``You just think that it's a wake-up call that you have to be on top of your game every game in the NFL,'' Romo said Tuesday, his first day back at practice since the Dallas Cowboys lost 42-17 to the New Orleans Saints. ``As soon as you slip a little, anybody can come out and take it to you. We learned that, obviously. Hopefully that'll spur us on to not allow that to happen again.''

Romo won five of his first six starts and

Detroit has three games left, starting Sunday against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, where they haven't won since 1991, and finishing with games against two division leaders, the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys.

The possibility of a 2-14 finish may loom even larger if tests show that running back Kevin Jones does indeed have a Lisfranc fracture-dislocation of his left foot. Jones, who leads the Lions in rushing and is third in receptions, has already bee

IRVING, Texas (AP) -No team ever gained more yards against the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium.

Only Philadelphia scored more points against a Dallas team coached by Bill Parcells, and the New Orleans Saints missed matching that 49 only because they stopped trying to score. Drew Brees took a knee on four straight snaps after first-and-goal at the 4 with three minutes left.

Still, Parcells tried to avoid the doom and gloom a day after the 42-17 loss and the worst defensive effort of the season - in the

With three games remaining on their schedule, the Eagles (7-6) are tied with the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons for the final two wild-card spots in the NFC. They're only one game behind the East-leading Dallas Cowboys (8-5).

If the Eagles somehow win out, they would capture their fifth division title in six years. Two victories would guarantee a postseason berth, and even one win might be enough in a mediocre conference that sent two 8-8 teams to the playoffs j

Payton outsmarted his old boss early, then had some fun at his expense with an onside kick later, once the New Orleans Saints were well on their way to a 42-17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.

Having spent the last three years on Parcells' staff, Payton knew exactly how to attack the Cowboys - and Drew Brees pulled it off perfectly, tying his career high with five touchdown passes, all before the third quarter ended. Ne

IRVING, Texas (AP) -Drew Brees matched his career high with five touchdown passes, two in a 3 1/2-minute span during which New Orleans recovered an onside kick, and the Saints led the Dallas Cowboys 42-17 after three quarters Sunday night.

Fullback Mike Karney, usually a blocker, scored the first three touchdowns of his career - two TD catches and a scoring run.

Karney's third TD was a 6-yard catch on which he dived to the end zone and slid the ball across the pylon while being knocked out of bounds. K

IRVING, Texas (AP) -Saints fullback Mike Karney scored the first two touchdowns of his career and Jamal Jones had his first-ever TD catch to give New Orleans a 21-7 halftime lead over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.

A week after rookie Reggie Bush's four-TD performance for the Saints, Karney, normally a blocker, finally got to take the ball into the end zone - twice, on a 2-yard run and a 3-yard TD catch. The third-year fullback was in his 44th career game, with only 15 carries and 24 receptions befo