Dallas Cowboys Quarterbacks through 61 starts

[TonyRomo09]

Now I am a big Romo Fan... but if you had told me that Aikman had more INTs through his first 61 starts, I would have laughed at you...

This is from the Dallas Cowboys media guide.

 

[jblaze2004]

stop with the facts.

 

[Apollo Creed]

And look at his supporting cast.

Most of those guys were surrounded by hall of famers. Sure we've got Witten and Ware but the guy hasn't exactly been in the best environment for a quarterback.

Edit: And your sig still cracks me up, that was almost a year to the day from now. Twas a sign of things to come.

 

[perrykemp]

Romo is great, however, the modern NFL is so slanted towards the passing game... as measured by QB ranking Aaron Rogers is the top rated passer in NFL History, I believe Rivers is Top 3 and Romo is top 5 or 6.

Are Rogers, Rivers, Romo <really> that much better than all the greats that came before them (Starr, Favre, Fouts, Staubach, Aikan, etc) or is more a measure of how rule changes have increased passing in the league?

Ever since I watched the Packers - Saints games on Thursday something hasn't been sitting well with me.... the Packers in all their 4 an 5 WRs sets felt like an Arena League team and the Saints weren't much better. It's getting to the point when there is a 20 or 30 yard pass and it's almost a "no biggie" moment.

The game isn't the way I remember it.... I know I sound like an oldtimer, but these pinball score style passing attacks everyone is trotting out doesn't feel like football to me anymore -- it's almost like 7 on 7 passing drills...

 

[Bluefin]

Now I am a big Romo Fan... but if you had told me that Aikman had more INTs through his first 61 starts, I would have laughed at you...

Troy Aikman actually had double digit interception totals in 9 of his 12 seasons.

That's pretty hard to believe at first glance, but Aik began and ended his career on really bad teams.

 

[Switz]

wow did danny white toss a lot of ints

 

[CowboyManDan]

Romo is great, however, the modern NFL is so slanted towards the passing game... as measured by QB ranking Aaron Rogers is the top rated passer in NFL History, I believe Rivers is Top 3 and Romo is top 5 or 6.

Are Rogers, Rivers, Romo <really> that much better than all the greats that came before them (Starr, Favre, Fouts, Staubach, Aikan, etc) or is more a measure of how rule changes have increased passing in the league?

Ever since I watched the Packers - Saints games on Thursday something hasn't been sitting well with me.... the Packers in all their 4 an 5 WRs sets felt like an Arena League team and the Saints weren't much better. It's getting to the point when there is a 20 or 30 yard pass and it's almost a "no biggie" moment.

The game isn't the way I remember it.... I know I sound like an oldtimer, but these pinball score style passing attacks everyone is trotting out doesn't feel like football to me anymore -- it's almost like 7 on 7 passing drills...

You don't sound like an oldtimer to me...I'm with you. Well, unless I'm just an old timer too.

I felt the same way from Thursday's game...it was like Arena League in the 1st half I saw. The rules over the years have been tweaked towards the offense to help put more points on the board. So the game is a little different now. Still great. But different.

 

[BrassCowboy]

Romo is great, however, the modern NFL is so slanted towards the passing game... as measured by QB ranking Aaron Rogers is the top rated passer in NFL History, I believe Rivers is Top 3 and Romo is top 5 or 6.

Are Rogers, Rivers, Romo <really> that much better than all the greats that came before them (Starr, Favre, Fouts, Staubach, Aikan, etc) or is more a measure of how rule changes have increased passing in the league?

Ever since I watched the Packers - Saints games on Thursday something hasn't been sitting well with me.... the Packers in all their 4 an 5 WRs sets felt like an Arena League team and the Saints weren't much better. It's getting to the point when there is a 20 or 30 yard pass and it's almost a "no biggie" moment.

The game isn't the way I remember it.... I know I sound like an oldtimer, but these pinball score style passing attacks everyone is trotting out doesn't feel like football to me anymore -- it's almost like 7 on 7 passing drills...

I have to agree with you on it is feeling like watered-down football of years past. All these rules to make it easier for WRs to catch the ball, rules on tackles/blocks making tag team football look like a man's sport compared to the NFL these days, and reckless theft of all the joy of scoring in the NFL is just disheartening to what we called football of years ago.

I miss the more balanced attacks and defense oriented games. it was that way because those were important too, not hampered by rules that just make the best throwing team the winners.

 

[Bluefin]

The rules over the years have been tweaked towards the offense to help put more points on the board. So the game is a little different now. Still great. But different.

If anyone remembers Vince McMahon's failed XFL experiment, they started out allowing corners to jam wideouts until the ball was thrown like in college and the offenses struggled too badly.

They had to change to the five yard bump rule like the NFL after a few weeks.

We wouldn't even recognize the game if the NFL actually let defenses play.

I enjoy watching a nice defensive struggle where points are at a premium just as much as an action packed offensive shootout, but channel surfers only like the latter and that's who the NFL is chasing.

 

[jswalker1981]

What stands out to me is completion percentage. Romo at 64% with more pass attempts than Aikman with his 61%. Aikman is so well known for his accuracy, this shows that Romo ain't too bad at hitting his targets either.

 

[CowboyStar88]

Great article on Romo in the new zone

 

[JonJon]

He has the stats to be among the elite for sure. His biggest knock against him however is his performance late in the season and in playoff games. That's the only thing keeping him from being recognized as elite by some observers. I think this year is the year he removes all doubt and cements his legacy.

 

[JonJon]

What stands out to me is completion percentage. Romo at 64% with more pass attempts than Aikman with his 61%. Aikman is so well known for his accuracy, this shows that Romo ain't too bad at hitting his targets either.

If it wasn't for Roy Williams, it would probably be 80%.

J/K, had to throw that in there...

 

[The Emperor]

The game isn't the way I remember it.... I know I sound like an oldtimer, but these pinball score style passing attacks everyone is trotting out doesn't feel like football to me anymore -- it's almost like 7 on 7 passing drills...

What you are saying is quasi-rubbish because it's been our blocking that has killed us in the postseason. In fact, it was the Giants' pass rush that smashed the Cheatriots in the Super Bowl.

Yeah, it may be slanted towards passing these days. But that means it's more incumbent on the big uglies upfront to do their job more than it ever has been. And ours haven't.

 

[Bluefin]

Yeah, it may be slanted towards passing these days. But that means it's more incumbent on the big uglies upfront to do their job more than it ever has been. And ours haven't.

Rafael Vela has a new post up on OL play.

Good read.

 

[DWhite Fan]

wow did danny white toss a lot of ints

Danny White tossed alot of TDs (99) too in case you did not bother to look which I am sure you didn't

 

[silverbear]

He has the stats to be among the elite for sure. His biggest knock against him however is his performance late in the season and in playoff games. That's the only thing keeping him from being recognized as elite by some observers.

The thing is, for once I think the haters have a point... if Romo does not have some success in the playoffs before his career ends, then he'll be considered a second level QB... mind you, in terms of all-time QBs, second-level ain't bad...

I think this year is the year he removes all doubt and cements his legacy.

If the line gels pretty quick, I can see that happening...

 

[starfrombirth]

Now I am a big Romo Fan... but if you had told me that Aikman had more INTs through his first 61 starts, I would have laughed at you...

This is from the Dallas Cowboys media guide.

That's some good stuff right there... Just proves Romo isn't elite .. i mean he is number five in all relevant stats except superbowls... he just sucks doesn't he

 

[burmafrd]

Troy's first two years were on pretty bad teams. Tony's teams were playoff contenders. So really it is different. But what is truly different is how the rules and game has been changed to make passing virtually all there is.

I am old enough to remember well the early 70's. The difference now and then is incredible; the first real changes started in 78, and have kept coming.

I agree that it is just about like 7 on 7 passing drills compared to back then.

The NBA went for rules to make it all about scoring and sadly the NFL is on the same road.

 

[LeonDixson]

Rafael Vela has a new post up on OL play.

Good read.

That's a very good article but it is geared towards run blocking. He teased with the notion that K. C. Joyner's metrics could be used to evaluate the Smith/Sanders debate, but he never got around to applying them.