ESPNDallas: Romo looking for his wide receivers

[WoodysGirl]

October 1, 2009, 1:20 PM

By: Calvin Watkins


In a Week 1 victory over Tampa Bay, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo threw for 353 yards with three scoring plays of 20 yards or more, including an 80-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Crayton. The Cowboys' receivers haven't made as big an impact the past two weeks:

* Romo threw for only 127 yards and had three interceptions against the Giants. In that game, the Cowboys' four main receivers combined for only four catches.

* In Monday's victory over Carolina, Romo was more of a manager -- throwing for 255 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Roy Williams and Crayton combined for seven catches in the game.

"If you want to take wide receivers out down the field, you just put pressure on the quarterback so he can't wait," Romo said before Thursday's practice. "[Carolina] did a good job last week of getting around me. You have to slide, and then you're going to be careless with the ball if you don't watch it.

"There were shots, we just didn't have the time to take them. It's part of it."

Romo hinted he doesn't mind being labeled as a game-manager instead of a gunslinger.

"I'm pretty sure [Tom] Brady managed the game for a couple of Super Bowls," Romo said. "So, manage it all the way to whatever it is."

 

[Rampage]

good to hear Tony say those things.

 

[AdamJT13]

A 255-yard game manager?

That's more than 4,000 yards for a season.

 

[Tusan_Homichi]

A 255-yard game manager?

That's more than 4,000 yards for a season.

If Roy Williams holds onto that ball for at TD, I'd imagine no one is calling him a game manager. Or hell, if Phillips doesn't jump at the goal line and we score a TD there and actually put up some decent points overall, no one is calling him a game manager at that point either.

It's all perception.

 

[bayeslife]

A 255-yard game manager?

That's more than 4,000 yards for a season.

That's literally the first thing that came to mind when I saw that.

Tony has spoiled us with his 300+ games. :laugh2:

 

[LarryCanadian]

Shhhh! Don't point out facts. Let Romo become the 299 yard per game, game manager that throws for no touchdowns because the WR's and TE's will all step out of bounds at the one yard line, and then we can run it in (instead of trying the fade).

I like that there is this huge focus on protecting the ball, particularly the ints. Fair or not, I think the perception out there will help push Romo to improve that aspect of his game.

The cross field - cross body pass to Choice was a big play and priceless. Everyone was like, ok, how to we talk about this one, hehe. Choice was wide open, but it was a bit gun-slinger, no doubt!

LarryCanadian

 

[dboyz]

A 255-yard game manager?

That's more than 4,000 yards for a season.

Right. I guess Troy Aikman was a game manager then. He had a lot of stat lines similar to Romo's from Monday night.

 

[zeroburrito]

Right. I guess Troy Aikman was a game manager then. He had a lot of stat lines similar to Romo's from Monday night.

.....are you saying he wasn't?

 

[JBell]

Right. I guess Troy Aikman was a game manager then. He had a lot of stat lines similar to Romo's from Monday night.

That's exactly what Troy was. A damn good one too.

 

[Bluefin]

Right. I guess Troy Aikman was a game manager then. He had a lot of stat lines similar to Romo's from Monday night.

Ask Troy Aikman and he will tell you he willingly took a backseat to the running game during the regular season.

There were occasional big games, but he was a game manager.

Aikman openly wondered if his lack of stats would hurt his chances for immediate entry in the NFL Hall of Fame.

 

[links18]

Shhhh! Don't point out facts. Let Romo become the 299 yard per game, game manager that throws for no touchdowns because the WR's and TE's will all step out of bounds at the one yard line, and then we can run it in (instead of trying the fade).

Exactly, I don't care how we get our TDs, whether or not it is on the ground or through the air. Who cares? I would prefer to actually get TDs though, rather than settling for FGS after 2 consecutive incomplete fades from the 1 or false starts on 4th and goal.

 

[DBOY3141]

So I guess Drew Brees is now a game manager. 172 yards and no TD's against Buffalo.

 

[AdamJT13]

Right. I guess Troy Aikman was a game manager then. He had a lot of stat lines similar to Romo's from Monday night.

In our three Super Bowl seasons combined, Aikman had only 12 games with at least 250 yards passing -- and four of those came in the first four games of 1993, when Emmitt held out for two games then worked his way back with eight carries and 13 carries in the next two.

Aikman had less than 200 yards almost half the time and in the low 200s in many more games. Romo has been over 250 about two-thirds of the time, with a handful more in the 240s.

 

[Rampage]

I think people now believe the term "game-manager" is a bad thing because it's used so much when talking about some of the mediocre qbs and is used as a put down for qbs who don't light the world on fire with big stat lines.

being a game-manager is not a bad thing unless you're unsuccessful and are a big reason you're team can't win ball games.

 

[Fletch]

A 255-yard game manager?

That's more than 4,000 yards for a season.

I know, was thinking the same thing. Just gives you freakin goosebumps doesn't it?

 

[dboyz]

Ask Troy Aikman and he will tell you he willingly took a backseat to the running game during the regular season.

There were occasional big games, but he was a game manager.

Aikman openly wondered if his lack of stats would hurt his chances for immediate entry in the NFL Hall of Fame.

I don't disagree. It's just Aikman made the hall of fame with those kind of games. Now it seems as if the media is downplaying the significance of having those kind of games a couple hundred yards with no majaor mistakes.