Trent Dilfer: Tony Romo made terrible decision on final drive

[Irving Cowboy]

Trent Dilfer: Tony Romo made terrible decision on final drive
October, 17, 2012
By Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com

Tony Romo deserves a big share of the blame for the Cowboys’ clock-management crisis in Sunday’s loss, according to one Super Bowl championship quarterback.

ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer, the Ravens’ quarterback during their title season, didn’t excuse coach Jason Garrett’s clock mismanagement with 21 seconds and one timeout remaining. However, Dilfer believes the blame game should begin with Romo’s ill-advised decision to throw a short pass to a well-covered Dez Bryant in the middle of the field.

Cornerback Cary Williams, who was playing off man coverage, tackled Bryant as soon as the ball arrived. The Cowboys waited 15 seconds to call a timeout -- while receivers Miles Austin and Kevin Ogletree jogged back to the line of scrimmage -- and didn't get another play off before Dan Bailey's missed 51-yard field goal attempt.

“The bottom line is, if you’re Tony Romo, you can’t throw a 2-yard completion in the middle of the field in that situation,” Dilfer said Tuesday on ESPN Radio’s “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd. “Time is more important than downs in that situation. What I mean by that is, time is paramount, completions aren’t.

“You only throw the ball to complete it in the middle of the field if it’s worthwhile, if it’s going to make a significant difference in field position. You don’t make any contested throws in the middle of the field in that situation.

“It blows my mind that he threw that ball. And every quarterback I talked to yesterday said, ‘Why aren’t people talking about the right thing?’ Chuck the thing out of bounds, eat seven seconds and get two more plays.”

 

[Midswat]

Yeah... it's been covered.

 

[GloryDaysRBack]

What? How dare he blame Romo!

Did romo miss the FG?

Did romo commit all the illegal formations?

Does romo play defense?

Is the romo the idiot HC?

 

[Theebs]

I dont understand where he wants the ball to go?

he couldnt step up in the pocket to throw deep and they were brining 7 we were blocking 6. that means the free guy is on the qb and that free guy is either the mlb about to come up the middle and blast him or the safety who stopped and jumped when romo threw the ball.

If dez breaks the tackle game over. Williams made a great tackle, tip your hat to him and stop looking for people to blame on the play.

if romo doesnt throw it to dez and gets sacked then what? He couldnt just throw it out of bounds because its a penalty.

not sure what dilfer is talking about. the only other option is the out to witten, but that is extremely dangerous.

 

[Midswat]

Dilfer is saying chuck it out of bounds and get another down.

 

[Theebs]

Dilfer is saying chuck it out of bounds and get another down.

from the pocket thats a penalty.

if he rolls left the safety is right there to hit him, if he steps up the linebacker steps in to hit him, let alone the stunt from the end.

the only way I can see that is if he throws it to the right over wittens head, but witten is not close enough to the sideline.

and the two most important things there are dont get sacked and dont turn it over.

that was a safe play call against what they thought would be a blitz giving a quick easy throw to the qb. Dez has broken free of the first defender many times, he just didnt this time and the kick didnt go through.

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

If dez breaks the tackle game over. Williams made a great tackle, tip your hat to him and stop looking for people to blame on the play.

Right on. The problem was what happened after that anyway. That play only took a few seconds, what about the other 20 we flushed?

 

[Theebs]

Right on. The problem was what happened after that anyway. That play only took a few seconds, what about the other 20 we flushed?

no doubt.

even at that, its a subnote if the kick goes through just like in buffalo 07 when everybody forgot about owens two pt conversion drop and the drop that would have made the kick inside 40. Folk made it, everyone was happy.

 

[superpunk]

It's Thursday I'm over it.

 

[Theebs]

It's Thursday I'm over it.

we all should be, but because the next game is carolina and no one cares basically it is going to be a story until we beat the giants or something.

we have to win sunday or we are staring down a 5 or 6 win season. win the next two and its like basically hitting the reset button, lose either and we are in big trouble.

mickey just said they are hopin on spencer this week still not sure but that costa will play and they are just not pushing him in practice because cook also being injured.

 

[dbair1967]

there's other more deserving places to put the blame, starting with the fix job the officials put on us

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

Maybe they'll fix the game for us this week. :errr

 

[marionbarberthe4th]

Trent just taking his token shot at romo so he doesn't seem like a cowboys homer.

 

[UVAwahoos]

What qualifies Trent Dilfer to be critical of any QB? Pot calling the kettle black there.

Dilfer was one of the shittiest QBs of all time. He couldn't do anything correctly so he needs to STFU, especially since he has no idea what went on in the huddle or on the sideline. Ginger himself said that he only sent one play in, so it's not on Romo to strategize in that situation.

I will say that Romo should have pulled a Peyton Manning on Baltimore when the 2nd half was winding down and they were subbing players frantically on that 4th and 2. If he had quick-snapped the ball there, we would have def. got the 5 yard offsides call. Romo isn't the most cerebral QB, but Dilfer is wrong.

 

[dbair1967]

I will say that Romo should have pulled a Peyton Manning on Baltimore when the 2nd half was winding down and they were subbing players frantically on that 4th and 2. If he had quick-snapped the ball there, we would have def. got the 5 yard offsides call. Romo isn't the most cerebral QB, but Dilfer is wrong.

He tried to do that on a play earlier in the game where Baltimore probably had 15 or 16 player on the field, and that dipshit ref Carey wouldnt let him snap the ball...then tried to charge US with a timeout

 

[UVAwahoos]

He tried to do that on a play earlier in the game where Baltimore probably had 15 or 16 player on the field, and that dipshit ref Carey wouldnt let him snap the ball...then tried to charge US with a timeout

Sounds like revisionist history.

Does someone have a video of said play?

 

[dbair1967]

Sounds like revisionist history.

Does someone have a video of said play?

sounds like you didnt watch the game then

it happened down in the redzone...we had a 3rd and short, they were clearly both offsides and had too many guys on the field, and Carey held the play up while Romo was trying to get under C to get a quick snap...then Carey stopped play and said we called timeout...when they came back from the commercial break, he came on and announced he wasnt charging us with a TO, but he didnt penalize the Ravens either

We had to settle for a FG

 

[Theebs]

Yea David is right.

Mike Carey not getting the ball spotted when we had them in a hurry up was comical.

I couldn't believe it when happened.

 

[UVAwahoos]

I missed that.

Sounds like replacement ref-level absurdity. Unfortunate.

I do think that we need to run more of a hurry-up offense in general though. It would keep opponents off balance. The offense moves at a snail's pace right now, and it's clearly not working.

 

[marionbarberthe4th]

They're not well enough coached to do that.