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The Romo Manifesto

Posted on July 15th, 2009 8:30am by Bob Sturm
Filed under Dallas Cowboys, Sturm

Giants Cowboys Football The following entry may not make a ton of sense to all of you. I write this only for a certain portion of the audience. If you consider yourself a football fan that believes Tony Romo’s story has yet to be written, and the truth shall be told in the years to come, then this might not be for you.

However, if you consider Tony Romo either a loser, a spare, just a guy, mediocre, or another over-rated Cowboys’ QB, then this is for you.

If you have ever accused guys like me who think Romo’s got something of being “Cowboys’ Apologists”, “Romo Lovers”, or “blind because of your love for Romo”, then this is for you.

If, this summer, you dreamed of grabbing Brady Quinn, Mark Sanchez, or Jay Cutler to push Romo out, then this is for you.

This entry is not to say, “Tony Romo walks on water and is the best QB in the NFL”. But, rather, it is to make the point that Tony Romo appears to be on track to go from where he is now (undoubtedly one of the best 6 or 7 QBs in the NFL) to even another level (One of the top 3 or 4).

It is to demonstrate that in the NFL, Rome is seldom built in a day. It is to show that he has warts, but if he should harness them, the sky is the limit.

I am not a Tony Romo apologist. I don’t think he has much to apologize for. This is a big year for him, but not because he has failed to this point. The team has not won in the playoffs, and that is a concern, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t received top-flight play from the QB position.

From what I wrote on December 9, 2008 - a few days after his loss in Pittsburgh…

To review my take on Tony Romo: I believe that Tony Romo is the real deal. I believe he is one of the very best QB’s in this league, and I believe that he will someday win a Super Bowl as the QB for the Dallas Cowboys. These are all predictions, not based on his previous accomplishments, but rather based on what I believe based on observation, conversation, and analyzing his total package of skills.

Now, I also believe he has been very good, and that he is a victim of circumstance as it pertains to the unreal bar of expectations in this city, but do not confuse the two separate discussions. The last paragraph is just what I believe. If you believe the opposite, not only are the odds in your favor, but there is no resolution until he either wins a Super Bowl or leaves the Cowboys. But this paragraph can be discussed with just a little analysis and some sweet looking html tables.

Shall we begin?

First, we can all admit that being QB in this city means that you will always be compared to Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach. Not just Troy and Roger, but the best of Troy And Roger. Allow me to inject just a small amount of wisdom into the conversation, by comparing the first 3 years of each man as a Starter in the NFL and for the Cowboys:

Aikman	Wins-Losses	Touchdowns	Interceptions
1989	0 – 11	9	18
1990	7 – 8	11	18
1991	7 – 5	11	10
Total	14 – 24	31	46

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Staubach	Wins-Losses	Touchdowns	Interceptions
1971	10 – 0	15	4
1973	10 – 4	23	15
1974	8 – 6	11	15
Total	28 – 10	49	34

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Romo	Wins-Losses	Touchdowns	Interceptions
2006	6-4	19	13
2007	13-3	36	19
2008	8 – 5	26	14
Total	27 – 12	81	46

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Playoff Record in first 3 years as Cowboys QB:

Troy Aikman: 0-0
Roger Staubach: 5-3
Tony Romo: 0-2

There is one thing to note here. When Roger Staubach won his first playoff game, he was 29 years, 11 months old. Tony Romo is about to play his Age 29 season, and Troy Aikman had his 3rd Super Bowl won at the age of 29.

Here is another fairly impressive number that you may not be aware of. Since, 2006 -When Romo took over as QB, here are the combined TD/INT numbers you should check out (please take special note of how many of the players on this list had already established themselves in the league before 2006. The point is that he is being compared with pretty much all veteran QB’s while he is starting his career as a starter):

QB	TD’s	INT’s	TD/INT
P. Manning	89	35	+54
Brady	74	20	+54
Brees	88	46	+42
Rivers	77	35	+42
McNabb	60	24	+36
Romo	81	46	+35
Warner	63	36	+27
E Manning	68	48	+20
Palmer	57	37	+20
Roethlisberger	67	49	+18
Favre	68	55	+13

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Again, not trying to make the case that this is an apples to apples study. But, since 2006, only 6 quarterbacks AVERAGE a +10 TD/INT in each of the years. Exactly 3 QB’s in the entire NFL have thrown 80 touchdowns during that span. And only 1 was doing it in his first 3 years as a starting Quarterback in the National Football League – Tony Romo.

And this business about his being a Interception machine? Well, do you notice how many players on this list are in his neighborhood in the interception department? And did you happen to notice how many Super Bowl Rings are in that group – during this stretch? Eli? Roethlisberger? Oh, my. Who knew?

And those fumbles that I am always asked about when I bring up his TD/INT? Fumbles are certainly not to be ignored. A few quick thoughts on fumbles. First, I am often asked why fumbles are not part of a QB rating and my reasoning (although I cannot verify that this is the true reason) is that Interceptions are often a conscious decision. A QB sees something and makes a throw trying to advance the ball. If he is wrong, it is picked off. A fumble, on the other hand, is not a poor decision – unless you consider trying to keep a play alive a poor decision, which is a fair counter – but rather it is often the product of poor pass protection from the line and poor ball protection by the QB. Romo and the Cowboys are guilty of both as you will see below, but it might require not more film study – it may require better protection. The other point I would make about fumbles would be that they will often be far more damaging to a team when it comes to field position. An interception is downfield, but a fumble from your QB is usually behind the line of scrimmage. That, of course, is very bad. A QB has to protect the ball, and a team has to protect its QB.

Of the 11 QBs above, 9 of them fumbled at least 8 times and at most 12 times. Peyton Manning lost 2 fumbles and Kurt Warner lost 16. The other 9 were between 8-12 over 3 years. These QB’s lose fumbles 3-4 times a year. All of them.

Here are the QB’s who have fumbled the most from 2006-2008:

Player	Fumbles	Fumbles Lost
Warner	33	16
Romo	32	12
Roethlisberger	28	12
Rivers	27	12
E Manning	27	11
Favre	27	10

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Romo has too many fumbles, there is no doubt about this. And when you add his interceptions to his fumbles (46+12 = 58) you will see that he ranks as 3rd most giveaways amongst that list of top QBs. Who would be joining him on the medal stand of giveaways? Ben Roethlisberger (61) is first and Eli Manning (59) is second. Between them, they have won 3 of the last 4 Super Bowls. So, evidently, the good far outweighs the bad.

How about this reality? Ask any statistical dork, and they will tell you that a “90″ passer rating is the number that is often considered to define “elite” QB play. If you have a rating above 90, you are in the top 25% of QB’s in the National Football League. Fewer than 10 players can say that.

In 2006, 8 QB’s were over 90 QB Rating – They are (in order):

Manning, Huard, Brees, McNabb, Romo, Palmer, Bulger, Rivers

In 2007, 8 QB’s were over 90 QB Rating:

Brady, Roethlisberger, Garrard, Manning, Romo, Favre, Garcia, Hasselbeck

In 2008, 9 QB’s were over 90 QB Rating:

Rivers, Pennington, Warner, Brees, Manning, Rodgers, Schaub, Romo, Garcia

Only 2 names show up on all 3 of those lists. Peyton Manning and Tony Romo.

Playoff wins and Super Bowl wins are what matters most. However, do they always distinguish quality QB play? For instance, in 2000, was Trent Dilfer the best QB in the NFL? In 2002, was Brad Johnson? In 2007, was Eli Manning? Of course, not.

Sometimes, the only fair way to distinguish the play of a QB is to look at his measurable statistics. QB Rating and TD/INT ratio are two of the best metrics that we have to determine QB excellence. And he passes both with flying colors. W-L record doesn’t hurt either, and at 27-12, Romo’s win percentage sits at 69% to date in the regular season. And, 0-2 in the playoffs.

My defense of Romo is 2-fold:

1) He has not been that bad. In fact, he has been very good. There are many things that have happened that have been his fault, but like all QBs, he has been blamed for the sins of the defense, the coaches, the OL, the WRs, and whatever else has gone wrong in the last 3 holiday seasons. And that is the job. Fine. But, he has been at the very, very worst, one of the best 10 QBs in the entire NFL. Given that there are 32 starters in the league, when he is in the upper 30% while playing in his first 3 seasons….you may have to stop the insanity.

2) He has been playing his first 40 games in the NFL. I don’t care how long he was on the sideline, very few players in the world not named Tom Brady, Kurt Warner, and now, Ben Roethlisberger find great success within 40 starts. His age is advanced for a kid, but he has been a kid. In September, he will play his first game since Eastern Illinois in 2002 that had a huddle where he is the guy in complete charge (Good luck, by the way, to Trent Edwards) and it has been a tough task to learn, he should now be ready.

Romo is currently at 39 career starts. For context, Super Bowl winning Quarterbacks average 30 years of age, and 85 career starts – about 5.3 NFL seasons worth of starts. Some did it in fewer than 39 (Staubach, Montana, Warner, Brady, and Roethlisberger) and some took much, much longer (Peyton Manning 144, John Elway 219).

He has been green. But, he should be nearing the end of his training.

See, I didn’t claim that he gets any longer. The fact is, 2009 is an extremely important year for him. I would suggest that he does need to get that first playoff victory. He does need to exhibit the ability to make the right plays and not make the wrong ones in his 3rd full year and 4th year as a starter.

He is no longer a kid. They made adjustments to fit him. It is now a year for make-or-break. If he falls on his face in 2009, the Cowboys would be foolish to consider QB a position of strength.

But, it appears many in the public – yes, even Dallas fans – already have ruled him “not the guy”. He won’t ever win the big one, right? You don’t know he won’t anymore than I know he will.

I realize I have put my eggs in the Romo basket, and yes, I cringe when he appears to be a bit too “Hollywood” for my taste. But, I would like to say that I believe Tony Romo is the real deal, and while he may be a far cry from Mr. Staubach and Mr. Aikman, I would also say he is a far cry in the other direction from Quincy, Bledsoe, Vinny, Hutchinson, Henson, etc.

Chances are, if you feel Romo has nothing, there is nothing I can tell you that will change your mind – only he can change your mind with some big moments after Christmas. But, perhaps some of these numbers and thoughts have made you consider what you believe about the Cowboys’ QB.

47 Comments to “The Romo Manifesto”

JohnnyMel @ July 15th, 2009 at 8:56 am

I can’t wait until next year’s Stephen McGee Manifesto!
Mavs Man @ July 15th, 2009 at 9:16 am

I don’t get the Romo hate in Dallas… oh wait, this is Dallas, where anything less than a Super Bowl win is an abject failure.

Romo has room to improve, but he is the least of their roster worries. Let’s enjoy having a real quarterback again, not forgetting the days of Ryan Leaf, Quincy Carter, Anthony Wright, Clint Stoerner, Tony Bank, etc.
adam @ July 15th, 2009 at 9:36 am

love you bob.
Javier @ July 15th, 2009 at 9:38 am

I have always felt that Romo has already won a Superbowl, figuratively. He went to a small school that no one ever heard of, he wasn’t drafted, and was a backup for 4 years(behind Quincy?!). Now he is the starting QB of America’s team, he’s dated celebrities, signed a huge contract and has become one of the most QB’s right now…all without even winning a playoff game! What is his motivation to win a Superbowl? Aikman and Staubach were studs in college and were expected to be studs in the NFL. They NEEDED to reach the Superbowl.
Jesse @ July 15th, 2009 at 9:39 am

Good, strong sports stuff, SportSturm. I’ve been so Ranger-centric lately that it’s good of your to remind us all what Baseball season really is: NFL preseason.
Trey @ July 15th, 2009 at 9:57 am

Bob,

You complete me.
jrqberry @ July 15th, 2009 at 10:17 am

C’mon Bob, you should know better than to expect rational and logical thought patterns when it comes to the Cowboys!

It seems the ‘personality’ of our stars has become more important than the stats. He’s got a little too much Chris Chris in him for some fans, so they use that to launch their attacks. But, I’m sure if any of us were in his position, we’d do many of the same things.

Also, I predict he will never win over the idiot fan for good. If they fall in love with him, they’ll turn on him just like they did Aikman during his last few seasons.

Nothing will ever be good enough and I think he knows that, which may contribute to his attitude off the field.

Good work, thanks for fighting the good fight.
Dalyryder @ July 15th, 2009 at 10:19 am

I am happy that not only the Cowboys but also Mr. Romo have affected change to provide better continuity to the 2009 Dallas Cowboys. Wade’s promise to change, which I think many of us considered to be lip service after the Philidelphia loss, has seen the departure of TO, Tank, Pacman, Sonner R. Williams, and recently Greg Ellis. Wade’s declaration obviously had some teeth. Now that Mr. Romo has broken off with the Simpson Circus, I think we as fans can really see that this is not the underachieving 2008 Cowboys. The promise of the new season always brings unfettered hope and lofty expectations in our fair burg, but this really is setting up to be a year that our franchise QB can flourish and hopefully get his first playoff win if not lift the Lombardi. As not so humble Cowboys fans, we must realize that the anguish and misery of the past decade and beyond has brought us into the 2009 season with a well crafted TEAM led by one of the arms in the game. Feel the love.
Brian @ July 15th, 2009 at 10:30 am

Maybe I’d buy this if Romo not ended each of his seasons with not just failure, but utter failure; lowering the bar by failing more miserably each year. Romo is just like Cutler, he doesnt have a clue how to lead, and he shrinks to the moment. Keep telling yourself Romo is great, Bob. Whatever helps you sleep at night.
jrqberry @ July 15th, 2009 at 10:48 am

^^^^^^^
Perfect example.
matt deen @ July 15th, 2009 at 11:30 am

Love u Bob…and this was a good read. All the stats put things in perspective a little bit.

However…what you and all “Romo apologists” tend to ignore when “comparing” Tony to others and when bringing up stats…is the eyeball test.

QB in the NFL is a unique position in all of sports. With Tony, he has already shown us so much to cause great concern. Whether it be the slumped shoulders after picks, the “sulkng” by himself, his apparent complete disregard for Parcells ‘rules,’ his ‘Hollywoodness,’ his complete and abject failures in big games, his refusal or inability to just ‘will’ his team to win (in fact he does the opposite…your Pitt game from last yr is the perfect example). And I could go on.

The point is…you can use the stats and points you used to almost make the same “I think he will win” argument about most NFL QB’s. You can also insulate yourself from being “wrong” by stating what you did…that the odds are always stacked against. With QB’s there is a baseline talent level one must have…and I agree Tony has it. But the leadership…and that X-factor…that must be there too. And Tony doesn’t have it.
jrqberry @ July 15th, 2009 at 12:06 pm

Romo did not give up the 2 TD runs to the Ravens. Romo did not give up 44 points to the Eagles. He did not give up the TD before halftime and stop blocking the Giants D-Line in the 4th qtr of the 07 playoff loss.

He did throw the INT in the Steelers game and fumble the snap against Seattle.

He’s not perfect but you can’t hang every loss and late-season collapse around his neck.
David @ July 15th, 2009 at 12:13 pm

I agree with you about Romo, Bob. Great charts as well.

I believe a greater commitment this year to the run and a 3-headed monster running attack will help Romo’s protection, thus resulting in fewer interceptions, fumbles, and sacks.

Therefore, I believe his TD numbers will go down considerably this year, but his Efficiency as a QB will be much improved. As Aikman (and to some degree Big Ben) proved to the world, being a Champtionship QB is not about being flashy, but making a great throw/decision at a biggest moment in the game. Also, the willingness to take a big hit for the team to complete a throw. I want to see Romo do that more in pressure situations.

The impetus is on Garrett more than ever this year to put Romo in a situation to succeed. Play calling often times leads to execution!
Jerry @ July 15th, 2009 at 1:01 pm

Nobody will say that Romo can’t put up good numbers.

IMO, what he lacks is “fire” – a burning drive to WIN. Watch Favre in a playoff game, and even when his team is on D, he’s on the sideline watching every play, yelling at his guys, in the thick of it. And then there’s Tony, sitting on the bench with smirk-face and backwards cap. Does he have talent? Sure. Does he have the heart of a true team leader, the guy you can rally behind? Sure doesn’t seem like it. If he did have half the fire of Favre (and I’m not a Favre fan or anything), I don’t think Cowboy fans would be all up in his grill. Heart goes a long way.

Good job, Bob. By the stats, Romo is a Jedi. By the eyeball, he’s cashing a paycheck until he’s able to star in his own movie.
5of5 @ July 15th, 2009 at 1:03 pm

@David The ANUS is on Garrett more than ever this year to put Romo in a situation to succeed. Play calling often times leads to execution!

/fixed
Don @ July 15th, 2009 at 1:41 pm

Putting logic into an argument, Bob, is unfair. I prefer loud yelling and incoherent insults.
Matt @ July 15th, 2009 at 1:57 pm

Bob -

Unfortunately, opinions don’t need facts to support them. Even after as detailed an analysis as you have launched and supported your reasons with facts and empirical evidence, you’ll always get jokers like Brian who come back to unproveable opinions that you just can’t touch. How do you logically argue subjective opinions? How do you convince someone who confuses their own conclusions with concrete data? I fought that battle for years before I realized that there are people who listen to facts and those who don’t.

You’ve made a great case, said your piece, and now be done with it.
Travis @ July 15th, 2009 at 2:40 pm

I am by no means a Romo hater. I was a Romo lover for quite some time. There are so many factors that go unnoticed in these stats it’s silly (when do they turn the ball over?; Eli and Ben are on ball-control teams, so when they give it up it’s much more likely that their D has had at least some time to rest; I could think of more with sufficient time)

Anyway, I’m not a Romo basher per se, however my problem with him has absolutely nothing to do with his play, or his lack of playoff wins, or anything on the field. It’s his freaking attitude. He seems like he’s trying to turn that around this offseason, but only time will tell. I hope he does.
Brian @ July 15th, 2009 at 2:47 pm

Matt, you can show me all the numbers in the world and it doesn’t mean you are right. Football is not a numerical formula, it relies on instinct and intangibles combined with skill. Until Romo does something significant, you are putting an aweful lot of faith in a Qb with zero skins on the wall. I know Romo is a very talented QB, but I have watched enough great Qb’s to know he doesn’t have “it.” I hope Romo proves me wrong, but I think all of you have forgotten how you felt about the guy after he fumbled the Seattle snap. Think about how you felt about him after the NY loss. Now think about how you felt about him and the whole team after the Philly embarassment. Were you cheering him that day, or were you calling for his head? What’s changed since? Take your blinders off.
Babyarm @ July 15th, 2009 at 4:17 pm

The 800 pound elephant in the room is how do the cowboys win with a sorry excuse of a coach like Wade? This team has no rudder, and there are numerous examples where Wade doesn’t make the hard decisions nor disciplines this team.
The team is built to run the ball much more this year, IF they ensure that they have the offensive line to do so. I sure wish that strange debaucle with Dan Reeves didn’t occur..we could use a real football mind at Valley Ranch.
Those that don’t believe stats and look for the eyeball/ sniff/ BS test will be the first ones to pat him on the back when he has his first taste of success. It flat out hasn’t been his fault, and I can only fire off a few QB’s I would rather have.
God….football can not get here fast enough.
Eric Smith @ July 15th, 2009 at 5:30 pm

Romo is the man, I didn’t do much research, but I have been around. And I created this little “WAKE UP CALL” to all the Romo haters.

If you think Romo sucks, then you are just not paying attention!!

http://docs.google.com/View?id=dcwg23fg_53c68fxqgg
TommyTomcat @ July 15th, 2009 at 5:41 pm

Good stuff SportsSturm. The thing that bugs me the most about all the negative Romo talk is that few fans look at how poorly the O-line has performed when Kyle Kosar has been out with injury. How many 5 step drops did you see Romo take after game 5-6 last year when he didn’t have someone in his face. He constantly has to break down plays and improvise because the pocket is way too leaky. Most fans just take it for granted the he is one of the best ever at making that first guy miss at the QB position. Look at how B. Johnson faired behind that O-line.. he had no chance to be successful.
Kyle @ July 15th, 2009 at 5:47 pm

Good article Bob. I’ve been really down on Romo lately… kinda dreading what might happen this season. But I, like you, love stats. These are pretty impressive. I would have not imagined some of these were true, but I don’t dare fact check you. Peyton and Tony the only two to show up on the list of 90+ rating in the last three years? Crazy! I would have never guessed that. Never. This kind of makes me feel better about QB play, but now we have to look at WR’s and Jason Garrett. If Garrett doesn’t get creative, we are cooked. There are so many weapons on the offense. I can’t imagine us not putting up lots of yds and lots of points on the board, but there were times we really struggled at that last year. God I hope this year is better, I really don’t wanna put the remote thru my HD TV, but I could have to.
Woz @ July 15th, 2009 at 6:58 pm

Kyle,

Unlike you, I am not a stat freak. I do not care what anyone says about Dallas’ high standard of not only winning, but winning playoff games and ultimately, a Super Bowl. Why? Because it is the truth. We live in a city that requires big wins, and should never except the failure of losing. For me, the same mentatlity applies to all of Dallas’ sports franchises. If the Mavs make the playoffs, beat the ‘hated’ Spurs, and lose in the second round to Denver, then the season is a failure. For me, championships define a franchise. Nobody cares how many times the Cowboys have made the playoffs, or how many playoff games they won for that matter. They care about the fact that the Cowboys have won 5 Superbowls. Can you tell me how many playoff games the Mavs have won? Probably not. However, I can tell you that they lost to Dwayne Wade in the NBA finals three years ago. Recall the winning Super Bowl quarterback from the Giants. How flattering were his stats during the regular season? Did he throw for 4,000 yds and win 13 games? After you have pondered over these questions, think back to the playoffs. He stepped up and played like a superstar. The results, he won a world championship. So until Romo wins a world championship, I won’t necessarily hate him, but I will doubt him.
Woz @ July 15th, 2009 at 7:11 pm

Oh yeah, one more thing. For all you “Romo Lovers” who in your posts, placed blame on his surrounding talent and the offensive line, you are a moron. Yeah Brad Johnson did look like a fool back there, because he is a fool, a 50 yr old fool. This was one of the best o-lines in the game, when they are healthy. He has turned into a pre-madonna LA surfer wanna be. He would rather be at a resort splitting his time between the beach, the golf course, the margarita machine, his twitter account, and his new girlfriend, whoever that may be. Lets go Stevie McGee!
Bob Sturm dropping knowledge | DCFanatic's Blog @ July 15th, 2009 at 7:34 pm

[...] But now he’s also schooling us from his blog over at DMagazine.com, read here. [...]
NickinDallas @ July 15th, 2009 at 10:54 pm

@Eric Smith – Great Stuff!!
Dano @ July 15th, 2009 at 11:05 pm

Great stuff Bob.

Dano
Jed E. @ July 16th, 2009 at 8:29 am

His “no big deal” type of attitude combined with his December fades are the reason I am down on the guy. I am not ready to abandon ship, but the life jacket is on. Houston has already had Warren Moon, the Cowboys don’t need their version.
things leaders don't say @ July 16th, 2009 at 11:27 am

“If this is the worst thing that ever happens to me, I’ve had a pretty good presidency”…
FDR December 8, 1941
Dave H @ July 16th, 2009 at 11:43 am

Romo es un Jedi, quien tiene el control de la fuerza.
Brad @ July 16th, 2009 at 11:47 am

Adversity builds character, and Romo has seen/heard his share. His mistakes will make him mentally stronger, which in combination with his incredible skill, should provide great results.

Pessimism will get you nowhere in this world.
brett @ July 16th, 2009 at 12:55 pm

Good job making your case Bob.

…the only thing I would add is that Tony Romo has had his team in every game that he’s started – the only exception is the most recent Philly game. …That’s the only losing blow out he’s been a part of as a starter for the Cowboys.
JasperOC @ July 17th, 2009 at 3:19 pm

The references to the ‘eyeball test’ and leadership abilities confuse me. I would think the ‘eyeball test’ would work in Romo’s favor in every way. If you watch him play, you see an amazing ability. Extremely entertaining plays. High ‘wow factor’. The stats are where the Romo bashers typically gather their venom. Interceptions…fumbles…losses. Those numbers, according to Bob, simply don’t support the anti-Romo argument, so we backtrack to ‘eyeball test’, despite the fact that it’s an invalid argument. The leadership thing…Everytime a QB shows a little leadership on his team, T.O. acts a fool. Guess what? T.O. acted a fool. My guess is,Romo attempted to take control of ‘his’ team, and the Ebony Anus didn’t like it. He’s 29. I’ll forgive the comments after the Philly game. I suspect that’s where a majority of the distain stems from anyway. Glad I didn’t have a mic in front of me when I was 29, and trying not to look bad after one of the worst performances of my career. I may have blamed teammates or coaches or something.
All That and Next @ July 18th, 2009 at 8:59 am

I continue to be amazed at the focus of the media and fans in regards to the Cowboys returning to really being “Americas Team” as they are. I am sure it is better for all sports media outlets to “burn segments” debating the validity of Romo as the “true” David of the Cowboys attempting to kill the Goliath which is a playoff win in more than a decade, but the real answer is that the defense MUST show up.
After you compare all of the lists and even attempt to justify various QBs by there “clutch” playmaking abilities down the stretch, ala Rothlesberger apologists, the fact of the matter is you must have a stout defense to win in the playoffs and the Superbowl.
Of course, you can’t prop up just anyone under center, but don’t lose sight of the point being the need for a stellar QB is not as important as the need for a stellar DEFENSE. Rothe has had this all of his career, Eli wouldn’t have won without it, and Peyton finally won when his stepped up and did something their championship year, Favre won the year Reggie White joined the Packers, Ravens dominated with a mediocre QB, and more could be said.
The bottom line is, even if, Romo gets his head right with ball, Wade Phillips defense is the key. I am sure there will be opinions after this post from many about how the QB spot is SOOO important, but the stats and eyeball tests prove otherwise. But it’s just not as sexy to talk about defense being the key to championship football as it is to debate about QBs. Keeping buring those segments Ticket and other media……
RexP @ July 18th, 2009 at 10:31 am

Ok, I really appreciate you speaking out and also the graphs to show actual stats that I don’t think the people really pay attention too but one that you missed was years it took superbowl winning quarterbacks and non-winning quarterbacks to actually win a playoff game, and Im not talking about one time superbowl winners Im talkin about Icons as people so state them Marino until Brett Farve owned almost every NFL record but never won a superbowl. Elway won only late in his career after Aikman, Young, and Montana retired. You really have to put things in the right perspective to actually say hey this or that quarterback was good or even great. Elway was a great quarterback and so was Marino but they competed against other great quarterbacks and teams. The surrounding enviorment in which a quarterback is given aka team and couch and the skills of other teams in the league. If for example one team has alot more talent then 90% of the other teams they are expected to compete for the title, but when that talent is spread out amount 10 different teams the chances of winning that coveted title are less. In the era of Staubach and Aikman Dallas had obviously tons more talent then 90% of the teams in the NFL now that talent again is spread out amoung a number of teams so play of both defence and offence, couching, and other factors begin to weigh in… as in injuries, weather, and luck. god forbid I just said that, but its true. Do I think Romo is a good quarterback… Hell yea! A great one, only time will tell. Great story though. Thanks.
Dillard's @ July 18th, 2009 at 9:36 pm

Bob- the deadline for you and Tony to pick a china pattern is July 31st. Please do so before the wedding or your order will be nullified.

Dillard’s staff
JangoFett @ July 19th, 2009 at 1:47 am

Good job bob. Interesting statistical reasoning but some will lead you to believe they are meaningless. They believe the media driven perception carries more weight. Romo is a fantastic football player. All the silliness of people caring what his personality, or emotional reactions are make my cheeks hurt. After the spiraling conundrum of events that led to the Cowboys loss, how is it you wanted Romo to act. Did you want him to be angry, crying, or what? He took the Jedi way, the right way. Everything he said was true, philosophically at least. At your work (where I’m sure children are not watching) do you throw a tantrum or cry when you or your team or staff fails? A adult accepts the fact what is done, is done. Nothing could be changed by pointless anger or self pity. Look in his eyes to see the pain, not his words.If the world were not watching do you believe his reactions would of been the same? He plays with fire, if you think not, then you’ve never seen him play. “Anger, fear, aggression. The dark side are they. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.”- Yoda
Sean @ July 19th, 2009 at 10:38 pm

Your right Sports Strum!
Lets look at the last few Super Bowls and the last OB’s to go there:
2008 Roethlisberger vs Warner (both on the best TD/INT list)
2007 Brady vs E Manning (again both on the best TD/INT list)
2006 P Manning vs Grossman (P Manning is on the best TD/INT list, but Grossman? How did he get there? OH YEAH, THE BEST DEFENSE THAT YEAR!)
Does abyone really think putting another QB in Dallas really help this team get to the dance? I don’t think even putting the great Tom Brady or Payton Manning in Romo’s place over the last few seasons makes any difference in how far this team would have gone in the post season. My opinion. The entire team fell apart in the last few Decembers, not just Romo. He needs his fair share of the blame but, to put everything on him is unreasonable.
jtarin @ July 22nd, 2009 at 7:12 am

apparently ‘brian’ should consider a job in the nfl scouting industry…

‘i’ve watched enough great Qb’s to know he doesn’t have “it.”’

oh and great ender there with the ‘take your blinders off…’

what a rube…
Sports Debating Rudy and Romo @ July 22nd, 2009 at 12:01 pm

[...] on to a disagreement about my Romo Manifesto from last [...]
Steve @ July 22nd, 2009 at 1:07 pm

For even more fun, compare his stats to Danny White, Dan Marino and Joe Montana’s for their first 3 playing years in the NFL.
Eli Manning’s New Deal @ August 6th, 2009 at 11:06 am

[...] may recall the lists of annual QB Ratings from last month’s Romo Manifesto … How about this reality? Ask any statistical dork, and they will tell you that a “90″ passer [...]
Eli Manning’s New Deal « wire2 @ August 6th, 2009 at 11:21 am

[...] may recall the lists of annual QB Ratings from last month’s Romo Manifesto … How about this reality? Ask any statistical dork, and they will tell you that a “90″ passer [...]
2009 NFL Season Discussion - Page 40 - Fires of Heaven Guild Message Board @ August 31st, 2009 at 10:04 pm

[...] him around long enough to have that problem if he didn’t think he could be the solution at QB. Dallas Sports: Texas Rangers News Dallas Cowboys News Dallas Mavericks News Dallas Stars News Inside… Read this the other day. People give Romo a really hard time but dude is talented and you don’t [...]
Cowboys -vs- Romo?!? - Sportsrant Community @ September 22nd, 2009 at 5:21 pm

[...] asked for it. Dallas Sports: Texas Rangers News Dallas Cowboys News Dallas Mavericks News Dallas Stars News Inside… I should say that I realize 2 things: 1) That you are just trying to get under our skin 2) You [...]
sportsbs.net » Blog Archive » The Romo “Dilemma” @ September 26th, 2009 at 7:10 pm

[...] the last two regular season games of 2008 except to say that Romo doesn’t play linebacker either. D Magazine presents a much more formal and detailed article I’d recommend for any hardcore fan that has [...]