IRVING, Texas - The historical comparisons for Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo just keep on coming.

First it was Brett Favre and even Hall of Famer Roger Staubach.

Now, for far different reasons, it’s Joe Namath and Bobby Layne — draw your own conclusions from those.

Here’s Tony’s stop-the-presses moment: He ain’t none of them, yet.

It wouldn’t be Dallas if there wasn’t a soap opera involved, which is why Sunday’s playoff game against the Giants is only part of the ongoing Cowboys storyline.

Romo’s much-debated weekend trip to Mexico, where he was photographed by paparazzi while frolicking on the beach with girlfriend Jessica Simpson, stole the headlines Monday and Tuesday. Romo, however, remains unfazed by all the controversy surrounding him.

“I know what I needed to get myself in a position to hopefully be successful," Romo said during his normal Wednesday visit with the media. "You know, people asking for tickets, media requests, all these things during the weekend — I was able to put the phone aside and get myself ready and watch some football for two straight days. It was really fun and exciting."

Romo and his teammates were under strict orders from head coach Wade Phillips to “get off your feet and forget football.”

It was easier to do the former than the latter, as it turned out. Romo said he and tight end Jason Witten, who was in Cancun with his wife, watched both wild-card playoff games together over the weekend.

The Romo-Simpson weekend in Mexico is fun to gossip about and it might provide more fuel for the critics who say Romo has gone Hollywood. Yet, as Phillips said Monday, it’s not relevant nor does it concern him.

Far more important is if the Cowboys can bury a less than impressive 2-2 December.

That’s especially true for Romo, who for the second straight year faded badly in the season’s final month.

In the season’s first 13 weeks, Romo completed 67.4 percent of his passes with 35 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. In the Cowboys’ last three games, which included losses to NFC East brethren Philadelphia and Washington, he threw one TD and 5 interceptions while completing 51.1 percent of his passes.

Cowboys insiders suggested Romo became sloppy with his technique, failing to set his feet before throwing. Without ex-head coach Bill Parcells around to harp on him, Romo had also reverted to his gunslinger mentality of trying to make something out of nothing.

Romo is so confident of his ability, he falls into the trap of believing that he can make every play successful. It is his gift and his curse. He seemingly did just that for the first three-quarters of the season, but not in December when the Cowboys’ offense sputtered.

N.Y. Giants 21, Dallas 17 Giants stun Cowboys, reach title game  |  Video Opinion: N.Y. punches Dallas 'in the mouth' Celizic: Rushing attacks key in title game Phillips let team fall apart  |  Flutie Curse lives! Manning, defense help Giant's avoid 3-peat Tearful T.O. defends Romo after loss  |    Video Opinion: Romo left to explain trip over offseason Where’s Jessica Simpson? Not in Dallas   Sound off: Discuss the game Team pages:  Cowboys  |  Giants

That’s partly why Phillips, after the Cowboys clinched a first-round bye, decided to give his players last weekend to relax. He’d done the same thing during the regular-season bye week in late October and the Cowboys had responded with six straight wins.

Why change a proven formula?

Reinvigorating the offense is critical for the Cowboys because that’s how they beat the Giants twice earlier this season, scoring a combined 76 points.

With the Giants riding a wave of confidence after their season-ending performance against the Patriots and their wild-card victory at Tampa Bay, it may take at least that much again Sunday.

It’s hard to know which Cowboys’ team will show up — the one which averaged almost 33 points a game through the season’s first three months, or the one which barely scraped through December with a 15-point average and managed just six against both the Eagles and the Redskins.

It will all come down to Romo, as it has for most of this season. It will be tougher if No. 1 receiving threat Terrell Owens can't play, or is less than 100 percent. Owens is recovering from a high ankle sprain and hasn't practiced through Wednesday.

Terry Glenn, who was in for four plays at Washington for his first action of the season, is expected back Sunday and could put another much-needed weapon at Romo’s disposal. But it’s difficult to assess how effective Glenn can be after being out all season.

Special feature Playoff breakdowns Analysis, predictions, more for AFC, NFC championships

Romo doesn’t have to be the football reincarnations of Mr. Straight Arrow Staubach, or of the playboys Namath, or even Layne Sunday, but he does need to be the Romo of September, October and November, the Romo who made plays with his arm, his feet and his head.

If he’s that guy, the Cowboys will most likely win and everyone will forget Mexico.

If he’s not, and the Cowboys lose, he’s going to be like a character in one of those Southwest Airlines commercials, the one that asks, “Want to get away?”

Cancun, Hawaii, Somalia ... any place but Dallas.

MORE FROM NFL

NFL Section Front

Texans boot chances to beat rolling Titans Trash Talk: Thanksgiving games are just turkeys ‘Rogue tweeter’ hacks account of Jets’ Clowney PFT: Batch out — Steelers start to make calls PFT: Roethlisberger ‘appears well enough’ to play Rosenthal: Steelers’ playoff future slipping away PFT: Belichick says Saints are best team in football PFT: Lions coach takes issue with Mangini’s comments PFT: Bills contact Cowher, who says no ... for now PFT: Rams’ Bulger out 3-6 weeks with fractured knee NFL Section Front   Add NFL headlines to your news reader: