Does Tony Practice this week?

[T-RO]

If you tell Dak he is the QB until we lose that is unfair and stupid

You are parsing things. No coach ever said one loss or one bad game gets Dak benched. I don't think fans are saying that.

You play Dak as long as coaches think he gives the team the best chance to win. If he's playing well and the team is responding well to him... it's a non-issue. If he plays poorly over a stretch of time...and the offense doesn't look good then the question is re-opened.

The exception to this logic is if you need to audition Tony for a game or a half game so another team can make an evaluation on his worthiness for a trade.

Garrett is doing exactly what he should do...and exactly what most any coach would do in this situation.

As for your "suffering comment" ....yeah we really suffered with our all-pro quarterback at the helm. What a hardship to have one of the top quarterbacks!

 

[Nightman]

You are parsing things. No coach ever said one loss or one bad game gets Dak benched. I don't think fans are saying that.

You play Dak as long as coaches think he gives the team the best chance to win. If he's playing well and the team is responding well to him... it's a non-issue. If he plays poorly over a stretch of time...and the offense doesn't look good then the question is re-opened.

The exception to this logic is if you need to audition Tony for a game or a half game so another team can make an evaluation on his worthiness for a trade.

Garrett is doing exactly what he should do...and exactly what most any coach would do in this situation.

Thank you for making a case I can actually respond to

I whole-heartedly disagree that Dak gives us a better chance over a healthy Romo......I have seen everything Tony can do and right now it is better than Dak.....he is the 3rd highest rated Qb in history for a reason.......he has finally got to the Jedi stage of his development and has gotten hurt

The offense was never running better than the end of 2014 and I want to see that with EE....Dak will be fine and will learn some valuable lessons without possibly losing HFA

 

[DFWJC]

My comment was why Dallas did not put him on IR. If they were going to put him on IR they would have done so at the start of the season and the reason they didn't is because no one knew what Dak would be able to do, so leaving the door open for Romo was on the Cowboys minds. Seeing how Dak has played very well there is no need to rush Romo back and it is allowing him to have more time.

Lastly I don't see this team as being divided over this. I think fan base may be divided.... take that back the fan base is clearly divided but not this team

I agree. The team doesn't seem divided at all.

Dak is playing QB well on a team that's winning.
Romo is supporting him on and off the field, all while busting it hard to get his body ready.
If the time comes that they need him or just want to use him, he'll be ready.
Meanwhile...enjoy the ride while it's going well.

 

[Super_Kazuya]

It is leading by sticking your thumb up and seeing which way the wind is blowing

Really leading is making the tough decision and that is going back to Romo

He can do things Dak still can't do and that outweighs the runs Dak can make

JGarrett puts his stamp on the matter instead of hiding behind JJones and his fake medical advise

Agreed, it's a big boy decision that's what makes it tough. It's easy to play it safe and leave yourself clear from criticism by the talking heads. But the talking heads don't care if you win or lose... they just want ratings. Jerry was strong up to a few weeks ago, but now he's getting weak in the knees, likely from seeing headlines like "Only Jerry Jones can derail the Cowboys" plastered on the front of ESPN.com.

 

[Doomsday101]

If Tony is healthy then he is ready......both guys can lead this team but Romo is still better

And that is what they are ensuring, that he is healthy. If the report is accurate Tony will be getting another MRI this week and it could be he will practice. I feel good about both guys and Prescott gives Dallas the luxury or letting Romo have the time to get back into the swing of things. Face it Romo will be under more pressure than ever before when he returns, with many waiting for him to fail. Dak play allows Romo the time to not just get healthy but to get out on the practice field and be able to come back with maybe a little less rust than just going out after this long of a layoff

 

[T-RO]

Thank you for making a case I can actually respond to

I whole-heartedly disagree that Dak gives us a better chance over a healthy Romo......I have seen everything Tony can do and right now it is better than Dak.....he is the 3rd highest rated Qb in history for a reason.......he has finally got to the Jedi stage of his development and has gotten hurt

The offense was never running better than the end of 2014 and I want to see that with EE....Dak will be fine and will learn some valuable lessons without possibly losing HFA

I'd love to see a fully healthy Romo in this offense too. I would be more excited about that than any other development. But Romo won't ever be football-healthy again. Romo has BSA. Back + Shoulder + Age makes him a shadow of his former self athletically.

Ship has sailed.

If he's thrust into a starting role and can deliver I'll be delighted to be wrong about that. I'll always root for Romo...even in another uniform.

 

[Nightman]

I'd love to see a fully healthy Romo in this offense too. I would be more excited about that than any other development. But Romo won't ever be football-healthy again. Back + Shoulder + Age makes him a shadow of his former self athletically.

Ship has sailed.

If he's thrust into a starting role and can deliver I'll be delighted to be wrong about that. I'll always root for Romo...even in another uniform.

The shoulder is healthy as ever....the back injury was a non-displaced fracture.....bones heal in about a month and it has been over 8 weeks...keeping him out of practice is a ruse

 

[T-RO]

The shoulder is healthy as ever....the back injury was a non-displaced fracture.....bones heal in about a month and it has been over 8 weeks...keeping him out of practice is a ruse

The back is not healed...it will NEVER be healed. Forget the specifics of the one injury. The man has pervasive and recurring back problems...and if you haven't noticed... football isn't a friendly sport to 36-year old guys with back issues.

He's had REPEAT back injuries and the guy can't even walk without making me wince to watch.

 

[Nightman]

The back is not healed...it will NEVER be healed. Forget the specifics of the one injury. The man has pervasive and recurring back problems...and if you haven't noticed... football isn't a friendly sport to 36-year old guys with back issues.

He's had REPEAT back injuries and the guy can't even walk without making me wince to watch.

Peyton Manning had neck fusion surgery and played 3 of the best years a QB has ever played

Romo's back is healed....a herniated disc that was operated on is a pain thing.....the other broken tip of the bone is healed and now the hairline fractured bone is healed

 

[T-RO]

There is so much denial about Romo's age and health. Listen to this doctor talk about Romo's back injuries back in 2014:




No your spine is your frikkking spine. It's not just pain management. You can lose feeling, lose strength and be virtually immobilized. Two back surgeries in 2014 alone.

The risk after this surgery is two-fold: tendency for re-herniation and overall spinal stability. Now say that X2

And this was two years ago... Romo has now had 3 more major surgeries (one back) and is 2 years older.

The vast majority of quarterbacks don't play past age 36...or don't play with any success. Inject 3 big multiple injuries into the equation since 2014.

Romo will never be the same...or won't be the same for any sustainable stretch.

 

[dogunwo]

They are at the beginning stages of stretching out Romo's rehab. They will continue until Dak struggles or they lose a game at which time Romo will be declared ready to practice.

If Romo is healthy I don't see him just accepting "he's not ready to practice", just because the teams says so.

 

[THEHEREAFTER]

Agreed, it's a big boy decision that's what makes it tough. It's easy to play it safe and leave yourself clear from criticism by the talking heads. But the talking heads don't care if you win or lose... they just want ratings. Jerry was strong up to a few weeks ago, but now he's getting weak in the knees, likely from seeing headlines like "Only Jerry Jones can derail the Cowboys" plastered on the front of ESPN.com.

The "tough" decision IMO.. is the audacity to play Dak.. and have your 100 M guy sit.

 

[DFWJC]

The shoulder is healthy as ever....the back injury was a non-displaced fracture.....bones heal in about a month and it has been over 8 weeks...keeping him out of practice is a ruse

I agree.
Of the 3 factors listed--recent back injury, collarbone, age. I'd say the wildcard is age.
The L1 back injury is a non-factor by all accounts and for sure the collarbone isn't a factor unless it's ever re-broken.

His arm strength this pre-season was as good as it's been in years. But can it stay strong over several games--or does age affect endurance. I don't know.

The only previous injury that I think will always make him require special training is the old back injury before the 2014 season. Nothing since then though.

I think he can easily play at 2014 form after the rust is knocked off.

But I'm not in the camp to rush him back and I understand why Dak may keep playing.
If both are healthy though, I think the team's ceiling is higher with Romo. jmo
We may not find out.

 

[Super_Kazuya]

The "tough" decision IMO.. is the audacity to play Dak.. and have your 100 M guy sit.

That is a fair point... but we both know that is not the toughest of the two choices. Not even close. But it does illustrate that it is truly a tough choice to make that will be the wrong answe if they don't win it all.

 

[THEHEREAFTER]

If both are healthy though, I think the team's ceiling is higher with Romo. jmo
We may not find out.

We have plenty of data... History suggests that our ceiling under Romo's guidance is the divisional round. Now if you can convince me that Romo is now BETTER and HEALTHIER than he's ever been then we may have a debate.

 

[T-RO]

Damn...go all the way back to August 2014...before his last 3 back surgeries.

Coach Wade Wilson said this:

"It's been OK. I think the deeper the ball goes down the field, it's a little bit more inconsistent," Wilson said Tuesday, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "He's thrown all the intermediates -- the fours and the seven routes and the deep outs -- have been fine. It's just the nine routes and the deep posts. Those things have been a little inconsistent. I think that's all due to his back."

And even before his most recent 3 back surgeries...this quote:

Romo was asked if he's back to feeling like his old self."Well, you're never going to..."

Links:
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000374567/article/tony-romos-back-surgery-affecting-deep-ball

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000371879/article/tony-romo-knows-hell-never-be-back-to-normal

Tony Romo is a miracle. Given his physical limitations 2014 Romo's play was a miracle. At a certain point all athletes run out of miracles.

 

[DFWJC]

We have plenty of data... History suggests that our ceiling under Romo's guidance is the divisional round. Now if you can convince me that Romo is now BETTER and HEALTHIER than he's ever been then we may have a debate.

Probably depends on if you think this team is better than 2014.
I think they very well may be

Also, even in 2014, Romo--lead the entire NFL in regular AND post-season QB rating...was certainly good enough to go further than the divisional round. I would suggest this team with him would have beaten GB by a TD or more. All in the past though.

 

[THEHEREAFTER]

Probably depends on if you think this team is better than 2014.
I think they very well may be

Also, even in 2014, Romo--lead the entire NFL in regular AND post-season QB rating...was certainly good enough to go further than the divisional round. I would suggest this team with him would have beaten GB by a TD or more. All in the past though.

Herein lies the unseen magnetic force that Dak has brought to the team. How much THIS team being better than 2014 can be attributed to the very player you can't wait to replace.

 

[weaver21]

Herein lies the unseen magnetic force that Dak has brought to the team. How much THIS team being better than 2014 can be attributed to the very player you can't wait to replace.

Dak is a part of it, but I'd say the defensive play, especially the secondary, is a bigger reason for why this team is better than the one in 2014.

 

[T-RO]

History suggests that our ceiling under Romo's guidance is the divisional round.

Romo has had a hard ceiling. He sucks at everything but quarterback!

-He was a lousy special teams player in Seattle in 2007
-He couldn't block up front or catch the ball for Patrick Crayton in 2008
-Couldn't GM for the Cowboys to build a decent roster
-Couldn't play defense.
-Couldn't don a referee's uniform and whistle and make a correct call in 2014.
-He wasn't able to play surgeon and fully fix his back
-Nor play God and turn back father time

Now one last chance:
Can Tony go Hollywood and write himself a script...hey one last chance.