Romo at #76 In PFT's Top 100

[ravidubey]

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Against the Giants, it stalled around the 10 and against the Skins, he threw a horrible interception on the first play of the drive. I don't want to hear how Garrett didn't call this or the defense didn't do that. Almost every time he's had the ball on the final drive, it somehow falls short.

Romo threw an awesome pass to Bryant and his pinky lands out of bounds. Romo has plenty of time against Washington and as he gets blitzed his own OL screens off his view of the dropping LB. Whatever motivated his OG to let a blitzer by and pursue a dropping LB is beyond me. He gets beat by an opposing QB who throws for 100 yards because his own team can't run, can't stop the run, and can't adjust vs. the blitz.

All I'm saying is the other guys' teams have no glaring flaws while Romo's teams have crazy flaws that show up even stronger in the playoffs because his own coaches and talent is outclassed from the start.

Football's a team sport, and I'd just like to see Romo's team help him out for once. Just once.

 

[boozeman]

But you know what? None of them can stop Romo from having a bad Romo game. They aren't responsible for the same identical pick he threw to JPP and Rob Jackson last year.

People need to accept that.

That's basically all there is to say.

As Parcells was fond of saying, it is what it is.

Romo does what he does. For every three times he pimps out, he has an inexplicable case of the yips when it matters most.

And that's not something that a good defense can help. Nor a back either. He's the only guy who can control that and unfortunately he's not a young player that has the luxury of time to change his bad habits.

I suppose if you lined up five All Pro OL in front of him, it might help, but even then, he is no Manning or Brady in his ability to dissect coverages and he can get fooled...sometimes easily when he feels that he just has to make a play. That Rob Jackson pick sealed it for me (the Bobby Carpenter one should have). That's what the guy is. Nothing will change that.

 

[ravidubey]

Roethlisberger has had worse lines than Romo has. Rodgers' line in 2012 was horrible...the guy was sacked 51 times and threw only 8 picks.

Rodgers is superior to anyone playing the position, and his GM and coaches have crafted their entire football team based on their QB's skills. The Packers play multiple receiver sets mixed with plenty short patterns. If protection isn't there there's always a place to go with the football. It's a little thing people call play-design. You never get desperate because you'll always have an opportunity.

Jason Garrett can't call a short pattern even when it's 3rd and a yard to go for a short FG to win the game on the road vs the eventual NFL Champs.

When Ben has had those bad lines his defense has stepped up to be the best in the league. The Steelers still manage to run, and even though the lines have been bad by Steeler standards, they are more than adequate by Cowboys standards.

I would take the Steelers' supposedly terrible 2010 OL 10 times out of 10 over the crap this team fielded in 2010, 2011, and 2012. Flozell Adams was 100 times the RT Alex Barron and Marc Columbo were in 2010, it's just that his own team couldn't even see that because the GM is stupid.

 

[boozeman]

Rodgers is superior to anyone playing the position, and his GM and coaches have crafted their entire football team based on their QB's skills. The Packers play multiple receiver sets mixed with plenty short patterns. If protection isn't there there's always a place to go with the football. It's a little thing people call play-design. You never get desperate because you'll always have an opportunity.

Jason Garrett can't call a short pattern even when it's 3rd and a yard to go for a short FG to win the game on the road vs the eventual NFL Champs.

When Ben has had those bad lines his defense has stepped up to be the best in the league. The Steelers still manage to run, and even though the lines have been bad by Steeler standards, they are more than adequate by Cowboys standards.

I would take the Steelers' supposedly terrible 2010 OL 10 times out of 10 over the crap this team fielded in 2010, 2011, and 2012. Flozell Adams was 100 times the RT Alex Barron and Marc Columbo were in 2010, it's just that his own team couldn't even see that because the GM is stupid.

You obviously never watched a lot of Steelers football. Roethlisberger has been under siege since Alan Faneca retired.

And why on earth would you bring Alex Barron into it? He started one damn game.

Lookit, I think the OL sucks large, but it is not why Romo makes the mistakes he does. It sucks large because they can't run block.

 

[Texas Ace]

Romo threw an awesome pass to Bryant and his pinky lands out of bounds.

You mean that miracle last second effort? That wasn't a drive or some bang bang play. It was a last ditch effort because they had no time on the clock to do anything but throw what amounted to a hail mary.

I don't blame him for failing on that drive because the odds were next to impossible. But he did fail on the drive before when he had the chance to win the game and that's the truth.

Romo has plenty of time against Washington and as he gets blitzed his own OL screens off his view of the dropping LB.

That's the worst part - he wasn't rushed into those picks that night. He just made awful decisions. And that last pick? It was identical to the one he threw to JPP against the Giants.

I guess that's just a coincidence, right? Or maybe it's a glaring sign that he has a habit of doing certain things when he panics.

All I'm saying is the other guys' teams have no glaring flaws while Romo's teams have crazy flaws that show up even stronger in the playoffs because his own coaches and talent is outclassed from the start.

They did have glaring flaws and Booze pointed them out to you. Rodgers line sucked as did Ben's in seasons when they went to and won Super Bowls. I'll give you the better coaches thing, but those QB's excelled where Romo could not because they are flat out better.

Period.

Football's a team sport, and I'd just like to see Romo's team help him out for once. Just once.

And for once, I'm sure the team would like to not worry about what mistake Romo is going to make in crunch time to put them in a bad spot. It is a team sport, and he fails the team just as much as they fail him.

 

[Texas Ace]

You obviously never watched a lot of Steelers football. Roethlisberger has been under siege since Alan Faneca retired.

And why on earth would you bring Alex Barron into it? He started one damn game.

Lookit, I think the OL sucks large, but it is not why Romo makes the mistakes he does. It sucks large because they can't run block.

In 2008 when they won the Super Bowl in spite of that awful line, we played them at Pittsburgh in a loss that left me as upset as any I've experienced in recent years.

We hit Ben a ton that day. Our defense was playing well at that point and their line had holes in it. We forced Ben to fumble twice that game due to the constant pressure.

But you know what he didn't do? He didn't throw any picks. And when his team had one final shot to tie the game? He got them into the endzone.

I'm sure you remember what Romo did immediately after with a chance to win the game......he threw a pick 6. His 3rd INT of the day.

Again, just bad luck, I guess.

 

[boozeman]

In 2008 when they won the Super Bowl in spite of that awful line, we played them at Pittsburgh in a loss that left me as upset as any I've experienced in recent years.

We hit Ben a ton that day. Our defense was playing well at that point and their line had holes in it. We forced Ben to fumble twice that game due to the constant pressure.

But you know what he didn't do? He didn't throw any picks. And when his team had one final shot to tie the game? He got them into the endzone.

I'm sure you remember what Romo did immediately after with a chance to win the game......he threw a pick 6. His 3rd INT of the day.

Again, just bad luck, I guess.

But...but...that was Witten's fault. Or T.O.'s. Or somebody's.

That's what I think really got the whole T.O./Crayton thing going...there was a lot of excuse making and it seemed Garrett wouldn't put it where it belonged.

 

[ravidubey]

You mean that miracle last second effort? That wasn't a drive or some bang bang play. It was a last ditch effort because they had no time on the clock to do anything but throw what amounted to a hail mary.

Ace, that was an awesome play to overcome what had been a bad game. After that game you could see Bryant's game step up, but before Romo had gotten little help from his receivers. One on one he counted on Bryant and Austin to contest plays and instead they gave up picks. Romo's fault for poor judgement and rushing throws, but again he was under assault.

I'd say that Giants loss was Romo's fault overall, but again he got little to no help. A similar thing happened against the Bears. Romo has rarely been that bad during his career, but it happened twice last year because of the situation he's in.

His own GM said he didn't need a good OL because he was good at dodging rushers! Unreal.

That's the worst part - he wasn't rushed into those picks that night. He just made awful decisions. And that last pick? It was identical to the one he threw to JPP against the Giants.

You missed the part where Fletcher blitzed right at him untouched. The JPP play was inexcusable, but I will say Romo was never comfortable last year. He made the most throws of his career with what was possibly the worst OL this team has fielded since 1989.

They did have glaring flaws and Booze pointed them out to you. Rodgers line sucked as did Ben's in seasons when they went to and won Super Bowls. I'll give you the better coaches thing, but those QB's excelled where Romo could not because they are flat out better.

When Rodgers won the Superbowl he had a mature and seasoned WR corps. His OL was good in 2010 and poor in 2012. Romo has never had that in the playoffs, not a healthy one at least. Romo's line in 2010 was so bad they got him knocked out for the year. The only thing that prevented Dallas from getting the top pick of the draft was Garrett being forced to call more short patterns and running plays because he had a more limited QB in Kitna.

And for once, I'm sure the team would like to not worry about what mistake Romo is going to make in crunch time to put them in a bad spot. It is a team sport, and he fails the team just as much as they fail him.

I disagree. He's called on to do way too much and aim way too far downfield. His idiot playcaller and play-designer never compromises and it just kills this team. He just thinks it's 2007, the pass protection is perfect, and TO is stretching the defensive middle with elite speed on crossing routes.

We couldn't even adjust when all Washington did was call blitzes all game long.

 

[Texas Ace]

I disagree. He's called on to do way too much and aim way too far downfield. His idiot playcaller and play-designer never compromises and it just kills this team. He just thinks it's 2007, the pass protection is perfect, and TO is stretching the defensive middle with elite speed on crossing routes.

We couldn't even adjust when all Washington did was call blitzes all game long.

I will give you this.

Garrett wouldn't know an adjustment if it fell on his face and wiggled. He puts way too much trust into a QB who is prone to making mistakes.

But he can't hold his hand either. At some point, Romo is the only guy who can control what happens, and far too often, he makes the worst decisions at the worst times.

Unless we're running the wishbone, he's going to throw the ball at least 30 times in today's NFL. And Romo has shown he can't go all that long before he throws a pick or make a mistake. It's who he is, man.

There's a reason why he's only gone 3 games or more in a row without a pick only 2 or 3 times in his career.

 

[bbgun]

But...but...that was Witten's fault. Or T.O.'s. Or somebody's.

Witten took the blame for his good buddy, claiming he didn't continue his route or something. A day later, the brotha receivers complained that Tony only throws to white guys.

 

[boozeman]

Witten took the blame for his good buddy, claiming he didn't continue his route or something. A day later, the brotha receivers complained that Tony only throws to white guys.

I think Romo only throws to his BFF a lot of the time. It is only thing to have a pacifier. There are times Witten is more like a blanky.

 

[ravidubey]

In 2008 when they won the Super Bowl in spite of that awful line, we played them at Pittsburgh in a loss that left me as upset as any I've experienced in recent years.

We hit Ben a ton that day. Our defense was playing well at that point and their line had holes in it. We forced Ben to fumble twice that game due to the constant pressure.

But you know what he didn't do? He didn't throw any picks. And when his team had one final shot to tie the game? He got them into the endzone.

I'm sure you remember what Romo did immediately after with a chance to win the game......he threw a pick 6. His 3rd INT of the day.

Again, just bad luck, I guess.

That game is a good example of Romo not being good enough to keep making deep throws. Ben's arm was the difference in that game as it was windy and cold and Romo does not do well in those games.

The Cowboys defense had 5 sacks in the first half and none in the second. I agree Romo blew it by locking onto Witten instead of throwing to TO on the last play of that game, but I also think Garrett aimed the ball too far downfield, especially with the wind the way it was. If he just called some more damned throws to Tashard Choice by design the team wouldn't have had to rely on Romo making a play downfield.

One thing (besides the pick 6) that stood out to me negatively about Romo that game, besides the weather (which I had posted all week about being a deciding factor before the game) was Romo's lack of maturity on one play late in the game. He was being chased to his left in the redzone and he should have just thrown the ball to a wide open Roy Williams for a TD and taken a hit instead of shifting the ball to his left hand and throwing a ridiculous wobbler that missed everything.

Romo went back to the huddle openly laughing about the play and I felt like punching him. They would have gone up 17-6 and all but won the game but instead made it 13-6 with a FG.

Pittsburgh's best football came when they held Ben back until the end. Dallas needed Romo to lead from the beginning to the end.

 

[boozeman]

That game is a good example of Romo not being good enough to keep making deep throws. Ben's arm was the difference in that game as it was windy and cold and Romo does not do well in those games.

The Cowboys defense had 5 sacks in the first half and none in the second. I agree Romo blew it by locking onto Witten instead of throwing to TO on the last play of that game, but I also think Garrett aimed the ball too far downfield, especially with the wind the way it was. If he just called some more damned throws to Tashard Choice by design the team wouldn't have had to rely on Romo making a play downfield.

One thing (besides the pick 6) that stood out to me negatively about Romo that game, besides the weather (which I had posted all week about being a deciding factor before the game) was Romo's lack of maturity on one play late in the game. He was being chased to his left in the redzone and he should have just thrown the ball to a wide open Roy Williams for a TD and taken a hit instead of shifting the ball to his left hand and throwing a ridiculous wobbler that missed everything.

Romo went back to the huddle openly laughing about the play and I felt like punching him. They would have gone up 17-6 and all but won the game but instead made it 13-6 with a FG.

Pittsburgh's best football came when they held Ben back until the end. Dallas needed Romo to lead from the beginning to the end.

For some reason I pictured you sliding glasses up your nose after this post, Ravi.

 

[ravidubey]

For some reason I pictured you sliding glasses up your nose after this post, Ravi.

Y'know what, I wasn't thrilled with Romo during that Pittsburgh game. But this is the kind of crap I really can't stand:


1:17 left in the 1st quarter
1st and 10 at DAL 46 T.Romo pass short middle to T.Choice to PIT 42 for 12 yards (J.Harrison; J.Farrior).
1st and 10 at PIT 42 T.Choice left guard to PIT 41 for 1 yard (J.Farrior).
2nd and 9 at PIT 41 T.Romo pass short right to T.Choice to PIT 34 for 7 yards (C.Hampton).
3rd and 2 at PIT 34 (Shotgun) T.Romo pass incomplete deep left to T.Owens (L.Foote) [L.Foote]. DAL-M.Holland was injured during the play.
4th and 2 at PIT 34 (Shotgun) T.Romo pass incomplete deep middle to T.Owens. Coverage by #25 Clark, #51 Farrior.


Here the short game is working, yet we try for shit we shouldn't be trying just to prove we're teh awesome. Romo doesn't have the arm for this kind of weather and no OL is going to block that 2008 Steeler front for very long when you play from shotgun. Another short throw later in the game went 50 yards. But do we keep doing it? Of course not.

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

As corny and hackneyed as the comparison is, I think Tony really is a lot like Favre. He's going to fly by the seat of his pants and make dumb throws sometimes. It's just the way he's wired. He'll never be like a Matt Schaub who is strictly a paint-by-numbers QB and doesn't make a lot of dumb mistakes... But that's okay because he'll make a lot of great plays that those guys don't make. And I'll take a talent like Tony over a robotic type like Schaub any day.

I do think that's why it's imperative that we run the ball more, though. Ace said Tony is always going to throw it 30 times in this league... Well, yeah. But look at how often he has to throw it 45 or 50 times. Big difference. Huge difference.

 

[ravidubey]

I do think that's why it's imperative that we run the ball more, though. Ace said Tony is always going to throw it 30 times in this league... Well, yeah. But look at how often he has to throw it 45 or 50 times. Big difference. Huge difference.

And the average distance targeted should be more like 2006 than 2007. Targeting as deep as 2007 puts more stress on Romo and the pass protectors alike. Each missed throw also makes it harder on the defense.

A proper mix of passes combined with runs can make an offense really hard to stop. Dallas lacks the team speed and pass protection to do this right. A back who can take a dink pass a long way or a 4.3 burner in the slot can put big pressure on the defense all while allowing the QB to complete a much shorter pass while releasing the ball much sooner to help the line.

Eli Manning completes a lot of very effective crossing patterns just five yards downfield and directly in front of him. That's elegant play design.

 

[Iamtdg]

Oh, look, another Romo debate. :jackingoffsmiley

 

[carphalen5150]

Let me just add that I think Romo is pretty good.

 

[Iamtdg]

Let me just add that I think Romo is pretty good.

And he chokes at times.



^^^ this is the whole thread summed up well.