Dallas Cowboys devour Jets, 34-3
By the middle of the third quarter Thursday, most everyone's attention in Texas Stadium turned to Green Bay.
The Cowboys made history, improving to 10-1 for the first time after turning the
New York Jets into a 34-3 formality on Thanksgiving. And coach Wade Phillips did not want the moment to pass too quickly.
"We haven't met any of our goals yet," Phillips said. "It didn't put us in the playoffs. It didn't win our division. It doesn't make us play at home. But I am proud of that, and I think our team is proud of that."
Yeah, yeah. History is nice, Coach, but what about the Packers?
Earlier Thursday, Green Bay did its part in setting up next week's possible winner-take-all in the NFC with a 37-26 win at Detroit. The Cowboys' matchup with the Packers will be the first between 10-1 teams since the
New York Giants and
San Francisco 49ers played Dec. 3, 1990.
While a win would help the Cowboys' bid for homefield advantage in the playoffs, it would not ensure a trip to
Super Bowl XLII. Bill Parcells' Giants lost the regular-season meeting with those 49ers in 1990, but they did beat them in the NFC Championship Game.
"I don't look at it any different than being a big football game that we're trying to win," said Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, a Burlington, Wis., native. "Now, if we win next week, does it help us reach our goal? Yes. If we lose, does it completely derail it? No. It's a big game, and everybody understands this is probably going to be one of the more important games we're going to play in the regular season, but in the same point it's also one game."
But 40 years after the Ice Bowl, the Cowboys would not want to return to Lambeau Field for a possible NFC title game.
"What this game is about is getting back here in January," owner and general manager Jerry Jones said.
Before the Cowboys' attention could be turned to the Packers on Thursday, they needed to dispatch the Jets.
The offense scored the only points it really needed on the opening drive, which went eight plays for 63 yards and ended with Marion Barber, lining up at fullback with Terrell Owens at tailback, bulling his way in from 7 yards. So efficient was the first drive that the Cowboys needed to convert on third down just once.
"Anytime you can do something like that, it makes a statement to the other team," said right guard Leonard Davis, who helped Barber gain 103 yards and Julius Jones gain 64. "It lets them know that this here is for real."
The rest of the game wasn't that easy, although Tony Romo equaled the franchise record for touchdown passes in a season, 29, with his 13th of the season to Terrell Owens in the fourth quarter.
But with the way the defense played, it did not matter. The Cowboys allowed season lows in first downs (nine) and yards (180) and points.
The clincher came when Terence Newman intercepted a pass at midfield and sprinted into the end zone for a 21-0 lead with 6:18 left in the first half. The touchdown was the defense's third of the season.
"We're supposed to keep a losing team losing," linebacker Bradie James said.
And now they get another chance to show just how good they are.
For all of the good the Cowboys have done so far – the record start, Tony Romo's TD passes, Owens' surreal play, the defense's ability to create turnovers – they have not been able to create any separation from Brett Favre's Packers.
Green Bay has matched the Cowboys win for win with Favre's passing and a stifling defense. Last month, unbeaten New England came to Texas Stadium with Tom Brady, Randy Moss and a stifling defense and left with a 48-27 victory.
The Cowboys have not lost since.
"It seems like this team has responded to challenges," tight end Jason Witten said. "We've got experience in big games, but I think the good thing is that we're not going to let the game become too big."
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