Five minutes into overtime the fourth-year receiver caught a pass on an intermediate route to the right sideline before breaking through the tackle of Chiefs cornerback Maurice Leggett and outrunning the Kansas City pursuit 60 yards for the winning touchdown. On that final play, Austin also ran right into Dallas Cowboys history as he broke Bob Hayes’ single-game receiving record of 246 yards that was set back in 1966.

Austin broke the 43-year-old record catching 10 balls for an amazing 250 yards.

While his last catch proved to be the most important, Austin, who only got the start since Roy Williams was injured and back in Dallas, also hauled in a 59-yard reception with just over two minutes remaining in the game that gave Dallas its first lead of the contest at 20-13. Leggett also missed the tackle on that first touchdown play.

Leggett’s poor tackling has been a common problem for a Chiefs squad that has gone winless in five games this season and has lost 28 of its last 30 dating back to the 2008 campaign.

Despite the lackluster start to the season, the Chiefs actually led much of the contest and put together a strong come-from-behind fourth-quarter drive to tie up the contest with just 24 seconds remaining. Quarterback Matt Cassel, who left the Patriots for the Chiefs this past off-season, hit receiver Dwayne Bowe on a 16-yard touchdown toss to finish off a 10-play, 74-yard drive and send the game into overtime.

Before Austin’s late-game heroics, Dallas has scored only 13 points on a pair of Nick Folk field goals and a 36-yard touchdown run from back Tashard Choice. Choice had eight carries in the game for 92 yards.

Dallas improves to 3-2 on the season and has a bye week before facing a tough Falcons squad. Atlanta tickets are now on sale for the game, which will be at Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

Dallas quarterback Tony Romo and the offense didn’t appear to be struggling to start the contest in front of Broncos fans and those sitting in the Cowboys cheap seats. In fact, Dallas scored on two of its first three opportunities with the ball. The first coming at the midway point of the first quarter on a 49-yard Nick Folk field goal, the capper on an eight-play, 38-yard drive.

Dallas increased its lead to 10-0 when Marion Barber, who missed last week’s Carolina game with a thigh bruise, had a one-yard touchdown up the middle that capped off an eight-play drive that covered 61 yards, the big gainer coming on the first play of the drive when Romo hit running back Tashard Choice out of the backfield for 28 yards to the Denver 33.
Fortunately for Broncos tickets holders, the positive offense from the Cowboys ended there.

Romo and the Dallas offense faced a third and 14 from the Dallas 21 on its next possession. Denver safety Renaldo Hill hit Romo and knocked the ball loose. Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams picked up the ball and made it to the Dallas 9. Denver quarterback Kyle Orton hit running back Knowshon Moreno in the right flat on the next play to put the Broncos on the board, 10-7.

In the second half, Denver’s Matt Prater kicked a 28-yard field goal to start the fourth and tie up the contest.  Denver took its first lead of the game with less than two minutes remaining in the contest when Orton connected with Brandon Marshall deep down the right sideline for a 51-yard touchdown.

With the victory, the Broncos improve to 4-0 while Dallas falls back to .500 at 2-2. The traveling Cowboys contingent can now look to purchase Chiefs tickets as the Boys travel to Kansas City for a matchup next Sunday.

Lethargic is too kind a description. Those who held Dallas Cowboys Stadium tickets had a few choice words of their own.

In the first half the Cowboys, who were without running back Marion Barber because of a bruised thigh, relied on the shifty feet of fill-in starter Felix Jones who had runs of 16, 18 and 20 yards on Dallas’ first couple of drives. Quarterback Tony Romo failed to turn any of those drives into points. The offense wasn’t helped by the fact that kicker Nick Folk missed a 40-yard attempt to snap his streak of 16 consecutive field goals.

The only score of the first half was pleasing to those who regularly buy Carolina Panthers tickets and it came in the waning moments as Carolina went on an eight-play, 90-yard drive that ended with 25-yard pass from quarterback Jake Delhomme to Dante Rosario.
In the second half the Dallas defense continued to play well and force Delhomme into numerous hurried throws. Carolina’s first four possessions of the second half all resulted in three-and-outs. The difference from the first to second half was the Dallas offense and Romo, who finished the game completing 22 of 33 for 255 yards, finally capitalized on the solid play of the defense.

In the third quarter the Cowboys took the lead 10-7 after a Folk 24-yard FG and a five-yard touchdown run by running back Tashard Choice, who finished with 82 yards on 18 carries, and capped a five-play 58-yard drive.

Dallas added another Folk field goal later in the third for a tenuous 13-7 lead. The game, appropriately enough, was put out of reach by the Cowboys defense when cornerback Terence Newman stepped in front of intended Carolina receiver Steve Smith and took the Delhomme pass 27 yards for the final score of the contest.

Despite a less-than-ideal ending in the new $1 billion dollar football stadium-entertainment complex, Jones and the dignitaries present including former president George W. Bush witnessed a great back-and-forth contest.
After the Giants defense forced a three-and-out from the Cowboys and quarterback Tony Romo, Giants quarterback Eli Manning promptly guided the New York offense down the field on a nine-play, 71-yard drive that eventually stalled at the Cowboys 12. Tynes came out, and in a pre-cursor of things to come, kicked a 31-yard field goal to put the visitors on top.

Romo and the Cowboys answered with a nine-play, 62-yard drive of their own that was capped off by 2-yard TD run up the middle by running back Marion Barber.
And both teams were just getting started.

Unfortunately for Cowboys fans, on the next Dallas possession, Romo was intercepted by corner back Bruce Johnson who raced 34 yards to put the Giants back in front 10-3. It was one of three INTs in the game for Romo, who never found a rhythm and looked uncomfortable throughout the night.

Trailing 20-17 at the half, the Cowboys reclaimed the lead on the only score in the third quarter, a three-yard quarterback draw by Romo. The play finished off a 7-play, 83-yard drive that included a pair of Romo incompletions and three runs, the longest a 56-yarder from tailback Felix Jones.

The Giants opened up the fourth-quarter scoring with a four-play 73-yard drive that ended with a 22-yard TD pass from Manning to wideout Steve Smith and a 27-24 lead. After New York increased its lead with another Tynesí field goal, the Barber-Jones tandem combined again to drive the Cowboys down the field 71 yards to retake the lead 31-30 before Tynes sent the fans home disappointed with his last-second game-winner

After the Bucs took a 7-6 lead in the second quarter, Romo delivered a pass to the back shoulder of Austin. After making the catch, the speedy third-year receiver broke a tackle then made a great stutter-step move to elude one Buccaneer tackler en route to a 42-yard touchdown and a 13-7 lead going into halftime.

The momentum from the first half carried over into the second and on the third play from scrimmage Romo connected with Williams in between a pair of Tampa defenders. The former Longhorn, who finished with three catches for 86 yards, hauled in the pass, broke a would-be tackle and raced 66 yards for the score.

Romo wasnít finished. In fact, he saved his best TD pass for last.  Just a few minutes into the fourth quarter and Dallas leading 20-14, the Tampa Bay defense sent a blitz. Instead of dumping the ball to his trusty go-to guy, tight end Jason Witten, Romo pumped short and threw over the top of the Tampa Bay coverage to Crayton down the right sideline. Crayton caught the ball and ran 80 yards untouched to the end zone and a convincing 27-14 lead. The pass play was a career long for both Crayton and Romo. Crayton finished the game with 135 yards.

For the game, Romo completed 16 of 27 passes. He connected with six different receivers and had eight completions of 10 or more yards. All combined the numbers are hardly indicative of a quarterback or an offense lacking a serious scoring threat.
Following the game, Williams, who has been the poster boy for criticism since Owens departed, summed up Romoís performance best.

A career-high passing yards? Without T.O.? Wow!î he said facetiously. ìItís good, man. Itís good for this team to get a win. Iím proud of our receivers.î
Sounds like things are going to be fine in Big D.

NE Patriots Cheerleaders

The 2009 NFL Monday Night Football Schedule kicks off with an opening night double-header feathering the Bills at the Patriots and then the Chargers at the Raiders.

All eyes will be on Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in game one as the Pro Bowl signal caller will see his first regular season action in about a year. He looked sharp in the preseason, but only time will tell if there are truly any lingering affects from the season-ending knee injury he suffered in week one a year ago.

With Brady back, the Pats have their sights set on a Championship. In most places, going five seasons without a title might not be such a big deal, but in New England, losing is not an option.

“Every loss that I’ve had here in my career I can remember because they’re always important losses,” said Brady.

Odds makers are calling the
Pats a 12.5 point favorite with the total sitting at 47.5. I like New England, take the Patriots and give the points.

In the late game, Philip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson and the rest of the San Diego Chargers head to Oakland to take on the Raiders.

With much of the early money coming in on San Diego, the line on the Chargers has risen all the way up to -10.5. The total is set at about 43.

The key for the Raiders to keep this one close will be whether or not they are able to keep the Chargers’ offense on the sideline for as long as possible. Oakland will have to do their best to slow this one down. The San Diego offense is capable of putting up points in bunches. The Oakland defense should be getting better and if they play perfect football, they will compete.

I just don’t think Oakland’s offense will be able to put up enough to win. Take the Chargers and give the points.