Worst to First

By Robert Wilonsky Tue., Nov. 14 2006 at 1:08 PM

Categories: Sports

We can hide it no longer: Some of us at Unfair Park have an enormous man-crush on Tony Romo. There. We feel so much better.

That's the unique challenge for your Dallas Cowboys as they upgrade from playing the one-win Cardinals to the no-loss Colts Sunday at Texas Stadium. I started to look up the history of teams trying to pull off that rare polar-opposite obstacle course, but I quickly realized I'm too busy for that kind of nonsense. Wild guess? Teams usually fare better against the 1-7 opponents than the 9-0. You're welcome.

A couple of things did manage to fall in my lap about this game. First, how in Hades did the Cowboys start out being favored? Wise guys jumped all over the early line of Cowboys -1, pushing it this morning all the way to Colts —1 �.

Second, this will be Tony Romo's litmus test. He's been impressive in his three starts, becoming the first Cowboys quarterback to produce three straight 250-plus-yard passing days since Troy Aikman in 1993. But those came against Carolina, Washington and Arizona--better known as three of the NFL's bottom seven defenses. Going against Peyton Manning, Romo will have to produce 21-plus points. And he'll have to do it against the league's No. 2-ranked pass defense. (Editorial aside: Is it just me, or does Manning and his big-brained giant helmet resemble The Flintstone's Great Gazoo?)

If the Cowboys win, we've really got something special. And if they lose, hey, it's only 1,033 days till the 2009 season opener in this building. --Richie Whitt

Email to Friend