Bob Sacamano
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http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/04/critics-have-it-wrong-about-romo/
It’s amazing how many sports media members have unknowingly embarrassed themselves this week by criticizing Tony Romo. The box score says Romo threw five interceptions against the Bears. So people say and write that he isn’t sharp right now; he remains wildly inconsistent; he doesn’t have “it.” Maybe more remarkable, Romo’s five-interception outing came on Monday night, which means the people lambasting him probably watched the game.
They weren’t watching closely, apparently. Not only did Romo not play poorly, but he actually played well. Seriously. Romo eluded a heated pass rush most of the night, often gathering his mechanics to make tight-window throws from multiple platforms (something he’s always done well, by the way). For the most part, he read the field well.
So what about the five interceptions? Three, maybe four, of them weren’t Romo’s fault. On the first pick, Dez Bryant ran the wrong route. On the second pick, Kevin Ogletree had a perfectly thrown ball bounce off his chest. The third pick probably should have been ruled a fumble, because the ball squeezed out of Romo’s hands after he was corralled by Henry Melton. Romo tried to escape the pocket on that play, but Melton had spectacular closing speed. Nevertheless, Melton shouldn’t have been able to break down Dallas’s protection so quickly. The fourth interception may have been Romo’s fault, though the intended receiver, Miles Austin, ran a very poor route, failing to cross the face of cornerback D.J. Moore.
As for the fifth interception….that was Romo’s fault, but in a lot of ways, it was his most impressive play of the night. The Cowboys were trailing by 24 late. Their only chance at a win was via a sports version of a miracle. So Romo went for it and threw into coverage. How many quarterbacks in that situation would have checked down to avoid risking a five-turnover game? Romo showed selflessness and character on that play. He showed those same traits in the postgame interviews, too, when he protected his teammates and accepted the unwarranted blame for his team’s sloppy showing.
This isn’t to say that Romo shouldn’t be scrutinized. He has played extremely well this season but hasn’t gotten much help from his supporting cast. It’s fair to point out, though, that receivers who play with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning never seem to get way off their quarterback’s page. You don’t see Brady’s targets drop passes in bunches. So why are Romo’s teammates so inconsistent at times?
There isn’t a single right answer to this question. But this is the question sportswriters should be exploring. It’s not as easy or fun as exploring why “Tony Romo stinks,” but it’s a lot smarter and fairer.
It’s amazing how many sports media members have unknowingly embarrassed themselves this week by criticizing Tony Romo. The box score says Romo threw five interceptions against the Bears. So people say and write that he isn’t sharp right now; he remains wildly inconsistent; he doesn’t have “it.” Maybe more remarkable, Romo’s five-interception outing came on Monday night, which means the people lambasting him probably watched the game.
They weren’t watching closely, apparently. Not only did Romo not play poorly, but he actually played well. Seriously. Romo eluded a heated pass rush most of the night, often gathering his mechanics to make tight-window throws from multiple platforms (something he’s always done well, by the way). For the most part, he read the field well.
So what about the five interceptions? Three, maybe four, of them weren’t Romo’s fault. On the first pick, Dez Bryant ran the wrong route. On the second pick, Kevin Ogletree had a perfectly thrown ball bounce off his chest. The third pick probably should have been ruled a fumble, because the ball squeezed out of Romo’s hands after he was corralled by Henry Melton. Romo tried to escape the pocket on that play, but Melton had spectacular closing speed. Nevertheless, Melton shouldn’t have been able to break down Dallas’s protection so quickly. The fourth interception may have been Romo’s fault, though the intended receiver, Miles Austin, ran a very poor route, failing to cross the face of cornerback D.J. Moore.
As for the fifth interception….that was Romo’s fault, but in a lot of ways, it was his most impressive play of the night. The Cowboys were trailing by 24 late. Their only chance at a win was via a sports version of a miracle. So Romo went for it and threw into coverage. How many quarterbacks in that situation would have checked down to avoid risking a five-turnover game? Romo showed selflessness and character on that play. He showed those same traits in the postgame interviews, too, when he protected his teammates and accepted the unwarranted blame for his team’s sloppy showing.
This isn’t to say that Romo shouldn’t be scrutinized. He has played extremely well this season but hasn’t gotten much help from his supporting cast. It’s fair to point out, though, that receivers who play with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning never seem to get way off their quarterback’s page. You don’t see Brady’s targets drop passes in bunches. So why are Romo’s teammates so inconsistent at times?
There isn’t a single right answer to this question. But this is the question sportswriters should be exploring. It’s not as easy or fun as exploring why “Tony Romo stinks,” but it’s a lot smarter and fairer.
