GREEN BAY, Wis. - A year ago, Miles Austin made two of the biggest plays of the game to help beat the Packers. Yet, neither one of them showed up on the stat sheet.
This year, Austin made just two plays again.
Not only are they in the stats, but they'll be splattered all of over the highlights this week.
This Lambeau Field coming-out-party for Miles Austin is just one example of the drastic improvements the third-year receiver has made in his young, but budding career.
In just two catches Sunday night during the Cowboys' 27-16 win over the Packers, Austin totaled 115 yards with a touchdown. His inexperience running in the open field is the only reason he didn't have two touchdowns.
But in a game that didn't really look as close as the final score, Austin was the difference maker.
It was Austin coming up with the big plays to stretch the field. It was Austin who broke the Packers' back. As a result, it was Austin standing on that podium at the end of the game, fielding dozens of questions from reporters.
Clearly, Miles Austin wasn't the only reason the Cowboys handed it to the Packers here Sunday night. Marion Barber and Felix Jones did their part.
And the defense, fresh off yielding four touchdowns last week to the Eagles, kept the Packers out of the end zone for more than three and a half quarters, allowing just a late touchdown to Green Bay that made the game look closer than it was, and give those always happy-to-be-here Packers fans something to cheer about.
It was a team effort for sure. This Cowboys team is finding new ways to win games.
But Sunday night, it was Miles Austin standing out.
Add up those receiving numbers for six guys. And not just any guys, but the likes of Terrell Owens, Jason Witten, Marion Barber, Felix Jones, Patrick Crayton and Tony Curtis.
Those six receivers caught 14 passes for 108 yards. That's right, 108.
Mr. Austin had himself a career night, with 115 yards on just two catches.
OK, before you get to your e-mail to point out that Austin was the beneficiary of playing alongside such Pro Bowl receivers, save it. I get it. I understand that defenses have to key on Owens with two guys, and the same is being said for Witten.
Hey, even Patrick Crayton is getting some extra attention. He didn't even catch one pass Sunday night, but several teams in the game the Packers dropped a linebacker back into coverage towards Crayton when he ran underneath routes.
So someone else has to make the plays. How about Miles Austin?
His first big play came midway through the third quarter with the Cowboys leading 13-9 following a Packers' field goal.
Tony Romo stepped up and nearly dumped off a short pass to Felix Jones before he saw Austin streaking over the middle on a post pattern. He fired the ball to Austin, who made the catch in stride and would've scored had he not changed his direction to the end zone.
"I don't know what I was doing," Austin said. "I'm not really used to running that play, even in college. I usually don't the ball in the middle of the field that way. I didn't really think anyone was behind me. But I just went straight instead of keeping the angle."
Instead of out-running the defense to the end zone, Austin gave safety Nick Collins an angle to tackle him at the Packers' 3. Two plays later, Barber found the end zone for a touchdown.
"I can't believe I didn't get in," Austin said. "That was a dumb mistake, I guess."
I'm sure Barber's fantasy owners appreciated it. And it wasn't like Austin didn't make up for it later.
With the Cowboys leading 20-9 early in the fourth quarter, it was looking like an offensive drive to forget. A holding penalty on Andre Gurode was declined because Romo was also flagged for an intentional grounding pass.
And not to turn this into a whine party on the refs, but I really hate that call. The spirit of that rule is for quarterbacks who are about to get sacked and throw the ball away with no receiver in the area.
But on that play, Jason Witten turned left and Romo threw right. It wasn't intentional grounding. It was unintentional screw-up. It happens. The officials need to hold their flags on that one.
Because that penalty is 10 yards and a loss of down, it sets up plays like third-and-20. OK, so there aren't many plays designed to get a first down.
Of course, you could always just get your fastest wide receiver to run down the sideline, throw the ball up for grabs and see what happens.
What happened was Austin out-jumping a defender to make the catch, allowing him to stroll into the end zone for a 52-yard touchdown.
"I have a lot of confidence in Miles," Romo said. "He's really coming into his own. You can see that he's a guy who has confidence to go up and make a play. And that's what he did."
And what he did was virtually put the game away.
How demoralizing that must be for the Packers. They've got Terrell Owens contained all night. He catches two passes for 17 yards. Jason Witten has just 67 receiving yards and they hold Crayton without a catch.
But they have no answer for Miles Austin.
And the reason is simple. Speed. Isn't this the speed the Cowboys were looking for?
Trust me, this next statement comes with extreme caution. But in a way, Austin gives the Cowboys and this offense what they missed last year with Terry Glenn out.
And no, I'm not saying Miles Austin is Terry Glenn. Not even close. Not now and he probably never will be.
But speed is speed. Faster than the defense is still faster than the defense.
And Austin was easily faster than the Packers' defense on this night, and even last year, too.
In that showdown of 10-1 teams last November at Texas Stadium, the biggest storyline of that game was obviously Brett Favre's injury, which forced Aaron Rodgers into action.
Tony Romo threw four touchdowns, two to Crayton and one to Owens, who shoveled popcorn down his face mask after his score.
As for Austin, he didn't catch a pass. Yet, some would argue that he was the biggest difference in the game.
On two occasions, Austin ran straight past the defense, drawing a pair of pass interference penalties inside the Packers' 5-yard line. Both plays resulted in zero offensive yards and no catches for Austin, who at the time, still had yet to record a regular-season reception. But both plays set up touchdowns for the Cowboys, who held for the 10-point win.
"That was the same thing as tonight," Austin said. "With the weapons we've got on the outside, it forces (the defense) to make decisions. All night long they roll a safety over to T.O. and they try to do the same with Witten. So it usually left me alone. So you've just got to take advantage.
"The same thing happened last year. But I like this game a little better."
That's because Austin seems to be a better player. And with the role he plays, adding yet another speed dimension to this team, it only makes this already-high-powered offense even better as well.
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Nick Eatman - 
