IRVING: Tony Romo guided the Dallas Cowboys to touchdowns on its first three drives and points on the first four, then turned the early surge into a 34-9 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday.

The Cowboys won their third straight, matching their best roll of the season, all coming since Romo returned from a broken right pinkie finger. Dallas is 8-4 and back near the top of the NFC playoff race. Now comes the hard part _ staying there.

The Cowboys' next three games are against Pittsburgh, the New York Giants and Baltimore. That stretch will be even tougher if they're without linebacker DeMarcus Ware and running back Marion Barber. Both left with injuries in the third quarter, Ware because of a sprained left knee and Barber with a bruised right pinkie toe.