Quarterback Tony Romo Finds Redemption to Clean Dallas Cowboys' Slate

Just a week ago, the Cowboys' hopes to start a new era in their history seemed buried beneath the rubble of their collapse against the Jets.  Along with their crushing loss and another 0-1 start came questions about their quarterback's ability to lead and perform under pressure. 

Seven days later, Tony Romo answered the call with an unlikely effort against in San Francisco, reviving a 2011 campaign that seemed destined to meet an early end.

After leaving the game with what originally thought to be bruised ribs, Romo was forced to watch his replacement, veteran signal-caller Jon Kitna, fight to keep Dallas in the game.  Though his line would appear otherwise, Kitna did a serviceable job in pulling the Cowboys back from a 14-7 halftime deficit.  It was only after seeing a second interception did Romo decide it was time to switch his baseball cap for a helmet.

Down 24-14 and following a three-and-out in his first position since returning from a fractured rib, the Cowboys quarterback was finally able to shrug the pain.  Romo led the Cowboys on an 80-yard drive, spanning nine plays in just over four minutes that was capped off by Miles Austin's third touchdown grab of the afternoon.  His urgency on that drive midway through the fourth preserved enough time for the defense to go to work.  Dallas would need every second.

The defense held the 49ers to just one first down before punting back to the suddenly animated offensive unit, led by the man who gingerly trotted back out to the huddle.  Silencing critics with every vital first down, Romo marched the Cowboys far enough down field for rookie Dan Bailey to drill the game-tying field goal as time expired.

With the game on the line, Dallas was firing on all cylinders, getting a stop before one long pass play that allowed fans to finally exhale.  And though the Cowboys improved to 1-1 and survived the latest chapter in the storied Niners-'Boys rivalry, the largest takeaway from this contest might have been something everyone needed to see to believe:  Romo can be clutch, even when laboring through an injury.

Last time we saw Romo leave the field of play, it was just after firing a bullet into the chest of Darrelle Revis and igniting a wild celebration on national television.  Promising a better game this week, Romo struggled to find his rhythm early in San Francisco, a task that was only made more difficult with Felix Jones and Austin both battling ailments of their own late in the game. 

But as the injuries mounted for Dallas, it was the one in the most pain that brought the team back.

So what does the first win mean for a Cowboys team that is plugging holes in the lineup and still learning on both sides of the ball?  It certainly bodes well for their competitive existence in a challenging NFC East.  The triumph also keeps Dallas from playing with their backs against the wall just two weeks into the 2011 season. 

But more importantly, it proves to each and every player in the Cowboys locker room that their soft-spoken leader is willing to put his body on the line, even when the trainers are trying to hold him on the sidelines.

Love him or hate him, fans have to respect the toughness of a player taking hits and calling plays when taking a breath is a challenge.  Critics looking to continue their feast on Romo's failure are forced to wait at least one more week after an incredibly gritty performance.

If his bounce back performance Sunday is any indication, Romo's doubters may be waiting quite a while.