Pressure breaks pipes

[Midswat]

I think I went on a full-fledged Romo bashing session last night. Not 100% sure. I know I was thinking it, just not 100% sure I posted everything that was on my mind.

The situation in Dallas is weird.

I KNOW Romo isn't the teams biggest problems. Hell, he's probably our best player. We'd be a 5 win team max without him.

I KNOW he is dealing with a lot of shortcomings.... he's never had a head coach worth a shit. He's never had an offensive line worth a shit.

And I also concede that when he retires, considering how hard it is to find quality QB play in the NFL, I'll probably miss the shit out of him.

BUT


BUT!!!!


1-6 in elimination games

There's something to that. You can't simply dismiss it or excuse his way out of it.

Sexy statistics and some exciting extended plays, late game rallys are great in September-December....

But when it's crunchtime, he folds.

Pressure breaks pipes.


Last night was set up perfect. He had his gaffs. It didn't bury us. We had a rally TD to Ogletree and the ensuing 2 point conversion to Harris. The depleted defense got the Redskins off the field. Three + minutes left, down by three... 80 yards to go against a team down to their last remaining healthy safety.

And Romo tosses a ball so softly he might'as well have just thrown it underhand. Ball hung in the air for 12 seconds. I counted. So of course some linebacker who never had an interception in his NFL career previously, ends all hope.


So here we are... conflicted with Romo. It's almost a curse.

He's probably better than 85% of the QB's in the league. But he's just an aww shucks lovable loser.


The perfect story book ending to his career would be Elway-esque.... win a SB just before retiring.

And while this hurts now, and I'm frustrated as all hell today, in a few weeks I'll be excited about the upcoming season and psyching myself up into thinking that next year will be our year. I've been telling myself that every year since 2005.

:errr

 

[bkeavs]

while its hard not to get excited for a game last night, I have really become numb to the hoopla and the chance that Dallas will somehow win because this is our season. Its' not our season. Its never our season and probably wont be for a while. I always get sucked in like most of us, but not this year. I was excited the effort they put forth but in the end. I knew it would be the same result

What the NY Giants did last year may set this Dallas organization back another 10 years. A 9-7 team can run the table and win the superbowl. Thats all Jerry needed to see and if you notice thats all he talks about is how the Giants did it.

We are so close, we are so close. Were not that close. Sure we put up a solid effort in the midst of deastating injuries and death but this is a paper thin team that has all the flash but no football. Big players at the exciting positions but no heart or talent on the fondation positions
I no longer am riddled with anxiety 12 hours before the game, I no longer watch the game while standing and pacing, I no longer lose sleep over them losing.

I enjoy this team and will continue to watch but.......

When is the draft and what pick do we have

Something has clicked in me thank god that although this team is my one love and passion, there are more important things in life to to lose more time hoping and praying that this is the year

 

[superpunk]

Last night would not have been an elimination game if not for Tony Romo. He shit the bed, obviously, but without him we are a 2-14 team.

The only team that runs the ball less effectively than us is Arizona. Jacksonville and Oakland are down there too. We finished with the 22nd ranked rush defense and allow the 4th highest QB rating in the NFL.

The ONLY facet of our team that has been working is our passing game. (aside from recently our ST return game) I'm not disputing that Tony was a problem last night but so was Bob Griffin. He wasn't good at all. But when he isn't good, his team can lean on something else and they did. When Tony isn't good, we're fucked.

 

[bkeavs]

Last night would not have been an elimination game if not for Tony Romo. He shit the bed, obviously, but without him we are a 2-14 team.

The only team that runs the ball less effectively than us is Arizona. Jacksonville and Oakland are down there too. We finished with the 22nd ranked rush defense and allow the 4th highest QB rating in the NFL.

The ONLY facet of our team that has been working is our passing game. (aside from recently our ST return game) I'm not disputing that Tony was a problem last night but so was Bob Griffin. He wasn't good at all. But when he isn't good, his team can lean on something else and they did. When Tony isn't good, we're fucked.

I endorse this message

 

[Everlastingxxx]

Football isn’t a one man sport. 1-6 record shouldn’t completely fall on Romo’s laps.

Regardless, this team was not going very far in the playoffs. They wouldn’t have been able to field a team next week. Romo and the Cowboys did give everything they had.

 

[Midswat]

I think I acknowledged that we'd be a 5 win team at best without Romo.

Still.... the guy plays like a dickhead in these games.

You can keep making excuses for him, but its true.

 

[superpunk]

It's not an excuse.

This wouldn't have been one of "these games" if Romo hadn't just got done playing at a godlike level for two months. We'd have been thinking about who we were going to squander our top 5 pick on, not whether or not we could win the east.

And we have no fallback when Romo is not at his best. We throw him out there with the worst run game in the NFL, one of the worst defenses in the NFL and say "You're our only hope, please get this done". Then, when Jim Haslett makes it obvious that he is going to blitz the shit out of Romo, we do nothing to get him off that. We tried to run one screen against a super aggressive defense all night? Noone noticed that it might have been a good idea to keep slipping our backs out of the backfield against that pressure? Who was on the field when he threw the TD to Ogletree? Harris and a hobbled Miles, who had to come in because Beasley had played one down and gotten hurt?

Yes he played terrible. He's the only reason we're even close to relevant though.

 

[Midswat]

I acknowledged that.

Maybe you should re-read the OP.

 

[superpunk]

You're trying to make it about bottom line elimination games record.

Son we've been in elimination games for a month and a half. Come correct or not at all.

 

[Midswat]

Yeah because the whole 1-6 in elimination games thing.

 

[Everlastingxxx]

Romo has been playing under pressure all season. It’s not like the pressure just started last night and he couldn’t take it. For all we knew, the past couple games were must wins and he played great.

 

[Midswat]

Maybe if he didn't throw eleventy hundred interceptions against the Bears and Giants, then he wouldn't be in such pressure to win for the last month.

Still... bottom line is, you win that game last night, you're division champ.

But Tony gonna Tony.

 

[Midswat]

Romo is a stud. He covers a lot of flaws on this team.

But he shrinks in this big games.

I think it's in his head at this point.

 

[bbgun]

Look at NE. Name a superstar on that team but for Brady really. Players come and go there yet they pile up the points. We don’t pile up the points save for panicky two-minute drills when we fall behind. Brady can put the team on his back when the D or running game ain't working; Romo can't.

 

[bkeavs]

Look at NE. Name a superstar on that team but for Brady really. Players come and go there yet they pile up the points. We don’t pile up the points save for panicky two-minute drills when we fall behind. Brady can put the team on his back when the D or running game ain't working; Romo can't.

Brady might be one of if not the greatest QB of alltime, but point taken

 

[Midswat]

Not fair to compare any QB to Brady, really.

I'm not saying Romo is garbage. I'm just saying he doesn't have whatever it is that some other guys have that allows them to rise to the occassion.

Not everyone can do it. Very few can, as a matter of fact.

He's like a salesman with an impressive presentation, but doesn't know how to close the deal.

 

[Everlastingxxx]

I’d throw in Brees, Manning (the good one) and Rodgers can carry a team, but even in their Super Bowl seasons they had alot of help. Usually a play making defense. But if Brady is the standard and measuring stick, then yea, Romo doesn’t measure up.

 

[bbgun]

But he gets it done with #2 types at RB and WR. Gronk is the exception. You could make the case that Tony gets less out of a better cast of skill players. I know, I know. It's futile because of the offensive line.

 

[bkeavs]

But he gets it done with #2 types at RB and WR. Gronk is the exception. You could make the case that Tony gets less out of a better cast of skill players. I know, I know. It's futile because of the offensive line.

I was going to mention Logan Mankins but you beat me to it with the futile Oline

 

[Everlastingxxx]

But he gets it done with #2 types at RB and WR. Gronk is the exception. You could make the case that Tony gets less out of a better cast of skill players. I know, I know. It's futile because of the offensive line.

Ridley put up rushing numbers similar to Ray Rice. I had him on my fantasy team, the dude was a touchdown machine. They have about 3 or 4 guys that can run the ball. Brady also has probably the two best TEs in the league. Brandon Lloyd put up huge numbers for Denver two years ago and Welker is a pro bowler. Offensive line is also much better.