On Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys improved their record to 5-1, and sit on top of the NFC East. The Cowboys success has been due to the play of rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott, who leads the league in rushing yards, and just set a record for consecutive games rushing over 130 yards. The Cowboys weren’t NFL odds favorites coming into the season because of Tony Romo’s injury, but they are now, thanks to their impressive rookies.
While a lot of Cowboys fans are excited about the team’s early season success, there is a looming controversy the team will have to deal with when Tony Romo is cleared to return to the lineup. Should the team keep Prescott as their starting quarterback or give Romo his job back?
According to team owner Jerry Jones, Romo is the team’s starting quarterback when he returns, and that isn’t sitting well with a lot of fans.
Let’s look closer into the situation. Over his career, Tony Romo has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but the Cowboys fan base has never fully been behind him. After Romo became the team’s full time starter, he enjoyed the trappings of success a little too much, dating celebrities and took a trip to Mexico a week before a playoff game, which rubbed some of the fans the wrong way.
Despite his off-field gaffes, Romo statistically is one of the best quarterbacks to play for the franchise, which is very impressive considering the number of Hall of Famers that have played the position for the Cowboys.
Despite his impressive stats, Romo has been under fire because of the team’s inability to make the playoffs consistently and to win playoff games.
The truth of the matter is Romo hasn’t had a lot of help in recent years, which is why the team has struggled to make the playoffs consistently. When he was first named a starter, he had weapons like Terrell Owens and Jason Witten, who gave him reliable targets to throw to.
After Owens was let go by the team, Witten was his only receiving weapon, and the team didn’t have much of a running game to take the pressure off. Now, that the team has had weapons around him, he hasn’t been able to stay healthy.
When Prescott was drafted, the team figured he would spend a couple of seasons behind Romo learning how to play the position at the top level, but during the preseason, he proved he is a quick study and is ready for prime time.
Through the first five games of the season, he didn’t throw an interception and was effective moving the chains. Last week, he finally threw his first interception, but was able to lead the team to a victory over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau.
A lot of experts have compared the Prescott situation with the Tom Brady situation when he filled in for an injured Drew Bledsoe before taking over as the full-time starter. They believe that despite Romo being the better quarterback right now, removing Prescott from the starting lineup could disrupt the team’s momentum.
While that is a possibility, Romo still gives the team the best chance to win, and has the experience to lead them on a deep playoff run. The question now is does head coach Jason Garrett feel the same way?
Oh really??? This is a real news flash! Holy smokes how many more of these need to be written?
Last season when Romo went down against Carolina for the second time that year, I thought to myself and sent to my friends this message: I’ve just witnessed the end of Romo. What I meant is that Romo was injury-prone, unreliable at QB and that the Cowboys needed a new QB. All opposing teams needed to do to defeat the ‘Boys and send them into a tailspin is get to Romo.
Last 3 games, 3 injuries. Injury – 8 games, injury – 6 games, injury – 7 games.
Anybody who follows the Dallas Cowboys should be concerned for Romo’s health (although the potential impact of another injury on the team has been mitigated by the presence of Dak Prescott).
Are we to believe that Romo’s performance will not be affected by these recent injuries? Navigating the pocket, movement away from pressure, throwing on the run (er, move)? How will Romo’s decisions and delivery be affected with a 300 pound lineman coming at him with intent to do damage? Will his in-game mentality be negatively affected? Romo has always taken risks, made bad decisions and bad plays that cost his team at the worst possible times. I think the frequency of bad plays increase now.
Team momentum. The ‘Boys are on a roll. There is a significant risk that a change in QB’s affects the team’s progress, rhythm and energy. Do you take that risk?
There is a unique opportunity to make the team better through savings under the salary cap. It is being reported the Dallas Cowboys could save millions under the salary cap by moving on from Romo.
@Mike Young — Meh. I thought and said the same thing. Where we differ is that I don’t believe he is incapable, or going to be “hearing footsteps” at all. I do seriously wonder if he can sustain the hits anymore. The injuries you mentioned… breaking a collarbone he broke once before (2011 I believe), breaking that same collarbone again when he rushed back, and injuring a back he’s had multiple prior injuries to. If it were new problems, that’s one thing, but the same areas being affected again and again? Sounds like a body breaking down to me.
Anyway, I’m for momentum, I’m just also for not losing your job because of injury. If Romo comes back healthy and playing like he was, he’s twice the QB Dak is now, and that’s okay. Dak could end up being a better QB when it’s all said and done. But his rookie year isn’t his only shot to make that happen.
Thanks for reading, Mike.
Bryson – I am not going to go anywhere near what may appear to be questioning Romo’s courage or ability when healthy (the key is health – there is no escaping the realty that Romo is 36 years old coming off 3 straight serious injuries). I believe it is fair to question whether he can do it like he used to? Particularly, when coming off several shoulder and back surgeries. Keep in mind it has been almost a season and a half since Romo’s outstanding 2014 campaign.
I think you are being a little naïve and overly sentimental to say you’re not for losing your job because of injury. Try missing too much time due to illness and see if you aren’t replaced on your job. Also, you are way off the mark to say a healthy Romo is twice the QB Dak is now! What do you base that on? Not Super Bowls, Not NFC Championships, Not even playoff victories! I say let the rookie have is day. We all may be unexpected rewarded.
Some folks have a more difficult time getting past the sacrifices made by players and loyalty we feel for those sacrifices and also the sentimentality of moving on, especially when we want the best for them. But it’s not like Romo hasn’t had opportunities or been handsomely rewarded for his sacrifices. Football is a business. Sometimes things change suddenly in business but we have to find a workable solution and keep moving. I think we’ve done that and to extend the business analogy, the bottom line looks good and prospects look even better.
Thanks for your article and your comments.
I believe that Tony Romo, with all his injuries, would be a great relief quarter back. Let Dak Prescott remain the starting QB with a “healthy” Romo behind him ready to play. I would be more than willing to let Romo ride out his contract on the bench as the highest paid back up in the league.