Tony Romo. So many questions, there will need to be answers.
On Sunday night Dallas headed to New York and on nationally broadcasted late game, on the 10-year anniversary of 9/11, and choked. Choked bad.
In their history the Cowboys have never lost a game going into the fourth quarter up by 14. Tony Romo dissolved late, first fumbling on the goal line then throwing an interception, which left the Jets in field goal range for the game winning kick. For a whole next day, through the Monday night games, and even this morning “quarterbacks better than Romo” trended on Twitter – with suitably laughable answers such as Dan Orlovsky and that guy who threw a shoe at President Bush. The big question has to be ‘is he that bad?’
I am in two minds with this answer. If this was an isolated mistake you could blame the blocked punt, opening day nerves or just a more motivated Jets team however, this is not an isolated incident. Romo has a long history of screwing up late in games. Something that has kind of been lost in the criticism is that against the Jets had a 101.9 passer rating completing 63% of his passes, throwing for 342 yards with two TD.
I really don’t think a stat line like that deserves the criticism it is getting. Criticism that includes comparing inanimate objects to Romo in quarterback skill (even if in jest). The fumble I am not ready to blame him for; if you look on the replay it kind of looks like his knee was down (not enough to be turned over in a video challenge). It was an ill-advised move up by seven not to just throw the ball away and make it a two possession game with a field goal, but if Romo saw a gap? Can you blame him for wanting to end the game there and then? The INT I cannot defend. It was a terrible throw, to an injured wide out, in a position that gave three points and the win away. I’m not really sure what he saw.
It all comes down to something very simple – finishing. A QB is blamed for every loss and is praised in every win. I mentioned before that Romo’s stat line looked very good, all of that means nothing if you are responsible for first fumbling, losing your team a shot at three points and then later throwing an INT which gave the other team three points in a tie game situation with under a minute left. I was laughed at in the lockout for saying two things. The first was that Tebow is fighting for the backup spot, not the starting spot and the second was that Romo may find him self the benched this year.
Personally I have (or did have) Romo in the 6, 7 or 8th best in the league along with Mike Vick and Big Ben. I think he has the correct mechanics, a good speedy delivery and is for sure in the upper echelons as far as talent at the quarterback position. He needs to not lose games. He needs to make better decisions. He is in one of the most pressure filled QB jobs in the NFL and he cannot, in front of the entire USA, choke in the way that he did.
At the end of the day the Jets needed three CB injuries, a block punt, a goal line turnover, a last minute interception and to nail a 50+ yard field goal to sneak a win. Problem is Romo gave part of that to them. He’ll keep starting, but he’s on very thin ice.
