I hear a lot of people blaming the O-line for the massacre. But after watching the tape, I came away thinking they're still the best O-line in the league and even getting better. I couldn't really fault the linemen for any of the sacks given up except Martin on the one Kerrigan sack.
For as great as Romo has played all season-and I think he's been top 3 in the league-he had a game that might have been even worst than the San Francisco game.
When a QB faces blitzes like that, he has to be willing to throw while getting hit to make a play for the team. Romo wasn't wiling to do that and seemed shell-shocked. How he responds to this will determine the course of this team over the rest of the season and the next few years.
I've made it clear that I think we're only another pressure DE (Greg Hardy?) player, and some more experience for the younger guys, away from truly contending in this 3-4 year window. But that depends on not only how Romo's back holds up but how he responds as well.
Let's jump to the tape. I only have single stills for each play so those with the all-22 would have to watch it to corroborate. I apologize for not knowing how to make gifs.
1st sack:
https://imagizer.*************/v2/898x505q90/661/MHtd8z.jpg
13:12 left to go in 1st quarter; 3rd and 5 to go
A free rusher comes through just as Witten (who was initially in to block) is coming open underneath. If Romo was willing to take the hit while he was throwing that's an easy completion for a 1st down. The post to Dez actually would come open a second later but that would require Romo to buy a little bit more time (maybe step up in the pocket a bit. Of course Mariweather was waiting for the spin move.
Misses TD Williams wide open downfield:
https://imagizer.*************/v2/898x505q90/540/88N2dG.jpg
7:32 left to go in 2nd quarter; 1st and 10 to go
Play action. His first read is Dez (there was an illegal contact downfield called) and then should be Terrence (who put a double move on the safety and is wide open down the field). Romo scrambles to his right and has a wide open line of sight to him yet fails to make his reads. The worst part about this play is Romo immediately knew there was a flag on his first read so even if this is a risky throw, he could still make it to Williams knowing an interception would still be called back. A failed to pull the trigger and was content to run out of bounds.
1 of the 2 bad throws to Witten:
https://imagizer.*************/v2/898x505q90/633/qRSmC6.jpg
6:38 to go in the 1st quarter; 2nd and 8 to go
The route combo btw Witten and Dez puts the safety in a bind. Romo either has Witten in seam or Dez on the 9. He made an errant throw to Witten. But one of these should have been completed as Dez (a later still shows better) beats his man on the 9 too.
The 2nd sack:
https://imagizer.*************/v2/898x505q90/540/sLDQJu.jpg
6:09 left in the 1st quarter; 3rd and 8 to go
This is the play that occurs right after the missed Witten throw. The Commanders rush 7 and leave 4 to cover 4. Beasley adjust his route and his open underneath but Romo's not looking in his direction. That's fine. He's looking in the direction of Dez and doesn't like the relationship with CB as he could make a pick 6. But with an all out blitz that's his only read. What he has to do is but the ball back shoulder to give only the WR the chance to make a play or throw it away. Yet he tries to escape and his sacked. I can understand him making one free blitzer miss but you are not gonna escape in an all out blitz.
Now, other than the sack Martin gave up, there were 2 sacks that I would say were no fault of his. The Commanders rush 8 on the route where he got hurt and no one adjusted their routes; they all had their backs to him. Then on the 1st pass he throws right after he was back, Murray missed the safety blitz pick up and Meriweather was able to force the fumble that we recovered fortunately.
But Romo's decisions in overtime were really what hurt us and where we lost the game. He was terrible! Let's take a look. I thought at the time that he's your QB and you ride with him even if you lose the game. He got us to 6-2. But after reviewing the film and seeing what looks like a shell-shocked QB, I am now second guessing that.
Check down to Murray for no gain:
https://imagizer.*************/v2/898x505q90/674/vmvbOg.jpg
9:29 to go in OT; 2nd down and 2 to go
We just had an 8 yard run on 1st down; play action pass and Parnell successfully rides his man past the QB. Witten is coming open against the LB towards the right sideline. The safety is not in position to make the play as he was back pedaling to help the CB against Dez. Romo has a very clean pocket and decides to check down to Murray instead; he's tackled for no gain.
Now the 3rd down play:
https://imagizer.*************/v2/898x505q90/910/mLQpub.jpg
8:50 to go in OT; 3rd and 3 to go
At this time, we've made even more drastic measures to protect the QB and counter the blitz. Dez runs a hitch and has Murray in front to block for him. He gains the 1st down easily and has only man btw him and the end zone. Romo loos that way but doesn't pull the trigger because this is a predetermined throw to BFF. You can see that the LB doesn't even respect the direction he's looking and he's running towards Witten, who's initially open. By the time Romo pulls off the futile look off and throws to Witten, it's too late as Perry Riley makes it there on time for the break up.
Now 4th down:
https://imagizer.*************/v2/898x505q90/661/XlbXOr.jpg
The Commanders rush 5 and double Dez with the man lined up over Beasley initially peeling off him to help with Dez. This leave Beasley 1 on 1 on the safety and he adjusts and starts to open deep. Romo at this point in the game is so shell shocked that he does a pirouette in the pocket sensing pressure and ends up in the same spot in the pocket with a lane to throw. As you can see, Parnell initially gives ground to a powerful rusher in Kerrigan. Let's look at the next still:
https://imagizer.*************/v2/898x505q90/901/Hif0lc.jpg
As you can tell at this point, Parnell has regained his anchor and shoved Kerrigan far away from the QB. Both Witten and Tyron are holding their blocks firm. But because Romo turned his back on the play he fails to recognize that both Beasley and Williams are wide open downfield. It's not the ideal look you want on 4th down but this is what this blitzing team has given him and you can tell from their game plan that they were gonna blitz him and make him stay in the pocket and throw down the field while staring down the barrel.
He failed to do that on Monday night. Let's see how he responds.
