Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys came out with a sense of urgency, as though they had something to accomplish.

They wound up having a great weekend that put them back in first place in the NFC East.

“We just can’t let up,” receiver Dez Bryant said. “We know where we want to go and it don’t matter who comes in here, we’re going to keep the same intensity and just play hard and hopefully we can win out. … We just got to keep focusing and keep playing hard.”

Dallas (8-6) reclaimed the division lead by a game over the New York Giants with two to play. A week after winning at Cowboys Stadium, New York (7-7) lost at home Sunday to Washington, even though they knew the Cowboys had already won 31-15 at Tampa Bay the previous night.

“We really needed to get back on track,” said Romo, who threw three touchdowns and ran for another as the Cowboys took a 28-0 halftime lead against the Buccaneers.

Coach Jason Garrett spoke Sunday about how his team practiced well and with purpose all last week, and then played that way against Tampa Bay.

So what kind of added boost did the Cowboys get by the Giants losing?

“It doesn’t matter to us. What we are focused on is our football team,” Garrett said. “Again, processing this game (against Tampa) and going forward is the challenge we have this week against Philadelphia.”

One thing that hasn’t changed is that the Cowboys can clinch the division by winning their last two regular season games — or with a win next weekend in their home finale against Philadelphia combined with a Giants loss to the Jets. Dallas finishes the season on the road New Years’ Day against the Giants.

“We’ve got to get the wins. We’ve got to get in,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said after the game in Tampa Bay. “Best way to do it is win this thing.”

While there is a clear-cut way to get to the playoffs, the Cowboys have already lost this season to both of the division foes that combined for 71 points and 1,005 total yards. That included a 34-7 loss against the Eagles at the end of October before Dallas swept through November with four consecutive wins.

Then came December, when the Cowboys lost in overtime at Arizona after rookie Dan Bailey’s apparent game-winning kick at the end of regulation was erased by Garrett’s timeout. They blew a 12-point lead over the final 5 1/2 minutes and lost 37-34 to the Giants after Bailey’s potential tying kick was blocked at the end of the game.

“It’s a big win for us (because) we know about the December woes,” tight end Jason Witten said. “The only way to put that behind you is to get a big win.”

So different than the gloomy feeling the past two weeks.

“We are a very confident team. … I don’t think we look at it as ‘Hey, we win two we get in.’ I think we just take it one day at a time, one week at a time,” Witten said. “Obviously, Philly got us good earlier in the year and they are coming to our place. It is going to be a tough challenge and that is where our focus is.”

Notes: Cowboys players had the day off Sunday, the first of consecutive days without practicing. They will return Tuesday to start preparing for another Saturday kickoff. … Dallas’ eighth victory guarantees a .500-or-better finish in the regular season for the 34th time in franchise history. … Bailey has made 32 field goals in 14 games. The only Cowboys kicker to make more field goals in a 14-game span was Richie Cunningham’s 33 in 1997. … Romo is only 105 yards shy of his third career 4,000-yard passing season.

The Dallas Cowboys have to be concerned heading into the Saturday night game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 15 of the NFL season. DeMarcus Ware suffered a neck stinger in the loss to Arizona and spent much of the final quarter of the game on the sidelines, as the Cardinals came from behind, to win. He then was in and out of the Giants game, and without him in key moments, Dallas fell again.

Ware missed practice heading into the short week game but should be ready for the Buccaneers’ game.

Ware said that missing a lot of the Giants game, despite the Cowboys losing, was better for him because now he is ready to go. That is good news for the Dallas Cowboys and bad news for Josh Freeman and the Bucs.

On the 2011 season, Ware sits at 15 sacks on the season, tied for second in the NFL. He took the lead two weeks ago but Jared Allen roared back with three sacks in Week 14. Of course, Ware has four double-digit sack games in the year, so don’t count him out.

Don’t look at Ware’s game against the Giants, with his four tackles, two solo, and no sacks for his status this week. There have been four games this season he did not record a sack but he has never gone back-to-back games without a sack this season. The Buccaneers are decent protecting their quarterback, only allowing 24 sacks on the season, but Ware is pretty good as well.

At one point this season, DeMarcus Ware was on pace to break Michael Strahan’s record of 22.5 sacks in a season. However, Ware now needs 7.5 sacks in the final three games, which is not likely. What is possible is Allen’s chance to break the record, needing only five in three games. You can bet Ware wants to keep his name in the race.

Over seven seasons, Ware has never missed a game with an injury. He didn’t miss the Giants game, although he was ineffective. Ware should definitely be ready to make up for it against the Buccaneers.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: dallascowboys.com

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Dallas Cowboys receiver Roy Williams has an image problem. He’s not nearly as important as he thinks he should be.

Last summer, after Tony Romo spent the 2009 season distributed passes among Miles Austin, Jason Witten and Dez Bryant, Williams held fast to his opinion that he was the team’s No. 1 receiver.

“I’ve always been the No. 1 guy wherever I go and I’m still going to continue to be that,” Williams said in a radio interview.

How did his 2010 season go? Started out well: 21 catches for 306 yards and five touchdowns. The Cowboys however, went 1-4.

Over the final 11 games, Williams had zero touchdowns in his 15 receptions, but the Cowboys won five games, including one in which Williams did not play. Williams, however, didn’t see the correlation.

“I just think if Michael Jordan is hot you keep feeding him the ball,” he said, comparing himself to one of the greatest athletes of our time.

So it’s no surprise that Williams had great expectations in his love life, as well.

On the heels of Romo’s wedding to former 2008 Miss Missouri USA — and former MU Diamond Darling — Candice Crawford comes news that Williams proposed to 2009 Miss Texas USA Brooke Daniels.

After the couple dated for about a year, Williams — who made it known he does not tip servers in restaurants and claimed he prefers taking dates to McDonald’s or Red Lobster — mailed a video proposal and a $76,000 engagement ring in February.

Not surprisingly, Daniels declined. And kept the ring until Williams sued to get it back.

That’s right, Cowboys fans, Williams dropped the ball again.

— Matt Nestor

Copyright 2011 Columbia Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Updated May 25, 2011 8:21 PM ET

Tony Romo’s wedding will have a party crasher of sorts this Saturday — Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

Romo’s boss received the NFL’s OK to attend the nuptials of his star quarterback and former Dallas-area TV reporter Candice Crawford, ESPN.com reported Wednesday.

“I’ve gotten special permission,” Jones said, according to the website. “… (I’m) proud for him. He’s got the best end of this deal.”

NFL players and team officials have not been allowed to communicate because of the lockout.

Crawford, the younger sister of “Gossip Girl” star Chace Crawford, will marry Romo at an historic mansion in Dallas.

The former Miss Missouri, 24, began dating one of Dallas’ most eligible bachelors in 2009 — two months after he infamously dumped singer Jessica Simpson.

Romo, 31, was previously linked to “American Idol” winner Carrie Underwood, who was a one-time love of Chace Crawford.

NewsCore contributed to this report.