Romo is a Diesel Engine

[Bluefin]

Lousy Decembers were the norm long before Romo took the helm. It is an organizational issue. Even the Great Tuna couldn't fix it. I can't put my finger on it either.

Does it point to other teams getting a fix on the Cowboys offense by December?

Looking at just last season, the Ravens talked about how simplistic our offense was. Mix in injuries, limited back-ups, Tony Romo trying to keep Terrell Owens in the fix, etc. and our struggles aren't too surprising.

Is there one major problem or just a slew of things becoming insurmountable?

The team has been hard at work reviewing their own tendencies and evaluating how the current players fit what we are trying to do.

We know curtailing Romo's turnovers and featuring the ground game are big items on the table. Jason Garrett's pass happy system has faltered down the stretch the past two seasons, it's time to draw something new up.

 

[AKATheRake]

Someone should have figured these slow starts out a long time ago.

It reminds me of Chan Gailey and road games. You just knew in the second half the other team would come back to win. Every time.

LOL! It's an infection nobody on this team seems to want diagnosed. Nonetheless, when you're a balanced offense and can effectively run and pass, you're offense doesn't sputter as easily down the stretch because of the variety in your attack.

Last season we did go up against 4 of the top 5 defenses the last quarter of the season so you have to think our offense would struggle some. But I look at how effective Choice was against Pittsburgh and Baltimore, he didn't even get a chance in Philly, and you have to wonder why we didn't run the ball more to keep the opposing defenses on the field longer and close games. Then again, everyone wants to be like NE and keep going for the throat if that means pass on first down in the 4th quarter.

We are going to try and run the ball more this year but there is going to be a lot of 8 men fronts in the box now that T.O isn't here so it's a guess at this point how effective the running game will be. I hear a lot of people base our December woes on not running enough and creating balance. There's merit to that. But the real truth is the team just doesn't seem to have killer intensity when the games are important.

 

[AKATheRake]

Lousy Decembers were the norm long before Romo took the helm. It is an organizational issue. Even the Great Tuna couldn't fix it. I can't put my finger on it either.

Since Emmitt we haven't had a real effective running game. Parcells ran the rock but we weren't that effective. This year we're supposed to have a good running game but without T.O expect to see 8 defenders in the box.

You have to be able to run the ball and control the clock generally throughout games, but more so in December and the playoffs. We haven't been able to do that for about a decade now. Our intensity isn't there either and I feel it has a lot to do from training camp.

December is supposed to have a bigger hype for teams and the players react to that. But our teams deals with that level of hype from training camp. A big game just doesn't have the big game feel to it because there's always huge hype. That's my opinion. The run and intensity factors.

 

[DallasDomination]

Well Romo better check that Turbo in that Diesel because as of late It's been sputtering at high Rpms.


IMo we should trade him in for a AWD EVO

 

[Idgit]

Does it point to other teams getting a fix on the Cowboys offense by December?

Looking at just last season, the Ravens talked about how simplistic our offense was. Mix in injuries, limited back-ups, Tony Romo trying to keep Terrell Owens in the fix, etc. and our struggles aren't too surprising.

Is there one major problem or just a slew of things becoming insurmountable?

The team has been hard at work reviewing their own tendencies and evaluating how the current players fit what we are trying to do.

We know curtailing Romo's turnovers and featuring the ground game are big items on the table. Jason Garrett's pass happy system has faltered down the stretch the past two seasons, it's time to draw something new up.

That argument doesn't hold water, because we start out each new season playing well again. If they'd figured the offense out at the end of one year, that should follow over to the start of the next. And it doesn't make sense that we change the offense up just enough that it takes 12 weeks to figure it out again just in time for us to tail-off again.

I"m not sure what the cause of the flagging play is. Maybe it's the toll that the extra attention takes. Or maybe it's the conditioning, though that seems unlikely. I can't figure it out.

 

[EPL0c0]

This is true. I dont get it either.


Romo is more like

Not making excuses here, but from what I've seen, especially after the great teams of the 90s:

I think part of it is that it's the burdens and pressures of being the Dallas Cowboys. By December, you're just flat out pooped. No other team has the expecations thrown onto their backs the way Dallas does year in and year out.

When Brady was hurt last year, nobody said "the Patriots still gotta win" it was almost like if they did poorly, ok, they get a pass. But when Romo was hurt it was infact "They still gotta win!" Nobody on this team gets a pass for anything. Mentally, I think Dallas is as tough a place to play as any other in sports.

Physically though, who knows...and I worry if they do go to a longer regular season schedule. Sure people say "its just cutting out two pre-season games" but how often to starters play whole games giving 100% effort in pre-season?

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

Not making excuses here, but from what I've seen, especially after the great teams of the 90s:

I think part of it is that it's the burdens and pressures of being the Dallas Cowboys. By December, you're just flat out pooped. No other team has the expecations thrown onto their backs the way Dallas does year in and year out.

When Brady was hurt last year, nobody said "the Patriots still gotta win" it was almost like if they did poorly, ok, they get a pass. But when Romo was hurt it was infact "They still gotta win!" Nobody on this team gets a pass for anything. Mentally, I think Dallas is as tough a place to play as any other in sports.

Physically though, who knows...and I worry if they do go to a longer regular season schedule. Sure people say "its just cutting out two pre-season games" but how often to starters play whole games giving 100% effort in pre-season?

I hear ya... but we will agree to disagree here.

First. When you start off with "not making excuses" lol
Then you make one.

No. No.


Once these guys are on the field they are not thinking "we are the dallas cowboys and we gotta win" atleast I hope not. I would like to think they are thinking about executing the current and next play.

Pressure or no pressure - the PATS win. They went 11-5 with a QB that had almost zero experience.

I dont believe for a second that the preseason is the reason they falter in Dec. Most of them dont play the 3rd and 4th games.


So in the end its all excuses. These guys are not prepared... physically and mentally. Thats all I can think of.

Boyzmamacita is right... cant put my finger on it.

 

[EPL0c0]

I hear ya... but we will agree to disagree here.

First. When you start off with "not making excuses" lol
Then you make one.

No. No.


Once these guys are on the field they are not thinking "we are the dallas cowboys and we gotta win" atleast I hope not. I would like to think they are thinking about executing the current and next play.

Pressure or no pressure - the PATS win. They went 11-5 with a QB that had almost zero experience.

I dont believe for a second that the preseason is the reason they falter in Dec. Most of them dont play the 3rd and 4th games.


So in the end its all excuses. These guys are not prepared... physically and mentally. Thats all I can think of.

Boyzmamacita is right... cant put my finger on it.

You hit the intent of my post on the mark...to show that no matter what, good teams win (its 745, my sarcasm is still running on empty haha)

It's not anything else. I wish people would start holding the players that screwed up accountable...including Romo.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Yugo's had diesel engines...

Tony Romo's last 4 games of 2008:
150 attempts, 84 completions (56%), 889yds, 5TDs, 6INTs, QB Rating: 67.8 (plus 3 fumbles lost)

Last 4 games of 2007:
110 attempts, 66 completions (60%), 758yds, 2TDs, 6INTs, QB Rating: 64.1 (0 fumbles lost!)

Last 4 games of 2006:
199 attempts, 76 completions (63.8%), 930yds, 6TDs, 4INTs, QB Rating: 90.6 (2 fumbles lost)

I see a trend too...

That's nice. Now could you show me the stats for what the special teams, defense, offensive line, receivers, and runningbacks do down those same stretches? I'd like to know how much the rest of this team, that apparently is of no fault in the December slides, are doing in December that is just being wasted by Romo being the only person to play bad during those stretches.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

You hit the intent of my post on the mark...to show that no matter what, good teams win (its 745, my sarcasm is still running on empty haha)

It's not anything else. I wish people would start holding the players that screwed up accountable...including Romo.

We are in TOTAL agreement there.

If I hear another "winning/losing its no big deal, I am good either way" comment.

Hulk Smash!!!

:laugh1: