Is TO High Maintenance?

[CoCo]

A certain percentage of you will respond "duh."

Let me also say I'm not a TO hater. All is forgiven, lets move forward.

Some Cowboy fans still hate TO & some have bent over hard to say he's been 100% misunderstood. The rest of us are somewhere in between.

So I rewatched the 1st half last night and noticed something.

First, for all the talk from the announcers about how you need to get TO involved from the get go, uhhh, we tried to do just that. We threw to him in the first series and I'll bet at least 4 other times in the first half. Its not like we weren't trying. So why was a Jerry Jones & Jason Garrett pep talk in order at half time? Not saying TO asked for it, but I don't think our offensive braintrust had anything to apologize for.

Second, far and away, the ugliest plays we ran in the first half were to TO. He and ROMO were not on the same page. Clearly Romo was expecting routes different than what TO was running. Considering how razor sharp Romo was with everyone else, I found that interesting. At one point in the 2nd quarter after another disconnect Romo is clearly frustrated as he heads off the field. We don't know why. We can only speculate.

At this point the haters are probably ready to cut loose. The back-breaking apologists, the same in the other direction. That's not the purpose of my post although I know any TO thread is risky. Rather, for the level-headed I'm simply asking for perspective on just how much maintenance this guy requires, even when things are seemingly smooth and also is TO a big time free-lancer on his routes? undisciplined? confused? Or is it early adjustments to a new offense?

 

[fortdick]

I kinda like this TO version 2.0 He is saying all the right things, and doing the right things. Not unusual for a QB and WR to be a little sloppy on their reads this time of year.

If TO just keep sdoing what he has been doing this year, all will be good. Snf for the receord, IO was against bringing him in.

My question - Will Romo,TO, and Witten be the new triplets?

 

[NinePointOh]

My question - Will Romo,TO, and Witten be the new triplets?

Nope. They'll be the first Romo, TO, and Witten.

 

[fortdick]

Nope. They'll be the first Romo, TO, and Witten.

 

[Coakleys Dad]

Nope. They'll be the first Romo, TO, and Witten.

Nice...

 

[Doomsday101]

He not one of my favorites but he has done well this off-season and has caused no disruptions and as far as his play I have never had an issue with that. I hope it continues.

 

[Doomsday]

Of coarse he is High Maintenance and like most hot chicks who are high maintenance you dont care as long as they are putting out.

 

[fortdick]

Of coarse he is High Maintenance and like most hot chicks who are high maintenance you dont care as long as they are putting out.

:laugh1:

 

[AbeBeta]

He can be high maintenance all he wants to be -- he's a serious talent and he needs to get the ball thrown his way 8-10 times a game.

TO complains and can lose interest when he's not involved early - this isn't a TO-thing, you see it with many top WRs.

TO and Romo can become a bad mix. TO wants the ball early and Romo continues to struggle early in games (5 of his 9 incompletions were in the 1st quarter - last year his 1st quarter passer rating was 70 whereas his others were 109,101, and 94). That tends to take TO out of the picture early. The staff realizes that and Sunday they gave TO some warm fuzzies during half time to try to offset it.

 

[THEHEREAFTER]

Of coarse he is High Maintenance and like most hot chicks who are high maintenance you dont care as long as they are putting out.

Nice! You want a hot chick. There's gonna be some maintenance involved no matter what.

 

[03EBZ06]

When a team has to ensure a player is happy constantly, then yes, he is what I consider as a high maintenance.

 

[PhillyCowboysFan]

TO and Romo can become a bad mix. TO wants the ball early and Romo continues to struggle early in games (5 of his 9 incompletions were in the 1st quarter - last year his 1st quarter passer rating was 70 whereas his others were 109,101, and 94). That tends to take TO out of the picture early. The staff realizes that and Sunday they gave TO some warm fuzzies during half time to try to offset it.

You and I see Romo being a slow starter, what makes you think that T.O. doesn't know this? As long as he gets his at any point in the game, I think he will be O.K.

I don't know, but I just see a different person this year. He is saying all the right things.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

He can be high maintenance all he wants to be -- he's a serious talent and he needs to get the ball thrown his way 8-10 times a game.

TO complains and can lose interest when he's not involved early - this isn't a TO-thing, you see it with many top WRs.

TO and Romo can become a bad mix. TO wants the ball early and Romo continues to struggle early in games (5 of his 9 incompletions were in the 1st quarter - last year his 1st quarter passer rating was 70 whereas his others were 109,101, and 94). That tends to take TO out of the picture early. The staff realizes that and Sunday they gave TO some warm fuzzies during half time to try to offset it.

I agree with the whole post. Even the end of the third part. We have seen this.
He is what he is. I keeping him happy is all we have to do get production out of him.. I say we do it... whats the alternative? implosion, failure?

He is here for a reason. To be a major threat, a playmaker. He knows that and everyone else knows that. If it were you or me and we were of that caliber player and we werent getting what we wanted out of the deal... we woud be miffed too.

Early in the game, if you cant get him the ball via pass because of coverage... then put him in the backfield... do an end around or hand the ball off to him or something.... the guy makes things happen.

If he can produce and extra first hald TD or contribute to getting one in the first half then we have to do it.

We cant use TO for only half a game because opposing teams will think they can dictate the game to us.

 

[AbeBeta]

You and I see Romo being a slow starter, what makes you think that T.O. doesn't know this? As long as he gets his at any point in the game, I think he will be O.K.

I don't know, but I just see a different person this year. He is saying all the right things.

The issue is that TO isn't a slow starter and needs to get the ball early. That's his nature and no one is going to change that. He comes out of the locker room ready to go and gets discouraged when he has to wait 2 or 3 hours before he touches the ball.

 

[Doomsday101]

The issue is that TO isn't a slow starter and needs to get the ball early. That's his nature and no one is going to change that. He comes out of the locker room ready to go and gets discouraged when he has to wait 2 or 3 hours before he touches the ball.

He held it together in this past game and it could be that there are going to be games where the defense is looking to shut him down early and if that is the case then I expect Romo do to what he did this past game and that is go to the open man. TO said as much at the post game show.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

He held it together in this past game and it could be that there are going to be games where the defense is looking to shut him down early and if that is the case then I expect Romo do to what he did this past game and that is go to the open man. TO said as much at the post game show.

We cant let teams figure out that if they shut TO out in first half he may not be productive in 2nd half.

End around.
Quick slant.
Motion.... something.

 

[Doomsday101]

We cant let teams figure out that if they shut TO out in first half he may not be productive in 2nd half.

End around.
Quick slant.
Motion.... something.

If a team is dead set on stopping 1 player they can however as we saw in the Giants game they left Witten wide open down the middle several times and Romo would be a fool not to take the easy target for big gains. Even TO said after the game he understood and was not upset, he wants the ball but with the other weapons we have Romo has to get that ball to the open man. To force the issue in trying to get the ball to TO does not help this team

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

If a team is dead set on stopping 1 player they can however as we saw in the Giants game they left Witten wide open down the middle several times and Romo would be a fool not to take the easy target for big gains. Even TO said after the game he understood and was not upset, he wants the ball but with the other weapons we have Romo has to get that ball to the open man. To force the issue in trying to get the ball to TO does not help this team

Yeah... but he said that AFTER the game AFTER he had 3 catches for 2 TD's. I dont expect him to be "ok" with it when he goes catchless or TD-less too many times.

All I am saying... WE need to dictate to teams. Its part of our resurgence. Gotta get back to the golden days when we not only did that.... but when opposing teams KNEW who we were targeting THEY STILL COULDNT STOP US.

 

[Doomsday101]

Yeah... but he said that AFTER the game AFTER he had 3 catches for 2 TD's. I dont expect him to be "ok" with it when he goes catchless or TD-less too many times.

All I am saying... WE need to dictate to teams. Its part of our resurgence. Gotta get back to the golden days when we not only did that.... but when opposing teams KNEW who we were targeting THEY STILL COULDNT STOP US.

Teams will adjust if we are killing them with other weapons and TO will get his but as TO said they were sending double teams on him and Romo being the smart QB he is will not throw into the teeth of what the defense is doing. Take what they are going to give you and they will backoff and adjust. Believe or not I do think TO may be maturing and understands that on this team there are others who can pull off the big plays and his will come within the game but you don't force things and as I said if a defense is willing to stop a player they can and there is nothing you can do about it except to attack them elsewhere. I once saw John Taylor go for over 200 yards and 3 TD because the Rams refused to let Rice beat them but in the end the Rams still got smoked and Montana was smart enough not to just throw into the teeth of the defense.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

Teams will adjust if we are killing them with other weapons and TO will get his but as TO said they were sending double teams on him and Romo being the smart QB he is will not throw into the teeth of what the defense is doing. Take what they are going to give you and they will backoff and adjust. Believe or not I do think TO may be maturing and understands that on this team there are others who can pull off the big plays and his will come within the game but you don't force things and as I said if a defense is willing to stop a player they can and there is nothing you can do about it except to attack them elsewhere. I once saw John Taylor go for over 200 yards and 3 TD because the Rams refused to let Rice beat them but in the end the Rams still got smoked and Montana was smart enough not to just throw into the teeth of the defense.

I completely understand what you are saying. TO has changed some... actually I dont even know if its "he changed" as much as it is that this teams seems to know what it is doing and he knows that they will use him.

In San Fran and Philly... when did things go bad? when they were (1)losing or when (2)he wasnt getting the ball.

So far so good on (1)"winning" and (2)"getting him the ball"