Quote:
Originally Posted by percyhoward
I'd say that's an understatement followed by an overstatement.
For the most part, he is the one who has elevated some average-to-bad teams into the very positions where he "cracks." More than any other player, Romo is responsible for making these games meaningful in the first place. Washington was only a "big spot" because of the previous eight games.
Just like last year in New York (where Romo played well, btw), the last game of the season was only a "big spot" because Romo and the passing game lifted an otherwise bad team to an 8-8 season.
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Do you think he cracked on Sunday night?
One thing about him - yes, he has played well to get them to this position. Romo has been undervalued by the masses from that standpoint. In these win or go home games, he has not played to the same level. I was at the game in NJ last year - he missed Bryant on a deep pattern on the first drive of the game that could have set the tone for the game. It was a relatively routine throw that he overthrew by 3-5 yards.
One other theory about why he doesn't play as well in these spots - with the games leading up to them, there is a "tomorrow" (read: another game to follow). He knows that there will be another game the next week, so the pressure isn't quite the same. In a game like Sunday, the only way tomorrow exists is if you win. He presses as a result, and, IMO, since he isn't as confident in himself as he portrays, he misses throws that he would usually make in his sleep, and forces the issue when it isn't there.
I like Romo as a player. He just cannot bear the burden of carrying the team, and needs the organization to make it a priority to provide him with the support so he isn't carrying the team.
Jimmy Johnson said it best: it's not how many big plays you make, it's how many bad plays you avoid. Romo failed that test on Sunday.