DMN Blog: Is Romo a Franchise Quarterback?

[Angus]

Is Romo really a franchise QB?


Jean-Jacques Taylor writes in his weekly newsletter that the Cowboys could afford to pass on Brady Quinn because they already have a franchise QB.


But Romo, who went from unknown to Pro Bowler in record time, is no sure thing as a franchise quarterback after struggling down the stretch last season. Jacques acknowledges as much.


Time will tell, but you have to be impressed with Romo's 19 touchdowns, 13 interceptions and nearly 3,000 yards passing. He has charisma, athleticism, and he should only get better.

Whether Romo is the long-term answer or not, I like the deal with the Browns. The Cowboys will be in position to draft a franchise QB next season if need be, either with the Browns' pick or by packaging their two first-rounders together to move up.


Brady Quinn is far from a sure thing, too, as anybody who watched Notre Dame in a big game recently can attest.


Posted by Tim MacMahon http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/img/standing/icons/email.gif at 1:29 PM

 

[theogt]

But Romo, who went from unknown to Pro Bowler in record time, is no sure thing as a franchise quarterback after struggling down the stretch last season. Jacques acknowledges as much.http://cowboys.beloblog.com/archives/2007/05/is_romo_really_a_franchise_qb.html

Yeah he really struggled down the stretch.

Final 4 games:
66/119, 930 yards, 6 TDs, 4 INTs
QB rating: 83.7 (would have ranked 4th among starters in the NFC)

Yeah, that's really struggling for a first year starter. Especially when you have a rock solid defense that gives up a mere 30.6 points per game in the final 5 games.

 

[adamknite]

Yeah he really struggled down the stretch.

Final 4 games:
66/119, 930 yards, 6 TDs, 4 INTs
QB rating: 83.7 (would have ranked 4th among starters in the NFC)

Yeah, that's really struggling for a first year starter. Especially when you have a rock solid defense that gives up a mere 30.6 points per game in the final 5 games.

Compared to the outstanding numbers he was putting up before that I guess that is considered struggling. Oh well.

 

[theogt]

Compared to the outstanding numbers he was putting up before that I guess that is considered struggling. Oh well.

Yeah, that's exactly the problem. Tony came in like a god amongst men. It's hard to go from a rockstar to above average. You're still above average, but people think you stink.

But look at when Tony was a rockstar, the defense was playing good football. I dare Tom Brady to put up an 85 QB rating when his defense is giving up 30+ points per game. Tony had to pick the team up and carry it on his back as a 1st year starter. He performed extremely well considering.

 

[Seven]

Yeah, that's exactly the problem. Tony came in like a god amongst men. It's hard to go from a rockstar to above average. You're still above average, but people think you stink.

But look at when Tony was a rockstar, the defense was playing good football. I dare Tom Brady to put up an 85 QB rating when his defense is giving up 30+ points per game. Tony had to pick the team up and carry it on his back as a 1st year starter. He performed extremely well considering.

Struggling doesn't equal stink. WOW on your Romo carrying the team on his back.

In comparison, he did struggle the last portion of the season for whatever reason. Maybe teams finally had some film to critique? Nah.

I'm still not sold on the franchise tag myself. He looked invincible for awhile. Lets see if he overcomes teams coaching against him all season and let's see what Garrett does for him. I'm hoping for the best. I like the guy.

 

[theogt]

Struggling doesn't equal stink. WOW on your Romo carrying the team on his back.

In comparison, he did struggle the last portion of the season for whatever reason. Maybe teams finally had some film to critique? Nah.

I'm still not sold on the franchise tag myself. He looked invincible for awhile. Lets see if he overcomes teams coaching against him all season and let's see what Garrett does for him. I'm hoping for the best. I like the guy.

He didn't struggle. Playing better than 12 of the 16 starting QBs in the NFC is not struggling. The defense collapsed. It wasn't as if he the defense just had some trouble -- they absolutely collapsed. They couldn't stop a drive to save their lives. We were asking Tony to go out and put up more than 30 points in every game. He didn't struggle in that context.

You're saying he didn't perform as well as he did in the 1st half of his play. Yeah, he didn't. For a while he was the #1 rated QB in the league. He was playing better than any QB. But to say his play dropped off from that level doesn't mean he struggled in the sense that we might consider replacing him.

 

[Seven]

He didn't struggle. Playing better than 12 of the 16 starting QBs in the NFC is not struggling. The defense collapsed. It wasn't as if he the defense just had some trouble -- they absolutely collapsed. They couldn't stop a drive to save their lives. We were asking Tony to go out and put up more than 30 points in every game. He didn't struggle in that context.

You're saying he didn't perform as well as he did in the 1st half of his play. Yeah, he didn't. For a while he was the #1 rated QB in the league. He was playing better than any QB. But to say his play dropped off from that level doesn't mean he struggled in the sense that we might consider replacing him.

WHAT!?? Where did that come from? Jeez, Theo.

 

[theogt]

WHAT!?? Where did that come from? Jeez, Theo.

MacMahon's point was that he struggled and that his struggling might indicate he's not the long-term answer.

My point is that any QB that can put up those numbers when the defense performs that poorly is not struggling. He's succeeding.

In comparison the worst defenses in the league gave up 23-25 points per game. In those final 5 games, our defense was giving up 30+ points per game.

 

[Future]

What he did last year doesnt matter. This is the year to determine if he is the franchise QB in dallas or not.

 

[cowboys19]

I agree with theogt.

I don't know why people kept saying he struggled down the stretch. Those #'s he put up down the stretch for a 1st year starter is not bad at all.

He was just godly for the first 5/6 games thats the problem.

 

[WV Cowboy]

Yeah he really struggled down the stretch.

Final 4 games:
66/119, 930 yards, 6 TDs, 4 INTs
QB rating: 83.7 (would have ranked 4th among starters in the NFC)

Yeah, that's really struggling for a first year starter. Especially when you have a rock solid defense that gives up a mere 30.6 points per game in the final 5 games.

Don't use such logic.

If you make too much sense you will lose many of your fellow posters here.

I agree, Romo will be fine.

 

[joseephuss]

Yeah he really struggled down the stretch.

Final 4 games:
66/119, 930 yards, 6 TDs, 4 INTs
QB rating: 83.7 (would have ranked 4th among starters in the NFC)

Yeah, that's really struggling for a first year starter. Especially when you have a rock solid defense that gives up a mere 30.6 points per game in the final 5 games.

The running game was also not working. In the first 12 games Julius and Marion averaged 27.8 rushes per game for 120.4 yards a game and 4.34 ypc. In the final 4 games they averaged 17.3 rushes per gamer for 73.3 yards a game and 4.25 ypc. Those numbers goes even further down if you throw out Jones' 77 yard TD run against the Saints during that stretch. (17 rushes, 54 yards, 3.18 ypc)

 

[TEK2000]

I applaud you theogt!!!! Great stats man!

You made the exact argument that I was going to make. At his best in 2006, Romo was the best QB in the NFL. During the stretch of his "worst" games at the end of the season, Romo was merely a GOOD NFL QB.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

is Canada cold?



hell yeah Romo is a franchise QB!

 

[Juke99]

Yeah he really struggled down the stretch.

Final 4 games:
66/119, 930 yards, 6 TDs, 4 INTs
QB rating: 83.7 (would have ranked 4th among starters in the NFC)

Yeah, that's really struggling for a first year starter. Especially when you have a rock solid defense that gives up a mere 30.6 points per game in the final 5 games.

Well done.

On the nosey.

 

[theogt]

The running game was also not working. In the first 12 games Julius and Marion averaged 27.8 rushes per game for 120.4 yards a game and 4.34 ypc. In the final 4 games they averaged 17.3 rushes per gamer for 73.3 yards a game and 4.25 ypc. Those numbers goes even further down if you throw out Jones' 77 yard TD run against the Saints during that stretch. (17 rushes, 54 yards, 3.18 ypc)

That is called carrying your team on your back. It's what we expected a 1st year starter to do.

 

[burmafrd]

Lets see: Tony Romo had a somewhat porous O line. a diminished running game, and a lousy defense for the last 5 games. That sounds very familiar.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

I agree with JJT!

 

[dboyz]

You and I agree 100% on this theogt.

I really don't know what Romo has to do to make people happy. Throw for 5,000 yards, have a QB rating of 110.

Romo over a significant enough period of time to evaluate had a 95 quarterback rating. In his first significant stint as starting QB. That's pretty good. I don't think Romo's play dropped off much at all. The defense was terrible and he was always playing from behind.

I get the feeling some of the people in here would have been ragging on Aikman in 90-91, wondering if we've blown it by drafting Aikman.

Romo's biggest problem is ball security. If he gets that figured out, he'll be ok.

 

[bbgun]

Speaking of franchise quarterbacks:

http://img178.*************/img178/4091/capt4fbc595baf2c4895af1bj5.jpg