FanPost

Romo: The difference between GOOD and GREAT.


Tonight we saw a team with great potential take on last year's AFC runner up and almost pull off an upset win, on the road, in their stadium, on a very emotionally charged night with the nation and world watching.  

We saw a team who last year was simply awful in every facet of the game.  A new regine comes in, cleans up the team, gets rid of the dead weight, brings in new people, new coaches and a new scheme.  A new, highly regarded  OT for greater protection and a few other players added here and there for extra depth.  And then you have the quarterback.

Rome is now in his sixth year as a starter.  He has made all the rookie mistakes expected and played through his "gunslinger" mentality and should be ready to take his play to the next level.  To become an elite QB.  To join the ranks of Manning, Brady, etc.....

He has it within him to lead this team.  He's shown it time and again in games and certain situations.  He's a GOOD quarterback.  But that's also his greatest weakness.  He's NOT a GREAT qb.

Great quarterbacks overcome adversities and lead their team to victories.  Great qb's make game winning decisions and help put their team in postion to win games.  Sure they pay their dues and make mistakes in their early years but with experience, those are usually corrected.

The question is, can Romo correct his mistakes and go from being a "GOOD" qb to a GREAT qb?

Tonight against the Jets, Romo played brilliantly in the first half.  He threw very accurate passes to his receivers and made good decisions.  But here's the problem.  For whatever reason, he simply can't do it consistently.  The INT to Revis near the end of the game is INEXCUSABLE.  Romo, at the post game press conference called his play "dumb".  How can you look right at your WR and see the DB in FRONT of him and STILL throw the ball in that direction?  And we aren't talking about just some DB over there.  Revis is considered the best in the NFL.  Added to that, is the fact that his intended WR, Dez Bryant was playing with a quad injury and therefore not 100%, although he'd been brilliant in the 1st half.  Poor decision making like this cost the Cowboys this game.  But it should also be a wake up call for Romo.  This is NOT acceptable play.  He cannot continue to make poor decisions like this and expect to stay as the starting qb for the Cowboys.  

If Romo wants that GOOD qb label removed and have GREAT attached to his name, he must play like the quarterback this team needs or let someone else come in and play.  We've had ENOUGH of GOOD qb's.  We want a GREAT qb to lead this team to a championship.  No more INT's at crunch time, or TO's when we can least afford them.  We want  and DEMAND a qb who can lead this team and make great plays at crunch time.  We need and want a qb out there that can be depended upon to lead a team down field for the winning score with the game on the line.

I believe Romo wants to win and I think he has the work ethic to make it happen.  But for GREAT to be added to his play, then he must play GREAT and keep this team winning.  If he wants to be an elite quarterback, the he MUST start making elite plays.  Its the difference between a GOOD qb and a GREAT qb that makes a Super Bowl winning quarterback.

Another user-created commentary provided by a BTB reader.