IRVING, Texas -- Tony Romo's legacy is not at stake Sunday night against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field.

Tony Romo (left) has held his own against elite quarterbacks such as the Saints' Drew Brees, but he can't play defense. AP Photo/Sharon Ellman

It's silly to even talk about it because Romo's career has years left. Only when it ends can we put Romo's career in a box and put a bow on it.

Say what you want, but Sunday's game is about more than Romo just like it is every other week. We know he must play well for the Dallas Cowboys to win, but if the defense and special teams play poorly, it won't matter.

Again.

Since 2009, Romo has played against 19 upper-echelon quarterbacks, from Eli Manning to Matt Ryan to Robert Griffin III.

He has had a better passer rating than the opposing quarterback 13 times, yet the Cowboys have won only four of those games.

See, it's bigger than Romo.

Last week is a good example of why you shouldn't say Romo's legacy hangs on one game.

He passed for 416 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions and led the Cowboys on a pair of long scoring drives in the last four minutes to force overtime.

And it wasn't enough. The Cowboys lost in overtime.

Last December, Romo outplayed Manning, passing for more than 400 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. But Miles Austin somehow lost a potential game-clinching touchdown pass in the lights during the fourth quarter, and the Giants rallied to win.