Tony Romo Compared to 8 Greats After 39 Career Starts

[Alexander]

My feelings exactly. Look I like Tony as our QB what I don't like is that people don't hold him to the same standard as the other players. You can twist statistical data anyway you want but that won't get us to the bowl only winning in Dec and Jan will do that. Go look at Ben R.'s stats, I'll bet they're pretty pedestrian but Tony would trade his career for his in a second.

That's also what I don't like when I see QBs getting compared. Romo's better than Roethlisberger because he has better statistics. That's rubbish and I am amazed anyone can say that with a straight face and believe it. Roethlisberger has been excellent in the postseason, mostly because he's clutch and has avoided mistakes. That's why he has two trophies, meanwhile Romo is still looking for his first win.

 

[joseephuss]

That's also what I don't like when I see QBs getting compared. Romo's better than Roethlisberger because he has better statistics. That's rubbish and I am amazed anyone can say that with a straight face and believe it. Roethlisberger has been excellent in the postseason, mostly because he's clutch and has avoided mistakes. That's why he has two trophies, meanwhile Romo is still looking for his first win.

Big Ben has not avoided mistakes in the playoffs. He has made some critical turn overs. He also has made some big plays. He has done just enough to allow his teams to win. In the end that is what you want from a QB. Big Ben works for the Steelers and their approach to the game.

 

[slick325]

Alexander, I commend you for speaking the truth even if it is unpopular to do so. The lack of accountability truly disgusts me when it comes to Romo. The excuses made for his errors are countless and frustrating. No Romo is not the sole party to blame but as you have stated he plays the most important position on the field thus blame and praise come with the territory.

Romo has to truly work on ball protection and Parcells was right in saying that he needs someone to stay on him all the time. I like him but I refuse to turn a blind eye to his miscues. I hope he works hard on limiting his league leading fumbles by being more aware outside of the pocket. I hope he continues to work hard on all of his weaknesses. If he does that he will become a great QB and he will have playoff success. Until then he is a very good QB on the cusp of greatness.

 

[joseephuss]

Alexander, I commend you for speaking the truth even if it is unpopular to do so. The lack of accountability truly disgusts me when it comes to Romo. The excuses made for his errors are countless and frustrating. No Romo is not the sole party to blame but as you have stated he plays the most important position on the field thus blame and praise come with the territory.

Romo has to truly work on ball protection and Parcells was right in saying that he needs someone to stay on him all the time. I like him but I refuse to turn a blind eye to his miscues. I hope he works hard on limiting his league leading fumbles by being more aware outside of the pocket. I hope he continues to work hard on all of his weaknesses. If he does that he will become a great QB and he will have playoff success. Until then he is a very good QB on the cusp of greatness.

What do you mean by lack of accountability? Does Romo make excuses or are you talking about some fans making excuses for Romo? The one very positive thing I have heard many times about Romo is that he works very hard. I am not worried about him working to improve his game. Of course someone can work very hard and still not improve. For example, I can work my posterior off and yet I will never be an NFL QB.

 

[Idgit]

That's also what I don't like when I see QBs getting compared. Romo's better than Roethlisberger because he has better statistics. That's rubbish and I am amazed anyone can say that with a straight face and believe it. Roethlisberger has been excellent in the postseason, mostly because he's clutch and has avoided mistakes. That's why he has two trophies, meanwhile Romo is still looking for his first win.

Aikman frequently mentions his standard for evaluating a QB is whether or not the guy can get you in a position to win the game at the end. Every QB is going to throw inopportune picks, or miss an open receiver now and then, and Romo is no different.

Roethisberger gets his team in position to win, but until this last Superbowl, I wouldn't have said that he's any better at it than Romo is. Now I definitely would, but that's no shame on Tony. Of our losses Romo played in last year, the WAS1 game, the AZ game, the PIT game, the BAL game were all games that he got us in position to win, with the PIT game being the one he actually went out and lost for us at the end. Looking at '07, the Bills game was another one where he played horribly and still got us in position to win.

I love that we're rarely ever out of a game when Romo is playing. All the discussion about elite or good v. great aside, this is all I want from a QB. Keep the team in position to win every game and then somebody go make a play. Last year, for a variety of reasons, we just didn't have guys make plays. That's what's got to change this season for us to get over the hump.

 

[Alexander]

What do you mean by lack of accountability? Does Romo make excuses or are you talking about some fans making excuses for Romo?

The latter.

The one very positive thing I have heard many times about Romo is that he works very hard. I am not worried about him working to improve his game. Of course someone can work very hard and still not improve. For example, I can work my posterior off and yet I will never be an NFL QB.

I used to feel that way, but some of his comments late (and comments from unidentified snitches) last year gave me some doubt. He did try to downplay his mistakes and the same person we saw literally dying on the field in Seattle was replaced by another personality.

 

[Idgit]

Alexander, I commend you for speaking the truth even if it is unpopular to do so. The lack of accountability truly disgusts me when it comes to Romo. The excuses made for his errors are countless and frustrating. No Romo is not the sole party to blame but as you have stated he plays the most important position on the field thus blame and praise come with the territory.

Romo has to truly work on ball protection and Parcells was right in saying that he needs someone to stay on him all the time. I like him but I refuse to turn a blind eye to his miscues. I hope he works hard on limiting his league leading fumbles by being more aware outside of the pocket. I hope he continues to work hard on all of his weaknesses. If he does that he will become a great QB and he will have playoff success. Until then he is a very good QB on the cusp of greatness.

Is anyone really disagreeing with this take? You and Alexander are lumped in a huge % of fans who think Romo's somewhere between very good to great right now, and that he has things to work on. That's not exactly speaking truth to power.

I think you're picking up on the crackback on a lunatic fringe who say things like 'Romo gets one more year to prove himself in Dallas' or 'Romo sucks in December' and concluding that people don't hold the QB accountable for his play.

 

[Alexander]

I love that we're rarely ever out of a game when Romo is playing. All the discussion about elite or good v. great aside, this is all I want from a QB. Keep the team in position to win every game and then somebody go make a play. Last year, for a variety of reasons, we just didn't have guys make plays. That's what's got to change this season for us to get over the hump.

Keeping a team in a position to win is not always about who happens to be on the field leading a comeback. It is great to have excitement and so forth, but I would prefer a QB who plays efficient accurate football and minimizes mistakes so those mistakes don't make the cardiac comebacks necessary in the first place. Aikman used to bore everyone but he fit his own definition.

 

[Idgit]

Keeping a team in a position to win is not always about who happens to be on the field leading a comeback. It is great to have excitement and so forth, but I would prefer a QB who plays efficient accurate football and minimizes mistakes so those mistakes don't make the cardiac comebacks necessary in the first place. Aikman used to bore everyone but he fit his own definition.

It's not about cardiac comebacks. It's only about keeping your team in position to win the game. This can be either in a blowout in your favor or on a week when you're in a dogfight or just not playing well. Just being relentless.

Aikman fit this definition to a tee. He also uses is as a primary reason why he thinks Romo is a very good QB.

 

[birdwells1]

Perfectly stated. If Fasano and Crayton do their jobs or the refs don't make up grounding and personal foul calls (Davis), we beat the Giants and all this Romo can't win crap doesn't exist. Other guys need to do their jobs. Romo is a top QB. The postseason wins will come.

This post has no accountability written all over it.

 

[Alexander]

Big Ben has not avoided mistakes in the playoffs. He has made some critical turn overs. He also has made some big plays. He has done just enough to allow his teams to win.

Just enough? I'd say how he performed on the Steelers' last drive against Arizona was more than just enough.

In the end that is what you want from a QB. Big Ben works for the Steelers and their approach to the game.

So what is our approach? We've got the gunslinger and we are never out of any game? It works when you have an Elway or Staubach, but we are talking about two all-timers, not an overachiever.

That might be part of the problem as well and it just fuels Romo's nature. Honestly, he is like Favre where he feels he HAS to make that play, even if the percentages are not there. The concern I have is that he appears to be losing the edge he once had and might be falling into that gunslinger mode when he frankly doesn't have the tools to pull it off consistently.

 

[joseephuss]

Just enough? I'd say how he performed on the Steelers' last drive against Arizona was more than just enough.



So what is our approach? We've got the gunslinger and we are never out of any game? It works when you have an Elway or Staubach, but we are talking about two all-timers, not an overachiever.

That might be part of the problem as well and it just fuels Romo's nature. Honestly, he is like Favre where he feels he HAS to make that play, even if the percentages are not there. The concern I have is that he appears to be losing the edge he once had and might be falling into that gunslinger mode when he frankly doesn't have the tools to pull it off consistently.

Sure if you look at just the final drive then you could say that Ben did more than just enough. What about the rest of the game? He turned the ball over, he missed receivers that were wide open for possible TDs. He came through at the end when it mattered and that to me is doing just enough. He could have done more. We have seen QBs do more and that usually leads to their team winning the SB by a blow out.

The approach has to change for Romo because he is different than Roethlisberger. Each QB is different and requires a different approach. I don't the best way to reign Romo in some, but something needs to be done. At the same time he is never going to be Aikman like in his approach to the game. It would be dumb to try to make him just a so called bus driver. It has to be somewhere between bus driver and gun slinger. I don't know how he gets there, but until he does he won't get the most of his skill set.

 

[Alexander]

It's only about keeping your team in position to win the game.

Being reckless and careless with the football is most certainly not keeping your team in a position to win. Again, ebb and flow is something that is always lost in these types of debates. Throwing 2TDs in the final quarter is not nearly as impressive when you fumble twice and throw an interception that put your team in a hole to begin with.

 

[joseephuss]

Being reckless and careless with the football is most certainly not keeping your team in a position to win. Again, ebb and flow is something that is always lost in these types of debates. Throwing 2TDs in the final quarter is not nearly as impressive when you fumble twice and throw an interception that put your team in a hole to begin with.

I agree. The Baltimore game is a great example of that. Romo is given a lot of credit for what he did late in the game while the defense is bashed for giving up the two long TD runs. If Romo plays better in the first 3 quarters then the defense doesn't have to worry about selling out and being out of position to stop the run late in the game. The whole team needs to play better for 4 quarters and that includes Romo.

 

[Alexander]

[It would be dumb to try to make him just a so called bus driver.

We already saw that doesn't work. But reduction down to bus driver status isn't as bad as it sounds. Aikman was actually a bus driver if you think about it. Keeping him on the reservation and keeping him grounded as Coach Parcells preached seems to be the easiest solution. What would fail would be turning him into something he's not, as the poor Tom Brady imitation approach we attempted last year speaks to. He's not a pocket QB who can just pick apart defenses. He's an opportunist.

It has to be somewhere between bus driver and gun slinger. I don't know how he gets there, but until he does he won't get the most of his skill set.

Hopefully relying on the run a little more will be the tonic.

 

[gbrittain]

It's not about cardiac comebacks. It's only about keeping your team in position to win the game. This can be either in a blowout in your favor or on a week when you're in a dogfight or just not playing well. Just being relentless.

Aikman fit this definition to a tee. He also uses is as a primary reason why he thinks Romo is a very good QB.

What I find promising about Romo is that many are using Roethlisberger and other Super Bowl winning QBs as an example of where Romo falls short.

To my knowledge there will only be 5 starting QBs this year who have won a Super Bowl. Fine by me if we can't put Romo in that class. QBs are measured by Super Bowls.

The funny thing is no QB is a Super Bowl winning QB until well...they win a Super Bowl.

So it is safe to say that E. Manning, P. Manning, Brady, Roethlisberger, and Warner will not be QBing the Dallas Cowboys this year. So for best of the rest Romo is right there at the top and he gives us a chance.

 

[Hostile]

I gather that the overall point is that no matter how much talent Tony Romo has believing in him being the guy to bring us back to post season success is silly.

I find that humorous in its complete stupidity, but okay. I can humor fools.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I was thinking more along the lines of you handing out a load of props for the Cowboys, because hey, they had a 9-7 season and almost made the playoffs. I'm really looking forward to the next pro-Jerry Jones post. Will you have a chapter in your book on how great he is as a GM?

What's generally been the rule since '97? The Cowboys have been a mediocre to bad team. That's not supposition, it's fact. That all changed when Tony Romo took over. Also fact. I may have missed a game, but Romo's something like 22-4 pre-December.

The Cowboys didn't collapse in December under Dave Campo. It's hard to collapse when you're already in shambles. They won 31% of all their games under Campo, and 31% in December, according to what you posted earlier.

The Cowboys didn't collapse under Bill Parcells. According to you, they were 8-9, which is only the slightest % under what they were under Bill Parcells for the rest of the year.

That's the reality of it. Not some mythical jinx or curse from above.

See a trend here? The Cowboys were generally not a good team all those years. So a December "collapse" was, for the most part, simply a continuation of poor to mediocre play in the previous 3 months.

A collapse is what we've seen under Romo. The NFC's best record Sept-Nov, since he took over the team, but dismal in December and January.

I'm sure you'll have a more detailed analysis of all this in your book.

I didn't know sbk still posted here...

 

[Doomsday101]

There is no doubt Tony has things he must improve on like being more careful with the ball when things break down around him and he has to do a better job of knowing when to take risk and when to be more conservative with the ball. Watching him play as well as other QB's in the league yes I think the man has great talent and is a playmaker as a QB be it pulling out the 1st down throw when facing 3rd and 15 or 20 driving the team late in games to produce scores as he has done in many games.

Personally I think Tony is a top NFL QB as for winning playoffs and championship well that is going to take the entire team stepping up and doing their jobs not Romo alone. That means defense has to step up make big stops late in games it means the special teams do not give up 50 yard returns setting the other team up with excellent field postion to retake the lead or having punts blocked in overtime.

There are many things that have gone wrong and Romo shares in this but he has been far from the only one. Correct these problems and this team has a chance to win a championship continue to have these problems and we will continue to struggle late into the season when games mean much more as teams are fighting for playoff spots.

 

[birdwells1]

I gather that the overall point is that no matter how much talent Tony Romo has believing in him being the guy to bring us back to post season success is silly.

I find that humorous in its complete stupidity, but okay. I can humor fools.

No, believing in him is not but acting like he has is humerous in its complete stupidity.