jday
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Elite. Perhaps one of the most overused, abused, and confused words in the NFL. Google’s adopted definition of elite describes it as a select part of a group that is superior to the rest in terms of ability or qualities. My focus today will be on the latter part of that definition; qualities.
Part of the problem is there is no formula that we can use to determine beyond a shadow of a doubt of who is elite and who is not. Take Tony Romo, for instance:
For years we Cowboys fans attempted to argue that Tony belonged in the elite conversation. The problem we faced when attempting to convince other fans of this was the concurrent existence of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. If Tony was elite, what word could we then use to describe Brady and Manning? Because, as hard as it was for us Cowboys fans to admit, those two were clearly on another level above Tony. How so was certainly difficult to define, but based on the numbers, based on the results, and based on the consistency of what we were seeing from those two, it was impossible to place Romo in the same conversation.
Some Cowboys fans would argue that this team or the coaches or the system or the owner held Tony back. Red in the face, following a deep inhale and pounding their doubled-up fist on the table they would exclaim, “Place Tony into either Brady or Manning’s situation and he would have experienced like (if not better, some would suggest) results!”
But, of course, in response to that, the rival fan or Cowboys realist would argue, how did Jerry, the team, the system or Garrett in any way effect his mishandling of the Field Goal snap in 2006 in the playoffs against Seattle? How did any of those outside entities impact his ill-timed interceptions thrown or fumbles lost in situations where you absolutely could not afford to lose a possession? And how did any of those outside variables have any impact on Tony’s tendency to try and win the game on every play, as opposed to smartly throwing the ball away?
Granted, Brady and Manning both have had their share of interceptions thrown or lost fumbles. Furthermore, being the Quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys is a polarizing position where mistakes often times are magnified compared to what they would be for the quarterback of any other team. I cosign that assertion.
For me, though, the story of Tony was told in the microcosm of one fateful play.
The situation: It is the 3rd game of the preseason in 2016. It is the third play in. The Cowboys starters are all on the field lined up opposite of the starters for the Legion of Boom; the Seattle Seahawks. Romo takes the snap. The play is quickly breaking down. Ezekiel is as advertised in the blitz pickup department, as he takes the legs out from underneath a free rusher. Despite the extra time afforded Tony, he still doesn’t have a look he likes down field.
It is decision time for Tony:
Does he throw the ball away and live to play another play or try to create more time with his aging legs? Plug and play this situation into the regular season, the playoffs or the Super Bowl and I can wrap my head around the decision Romo ultimately made. But in the preseason? Seriously? You are going to put your body on the line for a freaking preseason game?
Romo attempted to make something out of nothing, and started running in hopes of picking up a few yards on an otherwise busted play in an otherwise meaningless game. He was caught from behind, slammed down to the turf on his tailbone and the result was a broken bone in his back. Broken play, broken back, broken career.
And that is (literally and metaphorically) the story of Tony “The Tiger” Romo.
As frustrating as this truth is, that is simply who Tony is; he never says die, no matter the situation. And that quality obviously both assisted and countered him throughout his career. Like Brett Farve, Tony was a gunslinger.
When I first heard the term “gunslinger,” I thought of it as a style of quarterback play. But in truth, being a gunslinger is a mentality…an approach…an attitude…and simply the only way Tony knows how to play. Over time and through seasoning, he curtailed many of his gunslinger bad habits, but it never changed the fact that if he wasn’t trying to win, he was sleeping (and probably dreaming about trying to win). If he was doing anything, he was competing…unfortunately, even if it was to his detriment.
So, while the non-existent formula that we use to calculate rather or not Romo is elite might equal less than Brady and Manning, there were certain “qualities” about Romo that did, in fact, place him in that conversation.
Oh, you don’t think so?
Then tell me this:
Who wants to win more than Tony? Even when it means absolutely nothing, he tries to win. Throughout his career, not once was there a “business decision” from him. For him, it is not even a choice. Winning for him was the only choice.
To be fair, Tony did not have time to consider what that preseason game meant when he opted to run as opposed to throwing the ball away. In that moment, his default setting forced him to try and win. And if that, my friends, isn’t an elite “quality”, I honestly have no idea what the word “quality” is.
Thoughts?
Part of the problem is there is no formula that we can use to determine beyond a shadow of a doubt of who is elite and who is not. Take Tony Romo, for instance:
For years we Cowboys fans attempted to argue that Tony belonged in the elite conversation. The problem we faced when attempting to convince other fans of this was the concurrent existence of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. If Tony was elite, what word could we then use to describe Brady and Manning? Because, as hard as it was for us Cowboys fans to admit, those two were clearly on another level above Tony. How so was certainly difficult to define, but based on the numbers, based on the results, and based on the consistency of what we were seeing from those two, it was impossible to place Romo in the same conversation.
Some Cowboys fans would argue that this team or the coaches or the system or the owner held Tony back. Red in the face, following a deep inhale and pounding their doubled-up fist on the table they would exclaim, “Place Tony into either Brady or Manning’s situation and he would have experienced like (if not better, some would suggest) results!”
But, of course, in response to that, the rival fan or Cowboys realist would argue, how did Jerry, the team, the system or Garrett in any way effect his mishandling of the Field Goal snap in 2006 in the playoffs against Seattle? How did any of those outside entities impact his ill-timed interceptions thrown or fumbles lost in situations where you absolutely could not afford to lose a possession? And how did any of those outside variables have any impact on Tony’s tendency to try and win the game on every play, as opposed to smartly throwing the ball away?
Granted, Brady and Manning both have had their share of interceptions thrown or lost fumbles. Furthermore, being the Quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys is a polarizing position where mistakes often times are magnified compared to what they would be for the quarterback of any other team. I cosign that assertion.
For me, though, the story of Tony was told in the microcosm of one fateful play.
The situation: It is the 3rd game of the preseason in 2016. It is the third play in. The Cowboys starters are all on the field lined up opposite of the starters for the Legion of Boom; the Seattle Seahawks. Romo takes the snap. The play is quickly breaking down. Ezekiel is as advertised in the blitz pickup department, as he takes the legs out from underneath a free rusher. Despite the extra time afforded Tony, he still doesn’t have a look he likes down field.
It is decision time for Tony:
Does he throw the ball away and live to play another play or try to create more time with his aging legs? Plug and play this situation into the regular season, the playoffs or the Super Bowl and I can wrap my head around the decision Romo ultimately made. But in the preseason? Seriously? You are going to put your body on the line for a freaking preseason game?
Romo attempted to make something out of nothing, and started running in hopes of picking up a few yards on an otherwise busted play in an otherwise meaningless game. He was caught from behind, slammed down to the turf on his tailbone and the result was a broken bone in his back. Broken play, broken back, broken career.
And that is (literally and metaphorically) the story of Tony “The Tiger” Romo.
As frustrating as this truth is, that is simply who Tony is; he never says die, no matter the situation. And that quality obviously both assisted and countered him throughout his career. Like Brett Farve, Tony was a gunslinger.
When I first heard the term “gunslinger,” I thought of it as a style of quarterback play. But in truth, being a gunslinger is a mentality…an approach…an attitude…and simply the only way Tony knows how to play. Over time and through seasoning, he curtailed many of his gunslinger bad habits, but it never changed the fact that if he wasn’t trying to win, he was sleeping (and probably dreaming about trying to win). If he was doing anything, he was competing…unfortunately, even if it was to his detriment.
So, while the non-existent formula that we use to calculate rather or not Romo is elite might equal less than Brady and Manning, there were certain “qualities” about Romo that did, in fact, place him in that conversation.
Oh, you don’t think so?
Then tell me this:
Who wants to win more than Tony? Even when it means absolutely nothing, he tries to win. Throughout his career, not once was there a “business decision” from him. For him, it is not even a choice. Winning for him was the only choice.
To be fair, Tony did not have time to consider what that preseason game meant when he opted to run as opposed to throwing the ball away. In that moment, his default setting forced him to try and win. And if that, my friends, isn’t an elite “quality”, I honestly have no idea what the word “quality” is.
Thoughts?
r,,,,
Bite me, big mouth.
