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Cowboys fight back for 24-20 win over Lions
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TONY Romo has a stirring playoff comeback to go with all the late-season disappointments.
Romo threw two touchdown passes to Terrance Williams, the second for the lead late in the fourth quarter as the Dallas Cowboys rallied for a 24-20 wildcard win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday in their first NFL playoff game in five years.
In the day’s other wildcard game, Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck threw for 376 yards and a game-changing touchdown and Daniel Herron ran for another score as the Colts beat the Cincinnati Bengals 26-10.
The Cowboys (12-5) wiped out an early two-touchdown deficit to earn a trip to Green Bay, their first postseason visit there since a heartbreaking loss to the Packers in a game dubbed the “Ice Bowl” in 1967.
“You just have to stay in the moment and understand the game,” Romo said. “It doesn’t end after the first quarter, second quarter. You just have to keep calm. I’ve played enough games to understand that. Maybe I didn’t do that as well when I was younger.”
The Lions (11-6) went 99 yards for one of two first-quarter touchdowns, but Matthew Stafford couldn’t get them in the end zone again.
They had the ball and a three-point lead in the final period when officials reversed without an explanation a pass interference penalty against Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens.
That led to a fourth-and-1 and Detroit punted. But Sam Martin’s kick went only 10 yards, and Dallas headed the other way to the decisive TD.
The Lions have not won a playoff game since the 1991 season. Dallas went 4-0 in December to win the NFC East division title.
The Colts (12-5), meanwhile, set up a rematch at Denver next Sunday as the Bengals frittered away a chance to end their postseason misery.
The Bengals became the first team in NFL history to lose four consecutive opening-round playoff games. Andy Dalton tied Warren Moon for the most consecutive opening-round playoff losses by a quarterback. And Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis tied Marty Schottenheimer, Jim Mora and Steven Owen for most consecutive playoff losses (six) by a coach.
Now Luck will get a chance to defy his short NFL playoff history. He has struggled mightily in consecutive playoff losses on the road, and his third opportunity will come against his predecessor in Indianapolis, Peyton Manning.
Denver beat the Colts 31-24 in the season opener.
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