Dallas Wins With Aerial Attack ... and Help From the Bucs' Defenders

Miles Austin, right, celebrates with Sam Hurd

One of the Cowboys' bigger questions coming into the season was whether the passing offense would take a hit minus Terrell Owens. For at least one Sunday, Tony Romo and the 'Boys appeared to silence critics with an impressive display through the air.

Romo totaled 353 yards passing and three TDs, including deep strikes to three different receivers -- Roy Williams, Patrick Crayton and even Miles Austin, who gave Dallas a 13-7 edge right before the half on an impressive 42-yard catch-and-run. But overall, this game said more about Tampa Bay's poor pass coverage than the Cowboys receivers tearing it up.

Cowboys 34, Buccaneers 21: Read Recap | Check Box Score

On Austin's TD, he juked his away out of a couple of tackles after beating Elbert Mack in man coverage. Williams, who caught a 66-yard bomb in the third quarter, had a clear shot after an apparent miscue by Bucs safety Sabby Piscitelli. And there were other examples of serious coverage breakdowns in Tampa Bay.

Crayton -- "look ma! no more dropsies!" -- got into the mix in a big way. Crayton had six catches for 135 yards, highlighted by the longest completion of Romo's career, an 80-yard dagger that sealed the victory for Dallas. On that play, Romo picked up a blitz and found Crayton wide open as Piscitelli and Jermaine Phillips were toasted.

It was a rousing offensive start for the Cowboys, but one that should be taken with a grain of salt considering Tampa's major defensive issues in Raheem Morris' head-coaching debut. There's still plenty of work to be done on Dallas' defensive end as well -- the Bucs were quite successful on the ground, totaling 174 yards and two TD plunges.