Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was handed the keys to the Dallas offense when owner Jerry Jones released wide receiver Terrell Owens in a panic move this offseason. Today, I want to figure out if this carries a certain amount of unwanted risk.
APCan Romo produce in the Cowboys offense when it counts?
In a good read by Jim Corbett of USA Today, Jones calls the new Cowboys offense “Romo-friendly,” explaining that the main culprit in the Dallas collapse last season — Owens — is now in Buffalo catching passes from Trent Edwards and taping reality TV shows.
But do we honestly believe that just because Owens is gone that this offense is going to “wow” us in the 2009 season, march the football down the field and put points all over the scoreboard?
I’m not buying it, folks — at least not yet — because with or without T.O. in the lineup, it always comes down to the quarterback.
And Romo hasn’t shown us that he can win when it counts or produce in the most adverse situations — and that’s what I look for, not only in a Pro Bowl quarterback, but in a quarterback I know I can look to in the huddle and expect to make plays in the fourth quarter.
This entire offseason, I’ve been asked countless times if I thought Romo was overrated, and my answer has been a pretty solid “No,” because to start in the NFL at quarterback is a monumental accomplishment.
However, I have no problem using the word “overhyped” about Romo because as much as we want to glorify him due to the fact he wears a star on his helmet, he still hasn’t delivered.
APJones took a major risk by releasing Owens.
And I’m not the only one out there who thinks this way. Just ask former Cowboys great Troy Aikman.
Now, I understand that sending Owens packing was probably a smart move from a chemistry standpoint, but from a pure football standpoint, I don’t see the logic behind it. But it’s over and done with, and now we get to sit back on Sundays and watch Romo succeed or implode right before our eyes with nowhere to point the blame — because that finger is going to point right back into the huddle at the quarterback.
Yes, Romo will still have Jason Witten — a top-five tight end in this league — and he will have a healthy backfield (hopefully) in Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice. But someone on the outside (my money is on Patrick Crayton) is going to have to pick up the slack and produce the type of numbers that Owens was good for. Can Roy Williams be that type of player?
Look, I’m not trying to defend the TV star any more than you guys are, but we have to be honest when we talk about the outlook of this offense with a quarterback who is great in September and October and suspect when the weather changes -- minus one of his best playmakers.
This season in Dallas, at least on offense, is all about risk. The Cowboys have a new stadium with tickets to sell and a team that hasn’t won a playoff game since I was just out of high school.
The quarterback position in Dallas is all about pressure, and that is exactly what Tony Romo is going to get.
El oh el. Crayton is gonna step up? That's hilarious. Dude is a solid slot receiver, that's it.
Bennett and Felix will make up for TO leaving, guaranteed.
Romo could be even better this year, now that he doesn't have to always worry about keeping T.O. happy. I expect Witten will be targeted more, and Miles Austin could have a breakout year... still not sure if Roy Williams is a #1 receiver- the talent is there but something's missing.
I think the Cowboys will also throw to Barber and Felix Jones out of the backfield more this year; Jones impressed me as a guy who's dangerous in the open field with his speed, and could be a weapon on screens and dump-off passes.
Romo could be even better this year, now that he doesn't have to always worry about keeping T.O. happy. I expect Witten will be targeted more, and Miles Austin could have a breakout year... still not sure if Roy Williams is a #1 receiver- the talent is there but something's missing.
I think the Cowboys will also throw to Barber and Felix Jones out of the backfield more this year; Jones impressed me as a guy who's dangerous in the open field with his speed, and could be a weapon on screens and dump-off passes.
Bennett? That's a good one... see ya Cowboys.
Romo is just an overhyped back up
Good article Matt, I couldn't agree with you more that there is no more scapegoat in Dallas. Romo will have to shoulder all of the blame when the team and more specifically the offense do not perform. However, I think that it is important to point out that the outside weapon that you correctly point out is essential does not necessarily have to be Williams or Crayton. Miles Austin was coming on strong until derailed by injury last year and I think that Jason Garrett will use Felix Jones and Martellus Bennett creatively to open up this offense. The real key is going to be the play of the offensive line which had difficulties consistently opening up holes in the run game all year and struggled with pass protection in December against all those top 5 defenses the Cowboys faced.
Hey Hog you guys going to sweep with Matt Cassel? Jay Cutler? Oh ya I forgot those trades fell through and you’re stuck with Jason Campbell a player you organization obviously has no faith in. Last thing Redskins fan needs to do right now is comment on an article about quarterback play.
Romo ain't the only one who needs to produce with the money and the draft picks the Boys doled out to get Williams. For their GM's sake Williams better step up his game big time. I'm thinking karma is getting even with Dallas for the screwing the Vikings took for Hershel Walker.
Dallas led the league in sacks, the defense is what will win for them.
Trade a few of those QB sacks for better run gap control, you might be looking at a suprise team.
With Romo, it's clear the guy is a great athlete, he needs to be with a Sean Payton kind of mindset as mentor/position once again. It appears as if the present arrangement lacks the same sense of chemistry and isn't fueled by the same kind of communication and respect.
They need to be aggressive and still need to put that defense in good position to do what it does best. Are the players there to do it at the wideout position? Will the Cowboys backfield have its speed back return from injury the same? Huge questions to answer.
Try your best to scour wideouts off the Saints and Packers rosters(depth may see them let value return to market). Plaxico's own off field items take on elevated symoblism with the tragic passing of Steve McNair involving a firearm. If that young man can get a decent hearing you might see Jerry take another market venture that has high risk/reward numbers.
That might give his team some swagger again, and steal fire from the Giants in the process. No East team would have what Burress at 100% can bring and that might control where safeties line up and who can put people in the box for stopping the run. East winners run the ball to control outcomes and Plax can command two or more player's attention, allowing the other ten offensive team mates to play against nine. The man has a catch radius larger than a Texas hat, he's someone who can take an athletic play from Romo and finish the end of it strong.
Until then Dallas is mostly going to be scheme oriented on offense to try and take some of the fire back. It probably will look more like the Cardinals in running the shallow series a lot and using Witten as the high read where we'd see Boldin at AZ. Shallows are easier reads(throw to open grass) should set up high percentages with a lot of YAC. Can those guys take that, can they read the coverage in front and sit the route down square and hold the coming gang tackle?
We know they have players ready to clear out and run open, who else will be the deep crosser? Witten weill need help if teams bracket him to snag his release or squeeze the routes he runs in coverage.
If Jason G. really wanted to get scheme wild and the Cowboys speed back makes a certain return, go dual halfback and copy a lot the Tulsa/Malzahn look that an SEC will run this year at Auburn, all fromt he shotgun. It is Romo's team, after all, push the envelope.
The team has to be about than scheme, and more than numbers, and about more than players. It has to include all of these things and so much has happened off the field for this team that asking all three elements to combine may be too much. That would come down to your coach, Wade Phillips has the Bum Phillips legacy in tow and has to meet those kind of standards, his dad was an old schooler, and their practice facility is at an old school. Maybe things work this way for the better when your guys master the possiblities as a challenge.
Gotta agree that this is a make or break season for TR... but whomever the Deadskins fan on here needs a reality check...
Go call Pat Ramsey and Rob Johnson up to help you guys win 4 games this season. Hail this scrubs.
I agree that Romo has to produce, but I am tired of hearing about Owens' production. He is a great athlete, and a great football player, but his record is: 3 teams, 3 meltdowns in the locker room. I predict that he will be great in Buffalo this year, but that next year the wheel will come off again( if the Bills keep him past this season).
People are tired of hearing about T.O.'s production because they don't want to admit that they guy is a great football player...
Because of his attitude everyone throws him under the bus. He wasn't the QB who wet the bed against the Eagles in the season finale.
Guy can play and the Cowboys will lose without him.
"Romo is just an overhyped back up" ???
Let's look at the facts. I'll go ahead and grant 0-2 in the playoffs...just like Payton Manning for the first half dozen years of his career. I'll even hand you coming up lame in the Philly game last year, even though it wasn't Romo failing to catch balls or cover anyone. Anytime your Pro Bowl corner is getting repeatedly worked over by a rookie, that's not Romo's fault.
No, he hasn't proven to be *elite* yet, not like Brady, Manning, or Roethlisberger. That's the stuff people earn in the postseason. But fans of about three quarters of NFL teams would gladly trade their guy under center for Romo in an instant.
In three years, Romo has completed 63.6% of his passes, thrown 81 TDs vs 46 picks, and is running a 94.7 QB rating. His QB rating in the 4th quarter of games is 113.4. If there's any backup in the league capable of this kind of production, they're not backups anymore.
The logic of getting TO out of there makes *complete* sense for anyone who watched Dallas last year. Seeing TO struggle to get off the line, only to go "alligator arms" on slant routes and get Romo picked off, it just was sickening. So much of their offense seemed designed to keep TO occupied (line up in slot, in backfield, in motion) the way a second-grade teacher has to keep the ADHD kid busy.
When Sterling Sharpe retired, people thought Brett Favre was done. "What's he going to do without a real #1 receiver? Sterling made that crazy hick look so good." All Favre did was go on to win a Super Bowl and MVP awards. All Romo has to do is win a playoff game or two. He won't have to explain to TO why he threw to the OPEN receiver.
Let's not forget that T.O. is 35 years old. A rapid decline in his game is very possible very, very soon. They gave up a ton for Roy Williams, time to see if can be an explosive and reliable #1 WR. Imo Roy Williams at age 27 can be as good of a #1 WR as T.O. at 35 would be so I don't see much of a dropoff for Romo in terms of weapons he can use. And without having to worry about forcing the ball to T.O. he should thrive in spreading the ball around. When you factor in the Marion Barber & Felix Jones combo I think Dallas' offense is going to really good.
"Romo is just an overhyped back up" ???
Let's look at the facts. I'll go ahead and grant 0-2 in the playoffs...just like Payton Manning for the first half dozen years of his career. I'll even hand you coming up lame in the Philly game last year, even though it wasn't Romo failing to catch balls or cover anyone. Anytime your Pro Bowl corner is getting repeatedly worked over by a rookie, that's not Romo's fault.
No, he hasn't proven to be *elite* yet, not like Brady, Manning, or Roethlisberger. That's the stuff people earn in the postseason. But fans of about three quarters of NFL teams would gladly trade their guy under center for Romo in an instant.
In three years, Romo has completed 63.6% of his passes, thrown 81 TDs vs 46 picks, and is running a 94.7 QB rating. His QB rating in the 4th quarter of games is 113.4. If there's any backup in the league capable of this kind of production, they're not backups anymore.
The logic of getting TO out of there makes *complete* sense for anyone who watched Dallas last year. Seeing TO struggle to get off the line, only to go "alligator arms" on slant routes and get Romo picked off, it just was sickening. So much of their offense seemed designed to keep TO occupied (line up in slot, in backfield, in motion) the way a second-grade teacher has to keep the ADHD kid busy.
When Sterling Sharpe retired, people thought Brett Favre was done. "What's he going to do without a real #1 receiver? Sterling made that crazy hick look so good." All Favre did was go on to win a Super Bowl and MVP awards. All Romo has to do is win a playoff game or two. He won't have to explain to TO why he threw to the OPEN receiver.
Cali hit the nail on the head, it is the offensive line that is worrisome. They are aging and none of the backups have shown any real promise. Flozell Adams at the all important LT position seems to be going downhill but there's no real replacement for him. If two linemen go down with injury then the season is probably over. This really should have been addressed in the draft but was almost completely ignored. JJ seems to have forgotten that the 3 rings from the 90s were the result of one of the best offensive lines ever, not just the triplets. The skill position players as a group are the best in the NFC East.
The 'boys are easy to hate, and I sure do that, but I also try to be fair. T.O. had value against the Pack last year..we pretty much shut him down, but unfortunately everyone else lit us up. I think T.O. is nuts, but that doesn't mean he isn't seriously good as a WR.
I don't know what the net will be having got rid of him. All I know is that the failure of the Cowboys in the playoffs has been more than a little surprising. That team has talent, including the QB. Man, I hate that, and will not be surprised in the least if that is evidenced by a serious run both at and possibly through the Super Bowl.
I knew my team was done last year after that game. That one hurt, alot, so props for that.
The mid-season story for the Cowboys is going to be who can they get to replace the production they lost from TO.
Matt - take a closer look at TO's stats especially last year and they are very hollow stats. Yes theyt look gaudy but look at his game by game numbers and they don't impress. He had a long stretch of zero 100 yard games - 10, longer if you go back to 2007 - and he blew up against the Niners and topped 100 yards against the Eagles in Week 17, but other than that, he wasn't a gamebreaker like in years past. He never had double digit catches. But he did have a lot of looks and passes thrown his way. I don't have the stats but a lot of passes were picked off that were thrown to TO.
I hope Dallas doesn't find someone who can drop as many passes as TO did last year - 36 - which led the NFL. I certainly won't miss that.
The real issue for the passing game is whether or not Roy Williams can earn double coverage; right now, most teams are probably scheming him man and focusing on stopping Witten. If Williams can draw doubles then it will be a good year for the Dallas passing game. TO really couldn't beat doubles unless the safety beat his lame double move. TO only seemed to try when he had a vertical route and could sprint. He can't beat press coverage and a safety with good coverage skills really neutralizes him.
Romo's big issue is ball security. I'm not talking about INT because those will happen with a QB like him. It's the sack-fumbles. He has to hold onto the ball with two hands and protect the ball in the pocket. With the INT, to me, you can't get all hyped up about Romo when he creates on the fly and hits the deep ball and then criticize him when he does the same thing but chucks an INT. Yes you'd like to avoid that, but that's his game. If the coaches are uncomfortable with that, then get somebody else in there.
Bottom line - TO gave Dallas some good years and increased popcorn sales. But Jones the GM finally learned that the best talent doesn't win titles, the best team does and convinced Jones the Owner that he could live without him. Frankly after the Deion interview, he should've been cut.
"Romo is just an overhyped back up" ???
Let's look at the facts. I'll go ahead and grant 0-2 in the playoffs...just like Payton Manning for the first half dozen years of his career. I'll even hand you coming up lame in the Philly game last year, even though it wasn't Romo failing to catch balls or cover anyone. Anytime your Pro Bowl corner is getting repeatedly worked over by a rookie, that's not Romo's fault.
No, he hasn't proven to be *elite* yet, not like Brady, Manning, or Roethlisberger. That's the stuff people earn in the postseason. But fans of about three quarters of NFL teams would gladly trade their guy under center for Romo in an instant.
In three years, Romo has completed 63.6% of his passes, thrown 81 TDs vs 46 picks, and is running a 94.7 QB rating. His QB rating in the 4th quarter of games is 113.4. If there's any backup in the league capable of this kind of production, they're not backups anymore.
The logic of getting TO out of there makes *complete* sense for anyone who watched Dallas last year. Seeing TO struggle to get off the line, only to go "alligator arms" on slant routes and get Romo picked off, it just was sickening. So much of their offense seemed designed to keep TO occupied (line up in slot, in backfield, in motion) the way a second-grade teacher has to keep the ADHD kid busy.
When Sterling Sharpe retired, people thought Brett Favre was done. "What's he going to do without a real #1 receiver? Sterling made that crazy hick look so good." All Favre did was go on to win a Super Bowl and MVP awards. All Romo has to do is win a playoff game or two. He won't have to explain to TO why he threw to the OPEN receiver.
Tony Romo is not the quarterback Jerry Jones or Cowboy fans think he is. I would rather have Tyler Thigpen at the helm. And that is no pun intended. Sadly, we will all get to watch the demise of Romo. At least I will. I have got my NFL sunday ticket. I am ready for some football. Too bad; the cowboys ending will be yet another disappointing season.
Tony Romo is not the quarterback Jerry Jones or Cowboy fans think he is. I would rather have Tyler Thigpen at the helm. And that is no pun intended. Sadly, we will all get to watch the demise of Romo. At least I will. I have got my NFL sunday ticket. I am ready for some football. Too bad; the cowboys ending will be yet another disappointing season.
Redskins get fine quarterback play. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I take Campbell over Romo every day of the week. That doesn't mean the Skins are going to be a playoff team or that Campbell's going to a pro bowl. Snyder and Cerrato would never let that happen. We refuse to address the real issues in DC. We prefer to scapegoat coaches and quarterbacks.
The offensive line is the weakest link, yet we roll out the red carpet for Haynesworth/Orakpo to add to a top-5 defense. To fix the offensive line we let everyone get another year older, bring in a 670 pounder that hasn't played football in 10 years and a guy who committed 53 penalties and allowed 38 sacks last year. When the Skins go .500 this year it won't be Campbell's fault.
How's this for a prediction? Redskins don't protect the QB, don't go to the playoffs and don't resign Campbell. Titans sign him and run VY out of town. The trophy goes to Tennessee.
Iconoclast, you said it all. Excellent post in response to an article written by someone who doesn't look beyond the headlines. I would simply like to add that the left side of the Cowboys' OL was absolutely atrocious last year; especially against the better defensive teams. How Big Flo keeps going to Pro Bowls, I'll never know.
Everyone talks about Romo's 0-2 record in playoff games. Well, to those "statistics" I will simply reply that Tony Romo, the QB, had the Cowboys in position to almost certainly win against the Seahawks in 2007. It was Tony Romo, the placement holder, that bobbled the snap at the most inopportune time. Then, in the 2008 playoff game against the Giants when "Romo" lost his second playoff game. As I recall, Romo did everything except run down field and catch his own passes that the receivers let sail through their hands, or failed to run the pattern to completion.
And finally, regarding the Cowboys dismal December record the past several years: how many of those losses belong to Bill Parcells and his QBs, Bledsoe and Testaverde?
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Jul 08, 2009
04:55 PM
I love it Matt.... Someone finally pointing out the issue in Dallas.
Skins sweep in '09.... sorry Jerry.