The offseason is the perfect time to conduct research and make some discoveries about your favorite team. Normally when you make these discoveries, you want to find some way to relate them to how great your favorite team can be in the upcoming season.
Personally, as a Dallas Cowboys fan, I am a habitual “Kool-Aid” drinker in July. Despite the suspensions, the injury and depth concerns, and the overall problems with the roster, I am all hands on deck and ready for a playoff run.
Because, as a fan, isn’t that how you’re supposed to act as long as you’re within reason?
Last week my quest for Cowboys optimism led me to examine how teams with weaker projected strength of schedules fared during that same season. Not surprisingly the easier your schedule was, the more likely it was for you to win games. Lucky for us, the Cowboys have only the 27th strongest schedule in the NFL this season.
This week, I examined the Cowboys schedule a little closer, looking at how the Cowboys have fared against each team when Tony Romo was at the helm. We all know how important Romo is to this team, so comparing the Cowboys raw overall record against these 16 opponents without controlling for the Romo factor wouldn’t show us much at all.
The findings were pretty positive.
Tony Romo only has a regular season losing record against four of this season’s opponents.
Of course he only has a losing record against six teams in the entire league so the odds were that he would be playing teams that he normally beats, but it is still an interesting point to make.
Out of these opponents, the Baltimore Ravens are the only one which he is winless against (0-2). The first loss coming during the final game at Texas Stadium, a game which still kills me to this day, and the second loss coming in 2012 in a 31-29 heartbreaker.
Damn, Jacoby Jones.
Against the other three teams-the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, and Chicago Bears- Romo-led teams are a combined 7-9 (including playoff games against Detroit and Green Bay). Unfortunately, Romo has not beaten the Packers since 2008, though he has recent victories over both the Bears and Lions.
Outside of those 4 teams, and the NFC East, Romo is a combined 11-5 against the Cowboys 2016 opponents.
This mark includes a 4-0 record against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a 2-1 record against the San Francisco 49ers, a 2-2 record against the Minnesota Vikings, and 6-2 record against all AFC North teams not named the Ravens.
Then we have the divisional foes, which Romo has owned ever since he got the chance to start in the league. Tony Romo has a winning record of 33-25 against the entire division, including 11-9 against the New York Giants, 11-7 against the Philadelphia Eagles, and 11-9 against the Washington Redskins.
Not too bad if you ask me.
What does this all mean?
Well, to be honest, it might mean absolutely nothing. Projecting how a particular team or player will perform in the next season solely based on past games can often get you into trouble. But, when you look at teams like Tampa Bay and Cleveland, who have never beaten Romo, I do think the historical trend means something. Romo has succeeded against these teams in the past, and for the most part, we should expect him to continue to do so this season.
So here’s that glass of Cowboys’ Kool-Aid, please enjoy it with me.
