In Romo I Trust

by spadesking131313 on Dec 20, 2011 1:11 PM CST

Say what you will Giants fans, and Eagles fans alike, truth is, the best quarterback in the NFC East wears a star on his helmet .... bar none!

Many New Yorkers harp on that saying "Eli won a ring" when it comes to this debate. Yet did Eli win that Super Bowl or was it more of the team around him? As I recall it was the Giants' surging running attack, a healthy offensive line, and their defense that stepped up and put massive pressure on opposing quarterbacks during that four game playoff stretch that thrusted New York a top the league. All of these were bigger factors than Eli's play contributing to the Giants' Super run. In fact in the NFC Championship game and Super Bowl combined, Manning looked more like Trent Dilfer (a guy "driving the bus") than a Super Bowl MVP. Manning was 40-74 (54%) with 506 yards (6.8 yards per att.) , 2 touchdowns 1 interception. Is that elite? Still, Giants fans will ride this magic carpet as long as it will take them, but the truth is Romo is simply better and has done more with less protection around him.

For the first years of Romo's rein as Cowboys quarterback, he dealt with the same offensive line that nearly got Drew Bledsoe pummeled week in and week out. Tony was scrambling for his life with a make shift offensive line, and creating opportunities with his feet and heart. Never seen Eli do that! Never seen Eli have to do that. Dallas' defenses during Romo's career here, have been less than stellar too. Hence there is more pressure on Tony to do more for the Cowboys to win consistently. Yet Romo has stood his ground, done more, and has put the Boys into situations to win a lot of games during his career.

Statistically, Romo puts a thumping end to the debate. He completes a higher percentage of his passes for a better yards per attempt. He has 147 touches with 80 ints, while Manning sours with 181 and 128. Every single category is owned by Romo... convincingly! Romo has accomplished this with consistent offensive line problems for pretty much his entire career, while Eli has had one of the best O-lines for a big stretch in his time in New York.

Michael Vick? Well he has a lower completion percentage than Eli, and while Vick and Manning are both nearly a yard off from Tony's average yards per attempt, Vick's interceptions and fumbles often cause him to be a liability. While Philadelphia critics will say "Romo chokes in big situations", Vick has had worse games in big spots and just doesn't produce as consistently as Romo. Eagles lose games as Michael Vick does his best Harry Houdini disappearing act in games the Eagles needed to win. No bigger games this year for Philadelphia than Buffalo and Arizona and Vick combined for 2 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. These are games the Eagles had to have! Vick just isn't consistent enough to validate being a better player than Romo.

Yet I bring this "debate" up, not because our beloved Cowboys play the Eagles and Giants for all the NFC East marbles in the upcoming weeks, but actually, its because for the first time I can remember Tony Romo has an offensive line in front of him keeping him upright. For the first time in Romo's career Dallas is running the ball without smoke and mirrors. These two factors have escalated Romo into the "elite" quarterback discussion! In fact, you take away the 5 games were Tony played with injections into his injured ribs, and he has 23 touchdowns to 3 interceptions this season. Poor line play and Romo's high risk/high reward playing style has been the object of our ire for the Romo era. But man!!!! Watching this guy have protection (FINALLY!) and picking teams apart the past few weeks, I can't help but think big things for this team! Tony Romo is with no doubt a better quarterback than many give him credit for. Elite? Yes! Super Bowl caliber? No doubt! ..... All I ask is that Jason Garrett lets him go out and win a Super Bowl, rather than collar him and attempt to not lose games in the upcoming weeks. We have grown accustom to "playing it safe" this season, and continuing to do so would be an injustice to Romo and the players on this team. Romo throws one of the prettiest deep balls in the league. He is accurate in the middle of the field. His feet allow him to move the pocket and allows receivers to get down field. Let him carry this team!

The offense's ability to run (and man do I love what Sammy Morris adds to this team) a good fullback, and an o-line playing well... it all makes Romo that much more dangerous late in games. With the way the line is playing, I am not slightly worried about putting games in Romo's hands with the lead late in games. If the defense can step up and the players on this team just decide to play their best (focused and emotional) six games of their careers, the Cowboys have as good a shot as any! Either way .... I want to live or die with Tony Romo. There is nothing like being a fan of a team and watching a particular player (or players) take harsh criticism (whether deserved or not) and watching them grow and overcome the nay-sayers ... and prove the critics wrong. Lets go Romo!!

Lets go Cowboys!!

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Comments

Great post and love the title ;)

In Romo we Trust

by Terry on Dec 20, 2011 1:41 PM CST reply actions

Was thinking of you when I wrote it

;)

by spadesking131313 on Dec 21, 2011 8:21 AM CST up reply actions

appreciate the love

In Romo we Trust

by Terry on Dec 21, 2011 11:57 AM CST up reply actions

I would probably give the Giants front four most of the credit for that ring.

You know Romo has the highest all time NY/A right?

I would say that makes him elite

by firejasongarrett on Dec 20, 2011 7:21 PM CST reply actions

The thing about Romo

… is he put up “Tom Brady” type numbers with a make shift offensive line. Plus when a team struggles to run the ball, and the defense gives up yards and points like the Cowboys secondary has done in the past few years ….every mistake the quarterback makes is “costly” and is thrown under a microscope.

by spadesking131313 on Dec 21, 2011 8:20 AM CST up reply actions

Unless Dallas wins a superbowl with Tony he will always be Dan Fouts.

Fair or not , that is how this game works. Fouts never had a d. Neither has Romo. Worst of all Romo had to play for Wade Phillips. That is one of the reasons I so despise Jerry. Wade was the wrong coach for Dallas.

Jerry is the end all in Dallas.

by football mensa on Dec 21, 2011 6:58 AM CST reply actions

Its worse being the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys

… I mean before Brees won a Super Bowl or Peyton Manning, they were great quarterbacks on teams that were missing pieces. Phillip Rivers and even Jay Cutler get their due when it comes to quarterbacking. But in Dallas, that position will always be measured by the number of rings you win. Winning one for Romo will validate his greatness.

by spadesking131313 on Dec 21, 2011 8:13 AM CST up reply actions

and someday it will happen

In Romo we Trust

by Terry on Dec 21, 2011 12:01 PM CST up reply actions

Fouts is a HOFer...nothing to be ashamed of

Actually I think Fouts, Marino, Kelly, and Tarkenten were much better QBs than Bart Starr, Bob Griese, Jim Plunkett and Terry Bradshaw, all of whom have multiple SB rings.

In Romo we Trust

by Terry on Dec 21, 2011 12:00 PM CST up reply actions

I agree totally....

and even more significantly, I think you put Tony of the 90’s team and he wins more SB’s than Troy which is sacrilegious I know. It makes me sick when Tony is compared to those guys. But Dallas is a tough place and I think Tony understands that until he wears a ring, it wont go away. I have confidence though, that Tony is committed to getting there and I too want to JG to play Balls Out and put the season in Romo’s hands.

by Dooud on Dec 21, 2011 2:05 PM CST up reply actions

I don't know if Tony would would better than Troy with the 90's team but

I tend to think that Troy would do a lot worse with the current team than Tony is doing. I don’t remember Troy ever being a mobile as Tony is and I seem to remember Troy getting a lot of concussions…with a good offensive line. I’d hate to think what would happen to him behind the swiss cheese Tony stands behind.

by Grimlock83 on Dec 21, 2011 2:28 PM CST up reply actions

remember Grim

that good Oline didn’t really become All Pro until 92 now troy wasn’t as athletic as tony but he could move if he had to hell he had no choice just to survive that ugly 89 season.. i was under the impression that Troy got most of his concussions post 95 season but from 92-95 Troy had a Supertar line (i would luv to see romo under that kind of protection) after that w/the salary cap & free agency taking its course & big E not being the same since the car accident, Troy’s wall wasn’t the same.

name something u sit in.. chair.. try again.. big chair.. nope that's the same thing try again.. high chair.. that's still a chair.. chair.. say something other than chair.. what if i can't think of anything.. u can pass.. how do i pass.. just say it.. say what.. say pass.. chair

by DarkKnight88 on Dec 21, 2011 2:45 PM CST up reply actions

I know he had at least one concussion in the NFC Champ game in 1993

And Troy actually commented after the Superbowl that year he couldn’t remember playing in it because he was still feeling the effects of the concussion. And, he had like 10 in his career in Dallas. Even if most were after 95, with the line Tony has bee playing behind, I’d imagine Troy would have had a few by now.

by Grimlock83 on Dec 21, 2011 2:51 PM CST up reply actions

its possible he'd have a few but then

again troy played in an era where the qb’s weren’t protected like they are now so it is debatable now i’m not saying that troy is as athletic & fast as tony cause he’s not but just that troy could scramble if he had to its not like he had cement blocks on his feet like bledsoe.. u are rite about the 93 season, almost forgot about that, what was strange was that the SB was only 1 wk after the championship game instead of the usual 2.

by DarkKnight88 on Dec 21, 2011 3:01 PM CST up reply actions

Its definitely a different game now.

If the rules we have in place now were in place then, Troy probably would have had to sit out that Superbowl.

by Grimlock83 on Dec 21, 2011 3:10 PM CST up reply actions

Don't blame wade tho

cause he’s always been a terrible head coach his best role has always been a good/great d coordinator, that move is on Jerry but yes it blows that romo has had to deal w/ incompetency on that oline since he took over.

by DarkKnight88 on Dec 21, 2011 2:31 PM CST up reply actions