The 5 best Tony Romo moments on Thanksgiving Day

There's a renewed sense of optimism in Dallas these days following Tony Romo's return, with the Cowboys believing they can win out. For that to happen, they must first take down the undefeated Carolina Panthers in a Thanksgiving Day clash at AT&T Stadium.

Romo has fared well in the annual holiday game, posting a 6-2 record while completing 183-of-277 passes for 2,232 yards with 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Here are the five best Thanksgiving Day moments of Romo's career:

2006: The Beginning

In the first Thanksgiving Day start of his career, Romo joined Hall of Famer Troy Aikman and four others in the Cowboys record books by throwing five touchdown passes in a 38-10 rout of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The win was Romo's third straight, and fourth as a starter.

"The sky is the limit for the guy," Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens said after the game. "He's poised back there in the pocket. He makes things happen on the run. He makes great decisions and he's managing the game. He's exceeding expectations right now."

2007: Romo ties single-season TD record

With 6:12 left in the game, Romo connected with Owens on a 22-yarder to tie Danny White's single-season team touchdown record of 29.

The Cowboys went on to defeat the New York Jets 34-3, improving to 10-1 on the season for the first time in franchise history.

2008: Keep on rolling

Making his third start since suffering a broken finger on his throwing hand, Romo completed 22-of-34 passes for 331 yards with three touchdowns and an interception as the Cowboys cruised to their third straight victory.

Sporting a splint on his pinkie, Romo guided the Cowboys to touchdowns on their first three drives - the first time Dallas started a game that way since Oct. 9, 1994. Romo turned the early success into a 34-9 win over the Seattle Seahawks.

"If we get the splint off, he might throw for 300 yards - oh, wait, he did," head coach Wade Phillips joked.

2011: Down to the wire

Romo overcame two early interceptions by orchestrating a nine-play, 77-yard drive to start the fourth quarter that included several risky throws and ended with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Laurent Robinson.

It was a sloppy affair for Romo and the Cowboys, but they prevailed over the Miami Dolphins thanks to a last-second field goal by kicker Dan Bailey. With the win, Romo's Thanksgiving record improved to 5-0.

2013: What stomach virus?

In a performance Cowboys owner Jerry Jones called "inspirational," Romo overcame an early deficit and a stomach virus to lead his team to a 31-24 victory over the Oakland Raiders and put them two games above .500 for the first time that season.

Romo completed just 6-of-13 passes for 55 yards with 1:56 remaining in the first half, but found his groove on the final drive, going 5-of-7 for 71 yards. He was perfect in the second half, completing all 12 of his pass attempts.

"He kind of put on that Michael Jordan that is sick and sticking it out and pulling this W out for us," wide receiver Dez Bryant said, comparing Romo's outing to Jordan playing with the flu in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals.