Jimmy Johnson: 'Right decision' to stick with Dak Prescott

[Doomsday101]

Jimmy Johnson knows a little something about winning football games.

The Dallas Cowboys went on a historic tear in 2016 with quarterback Dak Prescott behind center, which included Romo conceding the starting role to the rookie in a passionate Nov. 15 speech. One of the most difficult calls the organization has had to make in over a decade, Johnson says they did the right thing in riding the hot hand.

He wouldn't have gone back to Romo, either.

Without question, it was the right way to go with Dak," Johnson said, via The Dallas Morning News. "Now, I don't want to take anything away from Tony Romo because Tony Romo is a great quarterback. If he's healthy, he can make a lot of plays, but for this team, it was the right decision to go with Dak. He plays within the system, he doesn't turn the ball over, he's still young enough, he can make plays with his legs.

"He's really just an outstanding quarterback that doesn't make a lot of mistakes."

Prescott went from a fourth round compensatory pick to Offensive Rookie of the Year, leaving Romo with questions surrounding his future with the team. It sounds like Johnson, however, believes they'll both be just fine no matter how it all shakes out.

http://dal.247sports.com/Bolt/Jimmy-Johnson-Right-decision-to-stick-with-Dak-Prescott-51507814

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Of course it was the right decision.

Anyone that thinks otherwise has an agenda.

 

[DFWJC]

Jimmy isnt remotely saying Dak is a better QB than Tony.
What he was saying is that Dallas was rolling with a young, stong/healthy QB, playing outstanding football, who they plan to be the QB of the future.

Mid season competition for the QB job when the team is rolling seemed very counter-productive.

 

[Alexander]

Jimmy isnt remotely saying Dak is better than Tony.
What he saying is that Dallas was rolling with a young, stong/healthy QB, playing outstanding football, who they plan to be the QB of the future.
Mid season competition for the QB job when the team is rolling seemed very counter-productive.

His comments were strictly about last year. Otherwise people are reading too much into it.

 

[Super_Kazuya]

Apparently Jimmy had so many Heinekens over the weekend that he thought they were celebrating the 2017 Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl.

 

[phildadon86]

Apparently Jimmy had so many Heinekens over the weekend that he thought they were celebrating the 2017 Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl.

Or, maybe, just maybe, Jimmy Johnson has more credentials than any of us to speak on this subject? Just my opinion.

 

[gimmesix]

Of course it was the right decision.

Anyone that thinks otherwise has an agenda.

I think it's OK to second guess whether we would have done better against Green Bay with Romo, but I also believe Dallas did what it had to in sticking with the hot hand. The only way Dallas could have inserted Romo is if Dak faltered badly, and while he had a slight stumble, that didn't happen.

I also am not saying Dallas would have fared better against Green Bay with Romo because just like when Romo was the quarterback, it was the defense that let the team down in the end.

 

[Doomsday101]

Jimmy isnt remotely saying Dak is a better QB than Tony.
What he was saying is that Dallas was rolling with a young, stong/healthy QB, playing outstanding football, who they plan to be the QB of the future.

Mid season competition for the QB job when the team is rolling seemed very counter-productive.

I keep hearing who is better? No doubt Romo has experience and skills that make him a great QB. Bottom line however is Dallas can win with Dak just as Seahawks can win with Russell Wilson. Is Romo better than Wilson? I think in certain areas he is but Wilson helps his team win games and championships. I think Dak has some skill sets that are better than Romo and as a young QB should continue to develop and improve.

 

[DFWJC]

I keep hearing who is better? No doubt Romo has experience and skills that make him a great QB. Bottom line however is Dallas can win with Dak just as Seahawks can win with Russell Wilson. Is Romo better than Wilson? I think in certain areas he is but Wilson helps his team win games and championships. I think Dak has some skill sets that are better than Romo and as a young QB should continue to develop and improve.

Yeah, so many other factors come into play besides who is the better player right now anyway.

Continuity achieved by health reliabilty
Expected growth
Salary cap
Long term future

Those all play into Dak's favor

Playing within the exact same offense with Zeke, the pro bowl line, etc....I feel extremely confident in saying the team's upside is greater short term with Tony. Not even close, imo.
I just think he is better right now. But it doesnt matter...
When you factor in the reliability and all the other stuff, I completely see why Dallas is doing what it appears they are doing. Better means nothing if you cant stay on the field.
Anyway, give Romo or Prescott Seattle's defense to go with our offense, and they both may have Super Bowl wins already...Romo may have more than one even.

You have not heard me once bash Dak, thats for sure.
Im a fan. The future is bright and in solid hands.

 

[CrownCowboy]

I keep hearing who is better? No doubt Romo has experience and skills that make him a great QB. Bottom line however is Dallas can win with Dak just as Seahawks can win with Russell Wilson. Is Romo better than Wilson? I think in certain areas he is but Wilson helps his team win games and championships. I think Dak has some skill sets that are better than Romo and as a young QB should continue to develop and improve.

Not arguing with your post. I'd just like to point out that Russell Wilson has never had the burden of carrying his team. That has always been taken upon by their great defense.

Had the Cowboys fielded a defense anywhere half as good as the Seahawks have over the last five years, I'd bet that Tony Romo wouldn't be looked at as a player that could never win the big one or even get there.

 

[Doomsday101]

Yeah, so many other factors come into play besides who is the better player right now anyway.

Continuity achieved by health reliabilty
Expected growth
Salary cap
Long term future

Those all play into to Dak's favor

Playing within the exact same offense with Zeke, the pro bowl line, etc....I feel extremely confident in saying the team's upside is greater short term with Tony. Not even close, imo.
I just think he better.
But when you factor in the reliability and all the other stuff, I completely see why Dallas is doing what it appears they are doing. Better means nothing if you cant stay on the field.

You have not heard me once bash Dak, thats for sure.
Im a fan. The future is bright and in solid hands.

I'm not trying to bash Romo either but I do think his time has come, to say this team would be better with Romo even short term I don't know maybe it would but that is all hypothetical playing the if card we can only go by what we see. No doubt the weapons help Dak just as weapons have helped Romo but in the end the results speak for themselves. I have never blamed Romo for post season failures. in 2014 with an outstanding OL, league leading rusher and top WR in Dez this team failed was that Romo? No of course as a member of the team he shares in the loss just as Dak has to share in the loss of this past season. As for Dak talent he played to a Pro Bowl level as a rookie he has shown he can command this offense and does not just rely on others but makes big plays himself to help this team. I want nothing but the best for Romo but I think this is Dak team and the future looks brighter than it has in a long time with him running this offense.

 

[DeaconMoss]

Jimmy stays relevant by using his Dallas connections and drops a few quotes every now and then. Keeps a network check rolling in so he can pay for gas money for his offshore fishing boat.

 

[Doomsday101]

Not arguing with your post. I'd just like to point out that Russell Wilson has never had the burden of carrying his team. That has always been taken upon by their great defense.

Had the Cowboys fielded a defense anywhere half as good as the Seahawks have over the last five years, I'd bet that Tony Romo wouldn't be looked at as a player that could never win the big one or even get there.

If Dak had a defense Dallas would be in the SB this past season. Fact is that is just as hypothetical as claiming Romo would have won championships. I don't know because it did not happen. When Ware was here and Dallas ranked high on defense we came up short, we blamed it on a WR. I'm not much into finger pointing, I think all players share in the wins and losses.


My point for the most part is not 1 man leading this franchise to a championship it is one man helping lead others to achieve a championship.

As much as I like Romo there is no doubt he has made his share of critical mistakes in big games, it is not as if he has played error free again I never dumped the blame on him, Tony has been a great QB for this team and while I wish things would have turned out differently for him.

 

[sean10mm]

No well-run NFL team would have given Romo the starting job back. When you have a rookie QB performing that well and developing that quickly, you don't derail it in the hopes you go 14-2 instead of 13-3 or some nonsense. That's just not a real thing when the alternative is a 36 year old who is in physical decline. You put the rookie on the fast track to develop into the guy that hopefully takes you to the postseason every year for the next decade, and the best way to do that is to play him.

 

[CrownCowboy]

If Dak had a defense Dallas would be in the SB this past season. Fact is that is just as hypothetical as claiming Romo would have won championships. I don't know because it did not happen. When Ware was here and Dallas ranked high on defense we came up short, we blamed it on a WR. I'm not much into finger pointing, I think all players share in the wins and losses.


My point for the most part is not 1 man leading this franchise to a championship it is one man helping lead others to achieve a championship.

As much as I like Romo there is no doubt he has made his share of critical mistakes in big games, it is not as if he has played error free again I never dumped the blame on him, Tony has been a great QB for this team and while I wish things would have turned out differently for him.

I think overall that comparing the situation of Wilson to Romo's situation is a bit of a stretch. I'm not saying that I don't understand your point and I do agree with alot of what you are saying. However, I don't think Russell Wilson has anything to do with how great the Seahawks defense has been. If it weren't for that unit then that team wouldn't have had the success it has had in my opinion.

You are right. One man does not define a football team. When Demarcus Ware was here the defense came nowhere near what the Seahawk's defense has been and is.

Tony Romo has indeed made critical mistakes, but he has made fewer critical mistakes than most Quarterbacks around the league. Just look at his numbers across the board as evidence, especially in the 4th quarter. Ultimately, he never had the team around him to help bail him out of some of those mistakes.

 

[gimmesix]

Not arguing with your post. I'd just like to point out that Russell Wilson has never had the burden of carrying his team. That has always been taken upon by their great defense.

Had the Cowboys fielded a defense anywhere half as good as the Seahawks have over the last five years, I'd bet that Tony Romo wouldn't be looked at as a player that could never win the big one or even get there.

A dominating defense changes the way you have to play as a quarterback, so does a dominant running game. It's no coincidence that the season considered to be the best of Romo's career was when we balanced the offense with a dominant running game. We still didn't have a defense good enough to take the team up a level, though.

I look back at Troy Aikman. Would Aikman be a Hall of Fame quarterback without the running game and defense we had in the 1990s. Aikman didn't have to carry the team. He just had to do his job, which he was very good at. Same with Staubach. All three QBs made their teams better than they would have been with average QBs, but Doomsday, Dorsett, Emmitt, the 1990's defense allowed Aikman and Staubach to accomplish things Romo can only dream of.

It will be the same for Dak if we don't make the defense better.

 

[CrownCowboy]

A dominating defense changes the way you have to play as a quarterback, so does a dominant running game. It's no coincidence that the season considered to be the best of Romo's career was when we balanced the offense with a dominant running game. We still didn't have a defense good enough to take the team up a level, though.

I look back at Troy Aikman. Would Aikman be a Hall of Fame quarterback without the running game and defense we had in the 1990s. Aikman didn't have to carry the team. He just had to do his job, which he was very good at. Same with Staubach. All three QBs made their teams better than they would have been with average QBs, but Doomsday, Dorsett, Emmitt, the 1990's defense allowed Aikman and Staubach to accomplish things Romo can only dream of.

It will be the same for Dak if we don't make the defense better.

Precisely my point.

How many years did Romo have to do it all just for us to be competitive? The Quarterbacks that you mentioned were great but also had greatness around him.

With that said, I understand why the team stuck with Prescott. The health questions surrounding Romo are undeniable, but Romo is the better player in my opinion. It wouldn't shock me at all to see him play another couple of years of outstanding football. Of course, the opposite wouldn't either.

 

[Doomsday101]

I think overall that comparing the situation of Wilson to Romo's situation is a bit of a stretch. I'm not saying that I don't understand your point and I do agree with alot of what you are saying. However, I don't think Russell Wilson has anything to do with how great the Seahawks defense has been. If it weren't for that unit then that team wouldn't have had the success it has had in my opinion.

You are right. One man does not define a football team. When Demarcus Ware was here the defense came nowhere near what the Seahawk's defense has been and is.

Tony Romo has indeed made critical mistakes, but he has made fewer critical mistakes than most Quarterbacks around the league. Just look at his numbers across the board as evidence, especially in the 4th quarter. Ultimately, he never had the team around him to help bail him out of some of those mistakes.

Seahawks do have a great defense and that has gone a long way in them winning a championship but does Wilson make big plays? Yes does he limit mistakes? Yes. I think Romo has certain skills sets that make him great on the other hand Wilson can make plays and put pressure on defense with his athletic ability that Romo can't.

I agree in most season Romo has not had a complete team around him and Dallas came up short in large part because of that. By the same token Dak does not get a lot of help from his defense yet put together in his rookie season as good of a record as Romo. No doubt Romo passing ability and making the reads are better than Dak at this stage. As a younger QB Romo was more of a gunslinger taking the ints with the TD as he grew and developed the ints started to come down. Dak as a rookie made few mistakes, took fewer chances and still managed to put his team in a position to win even in the divisional rd of the playoffs despite having a defense who failed. Dak still has to take his share of the blame as has Romo when past teams failed.

Big difference is one guy is just starting his career and one is on the downhill side, there are things Romo brings that dak is still learning and some things Dak Brings that Romo never had in overall athletic ability

 

[rambo2]

I wonder what he will say when Prescott gets hurt and they don't have Romo?

 

[Doomsday101]

I wonder what he will say when Prescott gets hurt and they don't have Romo?

Dallas is not going to keep a 24 mill dollar backup QB that is just not going to happen. If Dak gets hurt no doubt who ever the backup is will not be as good as Romo but then that could be said for 31 other teams.