A couple of days ago, we wrote about Roger Staubach's comments on Tony Romo, and how Captain Comeback thought Romo was a Super Bowl QB.
"Our quarterback is not our problem in Dallas. We've got a Super Bowl quarterback...I really believe that the league is so close in parity...and Dallas is the kind of team with Jason [Garrett] that they can be right there in the thick of it this year...And they have the quarterback that can do it."
This has stirred up quite the commentary around the Net, and on TV, as pundits and writers trip over themselves in declaring Romo's validity, and concurring with Staubach; or jumping into the fight full-on, doubting why anyone would proclaim that of Romo.
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It's fun, I guess, to discuss anything Cowboys-related during the doldrums of the offseason, an offseason made even more dreary by the lockout. But I have to agree with Roger, in this way - Tony Romo certainly has the talent and production to win a Super Bowl. But the NFL is a team game, and although the QB can have a great effect on any given game, or any given play, he can't lift the team to victory on his own. And no, before you misread what I'm saying, it's not all the fault of his team either, he has to take responsibility for not getting there along with everyone else. So I'm not saying Romo has played up to the level of a "Super Bowl QB" all the time, although in stretches he certainly has, and his overall numbers can stack up against most QB's of this era.
Part of the problem with this argument is what is the definition of a Super Bowl QB? There isn't a definitive one, unless, of course, you make it a guy that has guided his team to, and actually played in, a Super Bowl. But that's too narrow, because it only allows for guys who have done it, and no room for conjecture.
So is a Super Bowl QB a Brad Johnson or a Trent Dilfer-like QB, or a Peyton Manning or a Tom Brady-like QB? Basically bus drivers have done it, and superstars have done it. So it's not just the QB - although in the new NFL, which has become a passing league, the QB is more important than ever. But to be a Super Bowl QB and guide your team to a Super Bowl, you have to have other things going for you besides your own talent.
Obviously the play of your offense, defense, and special teams plays a major role. Injuries play a role. Coaching is integral. Intangibles like team chemistry play a role. Sometimes luck in a crucial game is a factor. Heck, a blown call by the refs could come at a make-or-break moment. There are just so many things that go into making a Super Bowl champion, that's why it's so hard to repeat. It's never just about the most-talented team. And never just about the most-talented QB.
So when Staubach said Romo is a Super Bowl QB, he's right, if you're saying Romo has the talent and applied-ability to make that happen. But I can think of many QB's in the league who you could say that about. They have the ability, but for whatever reasons, the team and the intangibles haven't come together for them.
So when I look out across the league, I think Tony Romo fits the bill, as do others. Will it all come together for him and the Cowboys? Who knows, that's why we play the games.
But Romo has another high-profile ex-QB backing him and Staubach.
"Look around the league and tell me, of the elite quarterbacks, who would you take above him?" [Kurt] Warner said on "NFL Total Access." "You have Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Philip Rivers and maybe Ben Roethlisberger. But then who else? He’s right below them.
"I think he brings everything to the table. He’s a winner. He can make plays outside of the normal, everyday throws. He has to learn the game a little bit more, and no question he’s going to grow. But I definitely think he’s an elite quarterback and will continue to get better throughout his career."