Cowboys’ Romo to face stiffest test
In about a full year as an NFL starting quarterback, Tony Romo has taken the Dallas Cowboys on an entertaining ride.
Romo beat Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts last season, when he led the Cowboys to the playoffs and dropped a snap on a potential winning field-goal attempt at Seattle. He walked away from that game dirty and defeated.
He bounced back, though, and has carried the Cowboys to a 5-0 start this season, highlighted by his six-turnover fiasco that he overcame Monday night in a last-second 25-24 victory at Buffalo.
Romo survived the dictatorship of Bill Parcells and succeeded in his courtship of Carrie Underwood. And he has done it all after being undrafted out of Eastern Illinois four years ago.
One thing he has not done is face a Bill Belichick defense, and that sets up maybe the most intriguing game of the regular season as New England visits Dallas on Sunday.
The only matchup that can top it is the Patriots' game at Indianapolis on Nov. 4.
Because the Cowboys are coming off a miraculous victory over the Bills, and had a short week to prepare, most bettors are siding with New England as a 6-point favorite.
I'll also go with the Patriots because going against them seems insane. New England is 5-0 with wins by margins of 24, 24, 31, 21 and 17 points. Those pathetic former Miami Dolphins who annually toast after the last undefeated team goes down had better be sweating.
As exciting as Romo can be, he is no Tom Brady, and he has not seen a challenge as daunting as a Belichick defense. Belichick made Manning look clumsy for several years.
Brady has the steady hand of a surgeon, and he's operating the Patriots' offense with precision, completing 74 percent of his passes with 16 touchdowns and two interceptions.
The addition of speed threat Randy Moss has allowed New England to spread the field and wear defenses thin, and Dallas will be hurting with its best cover cornerback, Anthony Henry, out with an injury.
Moss has 34 receptions and seven touchdowns. The other No. 81 on the field, Terrell Owens, has about 34 dropped passes this season.
The Cowboys are the best team in the NFC. But the Patriots are the best bet in the NFL almost every week.
Four more plays for Week 6 (home team in CAPS):
• Eagles (-3) over JETS -- After bye weeks, Philadelphia coach Andy Reid is 8-0. Reid needed the week off to get his team healthy, and running back Brian Westbrook and left tackle Tra Thomas are returning from injuries. The last time he visited the Meadowlands, Donovan McNabb was sacked 12 times in a loss to the Giants. The Jets' soft defense will be more hospitable to McNabb.
• Titans (+3) over BUCCANEERS -- Tampa Bay's offense is lacking punch after injuries to left tackle Luke Petitgout and running backs Cadillac Williams and Michael Pittman. Vince Young wins as an underdog, as Tennessee has covered 13 of 15 in that role.
• Panthers (+41/2) over CARDINALS -- It makes little sense to bet on Carolina with David Carr at quarterback. But it's just as questionable to bet on Arizona laying more than a field goal. The Panthers, 15-3-2 as road underdogs, just need to get the ball to wideout Steve Smith and let him do the rest.
• Raiders (+10) over CHARGERS -- San Diego might be back on track, and Norv Turner might not be the worst head coach in the league. The Chargers looked good in their 41-3 demolition of Denver. Oakland's defense is solid, however, and its running game -- with LaMont Jordan, Justin Fargas and Dominic Rhodes -- is strong enough to keep the game close.
Last week: 2-3 against the spread
Season: 10-12-3
Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2907.
