DMN: BLOG: Does Tony Romo throw to his tight ends too often?

[Cbz40]

Does Tony Romo throw to his tight ends too often?

3:35 PM Fri, Mar 20, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon


You might recall that this was a bit of a sore subject after Tony Romo threw a pick six on a pass intended for Jason Witten to seal the come-from-ahead loss to the Steelers.

At the time, I pointed out that Romo probably throws a lot of balls to Witten because the Pro Bowl TE is his most reliable target, not because they're beach buddies and road roomies.

Out of desperation for a blog post this afternoon, I decided to research exactly how often Romo targeted his tight ends.

The answer from last season: According to Stats, Inc., more than any starting quarterbacks other than Kansas City's Tyler Thigpen and Cleveland's Derek Anderson. Not exactly great company, but they all had something in common: tight ends who were elite receivers.

One-third of Romo's 276 completions were caught by tight ends in 2008. He targeted tight ends on 132 of 450 passes (29.6 percent).

Is that too much?

Well, those percentages were down a tick from 2007, when his throws to tight ends accounted for 31.3 percent of his attempts and 33.1 percent of his completions. I don't seem to recall any complaints about Romo's pass distribution while he was shattering franchise records for passing yards and touchdowns in a season.

 

[ddh33]

Every QB loves a great target at TE. Romo has one of the best. I've got no complaints with Witten being his safety valve; it's the way it should be.

If I was faulting Romo, it would have been to say that he was forcing too many balls to one of his receivers last year...

 

[robertwnielsen]

If I was faulting Romo, it would have been to say that he was forcing too many balls to one of his receivers last year...

And that receiver's initials wouldn't happen to be.....oh, I don't know.... T.O., maybe?? :laugh1:

 

[Big Dakota]

Really reaching on the Romo criticism.

 

[5Stars]

I thought Witten took responsibility for that pick six during the Steelers game by runniing the wrong route?

And, how do we know that the designed plays ARE for targeting Witten?

If Witten moves the chains...go to him all day if you need to until the other team can stop it.

 

[CATCH17]

Our offense definetely wasn't WR friendly last year.

But I have no Problem with how we use Witten and I think we should be able to build off of that a lot more.

Im disapointed that Witten can clean up like he does on the underneath routes and we still cant get our receivers the ball.

 

[5Stars]

Our offense definetely wasn't WR friendly last year.

But I have no Problem with how we use Witten and I think we should be able to build off of that a lot more.

Im disapointed that Witten can clean up like he does on the underneath routes and we still cant get our receivers the ball.

They will this season. When you don't have to force feed someone, that means there will be food to go around to the other guys!

 

[Meat-O-Rama]

It doesn;t matter how many times you are targeting them, it matters how often you are completing them. If he has a high success rate going to the TE's, byt all means, go to the TE's. Only an issue if he is forcing it in and missing a high percentage.

 

[Rampage]

They will this season. When you don't have to force feed someone, that means there will be food to go around to the other guys!

I watched the 2nd washington game last night. oh my god that was disgusting. the way Garrett and Romo went out of there way to try to get him the ball was rediculous. let's hope they don't try the same with #11

 

[Clove]

Does Tony Romo throw to his tight ends too often?

3:35 PM Fri, Mar 20, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon


You might recall that this was a bit of a sore subject after Tony Romo threw a pick six on a pass intended for Jason Witten to seal the come-from-ahead loss to the Steelers.

It was his go-to guy, unfortunately, other teams knew this. And if he continues to be predictable, well, their's no hope for this team.

 

[Clove]

They will this season. When you don't have to force feed someone, that means there will be food to go around to the other guys!

They actually have to be opened, something they've struggled at, hey I can throw it to 5 different guys that aren't opened.

 

[5Stars]

I watched the 2nd washington game last night. oh my god that was disgusting. the way Garrett and Romo went out of there way to try to get him the ball was rediculous. let's hope they don't try the same with #11

I'll bet that this whole offense is revamped! You won't see the same things that went on last season.

More running game, more moving the chains with Witten, more TD's in the endzone with #11...the guy might not be the fastest guy on the earth, but he catches almost everything coming his way!

And, the defense is going to be tons better now that Wade is going to handle everything. We saw the defense get better late last season, and it's only going to get better this season.

 

[Mash]

Nobody was twisting Romo's arm to make him throw to TO.....and nobody was twisiting Garretts arm and telling him to call passing plays to only go to TO.

I dont understand those excuses.....Romo made some bad decisions last year....too many IMHO and it had nothing to do about forcing balls to TO....because the same could be said he forced balls to the TE..etc....

those decisions were Romo and Romo alone.......

Its like blaming Garrett that we passed to much because he was trying to please TO.....

These guys are grown men....paid alot of money.....you get paid to win games....not stroke someone's ego.

 

[NeonNinja]

It's ok Judas, go do some play by play or something.

 

[reddyuta]

i think this percentage will go up with tellus in the mix and i have no problem with that-our tight-ends are a matchup nightmare for opposing teams and we should take advantage of that.

 

[Rampage]

It's ok Judas, go do some play by play or something.

 

[BrassCowboy]

Nobody was twisting Romo's arm to make him throw to TO.....and nobody was twisiting Garretts arm and telling him to call passing plays to only go to TO.

I dont understand those excuses.....Romo made some bad decisions last year....too many IMHO and it had nothing to do about forcing balls to TO....because the same could be said he forced balls to the TE..etc....

those decisions were Romo and Romo alone.......

Its like blaming Garrett that we passed to much because he was trying to please TO.....

These guys are grown men....paid alot of money.....you get paid to win games....not stroke someone's ego.

no, just telling Garrett to design more to TO of the passing calls there was..... hell, TO felt the need to address it when he was whining that Witten and Romo were conspiring to hog the passing game.

see above, Are you saying that having a big part of your offensive gameplan crying on the sideline (as he was in plain view for the cameras, proof is in the tape) does not affect who you throw to? To use the ol' worn down argument that these are grown men who are paid to do things right, well those people only live on capital hill

The cancer is gone, now Romo can lead this team and not worrying about one guy like TO throwing a hissy fit to Jerry everytime Romo looks in Witten's direction.

To say that Garrett did not try to make a more TO friendly offense is to be blind to reality. He did, but for reasonable thinking that TO was the playmaker and "we must do whatever it takes to get the playmaker the ball" Well Playmaker, that type of gameplanning takes away from the other 10 guys who play on offense.

Goodbye TO, you have failed every team you have been on and now goodluck there in Buffalo

 

[BigBoy63]

Romo throws to witten cause he knows he can catch. Also every qb loves the big target TE. I mean towrds the end of the season he started throwin to bennett more often also.​

 

[daschoo]

One-third of Romo's 276 completions were caught by tight ends in 2008. He targeted tight ends on 132 of 450 passes (29.6 percent).

Is that too much?

well by those numbers one third of 276 (ie the number of completions to tight ends) is 92 leaving 184 completions elsewhere.
92 completions from 132 attempts to tight ends is 69.7 %
184 completions from the 318 attempts outwith the tight ends is 57.6%

if you're over 10% more successful going to your tight ends than going elsewhere then you're justified looking there more often i'd say.

 

[Alexander]

Romo throws to witten cause he knows he can catch. Also every qb loves the big target TE.​

The QB typically throws the ball to the player who they have the most faith in. He knew where Witten would be most of the time and knew if it was catchable, Jason would get it.

This shouldn't be that surprising. This just in, Witten is our best receiver and has been for years. The fact he plays tight end is irrelevant.