Tony Romo was nearly perfect in the first half and finished with 249 yards passing as the Dallas Cowboys jumped out early and cruised to a 31-15 victory over the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday.

Felix Jones rushed for 108 yards on 22 carries and Miles Austin, Dez Bryant and Laurent Robinson each caught a touchdown pass for the Cowboys (8-6), who moved one-half game ahead of the New York Giants (7-6) in the NFC East.

The Giants host the Washington Redskins on Sunday.

The Buccaneers (4-10) have lost eight straight, with the last three defeats coming by a combined 62 points.

Dallas did most of its damage before the break as Romo completed 18 of 22 passes for 189 yards and three passing touchdowns in the first half. The enigmatic quarterback added a rushing score to give the Cowboys a 28-0 lead going into the half.

Romo, who has not thrown an interception in three straight games, lost a fumble on the first possession of the third quarter that Tampa Bay returned for a touchdown.

Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman, who led the team to one first down in the opening half, led a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to pull Tampa Bay within 31-15 late in the third.

But Tampa Bay turned the ball over on downs on two straight drives in the fourth quarter as the Dallas defense sealed the win.

• Tampa Bay will play their next game on the road against Carolina. The Buccaneers have a W/L % of .286 after a win and .286 after a loss.
• Dallas will play their next game at home against Philadelphia. The Cowboys have a W/L % of .571 after a win and .571 after a loss.