ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Only a few weeks ago, Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys were lucky to pull out a win in overtime against a lousy team.
Now, after their 38-17 victory over Seattle on Sunday, the Cowboys have won three in a row and are tied for first place in the NFC East. And their next game should show whether they're as good as they've looked lately.
"Everybody's going to be drinking the Cowboy Kool-Aid here coming up, and telling us how great we are," linebacker Keith Brooking said. "As long as we prepare the way we've been preparing and come out on the field with confidence on Sundays with the talent and ability that we have as a team, we're going to be right where we want to be."
The Cowboys (5-2) went into last season's finale at Philadelphia needing a win to get into the playoffs. Instead, they lost 44-6 and had to deal with that disappointment the entire offseason.
They return to Philadelphia next Sunday night with the two teams tied atop the division after the Eagles beat the New York Giants 40-17. It's a chance for the Cowboys to prove they have gotten better, even though it's only the midpoint of their season.
"This bunch is ready for a game like that. Plus, I think we all remember so much — I know I do and so many players on this team remember — how we left Philadelphia last year," owner Jerry Jones said.
"I don't know that it can turn our season either way," Romo said. "But it definitely allows us a chance to improve and continue to get better. ... We've taken a lot of steps to be the ballclub that we're hopefully getting to be."
Romo threw touchdown passes to three receivers, including new favorite target Miles Austin, and didn't have an interception for a career-best third consecutive game. He has eight TD passes in that span.
Austin scored for a third straight game, DeMarcus Ware celebrated his new $78 million contract with another sack (his fifth in three games after none the first four games) and Patrick Crayton returned a punt for a touchdown for the second week in a row.
The Cowboys' three-game winning streak began with that overtime victory at then-winless Kansas City on Oct. 11, then they followed their bye week with a 37-21 victory over Atlanta before beating the Seahawks (2-5). Dallas has won four of five games since losing its home opener when the Giants kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired.
"I feel good about the progress we've made, but we've still got a ways to go," coach Wade Phillips said.
Coming off its bye and with former Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Trufant playing for the first time this season, Seattle led 3-0 after its opening drive. The Seahawks were within 14-10 late in the first half, but did little right after that. It was 38-10 before Seattle scored a short touchdown following a Romo fumble inside the 10-yard line in the fourth quarter.
"There's a great saying my junior high coach sent me the other day. Adversity turns weak people into victims and it turns strong people into competitors," Seahawks coach Jim Mora said. "We're going to find out who's strong and who's weak."
Seattle is home next weekend against Detroit.
More impressive for Romo than going interception-free for three straight games is that he already has five games this season without a pick. That's more than he's ever done in an entire season and there are still nine games left.
"Shock!," he said with a smirk when his lack of turnovers was mentioned. "I'm seeing things. It's as simple as that. I'm not throwing and hoping."
Romo finished 21 of 36 for 256 yards, spreading the ball to 10 receivers. Austin had a 3-yard TD catch, Roy Williams a 7-yarder and Sam Hurd a 36-yard score when he tiptoed the sideline after slipping past several defenders. Marion Barber added a 2-yard TD run and Crayton's 82-yard punt return was 9 yards longer than his score the previous game.
"We're all just playing together as a team," said Austin, who had five catches for 61 yards and drew two pass interference calls against Trufant. "Guys are playing with confidence and guys are playing hard."
Dallas' defense contributed three sacks and forced a fumble when the game was close. The Cowboys have 17 sacks in the past 18 quarters after being shut out the first 10 quarters.
Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck was 22 of 39 for 249 yards, with touchdown passes to Deion Branch and Justin Griffith. A bigger problem was that a defense determined to pressure Romo sacked him only twice.
"We put two weeks into this game plan. I felt like we were ready," Hasselbeck said. "We just didn't get it done. ... I feel physically drained, emotionally drained. I'm frustrated. We're all searching for answers."
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