ARLINGTON, Texas – The roof was closed, but Tony Romo was still under the weather in Thursday's win.
Romo still managed to put together an efficient day despite battling a virus and getting an IV before the game, going 23-of-32 for 225 yards and a touchdown without throwing a pick.
"Just whatever it is, a bug, some shape or form," Romo said. "You know, you just kind of feel down, but it's no different than guys playing through pain or anything. It's just part of football."
The virus began Wednesday night and Romo woke up feeling sick on the morning of the game. Head coach Jason Garrett said Romo had thrown up and didn't look great physically before the Thanksgiving Day matchup began.
After a slow start, throwing for 55 yards without a touchdown in the first quarter and throwing for no yards in the second quarter until the two-minute mark, Romo got it going late in the first half. The Cowboys orchestrated an eight-play, 73-yard touchdown drive in 1:46.
"He's already a beast, then that beast times two comes out," said Dez Bryant, who finished as the team's leading receiver in the game. "That's exactly what he showed. Whenever he's doing things like that, like I said, it just boosts everyone in this locker room."
Then Romo carried that to the second half, when he was a perfect 12-for-12. It's the third time in his career that he's completed all of his second-half passes and the first since December 2012 against the Eagles. [embedded_ad]
"We talked about the great Joe Montana story in the Cotton Bowl," Garrett said. "We didn't actually get him the chicken soup, but we tried to get a little drama going so maybe he would respond to it. I think as much as anything else, when he got going out there he started feeling good, particularly in that drive before the half, and I think it carried into the second half."
Romo downplayed the significance of the virus come game time. He said he took "a bunch of stuff" from the doctors but that it was no big deal. He said with a smile that he'd try to go eat something after the Thanksgiving game. "This is the NFL," Romo said. "You play through everything. Guys play through a lot worse, I can promise you that."
