Contrary to popular belief, the Dallas Cowboys DO NOT have a quarterback controversy.
If Tony Romo was 100% healthy today, head coach Jason Garrett and the rest of the Cowboys coaching staff would have no problem reinserting him as the starting quarterback this week against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Don’t get me wrong. Dak Prescott has done an outstanding job the first four games of the 2016 season, but he still has a long ways to go until he can operate this offense as efficiently as Romo does.
The reason this is even a discussion at all is because a rookie 4th round draft pick has defied all odds and helped a beat up Dallas Cowboys team scratch and claw their way to a 3-1 winning record.
In four games, Prescott has shown the poise of a veteran QB, thrown with accuracy, and most importantly not turned the ball over. He has 1,012 passing yards and is responsible for five total touchdowns (3 passing, 2 rushing).
In fact, Prescott has played so well that he has set a rookie record by throwing 131 pass attempts without an interception.
You couldn’t have asked for anything more from a rookie QB, especially from a player that wasn’t even expected to see the field in 2016.
Of course, all of that changed when Kellen Moore was lost to an injury in training camp, which promoted Prescott to be the backup for Tony Romo. Then, Romo lasted three entire plays in the third preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks before injuring his back once again.
To say it was a perfect storm that allowed Dak Prescott to become the Cowboys starting QB to start the 2016 season would be an understatement. Everything fell in place perfectly for Prescott, but that doesn’t make him the best option to lead the Cowboys offense for the entire year.
It’s funny how we quickly forget how good Tony Romo actually is.
Romo has become arguably the greatest statistical quarterback the Dallas Cowboys have had in the history of the organization. He has the most passing yards, touchdowns, the highest completion percentage, passer rating, and averages more passing yards per game than any other Cowboys quarterback.
The only real concern with Romo is his problem staying healthy, especially the last few years.
His last healthy season was in 2014 when the Dallas Cowboys were just a Dez Bryant catch away from a NFC Championship game. That season he threw for 34 touchdowns and just nine interceptions.
That 2014 team isn’t all that different from this years squad. The offense is relying heavily on the running game this year and Dak Prescott has been doing a good job of throwing to the open receiver.
I personally have nothing against Prescott. I actually believe he is going to be the future QB for this team, but right now a healthy Tony Romo gives the offense the best chance to put points on the board and outscore their opponents.
The one thing the Prescott hasn’t really been able to do yet is connect with his wide receivers and pick up those big plays for large chunks of yards. That’s why Ezekiel Elliott is still having to run against eight-man fronts, but with the reinsertion of Tony Romo in the lineup that should all change.
Can you imagine how good Elliott can be without having to face a stacked box every time he runs the ball?
I think that’s what we will see once Tony Romo is back under center. He is more willing to take shots down the field. There have been chances for Prescott to do the same, but either he hasn’t seen Terrance Williams or Brice Butler open deep, or he just prefers to take the safer throw. Regardless, Romo is still the better option for this team to succeed.
Having said all that, there is still one scenario in which I see Dak Prescott remain the starter after Romo is back to full strength. That is if he can win this week’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals and next week’s game on the road against the Green Bay Packers.
If Prescott can enter the Cowboys bye week with a 5-1 record, I have a hard time believing the coaching staff can justify changing things up with the team on a winning streak.
In an article I wrote before the season started I had Prescott with a 3-3 record heading into the bye week, but I hope I’m wrong.
This will continue be a hot topic for debate until something is finally officially announced, but as things stand right now there absolutely is NOT a quarterback controversy in Dallas.
We all just need to relax. Having two really good quarterbacks is not a bad problem to have.
What do you think the Dallas Cowboys should do with the quarterback situation?
Please feel free to share your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below.
Romo does not operate this offese efficiently.
Drock, I take it you’re one of those fans that doesn’t truly appreciate what Tony Romo has done as the QB for the Dallas Cowboys. Statistically he is the best QB the Dallas Cowboys have ever had, but he is also statistically one of the top 10 QB’s in the NFL as well. Romo makes the players around him better when he is on the field and has made the Cowboys offense one of the best units in the entire NFL. If you think this offense is performing well so far this season with Prescott as the QB, just wait until Romo is back. Although I disagree with you, I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment and voice your opinion.
Drock do you actually watch the games I’m going to post something for you but first I’m going to say those if Tony Romo had a defense tony have a less 2 rings Eli Manning wouldn’t have one but this might change your mind it let me post it go to twitter page tommyroberts29
Tommy, I agree with you. Romo has never really had a good defense to help him out more during his time with the Cowboys. I personally can’t wait until Romo is back. Although the defense isn’t much better than what Romo has had in the past, he has a lot of offense of weapons at his disposal to outscore his opponents.
Tony Romo’s performance stats are irrefutable, but sometimes it’s hard to remember how good Tony was in the past because it was so far in the past. Additionally, you also have to caveat his excellent stats with the phrase “when he’s healthy,” which hasn’t been very much lately, or over the past few years. Also, let’s talk about stats that matter, namely playoff wins. One – granted, it’s a team game. Finally, there is such a thing as momentum. Tom Brady made Drew Bledsoe go away. But then again, Drew Bledsoe was a terrible QB… (not), and that didn’t work out very well, did it?
Love your work. Keep it up.
Thanks for commenting Steve. I agree with everything you said. I find myself starting to be more on the fence as to whether or not I would reinsert Tony Romo as a starting QB. I still think it’s the right move, but Prescott has the offense playing really well. If he beats Green Bay this week it’s going to be an even harder decision to make. I still think Romo taking over is the right move to make. You can always go back to Prescott if he gets hurt or struggles.