Phil Hicks

By PHIL HICKS
Sports Editor

IRVING -- There's winning, and there's winning ugly and there's winning pretty.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo said he would take any of the three.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, he plays for America's Team, and that means there's a different standard than for most teams.

"If you don't win pretty, sometimes around here it means something is wrong," said Romo, following the Cowboys' 31-22 victory over the winless Cincinnati Bengals Sunday at Texas Stadium. "In the end it is a win. If you don't win pretty, sometimes it's magnified here.

"You don't get crowned champions by having the prettiest wins. An ugly win is sometimes better than a 56-7 win. You have a chance to assess your mistakes and try to get better."

It was a game that saw the Cowboys jet out to a 17-0 lead only to see the Bengals get within 17-16 and 24-22.

This was against a 17-point underdog. But as they say on any given Sunday �

"Cincinnati is a good team," Romo said. "They were tough today and they took the Giants to overtime. I like to think we are a decent team and I know the Giants are a good team.

"The good teams go out and find a way to win."

The Cowboys did just that.

After the Bengals got within 24-22, Cowboys coach Wade Phillips praised safety Keith Davis for breaking up the two-point conversion attempt pass from Carson Palmer to tight end Ben Utecht that would have tied the game with 7:45 remaining.

Then the Cowboys had one of their best drives under pressure, driving 80 yards (actually 85 after a penalty), which was topped off by Romo's 15-yard TD pass to Patrick Crayton which went through the hands of Miles Austin.

It's a play that will end up in the Top 10 on SportsCenter and it's also a play that happens to an 0-5 team. Or you could say it happens for a good team.

With his first catch on Sunday, Terrell Owens became the eighth receiver in NFL history to reach 900 career receptions. He accomplished the feat in 178 career games - the third-fastest of the seven others. Only Marvin Harrison (149) and Jerry Rice (168) were faster. Owens, who was very emotional after the game and only made a statement praising God, did not take questions from the media. He had two catches for 67 yards, including a 57-yard TD pass that worked thanks to a key block from Patrick Crayton ... Tight end Jason Witten, with his second quarter 4-yard TD reception, broke a tie with Jay Novacek (22) for sole possession of 10th place on the club's all-time touchdown receptions list. He had eight catches for 79 yards and a TD. Witten passed Dave Casper into 25th place on the NFL's all-time reception list for tight ends. He now has 383 catches. He also passed Tony Dorsett (382) for the fifth most receptions in club history. ... Running back Marion Barber III became the ninth running back in team history to top 2,500 career rushing yards. He had 84 yards on Sunday for a total 2,561 yards ... Quarterback Tony Romo became the sixth quarterback in team history to attempt 1,000 passes in his career. ... DeMarcus Ware extended his sack streak to eight consecutive games, tying George Andrie (1966-67) for the third longest streak in club history.

This was the 10th meeting between the Cowboys and Bengals. Dallas had won five of the previous nine matchups. ... The Cowboys have faced only five teams (Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers) fewer than the ten times they have played the Bengals. ... Dallas has won five of the six games played in Irving. ... The first meeting between the clubs was Nov. 4, 1973 at Texas Stadium, a 38-10 Cowboys win.

The Cowboys have played in front of sold out stadiums in 294 of their last 296 games (including playoffs). They have played in front of sold out crowds in 147 consecutive games at Texas Stadium (including playoffs), dating back to Dec. 16, 1990 against the then-Phoenix Cardinals, their last non-sellout.

On the road, Dallas has played in front of sold-out crowds in 48 straight games (including playoffs), dating back to its last road non-sellout - at Arizona.

A 30-second message, featuring former presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, aired at Texas Stadium and all stadiums across the NFL on Sunday supporting the Hurricane Ike Relief and Bush-Clinton Coastal Recovery Fund (www.bushclintoncoastalfund.org). The Bush-Clinton Coastal Recovery Fund will not make grants to individuals or families, but will instead coordinate closely with the hardest-hit cities and towns along the Gulf Coast to identify and fund those infrastructure projects that make the biggest difference in the lives of local citizens.

Houston Texans owner Bob McNair and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell participated in pregame ceremonies at Reliant Stadium in Houston honoring rescue workers. The Texans plan to raise $2 million in relief donations through its "Texans Helping Texans" campaign, including $500,000 from McNair and $500,000 from the NFL Disaster Relief Fund.

Created in 2001 to assist organizations affected by the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, the NFL-NFLPA Disaster Relief Fund is a collaborative endeavor of the National Football League and the NFL Players Association.

Its goal is to help rebuild communities affected by large-scale tragedies. Since its inception, the NFL-NFLPA Disaster Relief Fund has provided aid to those affected by the events of Sept. 11, the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia, Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the San Diego wildfires last year.

Phil Hicks is the sports editor of the Tyler Paper.
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