DMN Blog: Troy Aikman would take Eli Manning over Tony Romo

[theogt]

His line is bad enough. Didn't we sack him 11 times this year?

I think the stat was we sacked him 7 times in the 2nd game and he'd only been sacked 7 times all season. So apparently they just sucked against us, which is pretty strange as it's usually the opposite.

Of course, in the one game he does feel that kind of pressure (against us) he doesn't perform so hot.

 

[CutMeMick]

I don't know if Eli will prove to be better over the long haul, but you are exactly right about those who want to hypothesize with "what if" scenarios.

And what is often overlooked is that it was the player himself that made the situation what it was.

I mentioned earlier that Dan Marino had to be in a throw, throw, throw offense, after his early success in his career. Obviously Dan Marino was a great thrower of the football, who would deny that? But it was also DAN MARINO who didn't want to share the spotlight if it meant he couldn't throw the ball a ton of times. So Dan Marino is a reason (certainly not the only reason) that Dan Marino didn't play in an offense as balanced as we had in Dallas. Aikman could have certainly put up stats with the best of them, but he wouldn't have played for a 3 time champion either. Jimmy Johnson says to this day that Aikman is the greatest team player he has ever been around. That played a part in Aikman being on 3 Super Bowl Winning teams, along with others who were willing to be selfless and do whatever it took to win. (Darryl Johnston and others)

 

[Monster Heel]

I think the stat was we sacked him 7 times in the 2nd game and he'd only been sacked 7 times all season. So apparently they just sucked against us, which is pretty strange as it's usually the opposite

The Giants are becoming the one team the Cowboys give their best shot to. There's a genuine animosity on both sides so you're not too likely to see either team lay down for the other. I wish this group of Cowboys would play and feel like that towards the Eagles and Commanders. That level of intensity is just not there when they play them. The difference in intensity levels is especially apparently against the Commanders as of late. It doesn't matter how mediocre they are they really take it to the Cowboys, win or loss.

 

[AmishCowboy]

While I agree Eli has progressed as a QB when it comes to understanding you have to protect the football while Romo has somehwat regressed, that offense doesnt go thru Eli, it goes thru the running game. Romo's job is to make plays. Eli's job is just to not screw up.


I'll give Eli props cause even with Plaxico, he didnt have the receivers Romo did when he went on the SB run and still played at a high level, but he's not a great quarterback. That being said, Romo is just living off of potential and what he COULD do. Eli's living off of what he's already done.

Smartest post in this thread.

 

[dmq]

Not an Eli fan, but he has shown improvement every year. Romo seems to be regressing.

 

[Givincer]

I laugh at Troy Aikman then. Just as I laugh at anyone who says they'd take Eli Manning over Tony Romo.

It's an absolute joke. An absolute joke.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

I'd take Eli right now over Romo as well because his team has won a Superbowl...

 

[DallasGirl50]

I think the stat was we sacked him 7 times in the 2nd game and he'd only been sacked 7 times all season. So apparently they just sucked against us, which is pretty strange as it's usually the opposite.

Of course, in the one game he does feel that kind of pressure (against us) he doesn't perform so hot.

I'm thinking they had maybe 2 OL out that game.

 

[McCordsville Cowboy]

I laugh at Troy Aikman then. Just as I laugh at anyone who says they'd take Eli Manning over Tony Romo.

It's an absolute joke. An absolute joke.

What's a joke is that you think Romo's play has warranted your pick over Eli.

Thats an absolute joke. An absolute joke.

 

[DallasGirl50]

I laugh at Troy Aikman then. Just as I laugh at anyone who says they'd take Eli Manning over Tony Romo.

It's an absolute joke. An absolute joke.

Why would anybody take Romo? Troy knows what he's talking about.

What has Romo done exactly that warrants your opinion?

 

[joseephuss]

Not an Eli fan, but he has shown improvement every year. Romo seems to be regressing.

That isn't true. He showed a lot of improvement this season, but before that he actually was regressing.

2005
1 interception every 32.76 passes
75.9 QB rating

2006
1 interception every 29.00 passes
77.0 QB rating

2007
1 interception every 26.45 passes
73.9 QB rating

2008
1 interception every 47.90 passes
86.4 QB rating

Something clicked once the playoffs started last season. The Giants were even lucky to make the playoffs in 2007 in large part to the poor play of Eli in the second half of the season. He had 23 TDS and a league leading 20 interceptions in 2007. He had 10 TDs in the second half of the season with 4 of those in the last game, which the Giants lost to the Pats. That is less than half of his TD production. He threw 11 interceptions in those last 8 games. The Giants started 6-2 in 2007 and finished 4-4.

I don't know what it was, but something happened to make Eli change. Maybe it was the coaching pulling back the reigns and asking Eli to do less once the playoffs started, which has carried on to this season. He averaged 33.5 pass attempts per game from 2005-2007. He averaged only 29.9 pass attempts per games this season.

Eli has improved this year, but he has hardly improved every year he has been in the league.

Romo's interception rate has also improved each season. He just now needs to work on improving those numbers in the biggest of games. Although people seem to forget that he has only thrown one interception(65 pass attempts) in the playoffs and it didn't matter if that pass was intercepted or just fell incomplete. It had to be a TD in order for Dallas to win and no one was open, so he had to pass the ball no matter what.

2006
1 interception every 25.92 passes

2007
1 interception every 27.37 passes

2008
1 interception every 32.14 passes

 

[joseephuss]

I'd take Eli right now over Romo as well because his team has won a Superbowl...

"His team"

That is what it takes, a team. An entire team. Romo needs to improve. I said that before the season and still believe it, but he is not alone. The entire team needs to improve.

 

[saphire1]

so what? troy has his choice on who he wants as his qb. just bec romo is a cowboy doesnt mean he's gonna automatically pick him. do you expect him to pick quincy, chad, back over the other qbs back in the those days just bec they were cowboys qbs?! elway picked ryan over cutler. its really no big deal. nothing to cry home about.

i dunno how their careers will play out, but right now, id also pick eli. with the body of work he's done over roughly the same amount of playing experience as romo's, theres no denying he's the better qb right now. if youre all abt fantasy numbers or sexy plays, then yeah, romo is probably the logical choice. but eli played better when it mattered the most, while romo choked. and thats why he has a super bowl ring and romo doesnt.

 

[Da Hammer]

Cant really argue with Troy as in the end nothing except having that SB ring matters! i will say Eli does exactly what his team asks him to do very well which is keep the defense off-balance keeping the opponent from putting that 8th man in the box too often. Romo obviously has a much more bigger responsibility though so i could certainly understand that argument. Its just about fits really and Eli is a perfect fit right now for that Giants team. Just like i dont think Eli could fit as the Cowboys QB at the same time i dont think Romo would fit as the Giants QB.

 

[chinch]

all the Giants had to do was get rid of the mouth and have the malcontent out of the way.

two mouths... 70% of their offense the prior year (Tiki) left and the other mouth (shockey) was dumped (and didnt' even play last year down the stretch).

yet they won the superbowl & are playing great football this year too.

and a dope ... plax.

too bad jerry is a terrible GM and doesn't know how to build a TEAM & is prefers to coddle his superstars to be his prized trophy & pals.

 

[Vtwin]

An obvious non-issue. Romo hasn't shown much of anything in PS, Eli has!

I always chuckle when people say, "Well, IF he played w/ that OL, then....".

What earthly difference does that make? If Marino played on the Niners,
then he'd have multiple rings. And so on, & so on.

It's a loser's mentality to start throwing up "retroactive hypotheticals", to
defend a POV.
eg: If Samuels makes the int, if Crayton makes that 3rd down
catch, if Tyree doesn't hang on, if if if if...........

Sorry, that's for losers & apologists.
Eli's better- period!:bang3:

So you are saying that the supporting cast around an individual in any team activity does not influence that individual's chance for success?

In other words, you're saying that Eli could put up the same numbers and earn the same number of victories playing in Detroit this year?

When comparing the abilities of two QB's you HAVE to take into account the supporting cast that each has to work with.

Could Dilfer had lead any other team to the SB then the Ravens with that all world defense?

Using your logic you have to say the Dilfer is a better QB then Romo.

You surely can't be saying that! Can you?

 

[Vtwin]

Give it up. You know that Eli is superior to Romo in ever way, not the least of which is LEADERSHIP. When was the last time Romo acted like a leader? Never. Eli, on the other hand, always gets his teammates to play tough. Eli gets pissed whenever he throws an int or the offense goes three and out. Romo, on the other hand, chuckles and says, "Oh well." I'll take Eli.

No, I don't know.

No having access to the locker room I have no way of judging Romo's leadership abilities other then to how he responds to some idiotic "reporter".

Do you have access to the locker room?

 

[Vtwin]

It's a TEAM game so of course Eli was helped by having tremendous play from his teammates but at the same time he stepped up his game...

I remember watching Giants games and the fans there were booing him...he made dumb throws and did all the wrong things. Same as Romo.

Well here is the scenerio now...the Cowboys have improved in defense and offense and Romo hasn't...he's still making the same mistakes this year he made 3 years ago.

Eli stepped up. Romo hasn't. Hopefully he will. It's up to him. His attitude needs adjusting at the same time his football skills do.

The thing is, he really hasn't stepped up his game that much. He is getting GREAT support which makes things much easier on him.

Do you think the Cowboys would have done better with Eli this season?

 

[Givincer]

What's a joke is that you think Romo's play has warranted your pick over Eli.

What is a joke is the only reason people can point to for wanting Eli Manning over Tony Romo is a team accomplishment.

I'd take Eli right now over Romo as well because his team has won a Superbowl...

Like that. It's a silly line of "reasoning" and it, not surprisingly, leads to some silly conclusions. Like this classic conclusion: Trent Dilfer is better than Dan Marino.

Name any other actual individual measure of production or efficiency, and Tony has him beat, and not just by a little bit.

And if you'd like to point out team accomplishments anyway, as evidence that Manning is better than Romo, please keep in mind Tony Romo is 4-1 vs. Eli Manning.

 

[Vtwin]

I don't know what it was, but something happened to make Eli change. Maybe it was the coaching pulling back the reigns and asking Eli to do less once the playoffs started, which has carried on to this season. He averaged 33.5 pass attempts per game from 2005-2007. He averaged only 29.9 pass attempts per games this season.

That is exactly what happened.

It's remarkable how a top quality running game can turn a JAG into a "superstar" at QB.

I live in Giants country and see most of their games. Eli is a decent and improving young QB. He will ultimately be one of the games best ever bus drivers.

Romo has the potential to be much more then that after only his SECOND FULL SEASON as a starting QB.