Richie Whitt: Top 10 Observations From Cowboys 30, Titans 10, Stadium 7

[sonnyboy]

10. We can criticize Tony Romo's girlfriends and golfing and lack of demonstrative leadership all we want, but only a handful of quarterbacks can make the play he produced in the first quarter. Pressured in the pocket, Romo slid left, bounced right, protectected the ball with both hands and eventually - while running, mind you - lofted a perfect pass to a streaking Jason Witten inside the 10. The dude is an elite quarterback when improvising.


I watched a replay of this play like 10 times looking for a one very specific thing - just how dangerous a pass was it. Was there a real chance an interception.

It did look a little risky at first glance. On further review, not at all.

It is a perfect example of just what makes Romo so special. Few if any other QBs have the instincts, reflexes and most importantly balls to make that play.

What suprises me the most is that I'm not surprised. He's good for at least one of these type plays almost every game. I've come to expect it and that's a good thing.

That's why a few misconceptions of Romo developed soon after he hit the scene and to a certain extent have lingered.
1) He's lucky. He makes a few too many of plays successfully that appear fortunate.
2) He's reckless. Far too often these type unorthodox plays appear risky.

They're not as risky as they appear and are certainly not lucky. Something I heard him once say in an interview has stuck with me.

And that's that he plays out many of these type scenarios over and over in his head.

It's not luck. It's opportunity meeting preparation.

 

[Boyzmamacita]

10. We can criticize Tony Romo's girlfriends and golfing and lack of demonstrative leadership all we want, but only a handful of quarterbacks can make the play he produced in the first quarter. Pressured in the pocket, Romo slid left, bounced right, protectected the ball with both hands and eventually - while running, mind you - lofted a perfect pass to a streaking Jason Witten inside the 10. The dude is an elite quarterback when improvising.


I watched a replay of this play like 10 times looking for a one very specific thing - just how dangerous a pass was it. Was there a real chance an interception.

It did look a little risky at first glance. On further review, not at all.

It is a perfect example of just what makes Romo so special. Few if any other QBs have the instincts, reflexes and most importantly balls to make that play.

What suprises me the most is that I'm not surprised. He's good for at least one of these type plays almost every game. I've come to expect it and that's a good thing.

That's why a few misconceptions of Romo developed soon after he hit the scene and to a certain extent have lingered.
1) He's lucky. He makes a few too many of plays successfully that appear fortunate.
2) He's reckless. Far too often these type unorthodox plays appear risky.

They're not as risky as they appear and are certainly not lucky. Something I heard him once say in an interview has stuck with me.

And that's that he plays out many of these type scenarios over and over in his head.

It's not luck. It's opportunity meeting preparation.

Troy said Romo put it where the defender couldn't get it, only Witten. You're right, there's nothing lucky about that.

 

[texbumthelife]

10. We can criticize Tony Romo's girlfriends and golfing and lack of demonstrative leadership all we want, but only a handful of quarterbacks can make the play he produced in the first quarter. Pressured in the pocket, Romo slid left, bounced right, protectected the ball with both hands and eventually - while running, mind you - lofted a perfect pass to a streaking Jason Witten inside the 10. The dude is an elite quarterback when improvising.


I watched a replay of this play like 10 times looking for a one very specific thing - just how dangerous a pass was it. Was there a real chance an interception.

It did look a little risky at first glance. On further review, not at all.

It is a perfect example of just what makes Romo so special. Few if any other QBs have the instincts, reflexes and most importantly balls to make that play.

What suprises me the most is that I'm not surprised. He's good for at least one of these type plays almost every game. I've come to expect it and that's a good thing.

That's why a few misconceptions of Romo developed soon after he hit the scene and to a certain extent have lingered.
1) He's lucky. He makes a few too many of plays successfully that appear fortunate.
2) He's reckless. Far too often these type unorthodox plays appear risky.

They're not as risky as they appear and are certainly not lucky. Something I heard him once say in an interview has stuck with me.

And that's that he plays out many of these type scenarios over and over in his head.

It's not luck. It's opportunity meeting preparation.

Isn't that essentially a long-winded version of what the OP said?

 

[EPL0c0]

10. ...protectected the ball with both hands... This was VERY good to see and I think shows (me) that Tony Romo's putting not just effort but serious thought into improving his game and how he can help (or hurt) the team. That part of that play is what I liked most.

2. That sound you hear is Bruce Read is chuckling. I'm still waiting for the booming kickoffs. If these special teams guys don't improve, it'll just show that Read was scapegoated in order to NOT admit that the special teams coverage/return units just flat out sucked last year. I hope this changes ASAP.

 

[Boyzmamacita]

10. ...protectected the ball with both hands... This was VERY good to see and I think shows (me) that Tony Romo's putting not just effort but serious thought into improving his game and how he can help (or hurt) the team. That part of that play is what I liked most.

2. That sound you hear is Bruce Read is chuckling. I'm still waiting for the booming kickoffs. If these special teams guys don't improve, it'll just show that Read was scapegoated in order to NOT admit that the special teams coverage/return units just flat out sucked last year. I hope this changes ASAP.

Bruce Read had to go, regardless of the fact that DeCamillis has his hands full with these guys.

 

[superpunk]

6. I know Terence Newman's speed is a weapon and I like seeing him return punts. But not in the third quarter of the second preseason game, especially considering he just missed 12 days of training camp with a pulled groin.

I almost lost my face when I saw that.

 

[jobberone]

The enthusiasm is there but not enough phycialness yet. Not enough playmakers I guess. I'm sure they are looking at a lot of players out there though so lets not be premature in our criticism.

 

[Smith22]

I don't line seeing TNew return punts in the preseason, but the guy adds another dimension to the PR position. His speed and quickness make P. Crayton look like an old lady in a wheel chair.

 

[kmd24]

there was another one later on. I think that's the one we are trying to figure out.

There were only two. Two plays after Watkins's penalty, Keith Brooking was called for unsportsmanlike conduct when Kerry Collins fumbled the snap and Lendale White recovered.

 

[TwentyOne]

Sam Hurd one handing a pass thrown behind him in the same game trumps that play with ease, IMO.

I was just about to write it.

Sam Hurds catch was just a great catch. To me one of the greatest catches i have ever seen.

He caught the ball with one hand got hit before he had a chance to pull it to his body and still made the catch. If someone had told me that you can catch the ball like this i wouldn't have believed it.

 

[mmurray21]

Co-sign on 1,4, and 6

There is soooo much they can do with the screen... I like the way they showed 4 camera angles at one time.

 

[YosemiteSam]

The best he could come up with is JumboJerry for the video board? I would think JerryTron would be more fitting. JumboJerry sound just plain stupid.

 

[Boyzmamacita]

The enthusiasm is there but not enough phycialness yet. Not enough playmakers I guess. I'm sure they are looking at a lot of players out there though so lets not be premature in our criticism.

How many times have we seen the first guys miss on our punt and kick coverage units? They need to go back to the basic fundamentals of tackling and go from there.

 

[ArmyCowboy]

9. Awe-inspiring as it was, Cowboys Stadium will look even more intimidating come opening night Sept. 20 against the New York Giants. By then the star on the field, Tom Landry's statue, the Ring of Honor and the commemorative banners will all be in place. Likewise, the giant scoreboard - JumboJerry - will be moved out of harm's way.


1. Cool as the stadium and the JumboJerry is, I was shocked at the lack of game information on display. As in, there's a giant video board but no scoreboard. Surely this will get fixed as well, but for the preseason debut the only displays of the game clock were on relatively tiny ribbon scoreboards in two of the stadium's corners.

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/sportatorium/2009/08/cowboys_titans_stadium.php

Maybe it's just me, but I sort of like JerryTron better than JumboJerry.

 

[Section446]

My Top 10 Observations From Cowboys 30, Titans 10, Stadium 7.

By Richie Whitt in Dallas Cowboys
Monday, Aug. 24 2009 @ 2:00PM

There are kinks to be worked out, yes. But in Friday's victory over the Tennessee Titans the Dallas Cowboys showed that their team and their stadium just might be great - if not super - after all.

10. We can criticize Tony Romo's girlfriends and golfing and lack of demonstrative leadership all we want, but only a handful of quarterbacks can make the play he produced in the first quarter. Pressured in the pocket, Romo slid left, bounced right, protectected the ball with both hands and eventually - while running, mind you - lofted a perfect pass to a streaking Jason Witten inside the 10. The dude is an elite quarterback when improvising.

9. Awe-inspiring as it was, Cowboys Stadium will look even more intimidating come opening night Sept. 20 against the New York Giants. By then the star on the field, Tom Landry's statue, the Ring of Honor and the commemorative banners will all be in place. Likewise, the giant scoreboard - JumboJerry - will be moved out of harm's way.

8. Granted it was the second preseason game, but give credit to coach Wade Phillips for being fiery. He was pissed at a second-quarter special teams penalty and later received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, the equivalent of a basketball technical foul. Who knew?

7. Starting to think this Kevin Ogletree kid can play. Combined with the fact that Isaiah Stanback apparently can't, it's looking more and more as though the rookie free agent from Virginia will make the final roster. His juggling touchdown act was the catch of preseason.

6. I know Terence Newman's speed is a weapon and I like seeing him return punts. But not in the third quarter of the second preseason game, especially considering he just missed 12 days of training camp with a pulled groin.

5. Something about fans paying $25 to park at Wal-Mart made me giggle. Seemed exhorbitant until down the street at Rangers Ballpark the fee was $60.

4. Two preseason games, 25 penalties. On one particularly goofy moment referee Walt Anderson offered, "False start, offense. Everyone but the center."

3. Didn't hear these myself because the press box has its own public address announcer, but some have relayed to me that Jody Dean's first night as the voice of Cowboys Stadium was a little rough. The pre-game player introductions were screwed up, there was apparently a catch by "Julius Jones" (ain't here) and a carry by Deon Anderson (was in street clothes). Work in progress.

2. That sound you hear is Bruce Read is chuckling. It's still way early, but so far Joe DeCamillis' special teams are atrocious. The Cowboys bobbled two punts, missed another field goal, surrendered a 51-yard kickoff return and had a 74-yarder of their own wiped out by a Sam Hurd penalty. Yikes.

1. Cool as the stadium and the JumboJerry is, I was shocked at the lack of game information on display. As in, there's a giant video board but no scoreboard. Surely this will get fixed as well, but for the preseason debut the only displays of the game clock were on relatively tiny ribbon scoreboards in two of the stadium's corners.

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/sportatorium/2009/08/cowboys_titans_stadium.php

This is my #1 complaint about the stadium, the scoreboards are a joke. I hope like hell that they find a way to incorporate the score and the down and distance information onto the JerryTron.

 

[Boyzmamacita]

This is my #1 complaint about the stadium, the scoreboards are a joke. I hope like hell that they find a way to incorporate the score and the down and distance information onto the JerryTron.

Maybe they'll have a ticker at the bottom with updated information. It should be easy enough to do and quite visible.

 

[EPL0c0]

Bruce Read had to go, regardless of the fact that DeCamillis has his hands full with these guys.

Well, I also wonder how this 2man wedge rule will effect the coverage squad. Will it mean more man-on-man blocking, possibly making it easier for the returner to elude tacklers or will it mean shorter returns w/ the returner not being able to hide behind a wall of blockers?

It'll be interesting not just on our team but throughout the league. Last year the league KR eaverage was 20.2yd/return so we'll see how we do say through the first 4-8 games of the year.

Found this: “I think it's going to cut down on injuries,” Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. “When you get four big bodies colliding, that can't be good for any of them. It's going to create some different return lanes. There will be more one-on-ones. And it will be interesting to see how different teams adapt. Kansas City used two two-man wedges.”

 

[Cowchick]

1. Cool as the stadium and the JumboJerry is, I was shocked at the lack of game information on display. As in, there's a giant video board but no scoreboard. Surely this will get fixed as well, but for the preseason debut the only displays of the game clock were on relatively tiny ribbon scoreboards in two of the stadium's corners.

FAIL
http://i180.***BLOCKED***/albums/x139/fashionj2002/DSC01860.jpg

 

[Boyzmamacita]

All they have to do is keep the score displayed prominently at the bottom like the pic above. Good enough.

 

[TheCount]

The best he could come up with is JumboJerry for the video board? I would think JerryTron would be more fitting. JumboJerry sound just plain stupid.

I completely agree with you, Jumbo Jerry makes no sense.