What Will Happen To Dez Bryant? From the Top Down

By:  Bobby Shores
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With the news  breaking today that Dez Bryant had been arrested for "domestic violence", my first thought was, "Now we will find out if the Cowboys have any leaders in the locker room". First let me say that I think "leadership" is WAY overblown in today's NFL, it seems to all boil down to every good team has "great leadership", while every average-to-bad team "lacks leadership", and the Cowboys are under the microscope more than most. Does anybody else remember how Eli Manning was not a leader, didn't demand accountability, etc. until the playoff run last year when it all switched to how he demands perfection and respect in the huddle, born leader like his brother, etc.

Unconfirmed Pic of NorthPark Mall Security that busted Dez

I wanna start this off with saying that I do not think Bryant is a bad guy, yes there have been a few incidents he has been involved in that made news, but were ultimately very minor in nature. I mean seriously, who cares if the guy is like 40% of America and can't manage his money, or if he is like 45% of American youth and wears his pants to low and talks back to the "rent-a-pigs" at NorthPark mall, or like 90% of America and wants to beat the hell out of Lil' Wayne. Of course this latest incident has the potential to be more serious, I do not want to make you think I am taking a "domestic violence" accusation seriously, I am.

This article is not going to be judging Bryant on what happened, with the lack of details and different stories floating around out there, let's get the truth before we tear Dez apart. Yes, Bryant is a very passionate guy, especially on the field, but nothing I have ever seen or read made me think he was either violent or even capable of violence. I have respect for any guy that can sit there calmly while another man calls his mom a prostitute, no matter what the situation is. While we are waiting on the facts of the case to make their way into our hands, let's begin the speculation on what could happen to him on the football side.

Let's start at the top of the food chain and work our way down. Commissioner Roger Goodell may decide that Bryant has put himself in enough bad situations that it's time to act and discipline him, and he doesn't even need charges to be pressed, an arrest or conviction to use the god-like powers given him as judge, jury and executioner. Since this is his first "real" issue with legal involvement, I do not expect much more than maybe a meeting or phone call from Rog letting Bryant know that he is on his radar.

Moving on down, the next level of discipline can be imposed by Jerry Jones and/or Jason Garrett, we know that Jones is kind of a softy and will probably not due anything more than a good stern talking to, but rest assured this will be brought up again when it comes time to negotiate a new contract. This incident, more than any other, can and will be used by Jones and his son to not only sign Bryant for less than he would have gotten without it, but he will also be able to write in language that protects the Cowboys, their money and their cap space if he screws up again. Above all else, Jones is a businessman and will pounce on any weakness to get what he wants.

Garrett on the other hand has spent his time as head coach building a team full of "good" guys, respected players with no baggage, great work ethics that are disciplined. The fact that he approved bringing in Bryant shows the amount of talent that he has. If this had happened during the season I could see Garrett ripping a page from his coach, Jimmy Johnson, and sitting Bryant for a series; much like Johnson did to Irvin years ago. Since this will likely be forgotten by most of us the day players report to training camp, I believe Garrett should use this as a way to not only punish Bryant, but also fix his biggest deficiency....conditioning. We all know that Bryant was in such bad shape last year that he literally disappeared during the second half of nearly every game, even when he was blowing it up during the first half. So punish him by making him run, and run, and run, and run, and run every single day after practices; it will help Bryant and the team!

What intrigues me more than anything else though, is how the guys in the locker room will react to this. There has been lots of negativity surrounding the Cowboys locker room because it lacks true leaders. The guys that you would expect to be the leaders, Jason Witten and DeMarcus Ware, tend to be "lead by example", and nobody is apparently a real "rah rah" vocal leader type, similar to Ray Lewis and Drew Brees. If the Cowboys have one, this is the time he needs to step up, get on Bryant and hold him accountable as his actions affect the entire team.

Who is this player? Is there one? Maybe it will be a group of veteran players that form a "leadership committee", much like the one that Tom Coughlin created with the Giants back in 2005. Regardless of who it is, somebody needs to take control before this gets out of hand. I still don't think that all of Dez's incidents COMBINED are as bad as the DUI issue that the NFL has......(sorry I will get off my soapbox).

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Changes the Cowboys Need to Make NOW (Part 2)!

By:  Bobby Shores

(This is the second part of a two part series, the first part was released last week)


Yesterday and today we are taking a look at some changes that the Cowboys need to make NOW! While I know that most of them cannot be made until after the season, they need to start preparing, the window of opportunity with this core group of players is closing, and due to mismanagement of the players, coaches, staff, etc. this core group of players has not achieved what their talent level says they should have.

Cowboys Right Tackle Tyron Smith

3) Move Doug Free to Right Tackle and Tyron Smith to Left Tackle - After looking like a Top 10 left tackle last year and being rewarded with a big contract this year it looked like we would be set at left tackle for a couple of years and let Tyron Smith develop slowly at the right tackle spot. The $32 million contract for Free, a young player who looked like a Top 10 Left Tackle seemed like a steal, now it looks like we may have an overpaid Right Tackle.

After a year in which Free has looked like the rookie and Smith has looked like the chiseled veteran it is past time to move them. Free started off on the right side and excelled when he replaced Marc Columbo a couple years back and Smith looks mature beyond his years (mentioned previously here & here) and ready to handle the premier pass rushers of the NFL. Free cannot handle the speed rush or power rush moves of the elite defenders anymore, and it has been obvious nearly every single game this year. This change needs to be made soon before Romo suffers another serious injury.

5) Hire an Offensive Coordinator(OC) - I touched on this in last week's article, but I felt the need to touch on it again here, even after I felt that he called the best game since he took over as head coach this past week against the New York Giants. So what is my problem you are asking? As a head coach I feel you need to be involved in all facets of the game, offense, defense, special teams, etc., and while I don't know for sure I have a feeling that while the Cowboys defense was collapsing, Garrett was to busy dialing up offensive strategy for the next drive instead of helping Rob Ryan plug the hole.

Jerry Jones needs to force Garrett to hire an OC and/or pass/run game coordinators, either way he would still maintain final say over the game plan and play calls, but would also be able to help the defense and special teams. While Garrett is an offensive guy by trade, as a head coach and football lifer he should know enough about the other facets of the game to offer advice and help them reach their potential.

Recently Fired HC's Tony Sparano & Todd Haley

While I believe that Norv Turner is the logical offensive coordinator, if the Cowboys decide to go the route of passing and/or running game coordinator, there are already some good options out there, options that have a history with the Cowboys. Tony Sparano and Todd Haley. Both of these guys are recently fired head coaches who will need to prove themselves in a lesser capacity if they wish to reach the pinnacle of professional football again. With head coaching experience they will be able to help Garrett manage the game and the clock better and should know their role on the team and how to maintain that role.

The need for Garrett to focus more on the "big picture" reared its ugly head again this week when precious seconds ticked away at the end of the game with the Giants on the 1-yard line. The "Andy Reid" style of clock mismanagement has got to stop, and the only way is for Garrett to focus on the entire team and not just the offense.

What do you guys think of the changes? While I know that these are not exhaustive lists, I think they are a good starting point. Let me know what else, or what else we should do differently in the comments.

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Changes the Cowboys Need to Make NOW (Part 1)!

By:  Bobby Shores

(This is the first in a two part series, the second part will be released Friday Morning)

Normally I save the "Changes Needed" articles until after the season, but with this Cowboys team there are some OBVIOUS changes that need to be made....and made NOW!! These changes rank from the small () to the major (hire an OC).

1) Replace Dave Campo as Secondary Coach - I know Campo has been around for a long time in this league, and that he is a favorite of Jerry Jones and Cowboys fans, but after the performance of our secondary this year, especially in big moments.....it's time for a change. Rob Ryan inherited Campo this year and I am sure he was told to give him a chance, well he did and it hasn't worked, Campo has failed to get the most out of a talented group of corners.

Currently the Cowboys pass defense rank in the bottom 10 in not only completion percentage, but also in passing yards allowed, yards per completion, etc. While a lot of people want to blame the secondary problems on the lack of a pass rush, which I admit the pass rush has come up short in some big moments, the Cowboys defense ranks in the Top 10 in sacks, so they are getting to the quarterback. And remember these stats that reflect the performance of the secondary are with a defense that has TWO 1st round cornerbacks (Terence Newman & Mike Jenkins), a nickel corner and a safety that just received extensions in the $25 million dollar range (Orlando Scandrick & Gerald Sensabaugh). Unacceptable.

In my opinion the biggest problem with the secondary has been technique. It seems that the corners especially are always 4-7 yards away from the wide receivers when the catch is made, and I believe this is due to the corners playing off when they should be pressing, turning the wrong way, playing outside position when they should be playing inside position, all technique issues.

Since it is known that Campo is a "Jerry Guy" it may not be that easy for Ryan to replace him, but at the least he should be made a position coach only and Ryan should be allowed to bring in his own secondary coach, one with which he is familiar with and can teach the techniques necessary to execute his defense. So what would they do with Campo? Well he seems to have gotten the most out of 2 undrafted safeties in Barry Church and Danny McCray, and done well enough with Sensabaugh that they gave him the long-term contract he had been seeking for a few years, so maybe Jones could keep him on as safeties coach.

2) Hire a new Special Teams Coordinator (STC) - Joe DeCamillis is known in the NFL as one of the top Special Teams Coordinators, and when the Cowboys brought him in from Jacksonville prior to the 2009 season I thought that the special teams woes would be solved. They started off pretty good in his first couple of years, but now in his 3rd year, things are falling apart, the Cowboys special teams currently rank 23rd in Kick Return average, 27th in Punt Return average,  and rank 19th in Punt Return yards allowed.

While we have one of the best punters in the league in Mat McBriar and a rookie kicker in Dan Bailey who has been exceptional this year, their protection leaves some to be lacking. McBriar has had 2 punts blocked in the past 2 years which both led to losses. Then this past week against the Giants, Dan Bailey's game tying field goal was blocked after our field goal team failed to make the necessary adjustments.

What do you guys think of the changes? While I know that these are not exhaustive lists, I think they are a good starting point. Let me know what else, or what else we should do differently in the comments.

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What Changes Do The Cowboys Need? OC, Discipline, & Accountability

By:  Bobby Shores

Image Courtesy of DallasNews.com

Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Jason Garrett has a long history with the Dallas Cowboys. From his dad being a longtime scout for the team, to his 8 years as a backup (2nd & 3rd stringer) to Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, to his 2007 hiring that has led to his current role, it has been an interesting ride with America's Team. Prior to his coaching exploits, Garrett had achieved "folk hero" status in Dallas as Aikman's backup when he led the team to a 1994 Thanksgiving Day come from behind win over a young Brett Favre led Green Bay Packers by throwing for 311 yards and 2 touchdowns. He then bounced around the league holding a clipboard for a few years before being hired (prior to the head coach being hired) by Jerry Jones as the Cowboys offensive coordinator, with all of 2 years coaching experience....coaching quarterbacks for the Dolphins.

Fast forward....Wade Phillips was fired as head coach of the Cowboys in 2010 after a 1-7 start; Jason Garrett was named "interim" head coach and finished the season 5-3, which was good enough to make him the 8th head coach in the history of the Dallas Cowboys. It was widely believed that the quick turnaround orchestrated by Garrett was due to the immediate organizational and tempo changes. So how come those changes are not carrying over into his first full season?

Let's Fix The Cowboys Offense First...Simpler Than You May Think

The Cowboys offense has been....well....erratic since Garrett took over, finishing 2nd, 18th, 14th, 7th, and this year they are currently ranked 13th in what I perceive to be the most important straight up offensive category, points scored. To put that in perspective, teams like the 'Niners, Jets, and Ravens are all averaging more points per game, and those teams are routinely ridiculed as being the most "offensively challenged" in the NFL.

So why was Garrett's best year statistically his first year, has he just gotten worse, or was there something else involved? In my opinion it was because Garrett did not handle all the playcalling duties during the 2007 season. That year, current Miami Dolphins coach Tony Sparano was the Cowboys offensive line coach/assistant head coach/running game coordinator who was heavily involved with the in-game direction of the offense. As soon as Sparano left for Miami following the 2007 season and Garrett has had sole responsibility of the the offense, they have struggled, particularly in scoring....

Editors Note: Take a look at the "Scoreability" statistics from my friends at Cold Hard Football Facts (CHFF), it is basically how well a team turns yards into points and is a great way to tell how efficient an offense is, or how inefficient an offense is as the Cowboys found out in 2009, having the second most yards in the NFL does not matter if you can't turn those yards into points....

I believe he needs playcalling help, particularly he seems to lack creativity in the red zone and other big moments. He reminds me of that really smart kid in high school, the one who is really book smart but has no common sense, he always knew what the book said to do but when things got hectic or out of control and he needed to improvise or "think outside the box" he froze. Which is precisely what happened to Garrett on Sunday against the Cardinals. I don't need to go over the details unless you have been living under a rock.

So what do they do? Hire Garrett's former mentor Norv Turner, not only is he an exceptional quarterbacks coach who I believe can get Tony Romo over the hump he has been stuck on for years, his offenses are always near the top of the league. Yes, I know that Turner is currently employed as the head coach of the San Diego Chargers, but unless they go on an incredible run while Tim Tebow succumbs to satan's temptations, he will be fired and most likely have to go down to being an offensive coordinator for a couple of years.

This marriage works out well for both sides, Turner gets to come back home where he had his greatest success as the offensive coordinator of the 90's Cowboys dynasty (and where Jerry Jones nearly hired him over Phillips), where he coached Garrett, and since they already run Turner's offense here there would be little transition. Garrett will be able to focus more on being a head coach (organizational & discipline issues) and less about having to be the head coach AND offensive coordinator. We know that the Cowboys already have a lot of talent on the offensive side of the ball which would be very attractive to Turner.

One other benefit that having Turner on the staff gives the Jerry Jones is if Garrett does not work out then he will have 2 guys in Rob Ryan and Norv Turner that would seemingly be able to make the jump to the #1 spot.

Other Cowboys Problems That Need Fixing

One of the biggest knocks on the Cowboys during the Phillips era was discipline and accountability. During his 3 full years the Cowboys ranked 28th, 32nd, and 29th in penalties, with many of them coming in key situations that directly resulted in lost games. From the Alex Barron holding penalty that cost the Cowboys a win in the first game against the Redskins last year, to the repeated game changing celebration penalties by Roy Williams, Sam Hurd, and Marc Columbo. Now that Garrett has taken full control of this team, and has a reputation of a disciplinarian guy who demands perfection, you would expect the penalties to have decreased quite a bit, right? Guess again, 13 weeks into the season the Cowboys rank 26th, not much of an improvement....

#1 Cowboys fan & her car  Sabrina Elie

Again these penalties are killing drives, taking points off the board, and extending opponents drives and putting points on the board for them. Garrett seems to be a very intelligent, organized, Type-A personality kind of guy that demands a lot from his employees, I just think that it is getting lost with him trying to run the entire offense. If he hires Norv Turner he can still be involved in the game planning, strategy, playcalling, and execution of the offense, but will now have some help from an experienced OC with proven success and the same system.

When it comes to accountability, Garrett needs to have some for himself, it was so obvious that even Helen Keller knew he botched the clock management at the end of the Cardinals game, but instead of admitting that he screwed up he just continues to play the "it was not the wrong decision it just didn't work" card. No leader can demand accountability from his employees without being accountable for himself.


Hiring Turner is a win-win for not only Garrett and the Cowboys, but for all the frustrated fans that see the errors and predictability of this team before it happens, he just needs some help so that he can focus on the big picture. Garrett needs to put his ego to the side and do what is best for the organization

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Who are These New Look Cowboys (Offense)?

By:  Bobby Shores

The 2011 Dallas Cowboys are a team full of unexpected new contributors, you have high profile draft picks, low profile draft picks, guys that were found on the free agent scrap heap, and one guy that was found on a reality TV show.  And this is just talking about the offensive side of the ball, these contributors are a reason why the wildly inconsistent Cowboys seem to be becoming consistent at the right time to make a late season run into the playoffs.

DeMarco Murray/Montrae Holland/Tony Fiammetta/Running Game - These three guys are the main driving force behind the recent success of the Cowboys and their offense. While most people are giving nearly all the credit to the emergence of rookie running back DeMarco Murray and the highest 3-game rushing total in Cowboys History, if you look closer Murray's rise to success coincides with Holland and Fiammetta becoming fixtures in the starting lineup. 

The recent success of Tony Romo is also directly related to the emergence of the running game as teams now have to account for ground attack instead of playing the pass nearly 100% of  the time. I think we can all agree that Romo is at his best when he does not have to carry the entire offense on his shoulders, when that happens he tries to do too much and that is when he make mistakes.

Montrae Holland - Holland was acquired by the Cowboys in a 2008 trade with the Denver Broncos and has struggled to keep his weight in check, causing him to bounce from reliable multi-position backup, to starter, to backup, to released, to finally being brought back after his back healed up and he lost weight (both are directly related). Before Holland was brought back the Cowboys were working with a very young and small offensive line (3 rookies, yes I know that Center Phil Costa is not a rookie but he might as well be) that I predicted would be a problem early this season, but Holland arrived and instantly made Doug Free and Phil Costa better. 

Not only is he winning the battles in his "area" (Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett also seems to have changed the blocking scheme from 1-on-1 power blocking to more zone blocking) he is also getting out in space and getting in defenders way at the second level. His play has been so impressive that on his first game back Jerry Jones declared that Holland should get the game ball and not DeMarco Murray (who had just rushed for a franchise record 253 yards), and I tend to agree.

DeMarco Murray - the 3rd round draft pick out of Oklahoma, has been the driving force behind the resurgence of the running game. While you have to give a lot of credit to the offensive line and Tony Fiammetta, Murray has started running hard and not going down on first contact ensuring that he gets every yard possible out of every run. In my opinion, much of his success in the last few games has come with a fundamental change in his game, early in the season I saw him receive the hand-off and duck his head through first contact, but now he is keeping his head up allowing him to make that first guy miss when he steps in the hole allowing him to get to the second level.

Tony Fiammetta - Another guy that the Cowboys found on the scrap heap after he was picked from the Panthers, his playing time is also directly related to the emergence of the running game. Fiammetta is better on the edges than than taking linebackers head on in the gaps, and is a throwback fullback of sorts because he seems to be very athletic instead of bulky, with that you would expect him to be a threat out of the backfield, but he is happy clearing the holes for the threats.

Laurent Robinson - Falcons, Rams, Chargers, Cowboys(twice) all before age 26....doesn't sound like the resume of the best wide receiver on the 6th best passing team in the NFL does it? Well Laurent Robinson is currently the wide receiver playing the best for the Cowboys right now, in fact his play has made Miles Austin somewhat....expendable. In fact, I cannot believe that some wannabe sports writer/scout ever once considered that this passing attack needed Randy Moss....what an idiot!! 

Robinson was a journeyman free agent who was always considered talented, but injury prone. He has become a fixture in the Cowboys offense this season accumulating a solid 27 catches for 441 yards and 4 touchdowns. But Robinson's biggest impact has not been his stats, it has been the smaller things he is doing right, like knowing the plays, where to line up and what route to run while doing it at full speed and not loafing (I am talking to you Dez Bryant and Kevin Ogletree). His route running is also precise and crisp; running the routes the same way every time which gives quarterback Tony Romo the comfort of knowing that he can throw to a spot and his receiver will be there. 

It looks like Robinson has become the wide receiver version of Jason Witten for Romo, and in just 7 games this season has become a more reliable and dependable option than Miles Austin, if it weren't for the contract (Economics of the NFL) Robinson would continue to be the #2, even when Austin returns. 

Tyron Smith - Coming out of USC as the 9th overall pick in the draft, Smith was fairly inexperienced after only starting for 1 year, and not even the best tackle on his team (see Matt Kalil). I was very hard on him and did not expect him to make as great an impact as he has. But through a little more than half of the 2011 season Smith has been the best tackle, if not the best lineman on the Cowboys team. 

While he needs some work on leveraging his man off the snap when run blocking, which will come when he puts on some more weight and adds strength, he has been more than adequate in that area. His best attribute is his pass blocking, his first kick at the snap of the ball and his quick feet allow him to be in the right position to direct even the best pass rushers where he wants them to go. His one pass protection fault is when a rusher uses the same move over and over (speed rush to the outside) he starts sitting in his stance expecting it, and then the rusher can use a spin move to the inside or a bull rush and catch him off balance and out of position leading to a negative play. 

With a full season under his belt, including a full off-season in an NFL Weight Room and training camp, I fully expect him to make the transition to left tackle sooner than later, which will move Doug Free back to right tackle, forming arguably the best tackle tandem in the NFL. These problems will work themselves out as Smith gets experience, but until then, the Cowboys and their fans have to be very happy with their 1st round selection.

With these unexpected stars emerging on the Cowboys offense, we can expect big things for the rest of the season, and even further. Check back next week for the "New Look Defense".

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Don't Blame it on Tony Romo!

By:  Christian Hardy

After both Cowboys’ losses this season, Tony Romo was the one who took the blame. What happened to the performances by Tom Brady in week three, and Ryan Ftizpatrick (in a completely different way) in week four. It’s quite apparent that there is a huge difference in these three guys, but why is Romo the one who is criticized the most? Why is he the one who takes the blame for every Dallas Cowboys loss? Certainly it can’t be all the quarterbacks fault. Or can it?

On Romo’s first interception, Romo didn’t see Bobby Carpenter playing shallow and then drop back into coverage, on what was a terrible play action call. Disregarding the bad decision by Romo, the former Cowboy Bobby Carpenter returned the interception past nine (yes, nine) Cowboys on the way to the endzone.


On the second interception, the pocket was completely collapsing (Tyron Smith’s back was nearly bumping into Romo) and right as Romo threw the ball he was bumped by a Lions’ defender. It was another bad decision, but this one is on more on the offensive line. Even Laurent Robinson knew it wasn’t Romo’s fault as he took the blame for it after the game. For the second time in the game, an interception ended up in the endzone. This time, though, it was Chris Houston.


The third interception was even less Romo's fault than the others. On this play he is going for the big play (deep to Witten on the seam route) instead of the smart play (checking it down); but that’s what a quarterback is forced to do when he has no running game to help him out. Romo was pressured heavily again on this throw, even being hit as he threw which took a tremendous amount of power off of his throw and it fell short, just short enough for Stephen Tulloch to get his hands on it for the interception. 


With better protection from his offensive line, Romo is golden on two of those three interceptions, and with a small amount of tackling from any offensive player the points don't go up on the board. The last thing we as fans should want to do is take the imagination and creativity out of Romo's game, as that is how the Cowboys put points on the board. Even if you try to say, “Well, Romo always throws interceptions in the fourth quarter,” you would be wrong, Romo has the second best TD/INTratio in the fourth quarter since he set foot in the league as a starter.

While Romo may have contributed to the epic collapse in the second half, where did the defense disappear to? Take a look at Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford's stats for the two halves:


 -1st Half - 9 for 24 (37.5% completion percentage) 0 touchdowns & 1 interception.


 -2nd Half -12-19 (63.2% completion percentage) & 2 touchdowns. 


How ridiculous is that? When the offense and Romo need the defense the most, they allow Stafford to throw all over them like it's 2010. I mean Stafford might look like the hero here, but he has a sub-par game with a 71.9 passer rating (Romo had a passer rating of 86.4 in this game). Even in the 4^th quarter, Rob Ryan still couldn’t figure out that it is going to take more than one corner to cover Calvin Johnson (they couldn’t even do it with 12men on the field). 

What about you Cowboys fans saying that the Cowboys should get rid of Romo? I want to ask you, how many quarterbacks in the NFL are there that you would rather have than Tony Romo who has led us to the playoffs three times in four years? Last time I checked, that’s a good thing. Look, Romo isn’t perfect but he is a great quarterback, you’re just going to have to live with the fact that Tony Romo is the Dallas Cowboys right now; and the team goes as he goes.


Click it here for complete career stats breakdown  


Since 2006, no quarterback has a better passer rating than Tony Romo who has an abstract 100.0 rating in his career. He also has the third most touchdowns in the fourth quarter, as well as third most in yards. Remember, when he finally got playing time in 2006 he only played about half of the season, so those stats can be skewed a bit in terms of yardage and touchdowns, but that is still remarkable. He has also only thrown 17 interceptions in that time frame in the fourth quarter. In fact, he is a better quarterback in the fourth quarter and overtime than he is in the first three quarters. In quarters 1-3 since 2008 he has a 7.7 yards per attempt average (10^th in the league), but in the 4^th quarter and overtime he has an average of 8.6 yards per attempt (1^st in the league). And his TD-INT ratio, well, it’s impressive. Since 2008 in quarters 1-3 he averages 4.8 touchdowns for every interception (12^th), but in the 4^th quarter and overtime he averages 6.3 (2^nd). 


How impressive is that?


His interception percentage also drops from 2.6 to 2.1 in the fourth quarter and overtime. Stats aren’t everything but, they mean a lot. Romo already has 20 career games with 3 TD passes. I know you are asking, “What has Romo done is his career all time?” And boy do I have some surprises for you. For starters, Romo has the 4^th best quarterback rating of all time and the sixth best completion percentage of all time. He also has the 4^th best career yards per attempts ever, only behind three quarterbacks who all retired before the merger of 1960.

But what really stands out to me? Is it the fact that Romo has thrown more TDs than every quarterback other than Drew Brees and Peyton Manning? Nope. It’s that he is actually a really smart quarterback (explaining his score of 37 on the Wonderlic, representing all of those guys from Eastern Illinois). You see, Romo has an ESPN quarterback rating of 55.9 in his big games (includes Sunday, Monday, holiday, and playoff games), all 17 of them. What gives Romo a good passer rating and not a great QBR is the fact that he likes to let his receivers do the work for him. His receivers have the third highest yards after catch in third and fourth down situations when the Cowboys are down by eight or less, as well as the highest YAC percentage of passing yards in the same situation (ESPN Stats & Info). That is very impressive: it tells me that he knows what to do with the ball, but at the same time he knows when to find the open man.

The real question for fans of America’s Team is: Are you ever going to put faith in the franchise quarterback again, and when are you going to realize that this guy is the future, because he is the future, at least for now. Neither Head Coach Jason Garrett or Owner/GM/CEO Jerry Jones, is going to want Romo to get benched and neither should we. Seventy five percent of teams in this league would rather have Romo as their starting quarterback rather than the guy they have taking snaps for them now. But when are the media and fans going to stop putting all the blame for every loss on Romo’s back and start realizing that this is a team effort? 


That’s the question you all need to ask yourselves. Tony Romo is the pivotal point in this offense but the Dallas Cowboys do not live or die by just him, there are still 45 other guys active on game days. Is he a huge factor in every game? Sure, but that doesn’t mean you put the blame for every slight blunder on the shoulders of Romo.

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