DMN Blog: Tony Romo: 'Highlight reels don't win championships'

[WoodysGirl]

6:15 PM Mon, Jun 15, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon/Blogger Bio | E-mail | News tips

Some of the Tony Romo's most remarkable highlights have come when he turned a broken play into a big one. Don't expect to see that happen much next season.

Jason Garrett and Co. have preached to Romo the importance of protecting the ball. That goes against the gunslinging nature of a guy who grew up watching Brett Favre, but Romo has accepted that the occasional spectacular play doesn't necessarily translate to team success.

"Highlight reels don't win championships," Romo said. "They don't. The boring plays win championships - checking it down to your back, sliding in the pocket and overthrowing a guy that looked like, 'Oh, he almost threw it to him and could have got a completion,' but it was really a smart, safe spot with the ball, punting the ball from your own 15-yard line instead of giving it to them.

"Those are the things that win championships, and those are the things that we're going to try and do better next season."

Romo has a simple plan for protecting the ball after throwing 14 picks and fumbling 13 times (losing a league-high-tying seven) in 13 games last season. He'll keep two hands on the ball when defenders are around and try to avoid risky throws. He vows to execute the plan by playing it safe when in doubt.

"If it's questionable, you probably hold on to it or you run or you get rid of it out of bounds," Romo said. "For me, the big thing has been when somebody else makes a mistake, you don't compound it with a mistake of your own. I think that sometimes in the past where you run into trouble is when somebody messes up and now you have to make up for something.

"You have to be able to understand that those percentages go way down when the play is in that situation. I've been training real hard this off-season to get to the point where I feel strongly about that."

So, for example, if a shotgun snap sails over Romo's head this season, he probably won't recover it 35 yards behind the line of scrimmage and weave his way for an unbelievable first down. He's much more likely to throw the ball away and live to play another down.

Garrett has drilled into his QB's head that a throwaway is often a good play.

"That's all I look for is to throw it away," Romo said with a grin, "so I can get back and get congratulated by my coaches. I hope that people get covered sometimes out here."

Romo was kidding around about fishing for the coaches' congratulations, but he understands the seriousness of cutting down his turnovers.

 

[slick325]

Good stuff!

 

[casmith07]

Good read, and good to hear he's been working on keeping 2 hands on the ball in pressure situations!

 

[burmafrd]

If he can keep both hands on the ball more often it will cut down on his fumbles. BP always tried to drill into his QBs head that throwing a ball away is quite often a very good play. All too many picks come from a QB trying to force a ball, when he should throw it away or check down.

 

[tomson75]

I'm generally against trying to change the nature of a QB, especially one as tenured as Romo. It's usually counter-productive IMO. He DOES, however need to work on ball security, keeping two hands on the ball, and throwing it away.

...but if they're trying to get him to stay in the pocket until the last second, like you know who, I'm 100% against it. It's just not his style, and he won't be successful at it IMO.

 

[Jenky]

He got better at using his check downs as the season went on.

 

[DallasEast]

Jason Garrett and Co. have preached to Romo the importance of protecting the ball. That goes against the gunslinging nature of a guy who grew up watching Brett Favre, but Romo has accepted that the occasional spectacular play doesn't necessarily translate to team success.

I can't remember the last time someone in the media made the observation that Romo grew up watching Favre. It used to be all the time. When was the last time? Yesterday? Early this morning? Ten minutes ago?

Enough already. Romo's entering his fourth season as the starting quarterback. He's no longer emulating Favre. He has long-since grown into his own style of play. The comparisons should stop.

 

[Big Dakota]

I'm generally against trying to change the nature of a QB, especially one as tenured as Romo. It's usually counter-productive IMO. He DOES, however need to work on ball security, keeping two hands on the ball, and throwing it away.

...but if they're trying to get him to stay in the pocket until the last second, like you know who, I'm 100% against it. It's just not his style, and he won't be successful at it IMO.

I agree, he is who he is and shouldn't change except(adding to the things you've mentioned) getting rid of the ball sooner would help a LOT, and that is a combo of Romo and Red.

 

[BrassCowboy]

I'm generally against trying to change the nature of a QB, especially one as tenured as Romo. It's usually counter-productive IMO. He DOES, however need to work on ball security, keeping two hands on the ball, and throwing it away.

...but if they're trying to get him to stay in the pocket until the last second, like you know who, I'm 100% against it. It's just not his style, and he won't be successful at it IMO.

i agree 100% with what you said. If you change the nature of a QB's game, then you risk losing what made that QB. Yes, he does need to have better control of the ball and he does need to know when to throw it away, but you cannot make a scrambling QB a pocket passer. I thought that is some of what Romo's problem may already be is that they are trying so hard at keeping him in the pocket and making him take the sack rather than squeeze out of the pocket under the slightest of pressure as that is Romo's game.

 

[vlad]

check down to Felix Jones a few times and I think he won't made doing it before too long.

 

[cowboys#1]

hey romo, neither does throwing ints and fumbling the ball.


sorry but he needs to change his attitude from the dont care if i lose to i care if i lose real quick or we are in for another dissapointing season.

 

[Mash]

but I thought by getting rid of Owens solved this problem?

can it be that Romo just needs to make better decisions? Amazing what the coaches saw in films......I guess they think Romo will get happy feet again and start FORCING the ball to R.Williams...but it cant be true....Romo only FORCED the ball to Owens...

 

[Hostile]

I hope he keeps some gunslinger mentality.

 

[bayeslife]

I hope he keeps some gunslinger mentality.

I hope he does too. That Tom Brady stuff bored me. I was so much more alive watching the games when he was all over the place. Much more fun to watch. Selfish, but I don't care!

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Great news. This offseason just gets better and better.

 

[ddh33]

I don't mind the gunslinging. I really don't. I find it enjoyable to watch too.

Now, I thought the most interesting thing about that whole article was Romo talking about someone else blowing a play and him trying to make up for it and ending up compounding the problem...

What few people have talked about is that Romo has had to put a bunch of points on the board to win games. Like a lot of great QBs that have had some trouble, he gets himself into trouble by trying to score every single time. Frankly, he hasn't had a great defense to bail him out...

But understanding the percentages and playing smart football will help this team. I better not hear any whining and complaining about Romo though if the OL are getting blown up and the defense can't hold. Don't blame him for not putting 35 points up per game.

 

[Everlastingxxx]

I am happy he and the coaches realise that the gunslinger mentality won’t win championships. I hope Romo is working on his timing of routes. Like the out routes, i think he is horrible at timing those. The careless turnovers have to stop if the Cowboys are ever to win another playoff game.

 

[poke]

6:15 PM Mon, Jun 15, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon/Blogger Bio | E-mail | News tips

Some of the Tony Romo's most remarkable highlights have come when he turned a broken play into a big one. Don't expect to see that happen much next season....................

Garrett has drilled into his QB's head that a throwaway is often a good play.

"That's all I look for is to throw it away," Romo said with a grin, "so I can get back and get congratulated by my coaches. I hope that people get covered sometimes out here."

Romo was kidding around about fishing for the coaches' congratulations, but he understands the seriousness of cutting down his turnovers.

the highlighted part tells me a lot of what i have been wondering about Romo. Maybe he will get back to Having Fun when he plays. Thats what i liked about him from the start and i think it affects his performance. Hopefully he will get back to having fun out there and it turns into more wins for the Boys.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

Some of the Tony Romo's most remarkable highlights have come when he turned a broken play into a big one. Don't expect to see that happen much next season.

Jason Garrett and Co. have preached to Romo the importance of protecting the ball. That goes against the gunslinging nature of a guy who grew up watching Brett Favre, but Romo has accepted that the occasional spectacular play doesn't necessarily translate to team success.

"Highlight reels don't win championships," Romo said. "They don't. The boring plays win championships - checking it down to your back, sliding in the pocket and overthrowing a guy that looked like, 'Oh, he almost threw it to him and could have got a completion,' but it was really a smart, safe spot with the ball, punting the ball from your own 15-yard line instead of giving it to them.

"Those are the things that win championships, and those are the things that we're going to try and do better next season."

Romo has a simple plan for protecting the ball after throwing 14 picks and fumbling 13 times (losing a league-high-tying seven) in 13 games last season. He'll keep two hands on the ball when defenders are around and try to avoid risky throws. He vows to execute the plan by playing it safe when in doubt.

"If it's questionable, you probably hold on to it or you run or you get rid of it out of bounds," Romo said. "For me, the big thing has been when somebody else makes a mistake, you don't compound it with a mistake of your own. I think that sometimes in the past where you run into trouble is when somebody messes up and now you have to make up for something.

"You have to be able to understand that those percentages go way down when the play is in that situation. I've been training real hard this off-season to get to the point where I feel strongly about that."

So, for example, if a shotgun snap sails over Romo's head this season, he probably won't recover it 35 yards behind the line of scrimmage and weave his way for an unbelievable first down. He's much more likely to throw the ball away and live to play another down.

Garrett has drilled into his QB's head that a throwaway is often a good play.

"That's all I look for is to throw it away," Romo said with a grin, "so I can get back and get congratulated by my coaches. I hope that people get covered sometimes out here."

Romo was kidding around about fishing for the coaches' congratulations, but he understands the seriousness of cutting down his turnovers.

Its amazing. Words are just words and cliche's are just cliche's.

There is no one way of doing anything - no blankets statements/comments.

Highlight reels don't win championships? - worked for Elway in SB. Worked for Eli in SB. etc.. etc..

Anyway, Romo should take the play that is there. That can mean anything. He is good at making the big play when it breaks down - does that mean he has to do it every play of every game? NO. Just be smart.

 

[birdwells1]

Great attitude hopes he keeps it up.