just show who you are as an individual and a team," Romo said. "You have that opportunity today and that's why you play. You want to go out and show the best version of yourself every week. We had that opportunity and you don't pass that up. That's why you play."
