CBS: Dak's mind-boggling rookie season in perspective

[percyhoward]

That's my biggest worry about moving on from Tony this year. That we'll end up making the playoffs, Dak will struggle and we'll end up going home when I really feel like we could compete for a SB this year.

I'm not saying I'm against the move to stay with Dak. Not at all. I get it. However, if the best QB on the team is on the bench, then you're not really giving yourself the best shot at a SB in a year where it seems like we could actually win one.

With the caveat that the 2016 Romo wouldn't necessarily be the 2014 Romo, we have to keep an eye on this...

Passer Rating vs. Top 10 Pass Defenses
2016 Prescott 74.2
Giants (4th) 69.4
Eagles (5th) 79.8
remaining games
vs. Ravens (9th)
@Vikings (3rd)
@Giants (4th)
@Eagles (5th)

2014 Romo 100.5
49ers (4th) 60.8
Texans (5th) 98.0
Seahawks (6th) 110.2
Lions (9th) 114.0
Packers (7th) 143.6

 

[SDCowboy]

The criticism of Dak has been very interesting, last week against Pitt, some Zoners were saying that his passes were off. He ended the game completing 22-32. He only missed on 10 passes, completing 68%. A 68% completion percentage is excellent in this league. For every poor throw, Dak made 2 sensational completions, i.e. his TD pass to Dez or his pin point completions to Witten late in the 4th.

It was the same BS here back in the Romo days. Every incomplete pass equated to some people practically having a meltdown.

 

[Direwolf63]

This is a good article. Many of these plays, Tony hits for huge gains. And it's the reason that many say that if Tony were starting some of our close games (Eagles and Steelers) wouldn't have even been close.

This decision was made in the long term interests of the Cowboys. Dak will be the guy for the next 10, 12, 15 years. Long after Romo has hung it up. We are winning today and the future is now in place.

Those who say Romo would have won the Steeler or Eagles game easily, may be correct, but its short term thinking. They can't think beyond this years playoffs. Choosing Dak shows long term thinking. Thats what this team needs. They have to look beyond the ends of their nose.

 

[SDCowboy]

This decision was made in the long term interests of the Cowboys. Dak will be the guy for the next 10, 12, 15 years. Long after Romo has hung it up. We are winning today and the future is now in place.

Those who say Romo would have won the Steeler or Eagles game easily, may be correct, but its short term thinking. They can't think beyond this years playoffs. Choosing Dak shows long term thinking. Thats what this team needs. They have to look beyond the ends of their nose.

Bingo. At the end of the day, Dak's development, and the next 10+ years of this being his team (hopefully), are far more important than this one year or giving Tony one last feel-good run. Some are seriously missing the forest for the trees if they don't get why it's so important to move on with Dak.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

This doesn't make sense. Inferior players do not make teams better. If Tony was some sort of basket case, I might could understand. But he's not. He's a clear leader.

If you're looking at the two players individually in a vacuum, then you have a point.

When you add the context of the Cowboys current winning ways/streak under Dak in addition to the fact Romo hasn't played football in well over a year or consistently been on the field in the past two seasons (just four games in two years) then you don't stick him in there at the expense bringing things to a halt.

 

[Awakened]

This decision was made in the long term interests of the Cowboys. Dak will be the guy for the next 10, 12, 15 years. Long after Romo has hung it up. We are winning today and the future is now in place.

Those who say Romo would have won the Steeler or Eagles game easily, may be correct, but its short term thinking. They can't think beyond this years playoffs. Choosing Dak shows long term thinking. Thats what this team needs. They have to look beyond the ends of their nose.

I support keeping Dak at QB, but honestly the criteria for who should be our QB should be who could led this team THIS YEAR to SB victory. The future is uncertain. The chance to win a SB this year should be top priority. Though I support keeping Dak at QB, it will be interesting if he falters in the playoffs. If that happens, everyone will always wonder if Romo could have led us to victory.

 

[Direwolf63]

I support keeping Dak at QB, but honestly the criteria for who should be our QB should be who could led this team THIS YEAR to SB victory. The future is uncertain. The chance to win a SB this year should be top priority. Though I support keeping Dak at QB, it will be interesting if he falters in the playoffs. If that happens, everyone will always wonder if Romo could have led us to victory.

If Dak falters, be will learn from it and be that much better next year.
If Romo falters, then what?

I love Romo and what he has done for this franchise. But he himself said that Dak deserves to be the starting QB. if he can accept it, why can't the fans?

 

[Direwolf63]

With the caveat that the 2016 Romo wouldn't necessarily be the 2014 Romo, we have to keep an eye on this...

Passer Rating vs. Top 10 Pass Defenses
2016 Prescott 74.2
Giants (4th) 69.4
Eagles (5th) 79.8
remaining games
vs. Ravens (9th)
@Vikings (3rd)
@Giants (4th)
@Eagles (5th)

2014 Romo 100.5
49ers (4th) 60.8
Texans (5th) 98.0
Seahawks (6th) 110.2
Lions (9th) 114.0
Packers (7th) 143.6

Percy, I love your posts and what you do. But this comparison is totally unfair. Dak is a rookie. Anybody who thinks Dak should be at the 2014 Romo level are totally delusional. Not saying you believe that, but many will take those numbers and conclude that Romo should play.

There is no guarantee Romo wil, ever play to that level again. He has barely played since the Dez catch/non-catch in the playoffs.

Bottoe line: no coach can bench ANY QB who has an 8-1 record and had performed to the level Dak has. I am convined that Jason Garrett would lose the locker room if he changes the QB position after what Dak has done.

 

[Direwolf63]

A d forvthe record, I wanted Carson Wentz before the draft in the worst way. I didn't like the Prescott pick. And I still think Wentz will be an exce,,ent QB and we will have to deal with him for a long time, unfortunately. I wish he wasn't in Philly.

But unlike guys like Risen, I've decided to move on. Dak is the man today, tomorrow, next year and 10 years from now. Even Tony Romo knows this.

 

[percyhoward]

Percy, I love your posts and what you do. But this comparison is totally unfair. Dak is a rookie. Anybody who thinks Dak should be at the 2014 Romo level are totally delusional. Not saying you believe that, but many will take those numbers and conclude that Romo should play.

There is no guarantee Romo wil, ever play to that level again.

Hence the caveat, my friend.

 

[JJHLH1]

Hence the caveat, my friend.

Hey Percy, I was wondering why for your signature graphic you only gave Dak 295 passing yards against Pittsburg? That was his first 300-yard game. He threw for 319.

 

[theogt]

This decision was made in the long term interests of the Cowboys. Dak will be the guy for the next 10, 12, 15 years. Long after Romo has hung it up. We are winning today and the future is now in place.

Those who say Romo would have won the Steeler or Eagles game easily, may be correct, but its short term thinking. They can't think beyond this years playoffs. Choosing Dak shows long term thinking. Thats what this team needs. They have to look beyond the ends of their nose.

The Super Bowl is a short term goal. And I want one. Very, very badly.

 

[Tenkamenin]

It was the same BS here back in the Romo days. Every incomplete pass equated to some people practically having a meltdown.

Exactly, however players like Drew Brees or Eli Manning can throw jump balls in triple coverage and be praised for their accuracy.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Dak's in a tough spot in that he won't get the credit from many Cowboy fans because they feel Daks successful only due to Elliott and/or the offensive line.

And if he has a bad game... "Well Romo wouldn't have had a bad game with Elliott and the offensive line".

 

[Direwolf63]

Dak's in a tough spot in that he won't get the credit from many Cowboy fans because they feel Daks successful only due to Elliott and/or the offensive line.

And if he has a bad game... "Well Romo wouldn't have had a bad game with Elliott and the offensive line".

And for the vast majority of Romos career, he never got the credit he deserved. It was only in 2014 when people started giving Romo the credit he earned throughtout his career. And now that he is on his way out, he's all of a sudden irreplaceable.

And now Dak is getting the same treatment from their "fans".

Pretty sad actually

 

[MichaelWinicki]

And for the vast majority of Romos career, he never got the credit he deserved. It was only in 2014 when people started giving Romo the credit he earned throughtout his career. And now that he is on his way out, he's all of a sudden irreplaceable.

And now Dak is getting the same treatment from their "fans".

Pretty sad actually

Yeah, there has been that also.

The challenge for any starting Dallas QB is that they're held up to the standards of Staubach and Aikman, and if you don't win championships then you're a 2nd class QB (rightly or wrongly).

Danny White suffered a similar fate. For his era Danny White was a terrific passer and when it comes to pure wins & losses, out shadows Tony Romo... And today Danny White is hardly ever referenced by any Cowboy fan except for losing 3 NFC championship games in a row.

 

[slomoxn]

So let me get this right, a rookie is supposed to be as polished as 7-15 year vets and know every nuance and be able to make every throw... does that mean those beat up 7-15 year vets should be able to get away from the blitz or a loose d lineman and not take a sack on 3 out of 5 plays per quarter. I would love to see Romo run this team but recognize that Romo changes the way this offense is run, maybe for the good, maybe for the bad but I'm hoping they don't have to find out. Romo is great but maybe it's time to see if someone with what we hope is the coveted "IT" factor can lead this team from the great Stat Bowl we've seen the past few years to the Super Bowl.

 

[percyhoward]

Hey Percy, I was wondering why for your signature graphic you only gave Dak 295 passing yards against Pittsburg? That was his first 300-yard game. He threw for 319.

Those are team passing yards, so sack yardage is subtracted.

If we get 200/100 against the Ravens, we'll be the first team in history to do it in 10 straight games.