As good as Aikman and Irvin were....

[CaptainMorgan]

Would they have been successful without Emmit or would they have looked like the 2011 Cowboys? Its really a legitimate question. Remember when Emmit held out? How efficient was this offense then?

I was re watching the last game of the 93 season (Giants/Emmit hurt shoulder). It seemed Emmit could get 4 or 5 yards on even a busted play. They would feed him the ball 6 or 7 times in a row at different points during the game. It was a methodical approach to winning but damn was it effective.

That year in the Superbowl. Emmit had a stretch of 11 straight runs and we were only up by 7 early in the game.

I know this is a pass first league these days but looking back at that offense you have to wonder just how good we might be if we had a running game like that. I believe Romo when not asked to throw the ball 47 times a game is every bit as talented and as capable as Aikman. We have receivers that can get it done as well. What we dont have and we desperately need is a running game. I know Im captain obvious.

 

[Galian Beast]

You see good backs RARELY lose yardage, and good backs can generally get you at least 3-4 yards on every down.

 

[ZeroClub]

With his uncanny accuracy, Aikman would have dominated had he played in today's pass happy, pitch and catch league. With or without Emmitt.

 

[CaptainMorgan]

With his uncanny accuracy, Aikman would have dominated had he played in today's pass happy, pitch and catch league. With or without Emmitt.

behind this offensive line?

And he might have put up lofty stats in this era (see Romo) but would the TEAM have been successful?

 

[28 Joker]

They needed Emmitt, and Emmitt Smith was great. However, let's not forget some of these guys:

Eric Williams (All-Pro), Nate Newton (Pro Bowl), Mark Stepnoski (Pro Bowl), Mark Tuinei, Kevin Gogan, and Daryl Johnston

They had one All-Pro and three pro bowl players in their offensive line.

It's the interior of Dallas' offensive line that needs to be upgraded. That is the primary problem right now, especially both guard spots.

The Cowboys have a dynamic, explosive running back, but they don't have Nate Newton or Kevin Gogan or Daryl Johnston or a player like Stepnoski right now.

I have to disagree about Aikman and Romo. Aikman was the vastly superior player.

Romo's poor decisions, in the Lions game, are ultimately all on him. He has the ball in his hands, and he threw three horrendous passes and had pressure in his face on two of them. The Cowboys had a running game against the Lions and were averaging 4.7 YPC (for the game) during the drive where Romo threw his second pick six, a play where Romo held the ball too long and threw into extremely tight coverage (at a critical point in the game; 27-10). Dallas had 113 yards rushing and a 24 point lead in that game.

I completely understand why Garrett didn't put the football in the air on that last drive against the Patriots, even though he probably should have on 2nd and 12. Romo was picked off earlier when he threw the ball with pressure in his face, and it was a bad decision. A QB can't risk the ball like that. He nearly threw another bad pick, with pressure in his face, during that game, too. I know there were at least two of those type of plays in the Patriots game. Garrett didn't completely trust him, imo. I can see why. Romo has thrown 5 picks in the second half of games this year.

Romo drove his own pass attempts up in the Lions game through his own poor decisions. It sure wasn't the lack of a running game. Once he let the Lions back in the game (with Sensabaugh out), the holes in the running game closed.

 

[BAT]

They needed Emmitt, and Emmitt Smith was great. However, let's not forget some of these guys:

Eric Williams (All-Pro), Nate Newton (Pro Bowl), Mark Stepnoski (Pro Bowl), Mark Tuinei, Kevin Gogan, and Daryl Johnston

They had one All-Pro and three pro bowl players in their offensive line.

It's the interior of Dallas' offensive line that needs to be upgraded. That is the primary problem right now, especially both guard spots.

The Cowboys have a dynamic, explosive running back, but they don't have Nate Newton or Kevin Gogan or Daryl Johnston or a player like Stepnoski right now.

I have to disagree about Aikman and Romo. Aikman was the vastly superior player.

Romo's poor decisions, in the Lions game, are ultimately all on him. He has the ball in his hands, and he threw three horrendous passes and had pressure in his face on two of them. The Cowboys had a running game against the Lions and were averaging 4.7 YPC during the drive of Romo's second pick six. Dallas had 113 yards rushing and a 24 point lead.

I completely understand why Garrett didn't put the football in the air on that last drive against the Patriots, even though he probably should have on 2nd and 12. Romo was picked off earlier when he threw the ball with pressure in his face, and it was a bad decision. A QB can't risk the ball like that. He nearly threw another bad pick, with pressure in his face, during that game, too. I know there were at least two of those type of plays in the Patriots game. Garrett didn't completely trust him, imo. I can see why. Romo has thrown 5 picks in the second half of games this year.

Romo drove his own pass attempts up in the Lions game through his own poor decisions. It sure wasn't the lack of a running game. Once he let the Lions back in the game (with Sensabaugh out), the holes in the running game closed.

I loved our 90's OL too, but those guys became all-pro AFTER Emmitt, not before or w/out Emmitt. Again, the same OL did not do much for guys like Richards or Lassic, or even a pro bowler like Warren.

And Romo may not have Aikman's arm strength, but he has something Aikman never had, the ability to stretch plays with his feet and agility. Aikman needed a very good to great OL to make plays, Romo can still make plays with average to below average talent. So I would not say that Aikman is vastly superior to Romo, especially b/c Romo's TD to INT ratio is better than Aikman's.

 

[ZeroClub]

Aikman was vastly superior to Romo. People can pretend, but really, it isn't close.

If Aikman were entering the draft this year, it'd be Andrew Luck all over again.

Aikman's strengths would have been a perfect match for today's game. End of story.

 

[28 Joker]

I loved our 90's OL too, but those guys became all-pro AFTER Emmitt, not before or w/out Emmitt. Again, the same OL did not do much for guys like Richards or Lassic, or even a pro bowler like Warren.

And Romo may not have Aikman's arm strength, but he has something Aikman never had, the ability to stretch plays with his feet and agility. Aikman needed a very good to great OL to make plays, Romo can still make plays with average to below average talent. So I would not say that Aikman is vastly superior to Romo, especially b/c Romo's TD to INT ratio is better than Aikman's.

I'm not taking anything away from Emmitt. He was great. I watched him at Florida and knew he would really help the Cowboys. I revere Smith in extremely high regards, because I know what he meant to the Cowboys.

However, when you are playing with Kyle Kosier, Bill Nagy, Phil Costa (in your interior), and without a true fullback, that is an awful long way from that 93 offensive line. Those 1990s Cowboys lines rank among the best of all time.

Erik Williams would have made the Hall of Fame, and Newton should be there, imo. In fact, Newton and Stepnoski deserve serious Hall of Fame considerations. Newton was twice named All-Pro and made 6 Pro Bowls. Williams was 3 time All-Pro and a 4 time Pro Bowl player. If he doesn't have that car wreck, he's a first ballot Hall of Famer. Ask the late, great Vol Reggie White about Williams.

Mark Stepnoski made 5 straight Pro Bowls and was All-Decade for the 1990s. Two of those Pro Bowls came in Houston. He's another player who deserves serious Hall of Fame consideration.

Not giving those offensive linemen their due credit is a slap in the face, with all due respect.

I agree with you about Romo's athletic ability, but Aikman was one of the most accurate passers ever and had a rocket. Aikman's cool leadership and ability to play his best under pressure is legendary. Aikman was a pocket passer like Manning and Brady. Aikman needed protection just like Manning and Brady do.

From 1992 to 1996, Aikman was the best QB in the NFL, and he led his team to glory. Romo hasn't reached that status. Aikman was the definition of a leader, and he was a player who could go out and carve up a defense in the first half and take the rest of the game off. Aikman's teams played with the lead, because he didn't make mistakes. He simply didn't beat his team like Romo has done in Dallas. Aikman knew how to play all his cards and play them very, very well. Aikman knew when to throw his high cards and when to play it close to the vest. Aikman was the definition of Charlie Sheen's slogan, "winning". Stats don't mean anything, but winning championships sure does.

Aikman went head to head with Steve Young (another Hall of Famer) and beat him 2 out of 3 times and played one of his best games when Dallas lost, with everything on the line. Plus, Aikman beat Young in his own house in 1992 when Young was the MVP of the NFL. Aikman went head to head with a hot Brett Favre and sent him home a loser. Aikman led his teams to Championship Games and won them.

Romo may not have the 1990s Cowboys offensive line, but he has received pass protection that is better than 2-3 this year. Plus, he has an arsenal of young, explosive play makers to get the ball to right now. Romo has simply been an erratic player and always blaming the offensive line or the running game or the running back or the defense or the receivers for his poor play is not fair to the other players and is simply dead wrong, imo.

I like Romo, but the excuses for him are getting old, especially all the finger pointing that is done to defend him for his own poor play.

 

[bbgun]

Aikman was vastly superior to Romo. People can pretend, but really, it isn't close.

If Aikman were entering the draft this year, it'd be Andrew Luck all over again.

Aikman's strengths would have been a perfect match for today's game. End of story.

Yeah, as I review my tapes from the early 1990s, I'm struck by how nimble Troy was, esp on rollouts to the right when he'd throw a bullet on the run. Romo has better lateral mobility and overall escapability, but he doesn't run down-field much.

[youtube]T7nq28930uk[/youtube]

 

[Muhast]

behind this offensive line?

And he might have put up lofty stats in this era (see Romo) but would the TEAM have been successful?

I don't know, Aikman turned the ball over quite a bit. If he had to pass to win the game as much as Romo, I think he wouldn't be remembered in the same light. Just my opinion. ( And that is not my way of saying Romo is better than Troy. I'm simply saying I don't know that Troy would fair much better with our inconsistant OL and no running game, having to pass all game every week)

 

[cowboyeric8]

Yeah, as I review my tapes from the early 1990s, I'm struck by how nimble Troy was, esp on rollouts to the right when he'd throw a bullet on the run. Romo has better lateral mobility and overall escapability, but he doesn't run down-field much.

I wish would wear those jerseys again, rather than the blue throwbacks.

 

[CaptainMorgan]

Romo may not have the 1990s Cowboys offensive line, but he has received pass protection that is better than 2-3 this year. Plus, he has an arsenal of young, explosive play makers to get the ball to right now. Romo has simply been an erratic player and always blaming the offensive line or the running game or the running back or the defense or the receivers for his poor play is not fair to the other players and is simply dead wrong, imo.

I like Romo, but the excuses for him are getting old, especially all the finger pointing that is done to defend him for his own poor play.

why are you making this about Romo? This thread was about a lack of running game.

Who are these explosive you receivers we have that compare in production to Michael Irvin? You mean Dez who knows 1/15th of the playbook and takes a nap in the 2nd half of every game?

Oh you must mean Austin. Good receiver who drops balls at inopportune times. I think Romo actually makes Austin look a lot better than he would look on most teams.

Why do you get to make excuses against Romo and nobody can make excuses for him?

We have a poor offensive line who in Romo's last 6 starts has allowed opposing defenses to break his clavical ending his season and break multiple ribs puncturing his lung. You call that acceptable pass blocking? If Aikman was QB'ing this team he'd be dead by now.

Most of you anti Romo guys dont have to worry, Romo will be in a wheelchair by the end of next season at this rate. Then we can finally move on to the next Anthony Wright.

 

[ZeroClub]

Yeah, as I review my tapes from the early 1990s, I'm struck by how nimble Troy was, esp on rollouts to the right when he'd throw a bullet on the run. Romo has better lateral mobility and overall escapability, but he doesn't run down-field much.

Absolutely. And if Aikman played under today's rules, he'd have received greater protection by the rules and refs. He'd have been in his prime for a longer time and his back wouldn't have given so many problems later on.

Aikman would have been a Hall of Famer in any era, but he'd have been especially devastating today.

Romo is very good, but Aikman was exceptional.

 

[bbgun]

Absolutely. And if Aikman played under today's rules, he'd have received greater protection by the rules and refs. He'd have been in his prime for a longer time and his back wouldn't have given so many problems later on.

Aikman would have been a Hall of Famer in any era, but he'd have been especially devastating today.

Romo is very good, but Aikman was exceptional.

When Romo took over in 2006, it was more or less a ready-made team with plentiful weapons on offense. Conversely, in 1989, the cupboards were totally bare. Tony never had to throw to Derek Shepherd or hand off to Paul Palmer.

 

[bbgun]

I wish would wear those jerseys again, rather than the blue throwbacks.

Those unis in the Detroit game weren't authentic throwbacks, but I agree that the ones we wear on Thanksgiving are really played out.

 

[Wolfpack]

Yeah, as I review my tapes from the early 1990s, I'm struck by how nimble Troy was, esp on rollouts to the right when he'd throw a bullet on the run. Romo has better lateral mobility and overall escapability, but he doesn't run down-field much.

[youtube]T7nq28930uk[/youtube]

Troy had some wheels when he came out, he really did. The physical pounding he took those first 2 years shortened his career alot. That "all pro" line another poster is ranting about, didnt really exist untill the team started to dominate.

 

[2233boys]

Kevin Gogan was a JAG and Nate Newton has no business in the HOF. Just saying, some of those guys including Newton and Tuinie were Cowboys in the 80's. I think as a unit the 90's lines were great, but individually they only had one awesome player/HOF, Larry Allen and he wasn't here In 93.

 

[28 Joker]

Kevin Gogan was a JAG and Nate Newton has no business in the HOF. Just saying, some of those guys including Newton and Tuinie were Cowboys in the 80's. I think as a unit the 90's lines were great, but individually they only had one awesome player/HOF, Larry Allen and he wasn't here In 93.

The All-Pro selections an Pro Bowl selections disagree with you.

Kevin Gogan made the Pro Bowl three times after he left Dallas.

Nate Newton was an athletic, road grader. He was a great offensive guard and played on the best team of the 1990s, a team that won the Super Bowl three times. Newton helped pave the way for Emmitt Smith and protected Troy Aikman.

However, the Hall of Fame really isn't the issue here.

Nate Newton, Mark Stepnoski, and Kevin Gogan are vastly superior to the interior of Nagy/Holland, Costa, and Kosier.

After 5 games, Tyron Smith has been Dallas' best offensive linemen. It really isn't even close. Smith is a legit blue-chip player.

 

[Cowboys&LakersFan]

No, but you could pretty much say for any alltime great who played and benefitted from another alltime great.

 

[Eskimo]

Aikman had better straight line speed than Romo when he first came out but he never had Romo's ability to escape pressure in the pocket. The other thing about Aikman is that while he had a rocket for an arm and was probably the most accurate QB in the game in the intermediate range he always struggled relatively speaking on deep throws and he was never great at improvisation.

It is for these reasons that Aikman would put up vastly inferior results compared to Romo when working with this offense. He would be sacked much more often than Romo, he would be frustrated with WRs who are not exactly in the spot he expects them to be and he would not be able to improvise the big plays that Romo does on a routine basis.

Romo would have been very successful with the 90s team but would not have made the same throws that Aikman made routinely.

Both of them fit the teams they played on better but this current team is better off with Romo than Aikman.

I pray that Jerry and Garrett fix the OL. Then everyone will realize how truly great a player Romo is. I think he could join Brady and Rodgers as tier 1 QBs in this league.