Why Roy Williams and Tony are not connecting

[Eskimo]

I wouldn't say horrible, he listens and makes some good, even great, signings, but there are times where he can't take his eye off that one player, and has to have him, Roy is just that player

Where would we be if he didn't luck into getting Romo - a franchise QB out of a UDFA signing because of OC happened to go to the same college. My guess is we'd be horribly mediocre.

He has a certain type of single mindedness that other GMs around the league mercilessly exploit because they know he will cave in at the end. Roy Williams should have cost us no more than a 2nd round draft pick - that much is obvious to anyone with a good set of eyes and some football knowledge. Two high picks are reserved for consistent Pro Bowl level players.

 

[couchscout]

Bob Sturm has a good breakdown over at the D Magazine blog. Roy Williams only catches the ball 40% of the time that Romo throws to him. Austin catches about 60%, and Witten is just money (80%), especially on 3rd down (100% this year on 8 throws, all caught, 5 for first downs).

if I was Romo, I'd throw to Witten or Austin, too.

Please don't bring facts into this discussion!!

 

[twentytwo]

I was reading another thread about a member's analysis of the game, which was a good assessment. But, I can't believe how one person's analysis turned into a flame war over a player he did not even mention.

On to Roy Williams. Please read me out before giving me the keyboard beatdown.

From the Atlanta game, Roy had a few hit him in the hands yesterday that he flat out dropped. Those are all on Roy, no question.

The question is on the actual misses from Romo to Roy. They appeared to be waaayyy off, especially considering how "on target" Romo was with the rest of his throws. That slant route that hit the ground at Roy's feet readily comes to mind. After rewatching it several times through the miracle of TiVo, it looked like Romo expected Roy to break in about five yards earlier than what Roy actually did. After a while, Tony just stopped looking Roy's way.

With Miles, Witten and even Crayton, Romo throws to a spot and he has confidence that the receiver will be there. With Witten, it is close to 100% that he is in the expected spot, which is why he is Romo's "go to guy". For the last two games, I have also seen Romo show that type of confidence in Miles. On the out routes especially, Tony has thrown to a spot and Miles has been there. That speaks volumes on why Miles is getting the numbers that he is and why the passing attack has been so good over the last few games.

My personal thoughts are that Roy Williams is still having trouble running the correct routes. A lot of the successful connections between he and Romo have been where Romo can see Roy's path prior to throwing the football (like the post pattern against the Bucs), but the quick breaks and hot routes have been hit and miss. The good news is that this is correctable, but the question is "when" this correction will occur and when these two can get in sync.

I am not standing up for Roy, because it has certainly been long enough that he and Tony should be in tune by now, but I am saying that if they get in tune come November and December, then Roy and Miles could prove to be a very scary combo at the wide-out position.

Just one member's opinion.

This is definitely a very good point. I don't know what is wrong exactly, but I have confidence that they will start to get on the same page. My expectations are definitely a lot lower than they were when he first came here, but I definitely think he can be a solid receiver for us.... especially since Miles Austin will most likely be taking a lot of pressure off of him.

 

[Venger]

I am not sure we are really using RW right. He's not a speedster, he's a possession receiver with normally good hands. Is this all in his head now? Maybe. With Austin breaking out - and if he can continue to develop into a consistent playmaking threat downfield (and that is a big if still) - perhaps Roy can fill that role, and perhaps with Austin creating something the defense accounts for, lets Roy slide into a groove. Can't tell you how many times I've seen him grab a ball from the air with feet just inside the boundary, but that was all in Detroit. Hopefully he can get back to that role, which is what I think they envisioned when they got him, hoping TO would be all flash and downfield, and Roy would be open on outs and those 7 yard quick outs when you need 6 for a first.

 

[Joe Realist]

I won't pound on you. Excellent post. I wish I had an answer, but I am sure the personnel experts here will know exactly what it is.

I predict in next week's touch of hostility, you will mention Roy Williams and his 5 catches for 76 yards a 1 TD.