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Cowboys overcome six turnovers in thrilling comeback win

Oct 9, 2007 - 6:20 AM ORCHARD PARK, New York (Ticker) -- The Buffalo Bills waited over 13 years to play on Monday Night Football. Their fans may need that long to recover from this game.

The Dallas Cowboys survived a club record-tying five interceptions from quarterback Tony Romo - and got a 53-yard field goal from rookie kicker Nick Folk as time expired, in an unbelievable 25-24 victory over the Bills on Monday.

Buffalo (1-4), which last played on Monday Night Football when current Cowboys coach Wade Phillips was leading the Denver Broncos in 1994, was able to collect six turnovers in all, including two of which were returned for touchdowns to help the Bills gain and sustain the lead throughout the game.

But Dallas (5-0), who ironically led the league with a plus-seven turnover margin entering the game, benefited from some opportunistic plays in their favor during the last half of the fourth quarter.

"I can't say enough about the character of our team," Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said. "We made way too many mistakes, we almost gave it away but we took it (at the end). I want to enjoy this one. This was a great win. It put us at 5-0."

Trailing, 24-16, with 3:45 remaining, Romo directed a 12-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a four-yard TD pass to Patrick Crayton with 24 seconds remaining. The ensuing two-point conversion failed when Romo's pass attempt towards receiver Terrell Owens was broken up in the end zone by cornerback Jabari Greer.

The Cowboys lined up for an onside kick and were able to recover on the next play, due in large part to the efforts of backup tight end Tony Curtis, who inadvertently knocked the ball ahead after it had traveled 10 yards. Curtis eventually was able to cover the ball at the Dallas 41.

After a booth review of the recovery, Romo hit Crayton and running back Marion Barber III to move the team into field goal range. Folk, whose previous career high was from 47 yards out, converted the 53-yard attempt to seemingly end the game.

However, just before the kick, Bills coach Dick Jauron called a timeout to ice Folk. The strategy did not save Buffalo, as the rookie from Arizona nailed his second attempt, sending the Cowboys sideline into joyous celebration.

"You can't call him a rookie anymore," Crayton said. "The stuff he has been doing - nerves of steel. He is just a calm kicker. And then you make him kick it twice. What is he, a hundred percent so far this season?"

"I said to Tony Romo on the sideline, wouldn't it be amazing if we won this game," Phillips said. "Then we didn't make the two-pointer, but our kicker just did a great job, hit two straight 53-yarders and an onside kick."

Conversely, it was the second heartbreaking home loss for the Bills, who loss in Week One to the Denver Broncos, when Jason Elam hit a 42-yard field goal as time expired.

"(It was) the second painful loss on the last play of a game (for us)," Jauron said. "They played their hearts out; we just didn't make enough plays. We needed one more play to win it and we didn't get the play...It hurts and that one hurt."

The comeback victory overshadowed what was a dreadful game for Romo, who tied Troy Aikman's club record for most interceptions in a single game.

After Julius Jones was stuffed on back-to-back downs on Dallas' first possession, Romo sailed his first pass of the game well over the head of Jason Witten into the waiting hands of defensive back George Wilson, who returned the errant throw 25 yards for the first touchdown of the game and a 7-0 lead.

Perhaps still stinging from Buffalo's quick strike, Romo's second throw - also intended for Witten - was intercepted on a spectacular diving catch by linebacker Angelo Crowell and returned five yards to the Cowboys 44.

In the second quarter, the Cowboys' quarterback was intercepted yet again, this time when Bills defensive end Chris Kelsay deflected Romo's pass attempt around the Dallas 4. The deflection went high into the air and straight back into the end zone, allowing Kelsay to run under the ball for Buffalo's second score, sending the Bills to a 17-7 advantage.

Romo's dreadful first half continued on the next possession when Greer leaped in front of a pass intended for receiver Sam Hurd at the Dallas 42. With his four interceptions in the first half, Romo became the first quarterback to throw four interceptions in a half since Chicago Bears quarterback Kyle Orton did so on September 25, 2005, against the Cincinnati Bengals.

For the second time in the first half, however, the Bills could not convert on Dallas' turnover, making the questionable decision to attempt a 54-yard field goal. Lindell's kick sailed wide right with 36 seconds remaining, leaving the ball at the Buffalo 44 for the potent Dallas offense, which entered the game as the league's best.

Romo, who finished 29-of-50 for 309 yards and two touchdowns, took advantage of Buffalo's prevent defense at the end of the half, leading Dallas down the field 25 yards to get in place for a 47-yard field goal by Folk as time expired in the first half to trim the deficit to 17-10.

After Folk's field goal on the opening drive of the second half cut the Bills lead to 17-13, starting cornerback Terrence McGee, who had returned four kickoffs for TDs in his career, went virtually untouched 103 yards for the Bills third non-offensive TD of the contest, extending their lead to 24-13.

"That really helped us out," McGee said. "I especially wanted to get something started on special teams because it's been awhile since I've gotten into the end zone so just helping the team out like that felt real good...I thought that really was the boost we needed to finish the game off."

Dallas answered with Folk's third field goal, a 37-yarder, to cap an 11-play, 73-yard march that helped the Cowboys' make it a one-possession game.

The Bills went three-and-out on their next possession, but benefited from Romo's fifth turnover of the night.

As Romo eluded the Buffalo pass rush and broke free up the middle, defensive end Aaron Schobel stripped the Cowboys' quarterback and defensive tackle Kyle Williams recovered the ball at the Dallas 48.

After Edwards, who finished 23-of-31 for 176 yards, threw his only interception of the evening as the Bills looked to close out the Cowboys midway through the final period, Romo tied a dubious club record with five interceptions in a single game with 6:05 remaining.

However, Buffalo was unable to run out the clock, setting the stage for the incredible comeback.

"Well, (Romo) didn't throw a sixth (interception)," Phillips said. "He had a rough night but he kept battling back. We still believe in Tony; he's our quarterback and he made a couple plays at the end."

The six turnovers the Bills collected in this contest were one more than the team had forced in their first four games combined. They also became the second team in league history to lose a game in which they returned two interceptions and a kickoff for touchdowns.

"A lot of guys in there (are) hurting," McGee said. "We made too many big plays to lose that game. It was a very exciting Monday Night game but, with all the big plays we made, it just seemed like we had it won but that's football. It's not over until it's over. We left everything out on the field. I think overall, we did a good job."