Security guards made the fans take it down before kickoff, which sure looked foolish considering what Romo did next: five touchdown passes, tying a club record, all in just the first three quarters. Club owner Jerry Jones was so giddy afterward that he joked about firing those security guards.
Five years later, Romo has yet to live up to the hope and hype of those heady days.
But another wave of “Romo-mania” might not be far away.
Romo goes into today’s Thanksgiving game against Miami looking on one of the best rolls of his career. He’s gone three consecutive games without an interception, and Dallas has won them all, pushing the Cowboys into a tie for first place in the NFC East.
The timing is great for him – he’s made a tradition of shining on this holiday. Romo is 4-0 on Thanksgivings, having thrown 12 touchdowns and just two interceptions. (He missed last year’s game because of a broken collarbone.)
Miami presents an intriguing challenge.
The Dolphins are only 3-7, but they’ve won three in a row and haven’t allowed a touchdown in any of those games. Plus, their roster, coaching staff and front office are filled with guys who worked with Romo in Dallas, perhaps giving them a degree of insight that goes beyond the usual scouting reports.
It starts at the top, with Miami general manager Jeff Ireland having been on the staff when the Cowboys signed Romo after he went undrafted. Dolphins coach Tony Sparano was Dallas’ offensive line coach and play-caller when Romo replaced Drew Bledsoe as the starter in 2006 – including that five-TD performance against Tampa Bay on Thanksgiving – and he remained on the staff in 2007.
“First of all is he’s an outstanding player,” Sparano said. “He’s a guy that from Day 1 down there has been able to get that team moving. ... I think he’s got a good relationship with a lot of his players there. And those guys obviously trust his leadership.”
At his best, Romo can be a Brett Favre-like gunslinger, turning seemingly doomed plays into highlight-reel touchdowns. He did so several times Sunday against Washington by relying on a nifty spin move to his left.
“I always thought Tony always had eyes in the back of his head, which was good for a line coach,” Sparano said. “But he’s got a good sense about him. He extends plays. ... That stuff can hurt (opponents).”
That stuff also has hurt the Cowboys.
Dallas has three narrow losses this season and Romo’s turnovers were to blame for the first two.
Now look at what Romo has done since then.
In six games, he has two interceptions. That matches the cleanest stretch of his career.
Only this one is better because he’s also thrown more touchdowns, 12.
