Cowboys Collapse Against Jets: Tony Romo Squanders Dallas Lead As Rex Ryan's Team Comes Back

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Rex Ryan wanted this one badly for the New York area – and his Jets delivered.

But it was far from easy.

Nick Folk kicked a 50-yard field goal with 27 seconds left, giving the Jets a 27-24 comeback victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the final game of the NFL's first full Sunday with the commemoration of the 10-year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks as an emotional backdrop.

With the game tied at 24, the Cowboys had a chance for a winning drive with 59 seconds left, but Tony Romo was intercepted on the first play by Darrelle Revis, who returned it 20 yards to Dallas' 34. Four plays later, Folk kicked the go-ahead field goal against his former team.

The Jets tied it with 5 minutes left when Isaiah Trufant, promoted from the practice squad Saturday, ran in a blocked punt from 18 yards for a touchdown. Joe McKnight ran up the middle unblocked and got his hands on Mat McBriar's kick, which bounced right into Trufant's hands.

It appeared the Cowboys were going to take a two-touchdown lead midway through the fourth quarter when Jason Witten's 64-yard catch put the ball at the Jets 3. Three plays later, Tony Romo scrambled, then tried to run it in up the middle, but was sacked by Mike DeVito and the quarterback lost the ball – and it was recovered by nose tackle Sione Pouha.

The Jets turned the ball over a few minutes later when a blitzing Danny McCray sacked Mark Sanchez, hitting him from behind and knocking the ball loose with Dallas recovering. But the Cowboys couldn't take advantage when they had two penalties and were forced to punt – the play that swung the momentum in the Jets' favor.

Early in the week Ryan said he felt a responsibility to the New York area to win on opening night, especially with the team honoring the victims of the attacks and their families before the game and at halftime. He also wanted to get the better of his twin brother, Rob, with their father Buddy in the crowd.

Comments

[blurredmolly]

03:56 PM on 09/13/2011

ain't nothin' better than watching the Plowboys blow one.

[Bueno Hombre]

06:52 AM on 09/13/2011

Bryant should be ashamed of himself for being so out of shape that he could not compete for a full game. His fault that he was not able to perform at the end of the game. Blame the coaches and Jerry for not seeing potential problems with their defensive corners and the injuries during pre season. This was a known weakness going into the opening game. Blame the coaches and Jerry for such a poor running game. Blame coaching on not having warned the players about someone coming up the middle when the punt was blocked. Praise Romo for his quarterback rating and the two superstars Whitten and Ware. This is an average NFL team that we can hope wins more than it loses unless all starters are healthy and play to their potential each and every game. It was a team loss.

[Greatest Darthfruit]

10:05 PM on 09/12/2011

As usual all the blame falls on Romo. I won´t say "Go Steelers" because we got our butt kicked really bad too.

[Forester]

06:46 PM on 09/12/2011

As a niners fan I would take Romo in a blink. The Jets' special teams and Revis won the game. Romo was Romo and Sanchez was Sanchez. I have to agree with many here that the Jets are WAY overhyped for what I saw.

[Harley Landis]

06:23 PM on 09/12/2011

There are too many people trying to soft-peddle Romo's faults. I've tried to remain objective about his shortcomings, but after watching his entire career with Dallas, it's obvious he can't keep his composure under stress. Sure, the 'boys could have won if not for the blocked punt. But over the span of his tenure with the 'boys, Romo makes the same, exact, stupid mistakes time and time again. As long as he remains at the helm, Dallas had better get used to watching the playoffs and Superbowls from the stands.

[tssent]

06:02 PM on 09/12/2011

As usual, HP's poorly framed Topics puts the entire blame on Tony
Romo for the loss to the Jets. 

Romo was not on the squad that scored points for the Jets.  That
would be the Dallas DEFENSE that allowed the Jets to come
from 2 TDs to win.

Romo was not on the squad that allowed a Jet Defender to run
up the middle of the Offensive line, untouched, and block a
Dallas punt (that would be the Dallas Special Teams).

The quarterback is always the goat and nowhere more so than
in Dallas.  Anything that isn't Obama's fault is Tony Romo's fault.
Because he throws an interception and the Dallas Defense can't
hold the Jet Offense from converting the turnover into a score,
that's Romo's shortcoming.  Fair enough.

So then how about this.  Offensive Tackle Tyron Smith (77) twice
released his man, allowing Romo to be sacked, downs on which
Romo may have converted the down to a first down, or thrown a
TD pass, etc.  So based on your ridiculous decision to blame
Romo for losing the game, how about let's blame Tyron Smith
instead.  Or instead of blaming Romo for losing the game, let's
blame the ridiculous O-line that let a man run untouched up the
middle, block the punt, AND take it in for a touchdown (none of
which Tony Romo had a thing to do with).

The TEAM wins or loses.  No individual either wins a game or
loses one, even in those instances where 1 or 2 individuals
puts in a particularly stellar showing.  Behind the showing are
10 other men who may not be particular standouts in this game
or that or, for that matter, in any game.  But it doesn't make them
any less a part of the victory or the defeat.

[ECB]

05:55 PM on 09/12/2011

The Jets handed out three game balls last night.

1. Plax
2. Revis
3. Romo

[kinnelonkid]

05:42 PM on 09/12/2011

I love watching Romo have one Vinny Testaverde moment after the next.
Seriously, all the hype this guy gets and he continually blows it for Dallas.
Testaverde had great stats and ask any fan in Tampa Bay about the stats that count. Sounds like the Romo situation to me.
I think it must be a conspiracy. Either the Giants or the Eagles manage to subliminally train Tony for theses horrific moments without his knowledge in the off-season.

[Unrepentantliberal]

05:18 PM on 09/12/2011

Nobody to root for in this game but I hate the Cowboys more so....... go Jets!

[Grace Hulbert]

12:36 AM on 09/13/2011

Same problem. Same answer.You lost me at Steelers. Ravens rocked!

[Nate35]

04:47 PM on 09/12/2011

Someone on the Cowboy's punt team needs to be gone next week, or at least taught how to block.

[strafem2]

04:45 PM on 09/12/2011

You aint nuthin without an offensive line.

[HockeyGirl74]

04:21 PM on 09/12/2011

Seriously? The ONE time I actually root for the Cowgirls and they blow it! I hate having to hear Rexy and the Jetsies!
GO PATS!

[Nate35]

04:26 PM on 09/12/2011

To be fair, whenever you're rooting against them they blow it, too. They're nothing if not consistent.

[HockeyGirl74]

04:37 PM on 09/12/2011

Oh yeah,,,,good point!
=)

[Steven Barall]

04:06 PM on 09/12/2011

Romo is the most over rated player in the NFL. His stats are excellent but he never wins big games. In his defense, Jerry Jones can't help butting in and it hurts the team immensely.

[Nate35]

03:55 PM on 09/12/2011

There is no way a guy consistently named as one of the top tier QB's in the league (just below the legendary status of guys like Brady) should be able to make a career out of blowing games. A half dozen terrible decisions in the fourth quarter is unacceptable.

[joepine]

04:06 PM on 09/12/2011

agree

[CatfishJohn]

03:43 PM on 09/12/2011

romo is a c-plus qb at best in a league of many c-minus qb's...nfl is often just dull football. defenses have become too fast; players too juiced.

[ruolivert]

05:43 PM on 09/12/2011

Whats the difference between a C+ and a B QB? Tony's ONLY problem is if you take about 15 plays out of the hundreds he's played and lump them together.