OH - NO ROMO!!! Dallas loses tough one in final seconds to Steelers 20-13.

PITTSBURGH- Cold, tired, and hurting the Dallas Cowboys waste a masterful defensive effort and fall short of victory in the "Steel City" today 20-13 at Heinz Field. The lost ushers in the month of December with it's usual tenor for the Cowboys and gives the New York Giants the NFC East title. The Cowboys knew coming in that getting the victory would be tough, if not impossible against the Steelers number one rated defense.

The Dallas Cowboys (8-5), winners of their last three games came in without the services of their bruising running back Marion Barber who was out with a toe injury suffered in the Thanksgiving win over the Seahawks. His rookie understudy Tashard Choice appeared to be the answer as he was an effective stand in earning 88 yards on 23 carries in his first NFL start. Yet, the vaunted Steelers (9-4) defense proved to be worthy of all of the hype.

Dallas quarterback Tony Romo had his worst game since his triumphant return against the Washington Redskins weeks ago going, 19 for 36 with three interceptions and a fumble lost. Facing the relentless Steelers pass rush, Tony Romo had been able to avoid making the one mistake that would cost his team the game until the final moments. For most of the night he had used his elusiveness to avoid sacks and keep scoring drives alive. When he heaved a desperation strike to Owens in the back of the end zone late in the third quarter the score pushed the Cowboys lead to 10 points. The play was in a word Romo-rrific.

But Romo and Cowboys' luck would run out as Pittsburgh cornerback Deshea Townsend intercepted Romo's ill advised toss to tight end Jason Witten and returned it for the game winning score. On a second and eight pass play deep inside of your own territory with less than two minutes to go and a full compliment of timeouts passing the ball should have been the last thing on his mind. Especially, in a tie game on the road in those windy conditions.

The Cowboys also wasted a golden opportunity to gain an advantage in the NFC playoff race as they begin another December with a thud. The lost by the Atlanta Falcons has for the moment given Dallas a slight edge in the NFC Wildcard race but things don't get any easier for this team. Next up is another tough match-up against the hated Giants. The G-men (11-2) took it on the chin pretty good today losing 20-14 against the rejuvenated Eagles (7-5-1) at home. They will definitely come into the historic final game with a lot to prove. Let's just hope the Cowboys are ready to prove that this will be a December to remember for their fans and more importantly that they are ready to become playoff contenders.