MySa Blog: Analyst: Romo needs more help

[WoodysGirl]

By Tom Orsborn on Jul 15, 09 04:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Tony Romo can't do it by himself.

So says former 49ers offensive lineman-turned-analyst Randy Cross, who I just interviewed for a story on Romo to run in the Express-News later this month.

Cross of Sirius NFL Radio says he believes Romo is a fierce competitor and mentally tough enough to block out all the chatter from his critics. But Cross also said that's not enough to make Romo a Super Bowl QB.

"He doesn't call most of the plays, he doesn't block, he doesn't play defense," Cross said. "He's only one guy. How many years did John Elway bloody his head until Terrell Davis showed up? Until (Denver) got Davis, he was going to be one of those 'almost guys' who would be remembered for throwing for a lot of yards but never winning. Then it all changed when Davis got there."

Cross is right. The Cowboys still aren't quite there personnel-wise. The Elway-Davis example is perfect. Fans in San Antonio can relate after watching David Robinson put up big numbers for years without gaining a ring. It took the addition of Tim Duncan to get the Admiral a couple of championships. I'm not saying Romo is as good as an Elway or a Robinson, but he would be helped tremendously by the addition of a few more pieces.

Who knows? Maybe a healthy Felix Jones could be Romo's Davis.

 

[Alexander]

Cross is right. The Cowboys still aren't quite there personnel-wise. The Elway-Davis example is perfect.

No it isn't "perfect". Romo hasn't had the kind of talent around him that Elway had. Has Romo been handing off to players like Sammy Winder and throwing to players like Vance Johnson, Mark Jackson and Clarence Kay? Has he had defenses like Elway had earlier in his career?

I'd say he's actually had it better than Elway ever had. He's had Marion Barber, Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn and Jason Witten. He's had a defense with DeMarcus Ware. If the running game was as average as Elway had and the defense as ordinary, he could make the point that a simple RB would help him turn the corner.

It is a terrible analogy that almost childlike in its perspective. Cross should know better. He was on two incarnations of the 49ers. One where Joe Montana had little support from the skill positions (pre-Rice) and one that had dynamic skill players (Craig, Rice, Taylor). The one constant was a great QB in Montana. He still made the clutch plays, avoided the costly mistakes and executed with precision and consistency no matter who was around him.

Felix Jones will be a needed weapon, but Romo still has to avoid turnovers and play smarter football late every season. And he has to lead. That's what Elway always did and that's how he would carry a lesser talented set of teams to three Super Bowls. It wasn't like he never made it without Terrell Davis.

 

[DallasDomination]

Elways teams and Romos team now are so different this comparison is terrible. Elway actually won playoff games, Romo hasnt been an almost there guy. He's been a Good player that hasnt got over the Hump...Not win a SB hump or Championship hump..Win a playoff GAME HUMP.

Remind Me why He's hinting to us needing more for Romo?...GOD DANG MAN We are loaded with talent. What more do you want? Jerry Rice in his prime? it's all about performing on the field.

 

[Aven8]

No it isn't "perfect". Romo hasn't had the kind of talent around him that Elway had. Has Romo been handing off to players like Sammy Winder and throwing to players like Vance Johnson, Mark Jackson and Clarence Kay? Has he had defenses like Elway had earlier in his career?

I'd say he's actually had it better than Elway ever had. He's had Marion Barber, Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn and Jason Witten. He's had a defense with DeMarcus Ware. If the running game was as average as Elway had and the defense as ordinary, he could make the point that a simple RB would help him turn the corner.

It is a terrible analogy that almost childlike in its perspective. Cross should know better. He was on two incarnations of the 49ers. One where Joe Montana had little support from the skill positions (pre-Rice) and one that had dynamic skill players (Craig, Rice, Taylor). The one constant was a great QB in Montana. He still made the clutch plays, avoided the costly mistakes and executed with precision and consistency no matter who was around him.

Felix Jones will be a needed weapon, but Romo still has to avoid turnovers and play smarter football late every season. And he has to lead. That's what Elway always did and that's how he would carry a lesser talented set of teams to three Super Bowls. It wasn't like he never made it without Terrell Davis.

But just like with Elway....IMO on that final drive in the 4th Qtr...I always have a feeling Romo is going to pull it out for us. That's what I love about this kid....moxie.

 

[Alexander]

But just like with Elway....IMO on that final drive in the 4th Qtr...I always have a feeling Romo is going to pull it out for us. That's what I love about this kid....moxie.

He has "moxie", but has he actually pulled it out in these kinds of games like Elway did? He didn't in Seattle. He didn't against the Giants.

It is useless for fans to have faith. His teammates have to. He has to be "the man". Roger Staubach was that.

I think his teammates need to have that faith. I am not sure sure he's won all of that quite yet and it is still why we keep hearing that he needs to step up.

 

[Chief]

It is a terrible analogy that almost childlike in its perspective. Cross should know better.

Did he get hit on the head or something?

Come back to reality, Randy.

 

[Ferrumz]

He has "moxie", but has he actually pulled it out in these kinds of games like Elway did? He didn't in Seattle. He didn't against the Giants.

It is useless for fans to have faith. His teammates have to. He has to be "the man". Roger Staubach was that.

I think his teammates need to have that faith. I am not sure sure he's won all of that quite yet and it is still why we keep hearing that he needs to step up.

In Seattle he led the team to the 1 yard line and a freak play happened. Don't pin that on his QB play. Against the Giants he had how many TD catches dropped? Not to mention what would have been a beautiful TD pass to Crayton if he doesn't pull up at the last second for whatever reason. And let's go to last year against the Ravens. He played a bad game yeah but in the final minutes when it's crunch time who led the Cowboys to back to back TD's? Then who gave up 2 70 plus yard TD runs? Oh yeah that must have been Romo's fault. Romo's play is fine it's the inconsistency of his defense and a few wide recievers that forgot how to play that makes Romo a choke artist. Yeah I'm not buying that.

And no I don't think his teammates need to have faith in Romo, he's done more then enough to earn that. Maybe now it's time his teammates do something that gives him a reason to have faith in them.

 

[jday]

By Tom Orsborn on Jul 15, 09 04:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Tony Romo can't do it by himself.

So says former 49ers offensive lineman-turned-analyst Randy Cross, who I just interviewed for a story on Romo to run in the Express-News later this month.

Cross of Sirius NFL Radio says he believes Romo is a fierce competitor and mentally tough enough to block out all the chatter from his critics. But Cross also said that's not enough to make Romo a Super Bowl QB.

"He doesn't call most of the plays, he doesn't block, he doesn't play defense," Cross said. "He's only one guy. How many years did John Elway bloody his head until Terrell Davis showed up? Until (Denver) got Davis, he was going to be one of those 'almost guys' who would be remembered for throwing for a lot of yards but never winning. Then it all changed when Davis got there."

Cross is right. The Cowboys still aren't quite there personnel-wise. The Elway-Davis example is perfect. Fans in San Antonio can relate after watching David Robinson put up big numbers for years without gaining a ring. It took the addition of Tim Duncan to get the Admiral a couple of championships. I'm not saying Romo is as good as an Elway or a Robinson, but he would be helped tremendously by the addition of a few more pieces.

Who knows? Maybe a healthy Felix Jones could be Romo's Davis.

This is garbage. I mean, honestly, this has to be the most idiotic "what is Romo missing" piece I've read since Romo started showing up in articles.

 

[Plumfool]

In Seattle he led the team to the 1 yard line and a freak play happened. Don't pin that on his QB play. Against the Giants he had how many TD catches dropped? Not to mention what would have been a beautiful TD pass to Crayton if he doesn't pull up at the last second for whatever reason. And let's go to last year against the Ravens. He played a bad game yeah but in the final minutes when it's crunch time who led the Cowboys to back to back TD's? Then who gave up 2 70 plus yard TD runs? Oh yeah that must have been Romo's fault. Romo's play is fine it's the inconsistency of his defense and a few wide recievers that forgot how to play that makes Romo a choke artist. Yeah I'm not buying that.

And no I don't think his teammates need to have faith in Romo, he's done more then enough to earn that. Maybe now it's time his teammates do something that gives him a reason to have faith in them.

this is the truth. In big games romo has played just fine. There have been circumstances which prevented romo from getting the wins.

 

[Alexander]

In Seattle he led the team to the 1 yard line and a freak play happened.

Handing the ball off is how he "led" the team on that drive? It wasn't a furious comeback coming from his arm. He completed three passes on that drive (one to Crayton, one to Owens and the final pass to Witten). The rest of the seven play drive was handoffs. 35 yards of it came on one Julius Jones carry.

Don't pin that on his QB play.

I am not "pinning" the loss on him. It is exactly this kind of defensiveness that makes rational discussion about Romo nearly impossible.

Against the Giants he had how many TD catches dropped?

Perhaps one, and that was Fasano. No, Crayton's drop in the 3rd quarter doesn't count as a touchdown when it was caught at the 30 yard line. He never touched the pass in the 4th quarter.

Not to mention what would have been a beautiful TD pass to Crayton if he doesn't pull up at the last second for whatever reason.

By comments I have read, it was a miscommunication on the route between the pair of them on the route and not Crayton "pulling up". Regardless, that kind of play happens all the time. It wasn't like Crayton had the ball hit him in the hands and clanked off.

And let's go to last year against the Ravens.

It was also a loss.

He played a bad game yeah

So, it is okay to have a bad game but if you almost pull it out, but don't, it means something?

but in the final minutes when it's crunch time who led the Cowboys to back to back TD's? Then who gave up 2 70 plus yard TD runs? Oh yeah that must have been Romo's fault.

No, it was not. And no one but you has even implied that.

It still isn't relevant to the discussion, which is about the fact Romo's level of play has not risen when the stakes were highest. If anything, he's played average football and mof of his finer moments came when he was running the two minute offenses against teams that were playing back. But when it seems like a courageous comeback or suits our purposes, there is a tendency to believe he played better than he did.

it's the inconsistency of his defense and a few wide recievers that forgot how to play that makes Romo a choke artist. Yeah I'm not buying that.

Funny you should use the word inconsistent, because that is exactly what he has been in these games. It certainly hasn't been the Romo that we have seen for the majority of his other games (non-playoff). We've seen are several cases of the yips.

And no I don't think his teammates need to have faith in Romo, he's done more then enough to earn that. Maybe now it's time his teammates do something that gives him a reason to have faith in them.

So what his teammates don't have to have faith in him? That is absurd. Like I said before, it doesn't matter what fans think about him. If that was the case, we should just enshrine him in the Ring of Honor like fans jokingly did in his first season.

It would be nice if his teammates did have that kind of faith in him that the fanbase does, but I don't believe they do.

 

[Big Dakota]

He's got plenty of help on both sides of the ball.

 

[Idgit]

He's got plenty of help on both sides of the ball.

No kidding. He's also productive as hell, aside from last year's fumble-spike. It's an absurd take from Cross.

Is it just that the average fan doesn't look past the guy who takes the snap that keeps people from discussing the real issues in Dallas? I don't get it.