Tony Romo brought the Cowboys back from extremely long odds to beat the Rams.Tony Romo posted a near-perfect 99.1 Total QBR on Sunday, despite throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown in the second quarter.

You might be wondering how it's possible for a quarterback who threw a pick-six to have a near-perfect rating.

Tony Romo Total QBR
2014 Season

Let's go behind the math to make that clear.

Total QBR takes into account the entire game.

The interception set Romo back significantly (it dropped his Total QBR from 85.6 to 12.3 – a drop of 73.3 points), but he was able to dig himself out of the hole he created with some stellar play in the second half.

And in the end, leading a rally from a 21-point deficit was far more important.

What plays were key to the QBR spike?

A 26-yard pass interference penalty against the Rams in the second quarter essentially served as a completed pass for Romo. It upped his Total QBR from 20.3 to 53.2.

The 68-yard touchdown pass to Dez Bryant was on a pass thrown 48 yards downfield. Romo receives significant credit for making such a successful throw, one that cut the Cowboys' deficit from 11 points to four points. That increased his Total QBR from 67.7 to 91.0.

With 11:47 left in the fourth quarter and the Cowboys down by four points, Romo scrambled for a 16-yard gain on a third-and-13. That boosted his Total QBR from 93.0 to 98.2. The Cowboys took the lead on that drive and went on to win, 34-31.

Let's provide one more stat to offer some perspective on how unusual this game was:

Over the last three seasons, an NFL quarterback has recorded a Total QBR of 99 or better 11 times. Romo is the only one in that group to throw an interception in that game. But he's also the only one to be the focal point of a remarkable rally.

For 2014 Total QBR rankings, click here