Tony Romo Turns Cowboys-Jets into "Revis and Butt-Head" Show

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If you're into stats and only stats, then Tony Romo is the kind of quarterback you want to have on your team, possibly even your fantasy football team.

But the game opener ended a bust.

It wasn't just another case of "pants on the ground"—it was that throw to the Jets' Darrelle Revis that signaled the end of the game.

According to The Sporting News, Romo had a decent night, with two touchdowns, 23 completions, 342 yards and a passer rating over 100.

Still, football in the NFL is all about winning. And between last season's disappointing display and last night's game-killing throw late in the fourth quarter, it seems that Romo still needs to work on one thing: his concentration.

A 27-23 loss to the Jets has Cowboy fans and football pundits wondering, "What was Romo thinking?"

An Early, Dominant Start for Dallas

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Dallas got going early with four first downs in the opening four minutes of the game, striking first with a short pass to Dez Bryant for a TD.

After heading to halftime at 10-7, it looked like Dallas' defense could hold the Jets to one touchdown and only field goals for a while going forward.

Rolling into the third quarter, Dallas went up 17-10 and appeared extremely confident and competent against the New York Jets, who were no slouches themselves. Bryant's early movement seemed to indicate that Dallas could handle the Jets' strong secondary, Revis included.

We'd see the Cowboys give the Jets a little slack eventually though. Dallas got stuck with a few careless penalties for extra players on the field and delay of game, signalling perhaps some Opening Day cobwebs.

The Cowboys Cruise Forward...We Think

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The Jets' defensive line picked on the Cowboys quarterback more than a few times, causing the talented Romo, who looked fairly good, to make hasty mistakes with the ball, both on the line of scrimmage and in passing.

While the Cowboys' defensive secondary was nowhere near New York's backfield talent, the Cowboy linebackers looked polished and tough—an improvement from last season—and prevented the Jets from causing too many problems play to play.

After entering the fourth quarter on a high, with another touchdown hand off to Felix Jones, Dallas seemed in pole position at 24-10. But there was still a lot of game left to play.

Burress Keeps the Jets in the Game

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After strong opening statements from Romo and the Cowboys, the momentum changed.

Well into the fourth quarter Mark Sanchez hit Plaxico Burress for a 26-yard pass, putting the Jets back into the game. An extra point from Nick Folk made it 24-17. The Cowboys were still in the lead.

The Cowboys got the ball back with a good 12 minutes left to play; a chance to seal the deal going into the last half of the fourth quarter.

Revis Picks off Romo, Dallas in Charge No Mo'

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After the Sanchez-Burress connection put the Jets "in it," Dallas regained possession with a little hubris and a non-response.

Romo got sacked and fumbled the ball to New York, but the Jets returned the favor, fumbling possession back to Dallas. Still leading, 24-17, the Cowboys suffered a blocked punt, which the Jets' Isaiah Trufant returned for a touchdown to tie up the game.

The string of penalties, turnovers and missed opportunities culminated in a stall-out downfield; the game was tied 24-24. On first down, Romo's pass to Dez Bryant was intercepted by Darrelle Revis, who returned it for 20 yards.

Folk Nails It for the Jets; Game over

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The Jets soldiered on downfield and with under 30 seconds left on the clock, their reliable Nick Folk kicked a 50-yarder to close out a win for the Jets over Dallas.

A great comeback effort for New York at home overshadowed an otherwise stellar night for the Cowboys and Tony Romo, who are expected to have a promising season.

Sure, great quarterbacks throw interceptions sometimes and that's just part of the game. Still, if Dallas is going to go anywhere this season, the Cowboys will need their star to close out games in the fourth quarter with touchdowns—not throw into the cover and gift opponents with opportunities.

Especially when pick-hungry defensive backs like Darrelle Revis are lurking in the backfield.

 

Andy Frye writes about sports and life on Bleacher Report. You can also follow his militant pro-sports propaganda on Twitter at @MySportsComplex.