TAMPA, Fla. | Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys figure they’ll be fine without Terrell Owens.
Surrounded by a talented supporting cast that includes Roy Williams, Patrick Crayton, Miles Austin and Jason Witten — not to mention Marion Barber and Felix Jones — it’s easy to understand why.
Romo launched the post-T.O. era Sunday with a career-best 353 yards passing, including three long touchdowns that keyed a 34-21 victory and ruined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ first game under coach Raheem Morris.
“Career-high passing yards? Without T.O.?” Williams asked, laughing before turning serious.
Austin avoided two tacklers on the sideline to score on a 42-yard reception just before halftime, and Williams streaked through a mistake-prone secondary on a 66-yard touchdown play early in the third quarter.
Romo teamed with Patrick Crayton, who had four catches for 135 yards, on the longest completion of the quarterback’s career — 80 yards — for a fourth-quarter touchdown that thwarted any realistic hopes for a Tampa Bay comeback.
Tampa Bay’s Byron Leftwich completed 25 of 41 passes for 276 yards and no interceptions but took a beating from a relentless pass rush once Romo put the Cowboys in control.
Cadillac Williams and Derrick Ward each scored on 1-yard runs for the Bucs, who rushed for 174 yards but eventually had to abandon the running game.
Cadillac Williams, back after having knee surgery twice in 15 months, finished with 97 yards on 13 carries. Ward ran for 62 yards on 12 attempts and was the catalyst on a long second-half drive that briefly put the Bucs back in the game.
Both teams are hoping to rebound this year from December collapses that cost them playoff berths last season.
The Cowboys lost three of four down the stretch to finish 9-7, and the Bucs lost four straight after a 9-3 start and fired coach Jon Gruden, replacing him with Morris.
Dallas’ biggest offseason move was getting rid of Owens and making Roy Williams the lead receiver, a role he’s excited about after spending the first 5 1/2 years of his career in Detroit and struggling in Owens’ shadow after being obtained from the Lions at the trade deadline last season.
Romo completed his first two passes to the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Williams, but the duo remained relatively quiet until the receiver’s big third-quarter catch put the Cowboys up 20-7.
Romo, who has thrown for eight touchdowns and no interceptions in two career games against Tampa Bay, finished 16 of 27 and improved to 8-1 in September starts. Williams had three receptions for 86 yards.