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With camp over, Tony Romo ready to 'prove it'
Todd Archer
ESPN Staff Writer
OXNARD, Calif. -- Tony Romo will play Friday in a preseason game against the Miami Dolphins -- his first game since Thanksgiving. Not that the Dallas Cowboys' quarterback thinks it's a big deal.
"Well, it's really only a four-week difference than every other year, so I'm not sure it's that big of difference," Romo said. "Every year [the starters] have off the first preseason game that you play in. You feel the excitement, and you have to get out there and play against a good pass rush like we're going to see. I think it'll be a great test for us."
Romo, 36, won't play a full game. In the past he has played a couple of series in the second preseason game. And it won't be a full game plan, either.
But it will be another step in Romo's recovery from a forgettable 2015 in which he started and finished only two of the four games he played because of a twice-broken left collarbone.
"I think he's had a really good camp. I think you're always looking for these situations, but in a practice script you never know how it's going to go," tight end Jason Witten said. "You don't know what the coverage is and what the plays are. I thought Tony has worked hard to get back and built on what he's done this offseason, and it's continuing. There is not this roller-coaster ride. There is just this consistency he brings to our offense. I think that's a good feeling for all of us."
When Romo returned to the Cowboys' lineup last fall for the first time after a seven-week absence after breaking his collarbone the first time, the Dolphins were the opponent. He completed 18 of 28 passes for 227 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
It wasn't a vintage performance, but it brought energy to a team that had lost seven straight without him.
That game started nearly disastrously when an unblocked defender forced Romo to sprint to his left and throw – left-handed -- to running back Darren McFadden.
"Preferably not the first pass of the game left-handed this time," Romo said. "But they've got a good team, obviously they have a new coordinator. We don't have much tape on him, but trust your rules and go play."
Romo's eyes are already turned to the Sept. 11 season opener against the New York Giants. He has started his preparation for that game, studying defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and the Giants' new personnel.
Excluding walk-through-only practices, Romo had four full practices off out of 14 days of full practices in Oxnard, California. In team and 7-on-7 drills, he completed 90 of 140 passes. He was sharper as camp went on. In his second-to-last workout in California, he completed 15 of 19 passes.
"He came in ready to go," coach Jason Garrett said. "He did more in the offseason program than he has
been able to do over the last couple or three years, and I think that showed. He was sharp from the outset. He looks fresh to me. He's moving around well and is throwing the ball well."
Romo has felt the benefit of more offseason work. He says the back surgeries that slowed him since 2013 are not as much of an issue now; his muscles and core are able to fire at their optimum for consecutive days. The March collarbone surgery has not been an issue at all.
"You always want to be perfect, but at the same time, there's a constant evolution about putting new plays in, constant thinking, and challenging yourself but yet staying within the system. And then it's time to go play (and) you tighten everything up and you simplify it and you go out there and do it," Romo said. "From day to day, that's always the mental part of it that you're trying to assess, but I'm excited about what we did here. I feel very confident going in. Words are meaningless. You got to go prove it."
Todd Archer
ESPN Staff Writer
OXNARD, Calif. -- Tony Romo will play Friday in a preseason game against the Miami Dolphins -- his first game since Thanksgiving. Not that the Dallas Cowboys' quarterback thinks it's a big deal.
"Well, it's really only a four-week difference than every other year, so I'm not sure it's that big of difference," Romo said. "Every year [the starters] have off the first preseason game that you play in. You feel the excitement, and you have to get out there and play against a good pass rush like we're going to see. I think it'll be a great test for us."
Romo, 36, won't play a full game. In the past he has played a couple of series in the second preseason game. And it won't be a full game plan, either.
But it will be another step in Romo's recovery from a forgettable 2015 in which he started and finished only two of the four games he played because of a twice-broken left collarbone.
"I think he's had a really good camp. I think you're always looking for these situations, but in a practice script you never know how it's going to go," tight end Jason Witten said. "You don't know what the coverage is and what the plays are. I thought Tony has worked hard to get back and built on what he's done this offseason, and it's continuing. There is not this roller-coaster ride. There is just this consistency he brings to our offense. I think that's a good feeling for all of us."
When Romo returned to the Cowboys' lineup last fall for the first time after a seven-week absence after breaking his collarbone the first time, the Dolphins were the opponent. He completed 18 of 28 passes for 227 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
It wasn't a vintage performance, but it brought energy to a team that had lost seven straight without him.
That game started nearly disastrously when an unblocked defender forced Romo to sprint to his left and throw – left-handed -- to running back Darren McFadden.
"Preferably not the first pass of the game left-handed this time," Romo said. "But they've got a good team, obviously they have a new coordinator. We don't have much tape on him, but trust your rules and go play."
Romo's eyes are already turned to the Sept. 11 season opener against the New York Giants. He has started his preparation for that game, studying defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and the Giants' new personnel.
Excluding walk-through-only practices, Romo had four full practices off out of 14 days of full practices in Oxnard, California. In team and 7-on-7 drills, he completed 90 of 140 passes. He was sharper as camp went on. In his second-to-last workout in California, he completed 15 of 19 passes.
"He came in ready to go," coach Jason Garrett said. "He did more in the offseason program than he has
been able to do over the last couple or three years, and I think that showed. He was sharp from the outset. He looks fresh to me. He's moving around well and is throwing the ball well."
Romo has felt the benefit of more offseason work. He says the back surgeries that slowed him since 2013 are not as much of an issue now; his muscles and core are able to fire at their optimum for consecutive days. The March collarbone surgery has not been an issue at all.
"You always want to be perfect, but at the same time, there's a constant evolution about putting new plays in, constant thinking, and challenging yourself but yet staying within the system. And then it's time to go play (and) you tighten everything up and you simplify it and you go out there and do it," Romo said. "From day to day, that's always the mental part of it that you're trying to assess, but I'm excited about what we did here. I feel very confident going in. Words are meaningless. You got to go prove it."