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Romo leads Cowboys past Falcons
posted 10/25/09 10:12 pm
ABC 7 News - Romo leads Cowboys past Falcons
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(Sports Network) - Tony Romo threw two of his three touchdowns to Miles Austin, as Dallas came off its bye week and posted a thorough 37-21 victory over Atlanta.

Patrick Crayton also caught a touchdown and returned a punt 73 yards for a TD in the fourth quarter to seal the win.

Romo completed 21-of-29 passes for 311 yards and added 31 yards on the ground, while Austin followed up his record-setting Week 5 effort with 171 yards on six catches for the Cowboys (4-2), who have won two straight.

Marion Barber rushed for a team-high 47 yards on 14 carries in the win.

Matt Ryan was pressured throughout the game, finishing with 198 yards on 19- of-35 attempts while throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble to snap Atlanta's (4-2) two-game win streak.

The second-year pro also threw TDs to Roddy White and Eric Weems, while Michael Turner was held to 50 yards and a score on 18 carries in the loss.

The Falcons took the opening kickoff and held the ball for more than 8 1/2 minutes. White's four-yard grab on an out route capped the meticulous 16-play, 80-yard drive that featured four third-down conversions, including the TD.

Atlanta managed just 40 yards the rest of the half, however, and Dallas picked up the tempo after a lifeless opening 15 minutes.

Nick Folk's 38-yard field goal early in the second got the Cowboys on the board, and the Dallas defense forced two turnovers midway through the frame. The second takeaway came when a pair of linebackers converged on Ryan in Dallas territory and knocked the ball away.

On the first play after the turnover, Romo hit a streaking Austin on a deep post for a 59-yard touchdown.

Romo ended the half by buying enough time with his feet and hitting Crayton for a five-yard touchdown to finish off a 10-play, 63-yard march that gave the hosts a 17-7 lead at the break.

An offside penalty on Dallas extended Atlanta's first drive of the second half. The running of Jason Snelling and Turner continued to move the chains, and Turner powered his way in for a two-yard TD at the 5:26 mark of the third.

The Cowboys answered immediately with an 80-yard drive. Felix Jones rushed for 12 yards on 3rd-and-1 from the Atlanta 39, and Austin broke a tackle inside the 10 on a deep out before waltzing in for a 22-yard score and a 24-14 edge.

Austin had another big grab early in the fourth quarter, as his 27-yard reception set up Folk's 46-yard field goal with 10:10 remaining in the game.

The Falcons chose to punt on 4th-and-2 at their own 28 on the ensuing possession, and Crayton made them pay with a 73-yard return right through the middle of the kick coverage to essentially ice things.

Ryan caught Dallas' secondary asleep and hit Weems for a 30-yard score with 5:07 to play. Folk's 34-yard kick made it a three-possession game less than three minutes later to account for the final margin.

Game Notes

Atlanta tight end Tony Gonzalez caught four balls for 37 yards and has now at least one reception in 137 consecutive games...White ended with 50 yards on six grabs...Austin recorded a team-record 250-yard, two-touchdown effort in Week 5 against Kansas City...Jones returned from a two-game absence due to a knee injury and had 37 yards on eight carries...Roy Williams, who missed Dallas' last game with a rib injury, had just one catch for 16 yards...Snelling ended with a team-high 68 yards on seven carries...Dallas' Keith Brooking, who played 11 years in Atlanta, had two tackles...The Falcons had allowed just 15.4 points per game coming in...DeMarcus Ware had two of the Cowboys' four sacks...Ryan was sacked just twice in the first five games of the season.



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