Jean-Jacques Taylor

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The best thing about the Cowboys' loss to New York: Tony Romo didn't look like he had any problems playing December.

That's huge.

And it doesn't matter whether he wants to acknowledge it or not. Romo completed 41 of 55 passes for 382 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions – and he did it without a running game.

Now, he wasn't perfect.

He missed a wide open Roy Williams running free down the right sideline because he didn't realize cornerback Corey Webster had fallen, so he threw it as though Williams were being covered.

"As soon as I released it, I wanted it back," said Romo, "because that was a walk-in touchdown."

He also missed Tashard Choice on a wheel route that would've been a big gain, and he missed Felix Jones on a pass in the flat that would've been a big gainer.

But he didn't throw any of the bad passes that have played a part in his 5-9 record in December and of his poor touchdown-interception (14-19) ratio before Sunday's game.

What you should like about Romo this season is that he took responsibility for an awful game against the Giants in Week 2 and vowed it wouldn't happen again, and it hasn't.

He has only four interceptions in the last 10 games, and he's spreading the ball around to all of his receivers – not just BFF Jason Witten. Miles Austin will be a 1,000-yard receiver, and he's finally figuring out how to take advantage of Roy Williams' strengths inside the 20. Williams has four touchdowns in the past three games.

They didn't win Sunday, but they can win with the Romo who played against the Giants.

Q: Obviously I was spoiled with the likes of Roger, Drew and then with Michael, Troy and Emmitt. This sorry bunch finds more ways to lose games that it's not even fun watching anymore. My team is filled with a bunch of losers.

Tony Gabriele, Huntington Beach, Ca.

TAYLOR: I wouldn't go that far. What you and others must realize is that this is a good team – not a great team. Dallas didn't play an awful game against the Giants, but they didn't play well enough to win and they made too many mistakes, which ensured they would lose. This team has some mental issues because the core realizes how bad it has been in the final month when everything is on the line. The hardest thing this team must do is have a breakthrough performance that will allow them to put all of that in the past. A win over San Diego would be a good start.

Q: The Cowboys appear to be playing hard, and their locker room is free of turmoil. Forget salaries and Pro Bowl appearances. Could the explanation as to why Dallas loses to teams like Green Bay and New York be as simple as the Cowboys are just a slightly above-average football team and nothing more?

Timothy Stearns

TAYLOR: Ding! Ding! Ding! You win the prize whatever it is. I've been trying to tell y'all since training camp that this is not a great team. It's a good team. The bad news is there are two great NFC teams – Minnesota and New Orleans – and the Cowboys aren't good enough to beat either of them in the playoffs. There are several good teams in the NFC and Dallas is one of them.

Q: How could one team dominate in every statistical category and still lose to the Giants. We have a December jinx. A big ugly jinx.

Lloyd D Bratton, Atlanta

TAYLOR: Sorry to tell you, but I don't believe in jinxes. You're either good enough to win or you're not. I didn't believe in the blue jersey jinx, and I don't believe in a December jinx. When the Cowboys are good enough to win these games, they will.

Q: Has anyone compared the achievements of Bum Phillips to Wade Phillips? I seem to remember that the then-Houston Oilers had a lot going for them, but could not get the big one. Is coach Wade Phillips following that pattern?

E.T. Faulkner

TAYLOR: I don't think that's a fair comparison because Bum Phillips had to deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders when he had his best teams – and the Oilers couldn't beat them. They lost at Pittsburgh in the 1978 AFC Championship Game, 12-7, and 1979 AFC Championship Game, 13-6. In 1980, they lost a wild-card game to Oakland, 11-6. Both Pittsburgh teams and the Raiders won the Super Bowl. There was no shame whatsoever in any of those close, hard-fought losses to great teams.

Q: Just curious on how the NFL schedules are made each year, particularly the Cowboys'. Does someone really want to see the Cowboys fail each December? For example, last year they played three of four teams that were in the conference championship games (Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Philadelphia) in December. This year, the Eagles and Giants have much easier schedules coming in, and the Cowboys still have to play San Diego and New Orleans. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it.

Ron Guerra, Santa Monica, Calif.

TAYLOR: Ron, you're better than this. Let's not whine about the schedule. Either you're good enough to win or you're not. The schedule is put together by formula. Last year, the Cowboys played the AFC North and this year the AFC West. Heck, the final month is filled with all three divisional opponents, which is how you want it because that allows you to control your own destiny.

Q: The Cowboys have an offensive coordinator everyone knows how to beat and a quarterback who couldn't lead a receiver if his life depended on it.

Scott Snyder

TAYLOR: Are you really blaming Garrett and Romo for Sunday's loss. That's just silly. The offense wasn't the big problem. It gave the defense a 10-0 lead and a 17-14 lead. It wasn't perfect, but this was nothing like the Green Bay game. Romo was superb, hitting 41 of 55 for 382 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. He did miss a wide-open Roy Williams in the fourth quarter because he didn't see the cornerback slip, so he threw it like Roy was covered. Garrett did a nice job Sunday. You want to complain about the defense and special teams, feel free, but the offense wasn't the biggest problem last week.

Q: What I don't understand is why a player with the talent of Marion Barber has to demonstrate every time he gains a yard. He draws a bull's-eye on the back of his jersey every time he jumps up and points to God only knows where. He must waste a good deal of energy and there is little positive about showing off.

Mike Gaffney

TAYLOR: This is a different generation. A lot of guys celebrate after plays. It doesn't really matter to me one way or the other.

Q: The Giants only had two penalties called against them. I think two calls that should have gone against the Giants were never called that led to big plays. The clear defensive pass interference on Roy Williams that would have given Dallas the ball on the 38. Also the clear holding penalty on Brandon Jacobs' touchdown reception. When watching Cowboy games, I always wonder if there is officiating bias against the Dallas Cowboys. What do you think?

Robert Goworek, Bloomfield, N.J.

TAYLOR: Wow. There is a lot of whining this week. What's wrong with you guys? It's not the schedule, and it's not the officiating. The game, in its purest form, is not complicated. Most games are decided by four to five plays. You make them, you win. You don't make them, you lose. When you're a slightly above-average team, you don't always make the plays.

Q: It seems that every team in the NFL has a quarterback run-pass option except the Cowboys. Several situations this year, including the loss to the Giants, screamed for Romo to rollout and either run or pass for the first down or score inside the red zone. Unfortunately, we are all still waiting for Mr. Jason Garrett the "brilliant" offensive coordinator to make the call.

Andrew Ellis, Washington, D.C.

TAYLOR: Again, the offense wasn't the big problem against the Giants. The Cowboys rolled up more than 400 yards of offense and kept the ball from New York's offense. The Cowboys often have a run-pass option or a run-left, run-right option. The offense is more complicated than you think.

Q: Do you think the Cowboys will try to find another kicker before the end of the season? Folk's has missed five out of the last 10 field goal attempts, which is unacceptable.

Trinh Thanh, Connecticut

TAYLOR: The Cowboys have no plans to change kickers. They're a lot more concerned with making sure Mat McBriar is doing a good job of holding because there's some debate about that right now. Coach Joe DeCamillis said the Cowboys are looking at the entire operation because they want to make sure everything from the snap to the hold is giving Folk the best opportunity to make every kick. The 42-yarder he missed Sunday was the first big kick he's missed this year and the first kick he missed by more than a foot or so.

Q: Why isn't more written about the lack of production by Barber? As a role player, he has always been effective, but as the starter he has been more hit and miss. Wouldn't Choice be a better option as a starter? Do you and the rest of the staff believe that he is the best option as a starter?

In the past, you guys have been very good about calling for change, specifically at either coaching or QB positions. Why not the same for RB?

James Williams, Georgetown, Texas

TAYLOR: Barber is a tough study because he's averaging 4.4 yards per carry, which is excellent. The Giants' game marked the first time this season he's been held to less than 3.0 yards per carry and ended a streak of four consecutive games that he averaged at least 4.2 yards per carry. Now, he has had two huge fumbles each of the last two weeks and that may have slanted your view of him. I also wouldn't blame him too much for his lack of production on Sunday because the Giants weren't going to let Dallas run the ball after giving up 251 yards in September. They did quite a bit of run blitzing, and it worked. I wouldn't say Barber is having a great year, but I wouldn't say he's playing poorly either.