_{Star-Telegram/Ron T. Ennis}

Tony Romo dodges Tyler Brayton in the second quarter as the Carolina Panthers play the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Tx., Monday, Sept. 28, 2009. Star-Telegram/Ron T. Ennis.

It's Tuesday, and I'm with Tony Romo. This week's better than last week.

It ended like this:

_{STAR-TELEGRAM/RODGER MALLISON}

Pursued by Panthers wide receiver, Steve Smith, Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman (23) runs an interception in for a touchdown in the second half as the Dallas Cowboys host the Carolina Panthers in Cowboys Stadium, in Arlington, Texas, on Monday September 28, 2009. (Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Rodger Mallison)

and the final score was 21-7, which ... looks better than it might've been, 'cause sacks and penalties cost the Cowboys at least one touchdown in the first half, maybe two. But then came the 2nd half -- and for a wonder, Jason Garrett

_{Wide receiver Miles Austin, right, slips a tackle from Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Jermaine Phillips (23) before scoring a touchdown in the second quarter. AP Photo}

It remains to be seen tomorrow night how Terrell Owens' first game as a Buffalo Bill will go, but the Dallas Cowboys' season opener decisively underlined the benefit of having him out of their locker room.

Romo completed 16 of 27 passes for a career-high 353 yards, including touchdowns of 80, 66 and 42 yards to receivers Patrick Crayton, Roy Williams and Miles Austin.

The top two folks still in that locker room are looking forward,

UPDATE 10:15 PM SATURDAY:

Coach among 12 injured in Cowboys' roof collapse

By DAVID JIMENEZ and JAIME ARON – 1 hour ago

IRVING, Texas (AP) — Cowboys special teams coach Joe DeCamillis broke his back and 11 more were injured when winds just shy of tornado strength ripped through the roof of the team's indoor practice facility during a rookie minicamp Satur

Terrell Owens has a lot going for him at 35. He's fit, handsome, articulate, and he can be charming. He'd make, in fact, a great politician if he should decide to retire from the NFL.

He can also be the biggest crybaby in pro football. That's NOT what the Cowboys cut him for, though -- the team needs somebody they can count on to run the pass routes and hold onto the football once it's in hand.

Former Cowboys quarterback Drew Bledsoe told more than one person that dealing with Owens’ antics wasn’t the problem. Not knowing where Owens was going to be on a pass route was the problem.

Like I said, he'd make a great politician.

So, now we know.

Peyton's older, Eli's more careful with the football. The AFC runs more plays, gains more yards, and comes up short in scoring. Kurt Warner may be done -- he only spent one series on the field in the first half, leaving Drew Brees and the younger Manning brother to command the NFC's offense at Aloha Stadium.

The NFC Pro Bowlers played from behind most of the day, but in the end they won 30-21.

The kicker who sealed the deal is 44 years old, and used to play for the Saints -- and the Chargers.
John Carney's in his first All-Star game, despite a really impressive career -- as The Giants' Insider reported when he signed, he's the fifth-highest scorer in NFL history. Carney, 44, is finishing his 21st NFL season, during which he's played 274 regular season games for six teams, most notably San Diego (1990-2000) and New Orleans (2001-2006). He went to the Giants with a 425-of-519 regular season field-goal mark (81.9 percent) and 537-of-545 extra-point tries for 1,812 points. This year, he added to that with regular season stats by going 38-for-38 from the extra-point position, completing 35 of 38 field goals for a 92.1 percentage mark, missing nothing under 30 yards and scoring from more than half the length of the field the one time he tried; his longest kick in the regular season was 51 yards and he piled up 143 points. Then he got into the playoffs; the Giants sent him out five times, and he hit three, all from under 40 yards, for 9 more points. Not too shabby, despite the NFC's "toughest team" not being able to defend their 2008 WC title.
I don't know whether today's stats will add to Carney's official career totals. If he's still playing next year -- and why wouldn't he be? -- he may not be the fifth-scoringest player anymore. I think he set a record for being the oldest player ever voted to the Pro Bowl for the first time, too. So congratulations to John Carney.

So, amid the razzle-dazzle-frazzle of the TO-Witten 'controversy' and with a NY win a sure bet to kill their playoff hopes this year, what did Tony Romo do Sunday night? What he does. "I play football for the Dallas Cowboys."

He cowboyed up in a major way for this one, kids. Twenty completions out of 30 passes, two for touchdowns; sacked three times in the first half and again in the second, beaten-up from being flung all over the field like last year's rag doll on Christmas morning (hat tip to the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram's Gil LeBreton for the metaphor) he still managed the presence of mind to shove the football over the end line, out of bounds, confining the oncoming NY Giants' defense to a safety instead of a touchdown should one of them spy and fall upon the loose football.

But the D did another stellar job, and not least among the standouts is Terrence Newman, the cornerback whose two interceptions (one very late, admittedly) helped seal the deal.

A better showing in the 20-8 win over the (somewhat hampered by the losses of Brandon Jacobs and self-inflicted season-ending injuries to Plaxico Burress) Giants than Eli Manning managed, even his critics will say of Romo this week. Granted, Manning's not used to being knocked down, time after time after time after time after time after time, and again; but eight sacks and two interceptions were hallmarks of the effort the Cowboys' defense turned in for this contest.
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DeMarcus Ware's week-long mantra must've been "meet me at the quarterback." Bradie James accepted the invitation to that party, too.

William Perlman, USS Presswire photo

Terrell Owens' season has been anything but golden, until today, when he collected seven catches for more than 200 yards and a touchdown.

But with another game Thursday, and rookie running back Felix Jones gone for the season, can the Tony Romo to TO connection save the Cowboys' season?

Stay tuned, sports fans.

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Sunday night is football night.

Despite playing with a heavily-wrapped (recently broken) fourth finger on his right hand -- and in spite of pitching a couple of first-half interceptions, both intended for Terrell Owens -- Tony Romo led the Dallas Cowboys back into the "win" column.

Bye week couldn't come at a better time for the Cowboys. This time last year it was ... the Patriots. This time this year it was ... the Cowboys themselves. Terrell Owens scores his first touchdown in a month, but it's too little, too late.

Fewer mistakes and a defense that, for a change, didn't cave.
Wade Phillips' input seems to have made a difference for the Cowboys' D.
Roy Williams seems to be making the hook-up with Brad Johnson that Terrell Owens can't manage. The bad news: Jason Witten got hurt today.

Welcome home, Roy Williams!

Video

UPDATE: DMN hater Tim McMahon agrees with me:

With apologies to those who commented on the earlier version of this post, when the photograph I had posted changed to a completely different photo, negating the meaning of my post, I took it down.

But as I said before, the Cowboys apparently cannot have it all. Given that I would have dropped the ball in the situation pictured below, I'm sure, I can't really say anything about today's result except it's got to get better after this:

and while Lambert says we can keep TO if we want

Props to Jim Zorn for doing a heck of a scouting job, and calling good plays all day.

Tony Romo completed 28-of-47 passes for 300 yards with three touchdowns and one costly interception for the Cowboys (3-1). Jason Witten and Terrell Owens each caught seven balls, including one touchdown apiece.

"It was just a tough day," Romo said. "You can't take anything away from them, they did a good job. All of us had some issues today where we just have to get better in our situations where we got to win."

Three down -- at Lambeau Field, of all places -- where Dallas never won before, and Tony Romo only went twice before,

and against Green Bay's new starting qb, Aaron Rodgers.

Now, granted, it was bound to come along sometime --

Two down.

Philly fans have a new anti-hero: DeSean Jackson turned an apparent 61-yard TD into a 60-yard catch because he dropped the ball before crossing the goal line.

Texas Stadium will host no more NFL Monday Night Football games.
At least the last one ended well.
Felix Jones, by the way, had a 98-yard touchdown run.

There's a story around Dallas about a young man stopping to help a couple struggling with a flat tire Sunday night.
(hat tip to bringiton)
I sure wish we had more stories about deeds like this.
I sure wish we had more young men like this.
I sure wish we had a country where this was the norm.