IRVING, Texas - The Cowboys were living up to their preseason hype through the first three games of the season, standing undefeated while averaging 32 points a game and a whopping 440 yards of offense.
And even in their first meeting with the Redskins, a 26-24 loss in Game 4, the Cowboys had 344 yards of total offense with quarterback Tony Romo throwing for 300 yards and three touchdowns.
But after the loss to Arizona two weeks later and the subsequent loss of Romo, the Cowboys' offense unmistakably began to crumble. In the three games without Romo in the lineup, the Cowboys averaged 232 yards a game and scored just 13.7 points per game.
That the Cowboys are just 5-4 now heading into Sunday night's rematch with the Washington Redskins (6-3) at FedExField is no coincidence.
And while searching for reasons why this offense has struggled, look no further than Terrell Owens' shrinking numbers over the past three games for tell-tale signs.
Owens, in the first three wins of the season, had 10 receptions for 193 yards and three touchdowns. And against Washington that first time around, he caught seven passes for 71 yards and one touchdown.
But in the five games since, the veteran wide receiver has caught just 18 passes for 203 yards - a skimpy 11.3-yard average per catch - and two touchdowns.
The return of Romo Sunday against the Redskins could mean more than just the return of the Cowboys' starting quarterback. This also could mean the return of a Pro Bowl receiver who is more than happy to be getting his starting quarterback back.
"I think he's a lot healthier than he was last week. He's throwing the ball better, he's taking snaps, so obviously he's feeling better," Owens said about Romo returning for the first time since suffering the fractured right little finger in overtime of that Arizona loss.
This also will mark the first time Romo, Owens and new receiver Roy Williams will play together, the Cowboys trading for Williams just after Romo suffered the fractured finger.
"I'm looking forward to it. I think it's going to give us some opportunities," Owens said. "Obviously, Roy is a playmaker. He's going to give us another added threat to our offense. I think we'll be ready to go."
There might be another factor involved in the possible reemergence of Owens, who finished last season with 81 catches for 1,355 yards and a team-record 15 touchdown catches. The Cowboys are coming off the bye week, meaning the soon-to-be 35-year-old wide receiver should have fresh legs.
Four of Owens' five, 100-yard receiving games came after the Cowboys' bye last year, with the first three of those coming against NFC East opponents. And yes, one was against the Redskins the first time around, Owens breaking out for 173 yards on eight catches and a season-high four touchdowns.
Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips certainly understands the importance of reuniting Owens with his quarterback.
"The quarterback and the top receiver certainly can make a difference for you," Phillips said of having Romo back on the field. "It's important, certainly."
For the Cowboys, losers of two of their past three games, and no better than tied for third in the NFC East with Philadelphia, just one game behind the second-place Redskins, it will be important for this offense to get on track if they are to leave Washington with a victory.
"We know they're going to have their hog noses out and making a lot of noise," Owens said. "Obviously going on the road is sometimes difficult, but we just got to go in there, concentrate, eliminate the amount of mistakes that we've been making thus far as well as the penalties."
As well as getting Owens back on track, too.
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