12-4 with Romo?

[ScipioCowboy]

9-7 at best, losing the win and in game.

Man, the Eagles sure are a shambles, aren't they?

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

Im not so sure about 12-4.
If anyone remembers the opening game against the Giants if not for horrible time management/decisions by the Giants we would have lost that game. And when Romo went out against the Eagles we only had 10 points on the board if memory serves correct. In the games he did play we weren't exactly catching the world on fire.

 

[Hardline]

No way of knowing.

 

[big dog cowboy]

12-4 maybe a little optimistic but 10-6 is pretty realistic.

 

[bark]

Probably a stalker from Texas.

9-7 at best, losing the win and in game.

Well Mack brown is free since the university of Philadelphia is in love with college coaches.... And good luck with that roster and cap since your boy wonder blew it up and left town

 

[JoeBoBBY]

I don't see 12-4... not even remotely close. I thought Romo looked horrible in all of our wins. Keep in mind the wins came against REALLY bad teams as well. You are correct about last year being a fluke season though. The team had a ton of chemistry and an almost unstoppable run game.

yeah 12-4 is a stretch definitely. Probably 10 wins. They didnt look like the same team right from the get-go. That first game, I saw those 8-8 teams written all over it. With Romo out, well thats a 4 win team. And thats what we got.

 

[Joe Realist]

Man, the Eagles sure are a shambles, aren't they?

ah, like clockwork

 

[DTown214]

12-4 sound about right

 

[gimmesix]

This team had 8-8 seasons when it had no defense and no running game.

I don't understand why people fail to see that this defense and running game is better than what we had those seasons. The defense is better overall than what we had last year (although last year's was obviously better at getting turnover, which is a difference discussion), while the running game is at least as good as what we had two years ago.

Now again, I don't know how much the absence of Dez would have affected a Romo-led offense, but we have to also realize that the East is worse this year than it was last year. With Romo, we would have been able to sweep the East this year.

 

[gimmesix]

Completely wrong! I've been one of his biggest supporters on this board. Have been for years! Guy has been incredible at times. But many of you arent thinking straight. Romo was 8-8 for 3 yrs with less injured and better all around teams. He hit 12-4 with an optimal year of no injuries and an 1800 yard rusher. We had not even close to the same efficiency this year. You have to remember the Giants blew game 1. Romo played horribly for most of it. He wasn't great in Gsme 2, the Dolphin game or Carolina either. The line was playing worse, we had a collection of parts at RB and WR and we were playing much sloppier, even in his 4 starts. So with all that why is it so wrong to guess 8-8 or 9-7 when we were 8-8 the other years with him throwing for a ton of yards? It's logical. Even guys line Sturm, who study the film have said the same. Not the same team this year.

I do not think those 8-8 teams were less injured. Injuries devastated our defense for a couple of years there, which is why we cut ties with several aging players.

I'm not sure I'd consider those teams more talented either. The offensive line has only been this talented for two years. That old aging defense is gone and the new unit is improved over those teams but still has faults. The running game was at least as good as it was two years ago.

Romo led this team to two victories with this talent before some of it was even on the field and the running back position was settled. He came back off an injury and led them past Miami while working off the rust. That rust showed the next week against a team that was rolling and outsmarted Romo defensively.

 

[KJJ]

He had a horrible game in Carolina---similar to the Eagles Thanksgiving game last season.

Miami, he was rusty....and I remember a couple tips leading to interceptions through the first two games leading to interceptions. I truly don't look at those interception numbers as a sign he was doing too much. I remember Romo taking what the defense gives him without pressing the issue, a lot of check downs and underneath stuff those first two games.

Regardless, we didn't see enough of Romo to know enough about this team. Our defense had problems but they were good enough, our running game was solid....We had the worst QB play in the league, that is why we were so bad.

He clearly pressed against Carolina something I can't recall him doing last season except maybe in the opener against SF. He knew the team was depending on him vs Carolina and he put too much on himself and that usually leads to meltdowns with him. The 2 INT's in the opener were on the receivers but even during the seasons when he's had a lot of INT's some were on the receivers. He had a couple of INT's vs Miami so he was on pace to toss a career high in INT's. I said prior to the season if the Cowboys can't run the ball as efficiently/effectively and have trouble moving the chains on 3rd down with the run it's going to put more on Romo. In the season opener he attempted 45 passes which was more attempts than in any game last season.

That game got put on his shoulders and fortunately he came through on a last ditch drive courtesy of a huge clock management mistake by the Giants. In week 2 Romo was on pace for another 40 attempt game when he was injured. He only had ONE game in 2014 where he attempted 40 passes because the running game was so efficient. He had 10 games during the regular season in 2014 where he never even attempted 30 passes. The big problem with the Cowboys is they have a Tony Romo dependent system. Even last season they got beat up by AZ without him. The Cowboys lost 10 games with 2 veteran QBs this season because they can't adjust to a different QB.

Brandon Weeden has only been with the Texans a few weeks and already helped them win a couple of important games that had playoff implications. It's a terrible feeling knowing that if Romo goes down our season is going with him. This team is going to have to come up with an offensive system that allows them to incorporate a different QB and be successful. They clearly have to get a better running game to help take some pressure off the QB position. Being the worst team in the league on 3rd and one is not going to help any QB. Other teams have been able to stay afloat with their backup QBs but not the Cowboys and I believe it has more to do with the system than the QBs.

 

[KJJ]

I don't know if I'd say we looked that similar to the teams that went 8-8. The defense was better than it had been (even last year) other than the lack of turnovers, which might have changed.

Romo's final numbers were affected by that awful Carolina game where he was rusty/off and the Panthers had a good defensive plan and even his first week back against Miami, where you could tell he wasn't in midseason form. I think his numbers would have looked a lot better if he had been healthy from start to finish, plus McFadden got the running game going enough that Romo wouldn't have had to carry the team, at least not much.

The issues are definitely deeper than QB, but a good QB can cover up a lot of bad. With Romo, running lanes open wider (except on first down when everyone knows we're running the ball) and the defense doesn't get the chance to blow leads as often or at least has Romo to rescue them when they do.

There were a number of similarities between this team and the 8-8 teams. The defense looked better last season because they spent an average of 12-13 fewer plays on the field. It was a fresher defense that wasn't being exposed as much. One of the big problems during the 8-8 seasons was the defense breaking down in the 4th quarter of games and relinquishing leads. It was our inability to make critical 3rd down stops that cost us a number of games during those 8-8 seasons along with coaching mistakes and we saw the same problem this season in the second half/4th quarter. The inefficiency of the offense kept the defense on the field too long and they began wearing down even Garrett said that. Time and time again the defense wasn't able to make critical stops in the 4th quarter and in 2 OT games.

We were having to depend too much on the passing game which is what we were doing during those 8-8 seasons. Romo had a losing record from 2011 to 2013 because we had to depend too much on him. In the season opener vs the Giants the defense was breaking down in the final minutes allowing NY to gash us with the run. It was like rewinding right back to those 8-8 seasons. The Giants moved all the way to the Cowboys one yard line and only a big clock management mistake gave us a last ditch chance and it was Romo who won that game. What we saw in the opener was a good barometer of what we were likely to see most of the season with Romo. The combo of Randle/McFadden averaged under 4.0 a carry in the opener and that put pressure on our passing game facing Romo to throw underneath to the backs which is what we saw from both Weeden and Cassel. It's the damn play not to lose system we have.

You could see then that if we lose Romo we were going to be in huge trouble. One of the games the Cowboys reached OT in vs NO it took a Brandon Weeden comeback with him driving the team the length of the field and hitting Twill with a TD on 4th down with only 7 seconds to play. It was going to be dogfights all season the running game wasn't consistent enough and the defense continues not to be able to make critical stops. Those who think the Cowboys would have gone 12-4 again or better with Romo are DREAMING! You're not going to win 12 games if you're depending on your QB every week and your defense continues not to be able to generate a solid pass rush and you're the worst in the league at forcing turnovers.

 

[percyhoward]

We're 1-11 without Romo. This team without Romo is just as bad, if not worse, than previous teams. If Romo could do no better than 8-8 with those teams, what makes you think he could with this one?

What would have made 2015 with a healthy Romo significantly different from 2014?

 

[percyhoward]

I don't understand why people fail to see that this defense and running game is better than what we had those seasons. The defense is better overall than what we had last year (although last year's was obviously better at getting turnover, which is a difference discussion), while the running game is at least as good as what we had two years ago.

Absolutely. Give this year's defense and running game last year's passing threat and double-digit leads.

 

[wileedog]

Ask yourself in Tony is worth 8 points per game to this team combined offensive and defensive impact.

If you think yes.... Go look at how many 1 score contests we lost.

There is your answer.

Outcome bias.

You have no idea how those games would have played out with Romo starting. Most teams probably would have played us much less conservatively than they did if they knew we could actually score a touchdown or two. That might have led to more turnovers, sure, but potentially also them scoring more points. The secondary was hardly a strength this year, and our safeties were certainly susceptible to the big play at the worst times.

I'm am certainly not saying we would not have won more games with Romo - of course we would have. But to say all of those games would have been 1 score affairs that Romo would overcome is also inaccurate. We have no idea how those games would have gone with Romo in there vs. without him. Its a very different dynamic.

 

[Toruk_Makto]

Outcome bias.

You have no idea how those games would have played out with Romo starting. Most teams probably would have played us much less conservatively than they did if they knew we could actually score a touchdown or two. That might have led to more turnovers, sure, but potentially also them scoring more points. The secondary was hardly a strength this year, and our safeties were certainly susceptible to the big play at the worst times.

I'm am certainly not saying we would not have won more games with Romo - of course we would have. But to say all of those games would have been 1 score affairs that Romo would overcome is also inaccurate. We have no idea how those games would have gone with Romo in there vs. without him. Its a very different dynamic.

"Would have led to more turnovers sure."

Glad we agree.

 

[Pessimist_cowboy]

See above. You are looking at 3-1 and playing plug and play like its 2014

An elite QB is worth about 10 points a game . Add 10 points to all of our losses see what the outcomes would have been .

 

[wileedog]

"Would have led to more turnovers sure."

Glad we agree.

And. More. Points.

 

[rpntex]

Completely wrong! I've been one of his biggest supporters on this board. Have been for years! Guy has been incredible at times. But many of you arent thinking straight. Romo was 8-8 for 3 yrs with less injured and better all around teams. He hit 12-4 with an optimal year of no injuries and an 1800 yard rusher. We had not even close to the same efficiency this year. You have to remember the Giants blew game 1. Romo played horribly for most of it. He wasn't great in Gsme 2, the Dolphin game or Carolina either. The line was playing worse, we had a collection of parts at RB and WR and we were playing much sloppier, even in his 4 starts. So with all that why is it so wrong to guess 8-8 or 9-7 when we were 8-8 the other years with him throwing for a ton of yards? It's logical. Even guys line Sturm, who study the film have said the same. Not the same team this year.

Wait, wut???

Less injured? Let me remind you that the 2013 team had TWENTY-TWO DIFFERENT PLAYERS start at least one game on the defensive line alone, due to injuries. That same team lost each of its starting LBers for five games (Lee and Durant missed six), including two where all three were out.

Better all-around teams is even more laughable. The defensive front seven is much better now than what we had in '11-13. The OL has added Frederick, Martin, and Collins since then.

I said for years that those 8-8 teams - especially the ones in 2011 and 2013, had no business winning more than 5 games. It was an outstanding feat by Romo that kept them from being 5-11.

 

[Miller]

An elite QB is worth about 10 points a game . Add 10 points to all of our losses see what the outcomes would have been .

That's completely made up and bs and flies in the face of our 3 8-8 seasons and the fact that Romos best season was with #29 as a MVP