He really wasn't. He'd go downfield occasionally to keep the D honest, but he never was a YAC guy. What he did was get open and catch the ball better than any TE ever.
Witten also gave you something as a blocker. Not so much in later years, but when younger he did. Parcells was probably a good influence for that.
Blocking show up in the stats, but it does show up in wins.
Yeah, not great at YAC, and got worse at it as the years went on. Probably the last 5 years he was routinely tiptoeing out of bounds instead of taking contact with guys 50lbs lighter than he was. Infuriating.
I went to look for his *failed* YAC against the Seahawks that led to the Romo Bobble. Couldn't make half a yard of YAC. Absolutely stoned. And that was when he was young.
But while doing so I found yet another guy totally failing. Another guy who made the "Romo Choke" possible.
Watch the right side of the line. #80 turns around to watch the kick instead of blocking his man. The man who tackled Romo. Fasano literally did not touch him. Did not even *try*. Probably why he wasn't with the team then next year. Inexcusable.
1st down or TD if Fasano does a tenth of his job. I don't recall anyone ever pointing out this fail before. Many have pointed out Grammatica and his sad little pushy pushy attempt at blocking. But he was a kicker, and a tiny one at that. He at least tried and did something. Fasano was a TE who stupidly just turned around and did nothing. Ugh.
Also never discussed. Why didn't we go for it? At least *threaten* to go for it to draw them offsides for a first down?
4th and 1/2 a yard and the 1 1/2 yard line. First down with a penalty. Al Michaels: "All they will need is a field goal to win the game. And they've got the best clutch kicker in America this year in Josh Brown".
I thought we were just dead as we ran out the FG team. Seattle would throw at The Biscuit until they were in FG range. Josh Brown booms the winner. Inevitable.
Marion the Barbarian can't make half a yard? On 4th and 1-3 that year, 3 attempts, Marion had 1 TD and 2 1stD. Parcells punked.
I felt *hope* when Romo bobbled the ball because that gave us a chance to win.
Ewgh. Watching more, Seattle 1st down off the goal line. The game wasn't over at that point. All we needed was a FG. Or a safety. If we force them to punt, maybe we need 20 yards to get in FG range. Dallas had all of its timeouts. And ... the defense gives up a 20 yard run on 1st down.
Then Seattle can't move the ball. They kick. We get the ball at the 50. If we just don't get blown off on 1st down, instead of 2 seconds left on the clock when we get it back, we have 42. Plenty of time to get in FG range and win the game.
Even the Hail Mary. The jumpers just clip it and the ball lands on the turf between Glenn and Crayton just standing there. Those guys failing at the end of the game, just like 2007.
What an *ocean* of fail across the team at the end of the game. But the headline: "Romo Chokes".
