DMN: Sturm’s email Bag: What was Tony Romo’s Play of the Year?

[jobberone]

Sturm’s email Bag: What was Tony Romo’s Play of the Year?
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Bob Sturm Follow @sportssturm Email sturm1310@me.com
Published: May 25, 2015 9:59 pm
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Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Brandon Mebane (92) and defensive end O’Brien Schofield (93) can’t reach Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) who stepped up from the pocket to look for a receiver in the second half at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Sunday, October 12, 2014. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)

In lieu of this week’s Cowboys mailbag, I have elected to offer a thorough, well researched answer for one email, rather than many short answers for many emails.I had to make a call, but I hope you are ok with the outcome. Here is the email:

Dear Sportssturm,

Given that the catch in Green Bay was recorded in the history books as nothing more than an incomplete pass and a turnover on downs, I was hoping you could look over the near-MVP season of Tony Romo and select his best play of the season. I have my ideas, but I want to see what you came up with if you were asked to produce a single play to demonstrate his quality.

Thanks! Roger

Ok. This is a good one, Roger.I have selected 3 plays from 2014. Of course, he had dozens of great plays in this 2014 season, but many of them were based on him playing an incredibly sound decision-making season. That means, he did not have to do magic tricks and gun slinging on a regular basis. He made his read and made great throws, but did so in a clinical sort of precise way.

But, that doesn’t mean he didn’t have to do crazy things at times. What is particularly amazing is that I thought his 3 best magic tricks were all in an 8-day span back in October. Forgive me if I am missing a good one or two.What is also interesting about these 3 plays in 2 games was that it was at a place in the season where some of us – at least I was chief amongst this group – were closely studying his every move as a sign that his back had healed and he could resume being a functional, upper tier, NFL QB again. At the time, it was certainly unclear as he spent most of September doing very few things that appeared to risk his body. But, then these 3 plays happened and he removed all doubt about his abilities. Let’s review the 3 plays in the order they happened (with what I wrote the week of each of these games) and then we can all vote:
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Candidate #1 - Vs Houston - 3Q – 3:14 – 2/4/43 – Romo to Williams, 43 yards, Touchdown

The Cowboys are in Shotgun 11 personnel, with double WRs to the Right with Williams wide and Bryant in the slot. Witten is tight on the right tackle, with Devin Street out left by himself. Meanwhile, the Texans are starting to get antsy and are showing a blitz look with 6 across the front, but as they normally do, the LBs drop off at the snap into the shallow zones. The Texans are basically only bringing 3, with a 4th coming on a delayed blitz depending on what the Cowboys do at the snap. Romo appeared to have some sort of pump and go to the right, but the play appeared destroyed at the snap. To run a pump and go, Romo needs time, but when JJ Watt blew past Tyron Smith at the snap without Tyron barely getting out of his stance, Watt has a chance to drill a QB who has back issues from the blindside. There is no telling what might be the result of a QB who is looking to his right, trusting his All-Pro left tackle to protect his backside, and waiting for a play to develop. Smith had no help, because he never needs help. But, this time he needed it badly.



What happened next was amazing, and yet, if you have watched every Tony Romo snap of his career, you have seen it no less than a dozen times (just not that often recently). Somehow, Romo felt what was about to hit him from behind. If you watch the replay, you will marvel at how Romo knew JJ Watt was bearing down on him. It must have been something he heard, because it is difficult to say it was anything he saw. Regardless, with Watt having a free run at a QB with a bad back, Romo pulled out his text book, blind-spin back against the grain to his own end zone and then off to the offensive left. Watt who surely was 100% certain he had the sack got both hands on Romo but rolled past when the QB was able to shake him off. Now, Romo had bought just another second as Danieal Manning was bearing down on him from the delayed blitz. Romo lets a throw go deep down the field where Williams is running a deep post pattern against Kendrick Lewis. The throw hits Williams right in the chest as Romo watches from the ground.

Touchdown.



The biggest question out of that play has been whether JJ Watt jumped the snap illegally, or was he simply that fast? I have slowed it down and I think his anticipation is DeMarcus Ware-like. It looks offsides to the naked eye. But, partly with Romo having a snap count that doesn’t vary much and even the silent count on Sunday, I think Watt was guessing and guessed so correctly that Tyron Smith hardly even moves before he is gone. Amazing. The other point is that once Tyron got beat so badly, he sort of checked out of the play as Manning runs right by him to have another free run at Romo. Come on, Tyron. I know you don’t get beat much, but when you do, try to limit the damage!
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http://cowboysblog.***BANNED-URL***/2015/05/email-bag-romos-play-of-the-year.html/

Bob Sturm on the Cowboys defense, a possible second contract for Greg Hardy and more

• Is that former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan dancing at a festival?

• Ranking the Cowboys' 53-man roster: Numbers 30-21

 

[Plankton]

Those were good candidates - no doubt. Romo is a magician when he is feeling right.

I would add for consideration the 4th down completion to Witten in the playoff game against the Lions. Witten ran a great route to get open, but Romo was very patient and made a key throw when the team absolutely needed it.

 

[TommyBoy21]

The go ahead TD pass to Williams against the Lions. Surprised that wasn't even on the list

 

[percyhoward]

I submit that Romo's best play was actually a series of plays in a certain situation: 4th quarter, on the road, trailing by one score or less.

16 of 18 88.9% 169 yd 2 td 0 int 142.8

That includes playoffs, so if Dez's catch doesn't get overturned on review, completions go up to 94.4% and the rating goes up to 150.

 

[Section446]

There were so many of them this year, it's hard to single one out.

 

[Alexander]

There were so many of them this year, it's hard to single one out.

Yes, but the J.J. Watt shimmy play has to stick out more that the others.

Given the stakes and the time in the game, it was his best play ever IMO.

 

[Section446]

Yes, but the J.J. Watt shimmy play has to stick out more that the others.

Given the stakes and the time in the game, it was his best play ever IMO.

That's definitely high on the list.

 

[ufcrules1]

Romo actually does that fake a lot. When he knows the defender is coming from his backside he will take one step forward and then spin. When he takes that step forward it fakes a lot of players and when he spins it is too late for them.

 

[Nova]

It's the Watt play for sure.

The seahawks play is great, but the most impressive equation to that play was Williams.

The Watt play was just insane. You don't shake the best defensive player in the league like that and throw the ball a cool 50+ yards in the air for a TD.

 

[Nova]

Romo actually does that fake a lot. When he knows the defender is coming from his backside he will take one step forward and then spin. When he takes that step forward it fakes a lot of players and when he spins it is too late for them.

Yeah it seems a little predictable too, but I'm guessing it's a lot quicker when you're at field level.

 

[SDCowboy]

For me, it was easily the one in the Texans game.

 

[Sage3030]

Yes, but the J.J. Watt shimmy play has to stick out more that the others.

Given the stakes and the time in the game, it was his best play ever IMO.

Edit: I know it's not a play of this year, it's in response to best play ever

I don't know, great play, but he's done it a ton.

It's tough to beat the bad snap, run backwards for awhile, break free 20+ yards BEHIND your own line of scrimmage and then pick up 4 yards. I knew after that play, we had a magic man on our team.

 

[tyke1doe]

Romo actually does that fake a lot. When he knows the defender is coming from his backside he will take one step forward and then spin. When he takes that step forward it fakes a lot of players and when he spins it is too late for them.

That's a great move when you can master it. Tony Dorsett had one of the most beautiful spin moves ever. Tony's is just as beautiful.

But it helps when defenders rush to the inside shoulder. It's easier to escape a defender rushing to the inside instead of the outside shoulder. And the fact they're coming so fast and so hard, it's difficult to readjust your momentum in time.

I don't think the average fan understands how incredibly amazing that move is because it's all happening at real time, real speed. And Romo has it down to a science.

 

[tyke1doe]

It's the Watt play for sure.

The seahawks play is great, but the most impressive equation to that play was Williams.

The Watt play was just insane. You don't shake the best defensive player in the league like that and throw the ball a cool 50+ yards in the air for a TD.

The interesting thing about that play was that Dez and Street were open too.

But the Seattle 3-20 has my vote. Not only does Romo execute a spin move, he has to avoid Irvin again and then places the ball in the perfect spot on the sideline. He's not throwing to open space like the Watts play. He's throwing to a narrow spot and hoping he hits the receiver in time before he goes out of bounds.

And beating Seattle was more of a statement win for the Cowboys than beating the Texans.

 

[Alexander]

Edit: I know it's not a play of this year, it's in response to best play ever

I don't know, great play, but he's done it a ton.

It's tough to beat the bad snap, run backwards for awhile, break free 20+ yards BEHIND your own line of scrimmage and then pick up 4 yards. I knew after that play, we had a magic man on our team.

That was an amazing play, but it is a lot more to do with creativity out of a busted play than a real football activity to escape a rush from the DMVP and throw a strike downfield like that.

 

[Aven8]

The interesting thing about that play was that Dez and Street were open too.

But the Seattle 3-20 has my vote. Not only does Romo execute a spin move, he has to avoid Irvin again and then places the ball in the perfect spot on the sideline. He's not throwing to open space like the Watts play. He's throwing to a narrow spot and hoping he hits the receiver in time before he goes out of bounds.

And beating Seattle was more of a statement win for the Cowboys than beating the Texans.

I re watched that game the other day and I still think that ball was going to Witten. Williams made the catch of the year coming out of nowhere!

 

[Alexander]

I re watched that game the other day and I still think that ball was going to Witten. Williams made the catch of the year coming out of nowhere!

To me, it does look like he was trying to put the ball out to the sideline where perhaps Witten would have a shot.

Williams just make a great heads up play.

As much as people rag on Williams, I think he is the best of the roster at ad libbing along with Romo to stay open and alive for a pass when things break down. He is far better at that at this stage than he is at running structured plays it seems. Perhaps it has to do with Baylor's no playbook system where there was not a rigid structure. He might just be used to it coming from Briles' system.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

My pick would be Romo's TD to Williams in the Detroit game before the half.



Some of the other plays were either not as important at that time or partially due to the effort of the WR. The offense was stagnant against the Lions which had a great Run Defense, Free was out and Murray was banged up. We just got screwed on the play before where we threw a bubble screen of sorts to Witten for the first down on 3rd and 3 (IIRC) as the refs called a bogus holding call on Williams.

So we desperately need to score and it's 3rd and 13 and Romo hangs back in the pocket and fires a strike to Williams right at the time a Lions defender hits him and Williams takes it to the house. Most of the time, any QB would have trouble with that play because they either couldn't get the throw off or throw it accurately enough. Williams was more or less in the right place and was able to go in for the TD, untouched. Had the throw not been on the money, that would not have been the case.





YR

 

[Sage3030]

That was an amazing play, but it is a lot more to do with creativity out of a busted play than a real football activity to escape a rush from the DMVP and throw a strike downfield like that.

Fair enough.

I think that what Romo did to Watt was creativity on a busted play, myself. By all rights, that play should have been over as soon as Watt flew by Tyron. With the quick read being demolished, the play was busted. But Romo does what he does and creates something out of nothing.

He's a magician out there sometimes. I think we can both completely agree on that lol.

 

[Aven8]

To me, it does look like he was trying to put the ball out to the sideline where perhaps Witten would have a shot.

Williams just make a great heads up play.

As much as people rag on Williams, I think he is the best of the roster at ad libbing along with Romo to stay open and alive for a pass when things break down. He is far better at that at this stage than he is at running structured plays it seems. Perhaps it has to do with Baylor's no playbook system where there was not a rigid structure. He might just be used to it coming from Briles' system.

I agree. I actually like Williams. He comes up big, in big games. While I wish he was a hands catcher, I can't fault him, as Irvin was a body catcher as well at times. He may not be John Taylor as far as #2 WR's go, but he doesn't have to be with the talent we have.