Cowboys vs. Buccaneers: 5 Key Stats from the First Half

Tonight the Dallas Cowboys take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers under the lights in Florida.  

Tony Romo and the Cowboys are hoping to cement themselves at the top of the NFC East with a big road win vs. the Bucs.

Can Dallas continue to smash Tampa as the game winds down?

Let's take a look at five key stats that dictated the outcome of the first half:

142.0: Tony Romo's QB rating in the first half

Romo has been near perfect throughout this game. His ability to extend plays allowed Dallas to convert all three third-and-goal plays into touchdowns. 

Romo seems to be in his element tonight and with the way the Bucs' defense is playing, I wouldn't be surprised if he unloads a few more touchdown passes in the second half. 

6-7: Dallas' Third Down Efficiency 

The Cowboys have been dominant on third down tonight. Tampa's D has not been able to put enough pressure on Romo and the Cowboys QB has been able to pick apart Tampa's secondary. 

In the second half, Dallas needs to continue to convert when it counts especially in the red zone. 

20:00: Time of Possession for Dallas 

The Cowboys have owned time of possession in the first half. Their long drives, combined with Tampa's inability to create on offense has allowed them to dictate the pace of this game. 

Expect the Cowboys to eat up even more of the clock in the second half, as the Bucs seem to have no third down offense. 

16: Sacks on the season for DeMarcus Ware

Ware has had a monster first half recording three solo tackles as well as one sack. 

With his sack on Freeman early in the second quarter, Ware has totaled 16 on the season. Tampa's O-Line as been atrocious early, don't be surprised if Ware notches a couple more sacks late. 

6:17: The time of the Cowboys' second scoring drive.

Dallas ate up most of the first quarter with a 10 play, 69-yard drive, capped off with an 8-yard Dez Bryant touchdown. 

If the Cowboys can reproduce more long drives like this in the second half, the Bucs have no chance of coming back.