3rd and 20

[Midswat]

What was more impressive to you:

Romo avoiding the pressure and placing the ball with smart bomb accuracy

Or

Williams climbing a ladder to make the catch and have the wherewithal to get his feet down?

 

[Dodger12]

The catch was incredible but for a QB to escape pressure, keep his eyes down-field and make that throw on the move and on 3rd and 20 is incredible. According to ESPN, teams this year were 1 for 55 converting on 3rd and 20. As we keep winning, I wonder how good Romo could have been with a decent defense and how successful this team could have been during his tenure. It's too fucking bad and a real sin.

 

[peplaw06]

Romo's maneuvering with his back and after getting beat up a few times was more impressive.

It's funny. We basically dominated the game yesterday. But if Romo doesn't make that play, we probably lose. Even when we try to have the running game control the game, we still need our QB to make a play. He didn't have an unbelievable day, but that was probably the best play of his career... for the second straight week.

 

[Midswat]

As we keep winning, I wonder how good Romo could have been with a decent defense and how successful this team could have been during his tenure. It's too fucking bad and a real sin.

I've long believed had Romo not played for such a dysfunctional franchise with such poor coaching and poor OL play, he would be viewed more as elite and less as the butt of all jokes he currently is.

 

[ZeroClub]

I agree, Midswat.

Most years he hasn't had much of a running game or pass protection.

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

Amazing on both ends. Not even Romo dodging guys in the backfield, because we've seen that for years. But for the throw to be that pinpoint and for Williams to get his toes down was incredible. Reminded me of that disgusting play that won the Steelers the SB in 2008 or whenever -- literally no defense for that pass and catch.

 

[Omegasupreme]

To answer to the question: Williams extending his hands away from his body was impressive (no body catching), then dragging his feet. Seems like such things usually happen to Dallas when their defense has a team to 3rd and 20. Nice to be on the other side.

Romo scrambling was not that unusual. He is going to have to keep doing that until they change the passing philosophy.

But getting to the 3rd and 20 was just sophomoric and regressive. The penalty that caused first and 20 aside, the team had spent a great deal of time all during the game up until the second half methodically trying to avoid 3rd and long. They were using runs or high percentage short passes to get chunks of yards (the use of Dunbar a check down as opposed to a hot read underneath is still a problem in strategy. Romo is going to be hurt bad if he has to continually wait as long as he has to before getting rid of the ball. Notice that the RBs have very limited routes, they just kind of stand there following their blocking or play action on pass plays).

When they were at 2nd and 17 earlier on the first drive of the second half and went to the expected and repetitive panic offense that Garrett has plagued the team with for years, they put the game and Romo at risk. It was a huge regression to last year. If they ran the ball or just got 5 yards back they could have had a more manageable 3rd down and 9 or something. Murray ended up getting 14 yards but fell short.

They spent a great deal of the game using the talent wisely by pounding the ball, passing to the RBs in space and using the TEs. What did not work and continues to be a weakness is the distance passing plays. The WRs should not have to fight into contested throws as often as they do. It means they are not open. And it means that the play was not deceptive or effective enough by itself.

 

[Doomsday]

It was the catch - from a guy who catching with his hands is anathema. He came through in the clutch and did what he is not native at doing.

 

[Iamtdg]

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

He's actually done that a ton, even in college. Look at his Baylor highlights and there are lots of him catching balls (yes away from his body) on the sideline and somehow getting his feet in. In the middle of the field he does trap it against his body, but as long as he catches it, so what.

 

[Doomsday]

He's actually done that a ton, even in college. Look at his Baylor highlights and there are lots of him catching balls (yes away from his body) on the sideline and somehow getting his feet in. In the middle of the field he does trap it against his body, but as long as he catches it, so what.

Using the body is a bad habit.

But there's no doubt he really stabbed his feet inbounds on this one. Highlight play of the year for Dallas so far.

 

[Omegasupreme]

He's actually done that a ton, even in college. Look at his Baylor highlights and there are lots of him catching balls (yes away from his body) on the sideline and somehow getting his feet in. In the middle of the field he does trap it against his body, but as long as he catches it, so what.

As long as...but what happens if he is open in or near the goal line in the Texans game and he fails to extend his arms to catch? Both would have been TDs. Going into OT may have been avoided.