Dallass Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has a well-documented penchant for blonde starlets, which Joe greatly admires. Whether it was Jessica Simpson or Carrie Underwood or his wife, current TV reporter and former Miss Missouri, Candace Crawford, Romo is clearly getting the job done off the field.

On the football field, Romo may have an equally-burning lust. That is the Bucs. In three games against the Pewter Pirates, the pride of Eastern Illinois University has lit up the Bucs defense for 11 touchdowns without a pick. Given how Cam Newton and, in particular, Eli Manning have ravaged the Bucs’ pass defense, Romo must have a significant drool stain on his notepad after watching that film.

Not so, says Romo, who believes that the Bucs defense, which is averaging over 400 yards a game allowed, is a victim of selective statistical gibberish.

“Some guys have made some great plays on them but I think they are a real sound defense that does some different things,” Romo said in his conference call with the Tampa Bay pen and mic club yesterday. “After seeing so many yards and points put up on them, I was expecting to see something different on tape but they are a very sound defensive unit. They play well together.

The [stats] “are skewered a little bit because the Giants got behind in the game,” Romo added. “I think this defensive unit is good and showed it on tape a bunch of times. It’s too quick to point out they have given up a ton of pass plays and think that will be duplicated over and over again.”

But Romo has over and over again raked the Bucs’ pass defense over the coals, whether it was against Chucky or Rah, the result was always the same. Romo waved off any notion of a pattern.

“No specific reason, I think we just executed well,” Romo said.

Still, Romo kept referring to the Bucs defense as an obstacle, not a sieve.

“They are definitely aggressive but they play everything, just don’t hang their hat on one thing,” Romo said. “They are Well-coached and players are in the right spot.”

The Bucs better be in the right spot this week. There should be enough on tape for defensive coaches to figure out a way to prevent Romo and other NFL quarterbacks from throwing up arena league-like numbers on the Bucs secondary.