ontinue to do just that. Theyve got to seize this opportunity. Although Toronto is just 1-5 facing the Pacers and Heat this season, theyr

OXNARD, Calif. -- Tony Romo will play his first game for the Dallas Cowboys since undergoing back surgery for a herniated disk last December. Romo will start for the Cowboys in Saturdays exhibition game against the Baltimore Ravens. Romo missed Dallas exhibition opener against San Diego as the Cowboys are easing him back into things after his second back surgery in the past two years. Romo said he gave no thought to skipping the preseason to make sure he stayed healthy, saying the only way to get better at football is to play football. It will be his first chance to play in a game under new play caller Scott Linehan. "I think you have to play in the preseason," Romo said. "Obviously, some people cant, but I do know from my perspective, this game is not something where you can show up and think that you can do it. I think its been proven far too many times that if you take too long of a break or dont get reps under you that you will be exposed in certain areas." Coach Jason Garrett said he has no expectations about what he will see from Romo and is just looking forward to seeing him back in a game. "Just go out and play," Garrett said. "We ask our players to get prepared for any situations. We try to prepare them as coaches and its their job to go play." Romo sustained the injury against Washington last Dec. 22 but stayed in and threw a game-winning touchdown pass to keep Dallas playoff hopes alive. He had surgery two days before the Cowboys lost to Philadelphia with Kyle Orton at quarterback in a season-ending loss that kept Dallas out of the playoffs. The surgery in December was the second procedure on Romos back in an eight-month span. He had a cyst removed before the start of off-season practices last year and didnt do any significant work until training camp. Romo was held out of competitive situations throughout the off-season this year and the Cowboys limited his throws early in training camp. But Romo has looked more like himself in recent days and is ready to play against the Ravens. "I felt like this was a big week for Tony," tight end Jason Witten said. "Early in camp they were resting him some and we did not have him every day. I thought he did a really good job going the right places with the ball, good zip on the ball, leading us on the 2-minute drive with the same intensity he always has. I felt like this was a really big week for our team and felt hes done a really great job setting the tempo for us." Romo said he has no worries about how he will react to the first hit on his injured back, saying he got past that after a collision with running back DeMarco Murray a few days ago. "The second hit is just nothing," he said. "It will be easy." Backup Brandon Weeden played well in Romos place in the exhibition loss to San Diego, completing 13 of 17 passes for 107 yards and one touchdown. But the Cowboys know their hopes for success this season ride on Romo. The 34-year-old is coming off another strong season, having thrown for 3,828 yards and 31 touchdowns in 15 games in 2013. He also nearly cut his interceptions in half, throwing 10 after having 19 passes picked off in 2012. Even that wasnt enough to get the Cowboys back to the playoffs for the first time since 2009. Instead, they finished 8-8 for the third straight season. "Every game that you play youre not guaranteed anything," Romo said. "Its special just to play football. Its special to get to play for the team I play for. Its special to get out there and put the helmet on. For me I dont take that for granted. I know that its a great feeling when I do get to go out there." Wholesale NBA Jerseys Authentic . - Wesley Matthews got a chance to practice his bow-and-arrow 3-point celebration on Sunday night. Wholesale Basketball Jerseys ... maybe even more than that. Maybe all season I have to take a few blows. http://www.cheapnbajerseysusa.com/.A. remained bitter for Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers on the long flight back home to New York. Cheap NBA Jerseys From China .ca/CurlingSkins - with the Top 16 curlers earning a ticket to Banff, Alta. to compete in the TRAVELERS ALL-STAR CURLING SKINS GAME Presented by Pintys, running Jan. NBA Jerseys China .com) - Tonight will go a long way in determining the two wild card spots in the Eastern Conference.TORONTO - For months weve been hearing all about their impossibly difficult early-season schedule. Through 34 contests, the Raptors have had the most difficult slate of games in the Eastern Conference, according to Basketball-Reference.com. Theyve played 19 on the road and 16 against winning teams, both tied for most in the East. They have seen both conference finalists, Miami and Indiana three times. In spite of it all, Toronto is right where Dwane Casey had cautiously hoped they would be; at sea level. "These five games are a crucial stretch of games here at home for us," Casey said ahead of Wednesdays 112-91 victory over the Pistons, a win that got Toronto back to the .500 mark. "Its a very crucial time." Following another daunting road trip, capped off by disappointing but expected losses to the Heat and Pacers, the Raptors schedule finally begins to ease up. Wednesdays meeting with Detroit was the first of four straight against losing teams. Four of their next five are at home and only two of the remaining 12 contests in January come against opponents that went into Wednesdays games with winning records. Casey had spoken about using recent tests against the leagues best as a measuring stick for his emerging team but these upcoming few weeks may tell him more about where they stack up in the Eastern Conference. They must continue to win the games they should. Taking care of the Pistons, one of the Easts talented disasters, was a promising first step. Toronto coughed up an 11-point second-quarter lead in what turned out to be an ugly opening half for both teams. DeMar DeRozan and Amir Johnson combined to shoot 0-of-16 while the team was outscored by 16 points in the paint, outworked by another physical frontline. Lucky to be down only four at the break, the Raptors adjusted going into the second half, where they outscored the visitors 62-37. "We pretty much said, this is a must-win game," Johnson maintained. "We have to go out and take it and we did that." Although they shot just 41 per cent from the field, the Raptors knocked down 11 three-pointers, including five from Terrence Ross, who had 17 points on the night. Toronto improved to 8-2 on the season when connecting on 10 or more three-balls. Kyle Lowry led the team in scoring with 21 too go along with nine assists, Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas both added double-doubles and DeRozan finished with 19 points, 13 of which came from the free throw line.dddddddddddd "We knew it was going to be a grind it out game and thats something were learning to do," Casey added. "Theres no pretty games in the NBA, its a mans league," he continued. "To win in this league, to win in the Eastern Conference especially - I found out in my three years in it - its a mans [conference]. Its a hit, knockdown, drag out [conference] and the strong survive. Were learning how to do that." The Raptors were a different team coming out of the locker room after intermission. They bested the Pistons in the paint - Detroit leads the league in that category - out-rebounded them and imposed their will on a struggling team that has now lost six in a row. After eight lead changes in the first half, there was just one in the second and it was all the Raptors needed to seize control. "Theyre must-win games," Johnson said. "Theyre all home and we need to win those games just to stay at the top of our division. Theyre must-win games and weve got to come out and play hard." With Brooklyn on deck, followed by games against the woeful Bucks and Celtics, the Raptors have to continue to do just that. Theyve got to seize this opportunity. Although Toronto is just 1-5 facing the Pacers and Heat this season, theyre 11-5 against the rest of the conference. Sitting just one game out of third place in the East - after the Horford-less Hawks upset Indiana on Wednesday - the Raptors are now in a position to validate their recent success. They can separate themselves from the heap of mediocrity theyll be facing throughout the duration of the month of they will end up blending in with them. "Theres no reason for any of us to be content or satisfied or be able to be happy about [where we are]," Casey preached. "Weve got to play like a hungry team. Weve got to continue to grow, weve got to continue to have the underdog attitude because thats where we are. " "Were nowhere near an established program. Im not kidding myself, I know what an established program is all about and were not there yet. We have a lot of growth to do with our core group of guys." ' ' '