Paulescu, not allowing veteran Jeff Feagles to outduel him, averaging 42.2 and pinning the Giants inside the 20 three times.
And most of all, there was the defense, man, with eight sacks, holding the Giants to just 218 total yards and no touchdowns, why they out Spagnuolo-ed the aggressive Giants defense, registering eight sacks, 10 QB hits, two interceptions, forcing two fumbles and limiting the Giants to no more than one first down on five of their 11 possessions.
"We have always been together," Owens said. "No matter what rumors, lies that have been said, we have always been together and I think when everything came out, we stuck together. We told each other we had each other's back and the most important thing coming in here was winning this game today."
Owens' denials of confrontations were resolute, insisting there was nothing to the reports over the weekend he and Witten nearly came to blows at practice on Friday and had to be separated. For his part, Owens said, "I don't know where that came from, either," but then on the other hand said, "Winning cures everything."
Witten for his part basically said, I know nothing.
And Romo, well he took the high road, mostly talking pro football philosophy, as if filibustering to draw attention away from whatever might have happened without having to admit or deny. When asked about the "tension" of the week," Romo handled the delicate question as deftly as he threw the ball when completing 20 of 30 passes for 244 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and a 113.8 QB rating, and that by the way, is in your face to the many critics who tried throwing him under the bus for the loss in Pittsburgh, saying he never wins a big game.
Really?
"There's no tension around here," said Romo, not quite able to keep a straight face. "You guys make it out to be what it is . . . .
"I think we talk too much about the stuff going on."
Who knows what to believe, but maybe these guys just like drama, and as I've been saying, just can't seem to do things the easy way - as in this game, after going up 14-3, giving away five straight points when Romo got rung up in the end zone for a safety and the Giants kicked a field goal after the ensuing free kick.
But with backs to wall, they finalized the Giants' second consecutive loss - Hey, can the Giants win in December? - by driving 66 yards on seven plays, Choice scooting the final 38 yards for the put-away touchdown.
Just the way this season has gone, because every time we're - you're - ready to count the Cowboys out, here they go, picking themselves up off the canvas by the seat of their pants and basically making liars of us all.
"A team is like a family and you can have an issue," a much relieved Jerry Jones said, knowing his team must grind through these final games just to qualify for the playoffs. "Everybody does things differently but they bond together."
Give them credit, and again, no matter what did or didn't happen last week with those meetings portrayed to have been highly secretive, as if the CIA was involved, the Cowboys did pull it together in time to win a game that left Jones saying, "I couldn't be prouder of every player and every coach . . . I think our guys played with a lot of will out there."
That was Sunday. Next Saturday is another matter, just another chapter in what seems like a dysfunctional season that just can't seem to buck the Cowboys off for good. Who knows, and as I've warned, don't draw everlasting conclusions from this week for next week or the week after that.
Or as Romo said last week, each week presents a "mini-story," even if this past week seemed to be a major one. How major?
Not enough to divide this team Sunday night at Texas Stadium, definitely making every one of those 14 names living out their final days in the Texas Stadium Ring of Honor proud of how these guys played on this night.
What tomorrow brings, who knows. But know this:
"It's fun to play football, it's fun to win," Romo said, "and when you look at it, at the end of the day, winning cures a
