Johnson Steady Enough To Win Andy Friedlander, The Tampa Tribune, published 27 October 2008 Brad Johnson heard the boos. He didn't pretend otherwise. The thing is, he didn't care. "Nah, I've been through it," The Cowboys' veteran quarterback said with a laugh. The catcalls came at various points in the Cowboys' 13-9 victory against the Bucs, the team he quarterbacked to a Super Bowl XXXVII victory six years ago. Johnson took them in stride. "A pat on the back and a slap in the face are 6 inches away," Johnson said. "...That's what you sign up for. I've been through too much to really get caught up in that. Sometimes, when it's third-and-20, you check it down and let them boo you. That's not a problem for me. You try to win a game." With the 40-year-old Johnson at the controls in place of injured starter Tony Romo, the Cowboys did just that, though the offensive philosophy was far from aesthetically pleasing. With a performance that made workmanlike seem downright flashy, Johnson managed to keep the Cowboys out of trouble - and even got them into the end zone once - as they outlasted his former team in what he called "an emotional win for me." Running an offense filled with high-powered weapons such as Terrell Owens, Roy Williams and Jason Witten, Johnson dinked and dunked, eliminating turnovers by throwing checkdowns, dump-offs and quick outs to the sideline. He completed 19 of 33 passes, but wound up with a mere 122 yards for a pedestrian average of 6.4 yards per completion. Only five of his completions went for 10 or more yards, and two of those made it that far only because the receiver gained yards after the catch. The game's only touchdown, a pass to Williams with one second left in the first half, traveled all of 2 yards. "Just find a way to convert some third-and-shorts into first downs, and if we have to punt, let that be the best play in football," Johnson said. "Just do not turn the ball over against the Bucs. I was with them. We won a championship. I've seen them do it the last 10, 12 years. ... You do not give them a chance to score by turning the ball over." The result was a day that left Dallas' receivers, accustomed to Romo's swashbuckling style, struggling to be patient with Johnson's plodding offense. "A little bit," receiver Patrick Crayton said of the receivers' frustration, "but we understand. If that's what it's going to take to get it done, that's what we're going to have to work with for a little while."