IRVING, Texas - Tony Romo visited Lambeau Field as a kid, when his football career was just getting started.
In 2004, he returned as a second-year NFL player waiting for his first big break.
In four days, he'll step foot on the not-yet-frozen tundra as a two-time Pro Bowl quarterback facing his home-state Packers.
Romo admits there's a tinge of nostalgia attached to Sunday night's showdown in Green Bay. After all, he grew up in Burlington, Wis., about two and a half hours south of Lambeau. The last time he played a football game in Wisconsin, he wore a Burlington High Demons uniform.
But Romo says he's focused more on beating a dangerous Packers team and leading the Cowboys to a 3-0 start for the second consecutive season.
"I think every week you enjoy the atmosphere," Romo said Wednesday. "You enjoy where you're at and what you're doing and you're glad to be playing a game, something you love to do for a living. In a sense I enjoy that, but I don't know that it's going to be any different because we're there."
After all, he already dealt with 'Cheesehead' friends and family members asking for tickets last November when the Cowboys outlasted the Packers, 37-27, in Brett Favre's last trip to Texas Stadium.
"If anything, they probably don't want me to go play there (in Lambeau) because they don't know who to root for," Romo said. "Or they'll just root for them."
Good As New
Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman played 34 of 64 snaps Monday night in his first game of any kind since the Cowboys lost that playoff game to the New York Giants, and while a tad rusty at first, Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips figures he's ready to reclaim his starting spot Sunday night against the Packers.
Newman, who had suffered a slightly torn groin the first week of training camp, eased himself back onto the field Monday night against the Eagles by coming in on the Cowboys' changeup defenses, manning his normal slot position. Phillips said he was rusty at the start, but steadily progressed as the game went on.
And he did so fine physically, with no relapse to his groin, that he was working with the first-team defense during Wednesday's light practice. And when asked if Newman would start against the Packers, Phillips said, "I think he will . . . he'll be the starter in practice (Thursday)."
Not only was Newman ready to continue practicing on Wednesday, but so were wide receiver Miles Austin (knee), outside linebacker Anthony Spencer (knee) and tight end Jason Witten (shoulder). Witten suffered a slight separation in the second quarter against the Eagles, but was able to return for the entire second half. Austin and Spencer played for the first time since suffering injuries in preseason. All four players were listed as fully participating in practice on Wednesday, along with Isaiah Stanback, who despite suffering a shoulder subluxation in the final preseason game, has played in both games so far.
-Mickey Spagnola
Packers Problems, Too
The Green Bay Packers (2-0) also have a few injury concerns heading into the Sunday night game with the Cowboys at Lambeau Field, most notably three starters - CB Charles Woodson (toe), S Atari Bigby (hamstring) and FB Korey Hall (knee). All three failed to practice on Wednesday and Packers head coach Mike McCarthy already has ruled out Bigby for Sunday's game. Replacing him at strong safety will be Aaron Rouse.
Woodson missed last year's game against the Cowboys, and McCarthy said chances are his starting left corner would not practice all week in hopes of having him ready to play on Sunday. Backup tight end Tory Humphrey (knee) also missed Wednesday's practice. McCarthy said Hall and Humphrey are not expected to practice until Friday.
Of equal concern is starting running back Ryan Grant, who practiced on a limited basis Wednesday because of a strained hamstring and isn't expected to do much more until Friday.
-Mickey Spagnola
Getting Felix Involved
After watching Felix Jones' 98-yard kickoff return touchdown against the Eagles,
Cowboys receiver Miles Austin realized his primary return duties likely had come to an end after handling that role for the better part of two seasons.
"I think I might be having to fill out some papers for that," Austin laughed.
Jones, the Cowboys' top draft pick, already has found a niche on special teams. But Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips said Thursday he wants to get more offensive touches for his rookie running back.
Through two games, Jones has 12 carries for 72 yards and a touchdown and no catches. He rushed only three times for 10 yards in Monday's 41-37 victory over Philadelphia.
"It's not easy because we've got such a great back already back there that can make a big play for you at any time," Phillips said, making reference to Pro Bowl runner Marion Barber. "But I think he gives you a little juice at times and we're going to try to work him in more and more. We have specific plays, some of them we didn't get in for him, some of them we did in the game."
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