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Romo, Newman lead Cowboys to best start in franchise history

Nov 23, 2007 - 2:44 AM IRVING, Texas (Ticker) -- In just 21 starts, Tony Romo has accomplished something Roger Staubach, Danny White and Troy Aikman never could.

Romo threw two touchdowns to lead the Dallas Cowboys to their best start in the franchise's illustrious history with a 34-3 victory Thursday over the New York Jets on Thanksgiving Day.

Marion Barber carried 18 times for 103 yards and a touchdown and cornerback Terence Newman returned an interception 50 yards for touchdown for Dallas, which secured its fifth straight win.

Prior to this season, White led the Cowboys to a then franchise-best 9-1 start in 1983 under Hall of Fame coach Tom Landry. The best Staubach could do was 9-1 in 1976, while Aikman could only help the Cowboys to a trio of 8-2 starts in 1992, 1994 and 1995.

But Romo has trumped them all en route to a 10-1 start for Dallas, which hosts the Green Bay Packers (10-1) next Thursday in a showdown of NFC powers.

"10-1 is a great start," Romo said. "Obviously, it's a phenomenal beginning to a good season, and in the middle here. Now, it's about finishing. We're going to go out there and and try to do what we can do to get better for next week's game.

"I think it's going to be a fun game next week. Obviously, we'll both be 10-1 and this game will give the winner a two-game lead for home field throughout the playoffs."

Adding to an already impressive season, Romo also tied White for the franchise's single-season touchdown mark at 29 with a 22-yard fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Terrell Owens. White set the mark in 1979.

"The most important thing is that we won," Owens said. "Regardless if I caught a touchdown or not. We made history today and that's a stepping stone of where we need to go, and I think we're headed in the right direction."

Despite being pressured constantly, Romo managed to dissect New York's defense and, at one point, completed 15-of-19 passes. He connected on 21-of-28 passes for 195 yards in the game.

The Cowboys' defense also did its part, as it sacked Jets quarterback Kellen Clemens three times and did not let New York cross midfield until late in the first half.

Romo and the Cowboys came out strong as they took the first possession of the game and wasted little time attacking the Jets.

Romo led an eight-play, 63-yard drive that was capped by a seven-yard score by Barber with 10:16 left in the first.

The four-year veteran was 3-of-3 for 35 yards on the drive, which featured a key 19-yard pass to Miles Austin on 3rd-and-9. Austin was forced into action due to the absence of Patrick Crayton, who sat out with a sprained ankle.

Dallas' offense struggled to get into a rhythm the rest of the quarter and held just a 7-0 lead. But Romo and the Cowboys then opened the second quarter the same way they did the first.

Romo, who threw an interception after the Cowboys recovered a first-quarter fumble in New York's territory, capped a seven-play, 44-yard drive with a 25-yard scoring strike to Jason Witten for a 14-0 lead with 12:09 left in the half.

Newman then stretched the lead to 21-0 as he baited Clemens into a bad throw, picked it off and raced down the right sideline for a 50-yard touchdown with 6:18 left in the second.

The Jets finally crossed the 50-yard line at 3:33 mark in the second, and Mike Nugent capped a 13-play, 58-yard drive with a 40-yard field goal with 39 seconds left in the half.

The Cowboys' defense continued to stymie the Jets' offense in the second half, and Nick Folk added two field goals before Owens capped the scoring late in the fourth quarter.

Owens, who caught a team-record four scores last week, finished with six catches for 65 yards.

Clemens struggled as he threw 10 straight incomplete passes in the second half, and finished 12-of-27 for 142 yards and one interception.

"I thought the Cowboys played well, but I think to beat a team like that, you have to play your best football, and we didn't play our best football," Jets coach Eric Mangini said. "There are certain things you have to achieve in all three phases, and we didn't come close in any phase."