Twitter: Top 5 QB's in Cowboys history according to Brandt, Sham, Laufenberg, etc

gimmesix

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I am fully aware reasons why we lost each playoff game. But one thing I've noticed when these discussions come up is there are 2 lists depending upon the poster. It's either A. Everyone's issues but Romo's or B. Romo's issues. I still haven't found anyone who will simply list ALL of the reasons we lose each game. It seems everyone wants to boil it down to a few key moments (e.g. Crayton drop pass, Murray fumble) or a high level issue (defense sucked or offensive line sucked).

So my guess is that you would like to point out reasons that don't including Romo for why we lost those important games until you're blue in the face. And your reasons wouldn't be invalid. It would just be incomplete.

I don't quite view it that way.

I've recently watched some of our playoff games from the 1970s, and there are things that Staubach did in some of those games (missing open receivers, etc.) that could have cost the team if not for the running game or the defense. (Some of those were pretty poor performances by him.) In games that we lost, there were things that Staubach did that would have been good enough to win if not for defensive failures or mistakes by other players. However, there may also have been a play here or there that contributed to the loss.

The tendency is too put too much blame or credit on the quarterback. Are there things in the playoff games that Romo (or Staubach or name your quarterback) could have done better? Absolutely.

When you lose, every bad play (every stray pass, sack, defensive lapse, etc.) becomes a big deal because it's possible that one of those things going right could have made the difference. When you win, those bad plays don't matter. There are rarely any games, win or lose, where the quarterback is perfect. So if it's a loss, naturally any imperfection is going to be seen as contributing to the loss and for some, is going to be blown out of proportion.

So I guess to answer your question: Yes, since one play could have been the difference between winning and losing in several of our games, then Romo contributed to the losses. However, he also was one of the main reasons those games were close IMO and if other players on the team had played at his level, we would likely have won a Super Bowl title. Again, I cannot prove that but it is what I believe based on observation.

Going back to Staubach as an example. One of his great playoff comebacks was against Minnesota in 1975, part of what earned him the nickname "Captain Comeback." However, if the defense had not held the Vikings to 14 points, the focus would have been on the offensive failures, even by Staubach, instead of that comeback he led. He missed on some plays he should have made, but the defense kept Dallas from paying for it changing how fans view his play in that game.

This is the way of the game. No player is perfect so there's always going to be blame for them to share in a loss. Sometimes a player deserves an inordinate amount of the blame, but often it's the fact that the team couldn't afford to make one mistake that makes one mistake stick out more than it should.
 

maryquality

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I don't quite view it that way.

I've recently watched some of our playoff games from the 1970s, and there are things that Staubach did in some of those games (missing open receivers, etc.) that could have cost the team if not for the running game or the defense. (Some of those were pretty poor performances by him.) In games that we lost, there were things that Staubach did that would have been good enough to win if not for defensive failures or mistakes by other players. However, there may also have been a play here or there that contributed to the loss.

The tendency is too put too much blame or credit on the quarterback. Are there things in the playoff games that Romo (or Staubach or name your quarterback) could have done better? Absolutely.

When you lose, every bad play (every stray pass, sack, defensive lapse, etc.) becomes a big deal because it's possible that one of those things going right could have made the difference. When you win, those bad plays don't matter. There are rarely any games, win or lose, where the quarterback is perfect. So if it's a loss, naturally any imperfection is going to be seen as contributing to the loss and for some, is going to be blown out of proportion.

So I guess to answer your question: Yes, since one play could have been the difference between winning and losing in several of our games, then Romo contributed to the losses. However, he also was one of the main reasons those games were close IMO and if other players on the team had played at his level, we would likely have won a Super Bowl title. Again, I cannot prove that but it is what I believe based on observation.

Going back to Staubach as an example. One of his great playoff comebacks was against Minnesota in 1975, part of what earned him the nickname "Captain Comeback." However, if the defense had not held the Vikings to 14 points, the focus would have been on the offensive failures, even by Staubach, instead of that comeback he led. He missed on some plays he should have made, but the defense kept Dallas from paying for it changing how fans view his play in that game.

This is the way of the game. No player is perfect so there's always going to be blame for them to share in a loss. Sometimes a player deserves an inordinate amount of the blame, but often it's the fact that the team couldn't afford to make one mistake that makes one mistake stick out more than it should.

Great post!! :thumbup:
 

Aviano90

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The tendency is too put too much blame or credit on the quarterback. Are there things in the playoff games that Romo (or Staubach or name your quarterback) could have done better? Absolutely.
I do agree with this. Most people are either too critical or too protective of the QB. It's just a matter of which side one chooses to be on.
 

Aviano90

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Going back to Staubach as an example. One of his great playoff comebacks was against Minnesota in 1975, part of what earned him the nickname "Captain Comeback." However, if the defense had not held the Vikings to 14 points, the focus would have been on the offensive failures, even by Staubach, instead of that comeback he led. He missed on some plays he should have made, but the defense kept Dallas from paying for it changing how fans view his play in that game.

Argree here. Staubach would be killed on this message board for his performance in the SBXIII. Taking bad sacks, turn the ball over, having a bad pass to the wide open Jackie Smith (who still should have caught it), garbage time stats after Steelers opened up the big lead.

Would have been brutal in the game day thread.
 

ABQCOWBOY

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I remember Aikman when the team around him started to erode. It wasn’t pretty.

That's true and I have always kinda thought that the reason for this, at least to some extent, is how good he was when they were world beaters. I mean, they were so damn good, it just didn't matter who you were or what you did. They were gonna beat the breaks off you.

The fall is a long way when you reach such loft heights right?
 

KJJ

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Argree here. Staubach would be killed on this message board for his performance in the SBXIII. Taking bad sacks, turn the ball over, having a bad pass to the wide open Jackie Smith (who still should have caught it), garbage time stats after Steelers opened up the big lead.

Would have been brutal in the game day thread.

Staubach didn’t have a bad performance in that Super Bowl. His 3 TD passes were the most he tossed in any of his four Super Bowl appearances and he had a 100.4 passer rating. His pass to Jackie Smith in the endzone was almost perfect hitting Smith right in the chest. Smith was sliding down which played a part in him dropping the pass.

 

ABQCOWBOY

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How you been Scip? This board could use more of Scipio I think. Right now, they are getting too much ABQ and you know that can't be good right?


:laugh:
 

Super_Kazuya

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6 games with 2 wins........... yep surely that's way better than White that made multiple NFC championship
Such hard hitting analysis... I would love to see your brain explode trying to write a scouting report of a QB. I’m not 100% sure you even know the QB is the guy under center.
 

Aviano90

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Staubach didn’t have a bad performance in that Super Bowl. His 3 TD passes were the most he tossed in any of his four Super Bowl appearances and he had a 100.4 passer rating. His pass to Jackie Smith in the endzone was almost perfect hitting Smith right in the chest. Smith was sliding down which played a part in him dropping the pass.
If he were judged by the same criteria Dak (or even Romo) is judged by, he would get killed on this message board for that game. His pass hit Smith in the chest because Smith had to go down and get the ball. The expectation now is the receiver shouldn't have to make adjustments or it's the QBs fault. See Dak's throw to Cooper in the first possession of the GB game that was tipped for an interception, as an example.

He also had a horrible interception at the end of the first half, so instead of scoring before the half, Pittsburgh ended up scoring and taking the lead.

And 2 of his TDs came late in 4th quarter after Pittsburgh took a big lead. That's what we now refer to as garbage time and that's why his QB rating is higher.
 
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KJJ

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If he were judged by the same criteria Dak is judged by, he would get killed on this message board for that game. His pass hit Smith in the chest because Smith had to go down and get the ball. The expectation now is the receiver shouldn't have to make adjustments or it's the QBs fault. See Dak's throw to Cooper in the first possession of the GB game that was tipped for an interception, as an example.

He also had a horrible interception at the end of the first half, so instead of scoring before the half, Pittsburgh ended up scoring and taking the lead.

And 2 of his TDs came late in 4th quarter after Pittsburgh took a big lead. That's what we now refer to as garbage time and that's why his QB rating is higher.

That was Staubach’s fourth Super Bowl appearance, no way would fans have killed him for that game even with todays criteria. The game was different back then plus he was going up against one of the all-time great defenses the steel curtain. Staubach was never criticized for that throw, all the criticism has been directed at Smith for dropping it. The throw was a tad low and all Smith had to do was adjust and catch it. Right, two of Staubach’s TDs came late in the fourth quarter when the Cowboys needed them most. Those TDs got us within four points. It wasn’t his fault the ceiling fell in late in the fourth quarter due to the phantom PI call on Benny Barns and the fumbled kickoff return by Randy White. Our defense fell apart in that fourth quarter. Were you even around to watch that game?
 

Aviano90

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That was Staubach’s fourth Super Bowl appearance, no way would fans have killed him for that game even with todays criteria. The game was different back then plus he was going up against one of the all-time great defenses the steel curtain. Staubach was never criticized for that throw, all the criticism has been directed at Smith for dropping it. The throw was a tad low and all Smith had to do was adjust and catch it. Right, two of Staubach’s TDs came late in the fourth quarter when the Cowboys needed them most. Those TDs got us within four points. It wasn’t his fault the ceiling fell in late in the fourth quarter due to the phantom PI call on Benny Barns and the fumbled kickoff return by Randy White. Our defense fell apart in that fourth quarter. Were you even around to watch that game?
I watched the game several years ago using the lens Romo haters used when they watched and commented on our games. Staubach would get killed for that game on this message board by these posters using the same critical eye that has been used for Romo and Dak.

The full game is on YouTube. Feel free to watch it. I will repeat again...use the same critical eye that has been used for Romo and Dak and tell me he wouldn't get killed. If not, there is some serious hypocrisy or lying going on.
 

aikemirv

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I actually have no issue with Dak at 5 but i would probably have Romo at 3 and White at 4 possibly switching those 2, White never gets the credit he deserves. The guy i would not have on the list is Merideth, he was a very talented QB but he quit on his team and the Cowboys at a young age because he couldn't take the critisism that came with the position. He walked out on the Cowboys
My thoughts exactly
 

blueblood70

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6 games with 2 wins........... yep surely that's way better than White that made multiple NFC championship
what that shows is Romo with less talent and coaching around him performed at a high level and the team lost.. same with Aikman most years surrounded by what 12 HOF players and a HOF Coach? ROmo was great in my eyes , he passed every eye test from the QB postion so what of you hang all losses or lack of success on him, some of us see through that and its our choice to rank Romo up there with the greats..
 

Diehardblues

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Amazing how we wouldn’t list Morton , the 1st QB to start in a Cowboys SB and 1st QB to start for two different teams in a SB.

This was no doubt simply produced to prop up Prescott.
 

KJJ

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I watched the game several years ago using the lens Romo haters used when they watched and commented on our games. Staubach would get killed for that game on this message board by these posters using the same critical eye that has been used for Romo and Dak.

The full game is on YouTube. Feel free to watch it. I will repeat again...use the same critical eye that has been used for Romo and Dak and tell me he wouldn't get killed. If not, there is some serious hypocrisy or lying going on.

I watched the game live. It’s obvious you didn’t grow up watching Roger Staubach. He didn’t choke in big games and he didn’t choke in that Super Bowl. We never even sniffed a Super Bowl with Romo which is one of the reasons he got killed by fans. He got killed because of untimely turnovers in critical situations that created a stigma he could never overcome. A QB who won two championships for this franchise and played in 4 Super Bowls isn’t going to get killed by this fan base. The last 25 years has frustrated this fan base.
 
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