ESPN: Play of the Day: Tony Romo's throw

[SDCowboy]

Play of the Day: Tony Romo's throw

August, 3, 2010 Aug 3
7:41
PM CT



By Tim MacMahon


SAN ANTONIO – The back-shoulder throw on a fade route in the end zone is one of the most beautiful plays in football.

It was also a focus of Tony Romo’s offseason work, which made his strike to Roy Williams during red-zone drills Tuesday morning especially significant.

Romo recognizes the need to be more efficient in the red zone after ranking near the bottom of the league’s starting quarterback in red-zone passer rating last season. He realizes that the size of his wide receivers should give the Cowboys an advantage in the tighter space constraints inside the 20, which should make the back-shoulder throw a big weapon.

“If you watch film and tape over the years, you get a sense for what we could do, or what’s hurt us, or what are we not doing really well,” Romo said. “What coverages or what type of defenses give us the most trouble, I guess you would say. … But that back-shoulder throw can hurt a lot of defenses. They want to come after you. They want to get up in your face.”

But that back-shoulder throw isn’t easy to execute. It requires the quarterback and receiver to simultaneously make the same read to break off a route designed to be a jump ball in the back corner of the end zone.

Romo and Williams pulled it off perfectly against Pro Bowl cornerback Mike Jenkins. With a refreshed right arm, Romo fired a laser beam behind Williams. With hands apparently no longer ailing from a drastic case of the dropsies, Williams caught the ball cleanly after adjusting at the last split-second. Jenkins, who was playing press coverage, didn’t see the ball until it was in Williams’ mitts.

That play is a work in progress. It was incomplete when Romo and Williams tried it again during the afternoon practice.

But if they can beat Jenkins with it, the rest of the corners on the Cowboys’ schedule better beware of the back-shoulder throw.

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This looks to be one of the main top secret things Romo has been working on.

 

[windjc]

Why not add a code in the snap count like "13" among all the other jabber that Romo yells out behind center. Pick a new # every game.

Then you wouldn't have to worry about being on " the same page".

 

[percyhoward]

It's good to see them working on the short-yardage and red zone plays that were the big weakness--really the only weakness--of the offense last year.

 

[adbutcher]

Cool article. Williams is quietly having a good camp. I can't wait to see it in a game.

 

[ScipioCowboy]

Why not add a code in the snap count like "13" among all the other jabber that Romo yells out behind center. Pick a new # every game.

Then you wouldn't have to worry about being on " the same page".

It's also an issue of timing.

 

[theogt]

One thing I noticed at camp was that there were a lot of corner routes and fades. I'm glad to see Tony's working on that. Not sure why he's been so terrible at making those throws.

 

[CATCH17]

One thing I noticed at camp was that there were a lot of corner routes and fades. I'm glad to see Tony's working on that. Not sure why he's been so terrible at making those throws.

How were the fades looking and who was he throwing to the most on those?

 

[TonyS]

Why not add a code in the snap count like "13" among all the other jabber that Romo yells out behind center. Pick a new # every game.

Then you wouldn't have to worry about being on " the same page".

I think the idea is to see what coverage the DB gives you as the play happens. If the WR can beat the DB, the deeper throw is easier to execute.

If the DB has tight coverage to the rear of the endzone, then QB and WR see that and do the back shoulder doohickie (technical termed used only by me and K.C. Joyner).

 

[theogt]

How were the fades looking and who was he throwing to the most on those?

He still needs to work on it. I think he puts too much on the ball. Needs to work on the touch.

No particular target stood out.

 

[nalam]

He still needs to work on it. I think he puts too much on the ball. Needs to work on the touch.

No particular target stood out.

Fade is one throw which eludes Romo , for some unknown reason. He can throw with pin-point accuracy in short windows but can't toss it up with touch so that the taller receivers like Roy or M.Bennett or even Miles to go get it. I am disappointed with our QB coach (Wilson) , even after working with Tony for 3 years he couldn't get him to do that.

 

[gimmesix]

Why not add a code in the snap count like "13" among all the other jabber that Romo yells out behind center. Pick a new # every game.

Then you wouldn't have to worry about being on " the same page".

I don't think it's a line call. It's an adjustment to the coverage as the play unfolds. The quarterback and the receiver have to both see that the CB is trying to take away the fade.

 

[gimmesix]

One thing I noticed at camp was that there were a lot of corner routes and fades. I'm glad to see Tony's working on that. Not sure why he's been so terrible at making those throws.

I don't think he likes throwing jump balls that depend on the receiver going and getting them. He seems to prefer precision passes, although there is certainly a degree of precision involved in throwing a good fade.