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Cowboys look to keep rolling against winless Rams

Sep 30, 2007 - 12:22 PM St. Louis (0-3) at Dallas (3-0) Sunday 1:00 pm EDT

IRVING, Texas (Ticker) - The last time the Dallas Cowboys opened a season with four straight wins, they went on to win the Super Bowl.

The Cowboys seek their first 4-0 start since 1995 on Sunday, when they host the St. Louis Rams in a battle of teams heading in opposite directions.

Dallas capped the 1995 season with a 27-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XXX, and some Dallas fans are probably thinking Super Bowl again after the Cowboys dismantled the Chicago Bears, 34-10, last week.

The impressive victory left the Cowboys and Green Bay Packers as the only 3-0 teams in the NFC, but Dallas coach Wade Phillips warned against looking too far ahead.

"We've just played three games," Phillips said. "But I told the players, this is 19 percent of our season. It's only 19 percent - 81 percent is left."

While Phillips was brought in to improve the defense, the Cowboys' offense looks unstoppable, scoring a league-high 116 points.

Dallas has been particularly tough on defenses in the second half, scoring 86 points following intermission. After scoring 27 and 28 points, respectively, in the second half against the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins, the Cowboys erupted for 31 points in the final two quarters against the Bears.

Tony Romo passed for 329 yards and two touchdowns against the defending NFC champions and share's the NFC's top passer rating with Carolina's Jake Delhomme.

With the Cowboys off to a fast start, receiver Terrell Owens has been on his best behavior. Owens has 16 receptions for for 329 yards, which ranks fourth in the NFL.

The Rams were expected to also have a potent offense this season, but that offense was non-existent in last week's 24-3 loss at Tampa Bay.

St. Louis, which has scored just two touchdowns and is averaging only 11 points per game, received more bad news on Monday when it learned that star running back Steven Jackson suffered a partial tear of a groin muscle against the Buccaneers.

Although he struggled in his first two games this season, Jackson had his first 100-yard game Sunday, rushing for 115 yards on 30 carries.

Rookie Brian Leonard, a second-round pick out of Rutgers, will start in Jackson's place.

The injuries are mounting for the Rams as guard Mark Setterstrom will miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn knee ligament against the Buccaneers.

Setterstrom is the second Rams' offensive lineman to be lost for the season. Left tackle Orlando Pace suffered a torn labrum and rotator cuff in the season opener.