Cowboys' owner proclaims his team No. 1 in entertainment
IRVING, Texas — Jerry Jones likes to brag about the Dallas Cowboys being the top drawing card in the entire entertainment world. His premise: The Cowboys draw the highest ratings among NFL teams and the NFL is the highest-rated programming on television.
Games such as Monday night sure help his claim.
Dallas' 41-37 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles was filled with drama. The lead changed seven times, the momentum swaying on good plays and goofy ones, with big-name players from both teams at both ends of the spectrum.
Mix in the backdrop of a rivalry and division supremacy, a few injuries, some questionable officiating calls, several big milestones and the historic nugget of this being the final Monday night game at Texas Stadium, and it's no wonder the Cowboys were ratings gold yet again — a whopping 12.95 million homes and 18.6 million viewers, the largest audience ever for a program on cable television. It's the second time in three years Dallas has set that mark.
"What a way to have the last Monday Night Football game at Texas Stadium," Jones said. "It had it all."
Jones' joy obviously is tinted by his team coming out on top. Thing is, Tony Romo and the Cowboys are getting awfully good at winning these kinds of games — both those with the entire country watching and the wild-and-crazy variety.
Just last season in Buffalo, Romo threw five interceptions and lost a fumble, but rallied the Cowboys to victory.
"From then on, his feelings have been ... (when) things aren't going good, they can change and you can change them," coach Wade Phillips said Tuesday. "Having the confidence of doing it before certainly makes a difference."
That Buffalo game, by the way, also was on a Monday night.Romo is 11-3 in nationally televised games, the ones on Sunday night, Monday night, Saturday night, Thursday night, Thanksgiving and Christmas, when everyone in the NFL is among those gathered around the tube.
Alas, Romo, is 0-2 under the similar scenario but higher stakes of the playoffs. (At least Jones can take solace in both those games making for gripping television.)
On Monday night, Romo was hyped up from the start, getting introduced last in pregame ceremonies and coming out running so fast he practically passed Terrell Owens, who was announced right before him.
While the Cowboys came away keeping pace with the New York Giants atop the NFC East, they couldn't keep their lineup intact.
Safety Roy Williams broke a bone in his right arm and underwent surgery Monday to attach a plate. He's expected to miss about a month. Patrick Watkins will pick up most of the slack. Courtney Brown, who has been inactive the first two games, may get a chance and Dallas also may use more formations featuring cornerback Anthony Henry in Williams' place.
