jmachota@dallasnews.com
Tony Romo rarely goes into detail about the Cowboys offense. During his weekly interviews at Valley Ranch he routinely states how he doesn’t want to give anything away to opposing defenses, which results in generic answers.
Tuesday was an off day for the Cowboys, so Romo had some extra time to call into 103.3 [KESN-FM] and talk about a variety of topics, and the Cowboys offense was part of the discussion.
It’s no secret that the Cowboys are hurting offensively without the 11 touchdown receptions Laurent Robinson provided last season in his 14 games with the club. Many wonder why he and Romo worked so well in their only season together.
According to Romo, it’s because Robinson was usually in the right place at the right time.
“Laurent did a good job of … if it was a 12-yard curl route, he’d hit 12 yards and turn,” Romo said. “You don’t have to win by three yards every time. … Sometimes receivers will want to give the extra moves here and there and in some systems they allow you the freedom to do a lot of stuff.
“My thing is that our timing is pretty good as an offensive unit that you just need to be where you need to be on time. If you’re covered, you’re covered and I’ll move through to the next guy. If you’re not, then you’re not. But you can’t be places late. And that’s really what we preach as an offensive system and I think Laurent did a good job of that. But we got some pretty darn good guys now that do that.”
Dez Bryant is obviously someone that needs to be on the same page with Romo. While that hasn’t always been the case, Romo says Bryant has improved greatly since his rookie year and is continuing down the right path.
As a rookie, Bryant finished with 45 receptions for 561 yards. He improved to 63 catches for 928 yards last season. Through nine games in 2012, Bryant is on pace for 80 catches and 1,040 yards. However, after catching six touchdowns as a rookie and nine last season, Bryant has only three this season.
“Dez has come full circle from where he was a couple of years ago,” Romo said. “We go by catches whether or not someone has a good game as fans or as media, sometimes. But when we watch the tape, we go by how he blocked, did he get open? The coverages are going to dictate who’s going to get the ball. But does he run his route right? Is it precise? Is he quick in it?
“He’s come 180 degrees, almost full circle where he basically gets to a point where he understands the game. Let’s say he started off doing it 70 percent when he first got here. Then he got to 85. He’s really close to being a guy where it’s 100 percent. You got to go through some things sometimes but he’s a kid that wants it, that works hard, and he’s got a really bright future.”
Tony Romo rarely goes into detail about the Cowboys offense. During his weekly interviews at Valley Ranch he routinely states how he doesn’t want to give anything away to opposing defenses, which results in generic answers.
Tuesday was an off day for the Cowboys, so Romo had some extra time to call into 103.3 [KESN-FM] and talk about a variety of topics, and the Cowboys offense was part of the discussion.
It’s no secret that the Cowboys are hurting offensively without the 11 touchdown receptions Laurent Robinson provided last season in his 14 games with the club. Many wonder why he and Romo worked so well in their only season together.
According to Romo, it’s because Robinson was usually in the right place at the right time.
“Laurent did a good job of … if it was a 12-yard curl route, he’d hit 12 yards and turn,” Romo said. “You don’t have to win by three yards every time. … Sometimes receivers will want to give the extra moves here and there and in some systems they allow you the freedom to do a lot of stuff.
“My thing is that our timing is pretty good as an offensive unit that you just need to be where you need to be on time. If you’re covered, you’re covered and I’ll move through to the next guy. If you’re not, then you’re not. But you can’t be places late. And that’s really what we preach as an offensive system and I think Laurent did a good job of that. But we got some pretty darn good guys now that do that.”
Dez Bryant is obviously someone that needs to be on the same page with Romo. While that hasn’t always been the case, Romo says Bryant has improved greatly since his rookie year and is continuing down the right path.
As a rookie, Bryant finished with 45 receptions for 561 yards. He improved to 63 catches for 928 yards last season. Through nine games in 2012, Bryant is on pace for 80 catches and 1,040 yards. However, after catching six touchdowns as a rookie and nine last season, Bryant has only three this season.
“Dez has come full circle from where he was a couple of years ago,” Romo said. “We go by catches whether or not someone has a good game as fans or as media, sometimes. But when we watch the tape, we go by how he blocked, did he get open? The coverages are going to dictate who’s going to get the ball. But does he run his route right? Is it precise? Is he quick in it?
“He’s come 180 degrees, almost full circle where he basically gets to a point where he understands the game. Let’s say he started off doing it 70 percent when he first got here. Then he got to 85. He’s really close to being a guy where it’s 100 percent. You got to go through some things sometimes but he’s a kid that wants it, that works hard, and he’s got a really bright future.”
