Here you go guys... (BTW, anyone that needs insider stuff, feel free to ask me, I'll send you the article.)
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Ten years from now Romo will be seen as Favre is seen today
By Gary Horton
(
Archive)
Updated: November 28, 2007
Tony Romo patterns his game after
Brett Favre, the Green Bay legend who at the age of 38 is playing as well as he did in his 20s. Let's take a look and compare these two signal callers with one twist: We will analyze Romo as he is today compared to the Favre of 10 years ago.
Leon Halip/US Presswire
Brett Favre has a QB rating of 101.5 this season and that is the best of his career.
Arm strength
Favre is legendary for his ability to throw the deep ball. He can do it as well as anyone ever has, but his arm strength is truly showcased when he puts zip and outstanding velocity on the football to complete a simple slant route into a tight window. Favre puts great air under the ball and he can easily throw it 55-plus yards. He leads the NFL with 13 passes over 40 yards in 2007 and he was the same guy 10 years ago, but a lot of his interceptions early in his career came off the deep ball when he just put it up for grabs.
Romo throws a good deep ball with good air underneath it, and his velocity and zip into tight spots are solid for a young guy, but he doesn't have the gun that Favre has. However, he has improved his delivery with a more over-the-top style, which seems to have increased his velocity.
Accuracy
Early in his career, Favre was a little careless with his throws and he would force the ball into coverage because he had so much faith in his ability. He would simply try to find his wide receiver, Sterling Sharpe, partly because he didn't know coverages well or how to read defenses. If Sharpe wasn't open, bad things happened. However, Sharpe was usually open and his pass-catching ability made Favre's accuracy look better.
Romo also has his go-to guy,
Terrell Owens, and he has so much confidence in TO that he will put the ball into a tight spot when it ordinarily would not be wise. He has also really improved his accuracy on the run and he is adept at throwing the ball with precision moving to his left and right.
Mobility
Neither guy looks to run, but both have the feet and athletic ability to extend the play. Romo and Favre really trust their arm over their feet and they have a built-in mechanism to feel pressure and move around the pocket. Romo will make plays outside the pocket and he loves to throw on the run with rollouts and bootlegs. And his accuracy outside the pocket is better than you would think.
In his early years, Favre threw a lot on the run, but his accuracy was not always top notch and he did not always play in control. However he has always had an uncanny ability to move around, slide and avoid the big hit, which gives his receivers more time to separate. Neither Romo nor Favre are easy targets for defenders and their ability to extend the play breaks down defenses and leads to some big plays.
Decision-making
This is a little bit of an up-and-down area for both guys. They can look totally efficient at one minute and the next minute they can make a throw that will baffle you. The young Favre was so confident in his arm strength and ability to get the ball into tight spots that he would force the ball into coverage, and he didn't always get away with it. He did not always read his progressions and he was the ultimate gunslinger. If he saw an opening, he went after it.
Romo doesn't force the ball as much, but he doesn't always make consistent reads and at times it looks like his lack of experience affects his ability to make adjustments to something he hasn't seen before. It is important to remember that Romo has had two head coaches who are defense-oriented -- Bill Parcells and Wade Phillips -- and preached ball security. This has probably deterred Romo from having a gunslinger mentality, which is probably a good thing.
Creativity/Vision
Are there any other QBs in the NFL who can turn a bad play into a good play as well these two? At times it looks like they are drawing up plays in the dirt during a game and both of these guys sense pressure even when they don't see it. Plus, their feet in the pocket are terrific and both are capable of tucking the ball and running, if forced to. However, Romo is better out of the pocket today than Favre, but 10 years ago, Favre was a threat to run and make a big play every time he left the pocket.
These guys will throw shovel passes under duress, and even when they face pressure they continue to read defenses and look at other options after their first read. And both are adept at getting rid of the ball at the last second when defenders attack them. Overall, Romo makes more flashy scrambling plays than Favre, but both know how to make something out of nothing.
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Rich Kane/US Presswire
Tony Romo, like Brett Favre, has an uncanny ability to make plays under duress.
Leadership
Favre is the face of the Packers. Romo is starting to develop into the unquestioned leader of the Cowboys, but he is not quite there. Both are energetic guys with a youthful love for the game. Their enthusiasm rubs off on their teammates and in the huddle.
Favre's teammates marvel at how he is just a "jeans and T-shirt" guy and that he is not a "Hollywood" guy. The challenge for Romo is to not get caught up in all the hype about being a celebrity -- if he can remain grounded, his leadership will grow with age. Both have strong personalities, and while they would like to revert back to their gunslinger style at times, they are coachable, team guys who are comfortable in their leadership roles.
Conclusion
The comparison between Romo from 2007 and the Favre of the '90s is eerily similar. They both have good arm strength, great athleticism, an uncanny ability to make plays under duress, ability to lead a team and are well-grounded based on their backgrounds. However, the major difference between these two superstars has been in their maturation process as quarterbacks. Favre was, more or less, thrown into the fire under a very offense-minded coach in Mike Holmgren, who allowed him to have a gunslinger mentality. As a result, Favre had to break some of his bad habits as he got older.
Romo was held back until he was ready for stardom under defense-minded Parcells. Because of this, Romo became more disciplined and was not allowed to be a gunslinger, like Favre. Romo was also taught the importance of ball security and to not be careless with his throws. Parcells actually put Romo ahead of the game with his discipline. And, barring any injuries or Romo becoming too "Hollywood," 10 years from now it would not surprise me if people look at Romo as we look at Favre today.
Gary Horton, a pro scout for Scouts Inc., has been a football talent evaluator for more than 30 years. He spent 10 years in the NFL and 10 years at the college level before launching a private scouting firm called "The War Room."
