I think we can all agree that Tony Romo is the most discussed and scrutinized quarterback in the NFL today. Since the time Romo became the Cowboys starting quarterback in 2006 to the final game of the 2012 season, there have been arguments about what kind of quarterback he is. There are questions about whether or not he is an elite quarterback or a player that seems to struggle when the lights are shining the brightest. Over the years I have written my share of articles about Tony Romo. The first ones were in his favor as I saw excitement once again at the quarterback position. But as a few seasons went by I found myself questioning whether or not Romo had reached his potential as a starting quarterback in the NFL and maybe couldn't get the Cowboys to the next level. Of course the articles that are not in his favor are the ones that are not all that popular with Cowboys Nation. But that's alright because everyone is entitled to their own opinions. That's what being a fan is all about and why I love to write about the Cowboys.
Over Tony Romo's six and half seasons he has had games that have made me think that there is nothing that he can't do and that the sky is the limit. But of course with the good also comes the bad and there are also those games that I think being a starting quarterback is just too much for him. All of this shows why Tony Romo's career has become known as the Romo Coaster.
The five games listed below are the ones that made me think that Tony Romo is capable of greatness and getting the Cowboys to the next level.
2007 season opener vs. Giants - In Tony Romo's first ever season opener as a starter, he threw for 345 yards and four touchdowns. He also scored on a 9 yard touchdown run and led the Cowboys to a 45-35 victory over the Giants.
2007 at Bills - In a mistake filled game by Tony Romo, he threw five interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns and he also lost a fumble. Even with all the turnovers and losing 24-16 to the Bills late in the game Romo kept fighting. The Cowboys scored 9 points in the final 20 seconds. Romo threw a touchdown pass to Patrick Crayton to make the score 24-22, but the attempt to tie the game with the two point conversion failed. Then Tony Curtis recovered the onside kick for the Cowboys. Romo quickly got them into position for a Nick Folk game winning field goal from 53 yards with 2 seconds left. The Cowboys completed the comeback and won 25-24.
2009 at Eagles - In the final game of the 2008 season the Cowboys traveled to play the Eagles and got crushed 44-6, which ended their playoff hopes. In the Cowboys first trip back to Philadelphia since that horrible loss Tony Romo came through when the Cowboys needed him most. In a tight hard fought game that was tied 13-13 with eight minutes to go, Romo connected with Austin on a 49 yard touchdown that gave the Cowboys a 20-13 lead. They went on to win 20-16 and took over the lead in the NFC East.
2011 at 49ers - The Cowboys were losing 24-14 to the 49ers when Tony Romo came off the bench in the fourth quarter with two broken ribs and led the Cowboys to victory. After closing to within 24-21, Romo led the Cowboys to the game tying field goal by Dan Bailey with no time left on the clock to force overtime. Then on the first play of overtime Romo connected with Jesse Holley on a 77 yard completion to set up Dan Bailey's game winning field goal. The Cowboys won 27-24. For the game Romo completed 20 of 33 passes for 345 and two touchdowns. Romo's numbers after coming back into the game were 12 of 16 for 201 yards and two touchdowns.
2012 at Giants - After losing the division title to the Giants in the final game of the 2011season the Cowboys opened the 2012 season back at Met-Life Stadium. From the start the Cowboys and Tony Romo were in control and the Cowboys won 24-17. Romo completed 22 of 29 passes for 307 yards and three touchdowns.
The five games listed below are the ones that made me think if Tony Romo has what it takes to lift the Cowboys to the next level.
2008 at Steelers - The Cowboys had gone toe to toe with the #1 ranked Steelers defense. But with the game tied 13-13 and only 1:40 remaining in the game, Tony Romo threw a pick six and the Steelers won 20-13.
2011 at Jets - With the Cowboys leading 24-17 in the 4th quarter, Tony Romo fumbled on the Jets 1 yard line and the Jets recovered. Then with 1:00 left in the game and the score tied 24-24, Romo threw an interception directly to Darrelle Revis and the Jets turned that into the game winning field goal and the Cowboys lost 27-24.
2011 vs. Lions - The Cowboys were beating the Lions 27-3 in the 3rd quarter when Tony Romo threw a pick six to make the score 27-10. On the Cowboys next possession Romo threw another pick six to make the score 27-17. Then with Cowboys leading 30-27 and four minutes left in the game, Romo threw his 3rd interception that the Lions turned into the winning score, 34-30.
2011 vs. Giants - With the Cowboys leading 34-29 and only three minutes left in the game, Tony Romo overthrew Miles Austin on what would have been the game clinching as well as the division clinching throw. The Cowboys would go on to lose the game 37-34. Three weeks later the Cowboys would lose to the Giants again as well as losing the division title and miss the playoffs.
2012 at Redskins - The Cowboys went into the Redskins game with the division title on the line and Tony Romo threw two first quarter interceptions. Romo then threw his third interception of the game with three minutes left and the Redskins leading 21-18. The Redskins would go on to seal the game and the division title 28-18. The Cowboys would miss the playoffs for the third straight season.
So what does 2013 have in store for Tony Romo? Will the Romo Coaster continue as it's been since 2006? No one can say for sure, so find a seat, buckle up and hopefully the ride will be enjoyable.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Friday, June 21, 2013
Should Tony Romo be a part of NFL Top 100 list from 2012?
So, Tony Romo was not voted into the NFL Top 100 players from the 2012 season. It's really not a big deal, especially to the players and especially not to Romo. Every year there are lists for this and lists for that. They are released to pass the time away until training camp and for people like me to write about them.
After last night we are down to the Top 10 players left from 2012. Tony Romo's name has yet to be announced and I highly doubt it will be at this point with players like Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady still waiting for their names to be called. Last season Romo was voted #91 on this same list and #72 the season before that. Is it right that Romo was not included in the Top 100 this year or should he have been included at some point? Looking at the list of quarterbacks so far I would have no issue with removing a few of them so Romo could be added in.
Here is how the quarterback rankings have gone so far:
#81 Colin Kaepernick
#76 Matthew Stafford
#61 Ben Roethisberger
#51 Russell Wilson
#46 Cam Newton
#43 Eli Manning
#23 Andrew Luck
#19 Joe Flacco
#17 Matt Ryan
#15 RGIII
#11 Drew Brees
Being not just a Cowboys fan, but an NFL fan as well, I will say that to put quarterbacks like Cam Newton and Matthew Stafford on the list and not Romo is just wrong. At the same time I don't believe Romo is a Top 10 player in the league either. My though as I looked at the ranked quarterbacks so far is that Romo should be somewhere between 40 and 60 on the list. What hurt Romo in my opinion was that once again he came up short in the biggest game of the season as he threw three interceptions against the Redskins with the division title on the line.
For all those who may be concerned about Tony Romo and how he is handling not being part of the Top 100 list, I wouldn't worry too much. I'm sure he is fine and is moving on with his life. He made that clear last week.
Take these lists for what they are worth everyone, which is really nothing at all. Have fun with them, don't take them seriously and most of all don't get into heated arguments with others because of them. It's just not worth it. Just ask Tony Romo.
After last night we are down to the Top 10 players left from 2012. Tony Romo's name has yet to be announced and I highly doubt it will be at this point with players like Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady still waiting for their names to be called. Last season Romo was voted #91 on this same list and #72 the season before that. Is it right that Romo was not included in the Top 100 this year or should he have been included at some point? Looking at the list of quarterbacks so far I would have no issue with removing a few of them so Romo could be added in.
Here is how the quarterback rankings have gone so far:
#81 Colin Kaepernick
#76 Matthew Stafford
#61 Ben Roethisberger
#51 Russell Wilson
#46 Cam Newton
#43 Eli Manning
#23 Andrew Luck
#19 Joe Flacco
#17 Matt Ryan
#15 RGIII
#11 Drew Brees
Being not just a Cowboys fan, but an NFL fan as well, I will say that to put quarterbacks like Cam Newton and Matthew Stafford on the list and not Romo is just wrong. At the same time I don't believe Romo is a Top 10 player in the league either. My though as I looked at the ranked quarterbacks so far is that Romo should be somewhere between 40 and 60 on the list. What hurt Romo in my opinion was that once again he came up short in the biggest game of the season as he threw three interceptions against the Redskins with the division title on the line.
For all those who may be concerned about Tony Romo and how he is handling not being part of the Top 100 list, I wouldn't worry too much. I'm sure he is fine and is moving on with his life. He made that clear last week.
“Until I see one person who’s a Dallas Cowboy who votes on that stuff, I would figure at some point they’d ask me, Jason Witten or DeMarcus Ware to vote,” Romo said. “I think then maybe it’s a vote by the players. But the four people who vote, I just don’t think it matters too much. I know this, I would have a hard time telling you who was great in the AFC last year. You just go by what’s written about and talked about.”
Take these lists for what they are worth everyone, which is really nothing at all. Have fun with them, don't take them seriously and most of all don't get into heated arguments with others because of them. It's just not worth it. Just ask Tony Romo.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
If the Cowboys want to continue moving in the right direction they need to go out and sign Peyton now!
If the Cowboys are going to make any noise this season they need major improvements from their running game. A balanced attack on offense will take the pressure off Tony Romo and the passing game and will keep defenses guessing. But do the Cowboys as they stand today have enough as far as a dependable running game that can can get the job done?
The Cowboys rushing offense in 2012 was ranked 31st in the NFL and they averaged only 79.1 yards a game. DeMarco Murray led the way with 663 yards rushing in 2012, but also missed six games due to injury. There is no doubting that Murray is the Cowboys feature back and can do great things when he is on the field and healthy. But Murray's durability has come into question due to his injuries. In Murray's rookie season in 2011 he rushed for 897 yards, but missed three games with an injury as well. Murray has said he plans on playing all 16 games for the Cowboys in 2013, which is great news, but injuries cannot be controlled.
What exactly do the Cowboys have behind DeMarco Murray? They have Phillip Tanner who has really done nothing in his two seasons with the Cowboys. He has rushed for only 137 yards combined in '11 and '12. There is Lance Dunbar who carried the ball only 21 times for 75 yards in 2012. Let's face it; Tanner and Dunbar don't exactly make opposing defenses fear them. The Cowboys also have rookie Kendial Lawrence on the roster. who may be an improvement over both Tanner and Dunbar even though he is unproven. Gone from the Cowboys is Felix Jones after five seasons. Although that decision made the majority of Cowboys fans happy, let's not forget that Jones rushed for 402 yards and three touchdowns in 2012 to go along with 25 receptions for 262 yards and two touchdowns.
The Cowboys drafted Joseph Randle out of Oklahoma St. in the 5th round of the 2013 draft. Although unproven in the NFL, Randle did rush for 1,417 yards and scored 14 touchdowns for Oklahoma St. in 2012. Back in 2011 he rushed for 1,216 yards and scored 24 touchdowns. If Randle can even produce half of those numbers for the Cowboys in 2013 the running game will be much improved. But Randle is still a rookie and unproven at the next level. Time will tell what the Cowboys have in Randle.
So outside of DeMarco Murray who has flashed what he can do on the field at times along with a history of injuries what do the Cowboys have to offer with their running game?
Well, not much!
What the Cowboys need to do is bring in Peyton Hillis to bolster their rushing attack. With Hillis the Cowboys would get the experience, quickness, toughness, speed and the kind of diverse player that they need. Hillis has been in the league five seasons. He has rushed for 2,470 yards and 21 touchdowns in his career. His biggest season was in 2010 with the Browns when he rushed for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns. Hillis is not a feature back and that is why I think he would work so well with the Cowboys. I understand that Hillis didn't have his best season last year with the Chiefs, but when someone like Jamaal Charles is rushing for over 1,500 yards it's going to take away from the other runners on the team.
Hillis has that fullback mentality that would benefit the Cowboys at the goal line. He also has the quickness to hit the holes when they are there and to make his own holes when they are not there. He has the speed to get to the outside as well. He is an effective blocker and can be an added threat when he gets out into the passing lanes. From what I've seen of Hillis I believe he would be a tremendous asset to the Cowboys offense. The three headed monster of Murray, Hillis and Randle would transform the Cowboys running game into something that they have not had in quite a while.
The Cowboys need to end their experiment with Tanner and Dunbar. They gave it a try and it didn't work out. Now it's time to move on and get the Cowboys running game out of the NFL basement. Peyton Hillis can help the Cowboys now, which is what they need desperately.
The Cowboys rushing offense in 2012 was ranked 31st in the NFL and they averaged only 79.1 yards a game. DeMarco Murray led the way with 663 yards rushing in 2012, but also missed six games due to injury. There is no doubting that Murray is the Cowboys feature back and can do great things when he is on the field and healthy. But Murray's durability has come into question due to his injuries. In Murray's rookie season in 2011 he rushed for 897 yards, but missed three games with an injury as well. Murray has said he plans on playing all 16 games for the Cowboys in 2013, which is great news, but injuries cannot be controlled.
What exactly do the Cowboys have behind DeMarco Murray? They have Phillip Tanner who has really done nothing in his two seasons with the Cowboys. He has rushed for only 137 yards combined in '11 and '12. There is Lance Dunbar who carried the ball only 21 times for 75 yards in 2012. Let's face it; Tanner and Dunbar don't exactly make opposing defenses fear them. The Cowboys also have rookie Kendial Lawrence on the roster. who may be an improvement over both Tanner and Dunbar even though he is unproven. Gone from the Cowboys is Felix Jones after five seasons. Although that decision made the majority of Cowboys fans happy, let's not forget that Jones rushed for 402 yards and three touchdowns in 2012 to go along with 25 receptions for 262 yards and two touchdowns.
The Cowboys drafted Joseph Randle out of Oklahoma St. in the 5th round of the 2013 draft. Although unproven in the NFL, Randle did rush for 1,417 yards and scored 14 touchdowns for Oklahoma St. in 2012. Back in 2011 he rushed for 1,216 yards and scored 24 touchdowns. If Randle can even produce half of those numbers for the Cowboys in 2013 the running game will be much improved. But Randle is still a rookie and unproven at the next level. Time will tell what the Cowboys have in Randle.
So outside of DeMarco Murray who has flashed what he can do on the field at times along with a history of injuries what do the Cowboys have to offer with their running game?
Well, not much!
What the Cowboys need to do is bring in Peyton Hillis to bolster their rushing attack. With Hillis the Cowboys would get the experience, quickness, toughness, speed and the kind of diverse player that they need. Hillis has been in the league five seasons. He has rushed for 2,470 yards and 21 touchdowns in his career. His biggest season was in 2010 with the Browns when he rushed for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns. Hillis is not a feature back and that is why I think he would work so well with the Cowboys. I understand that Hillis didn't have his best season last year with the Chiefs, but when someone like Jamaal Charles is rushing for over 1,500 yards it's going to take away from the other runners on the team.
Hillis has that fullback mentality that would benefit the Cowboys at the goal line. He also has the quickness to hit the holes when they are there and to make his own holes when they are not there. He has the speed to get to the outside as well. He is an effective blocker and can be an added threat when he gets out into the passing lanes. From what I've seen of Hillis I believe he would be a tremendous asset to the Cowboys offense. The three headed monster of Murray, Hillis and Randle would transform the Cowboys running game into something that they have not had in quite a while.
The Cowboys need to end their experiment with Tanner and Dunbar. They gave it a try and it didn't work out. Now it's time to move on and get the Cowboys running game out of the NFL basement. Peyton Hillis can help the Cowboys now, which is what they need desperately.
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