Peyton already had a proven track record of winning in the postseason, and thus earned the opportunity. Romo hadn't proven squat and thus didn't earn the benefit of the doubt. Sounds like ya'll Romostans just wanted Romo to ride the coattails of the new rookie QB and take all the credit for it.
Setting the usual Romo/Prescott derogatory name calling aside for a moment, it should be noted there is some underlining truth associated with the bold. Undeniably, Prescott did help lead the offense to a great regular season record and postseason appearance.
NFL franchises' opportunities to reach and/or win Super Bowls are fleeting, even when factoring in the previous two decade run of the New England Patriots. There are two commonalities shared by the 50 Super Bowl winning teams and 50 Super Bowl runner-up teams prior to the 2016 postseason.:
1. All 100 teams played each Super Bowl with veteran quarterbacks (100%)
2. None of the 100 teams played each Super Bowl with a rookie quarterback (0%)
An off-note: The distinction does not necessarily carry over to other positions involving rookies playing in the Super Bowl. Take running back for instance. Washington rookie Timmy Smith ran hogwild in Super Bowl XXII. He fell off the map shortly thereafter. Closer to home, Cowboys rookie Tony Dorsett helped crushed (pun intended) the Broncos dreams of winning Super Bowl XII. The Pro Football Hall of Fame was Dorsett's final destination.
Back to postseason quarterbacks and the 2016 postseason. The opportunity to reach and/or win Super Bowl LI were not considered equal for each playoff team (just ask any Patriots fan lol). Yet, like every postseason, the opportunity did exist for every team, including the Cowboys. The opportunity made some observers stop and consider two things:
1. Were the team's chances of reaching or winning Super Bowl LI higher staying with the rookie quarterback over the (while healthy) veteran quarterback? And
2. Were the team's chances of reaching or winning Super Bowl LI higher going with the (while healthy) veteran quarterback over the rookie quarterback?
The decision makers, and the only people in the world who mattered, Jerry Jones and Jason Garrett, remained resolute with their regular season decision and hoped history annals would soon note the Dallas Cowboys as the first American professional football franchise (including the pre-Super Bowl era) to reach and/or win a championship with a rookie quarterback. Many others agreed and endorsed Jones' and Garrett's decision.
Others disagreed with the decision. Their reasoning was varied in disagreement. Certain individuals who disagreed shared the same reasoned opinion. Those particular individuals believed the odds, no matter how slight the margin, was greater with a veteran quarterback behind center than with a rookie quarterback.
While there are those who demonstrate false omnipotent powers of seeing the future, it is uncertain how events would have actually unfolded that postseason. Perhaps Romo would have helped tack on one extra scoring drive to offset Rodgers and the Packers. Maybe Romo could have helped the team win the following week and see the inside of a Super Bowl outside a broadcast booth. Or it is possible (and the possibility
did exist) Romo could have gotten hurt during his first tackle. So many what ifs exists in life and the 2016 playoffs were not an exception to that fact. Who knows?
However, one thing remains true three seasons later. It is a 100-year old fact. It is a non debatable fact with no gray area, having absolutely zero to do with what anyone thinks or believes is true, false or iffy--unlike all the things driving endless conversations here on CowboysZone...
No NFL franchise has reached and/or won a Super Bowl led by a rookie quarterback.
I would bet the same will be the case for the 2019 season, if I were a betting man. I am only thankful Prescott will be a four-year
veteran should the team qualify for the playoffs this season. Logic dictates his and the team's opportunity of competing or winning it all will be
much higher at that time than it was in 2016.