BALTIMORE — Tony Romo has a pretty good idea of what awaits him Sunday in his effort to bounce back from a five-interception performance.
No venue in the NFL provides a bigger home-field advantage than the Ravens’ stadium in Baltimore, where a relentless defense — combined with the deafening noise of a sellout crowd — tends to make life miserable for visiting quarterbacks.
During its NFL-best 13-game home winning streak, Baltimore (4-1) has outscored the opposition 360-209 while posting a plus-13 turnover differential. Since coach John Harbaugh took over in 2008, the Ravens are 30-5 at home, including 8-0 against NFC teams.
Romo and the Dallas Cowboys (2-2) have had two weeks to think about their 34-18 defeat against the Chicago Bears. Romo was intercepted five times in that game, and now, after a bye, he’s going up against a defense that’s forced 12 turnovers — four last week in a 9-6 win over Kansas City.
“This will be my first time playing up there,” Romo said. “I know it’s loud. You can just tell when you hear from other people and watching the game. It’s going to definitely create issues, and you just have to go back to technique and fundamentals and just do what your job is. It’s the only way to go into an environment like that and have a chance.”
Wide receiver Jacoby Jones was on the losing side as a member of the Houston Texans in last season’s playoffs, and now he relishes being backed by the home crowd.
“Being a visitor is not good because it’s so loud you can’t hear yourself think,” he said. “Being on the home side, it brings chills to your body. It’s electrifying. It makes you want to play better.”
Ravens guard Bobbie Williams came to Baltimore after spending eight years with division rival Cincinnati.
“From a visitor’s perspective, it is very hard, especially when you’re going against the Ravens defense. That’s first and foremost,” he said. “And then there’s the fans. The stadium gets really loud. You’ve got a defense over there moving and shifting and swarming, and you’re trying to communicate with a guy you can barely hear. It can be a tad bit intimidating.”
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