Only one quarterback who shows up for Armageddon Sunday at MetLife Stadium has two Super Bowl rings, and it isn’t Tony Romo.
It isn’t Tony Romo because he has won one playoff game. And has listened over the years to all the naysayers who insist that he can’t win The Big One, because he hasn’t; that Jerry Jones was a fool to give him that six-year, $108 million contract; that point out when he stands toe-to-toe and slugs it out with Peyton Manning and throws five TD passes, he inevitably will throw the killer interception with the game on the line. Such is life as America’s Quarterback when you are not Troy Aikman or Roger Staubach.
But he isn’t Josh Freeman either.
He isn’t Matt Barkley.
He isn’t Terrelle Pryor.
He isn’t Scott Tolzien.
And he’s getting Miles Austin back, to join Dez Bryant and Terrance Williams and Jason Witten. And with Prince Amukamara on one side, he’ll be targeting Trumaine McBride.
Beware Tony Romo.
Target Tony Romo.
Because here’s what you worry about with Romo: One of these days he won’t throw the killer interception with the game on the line. One of these days he will break through and overcome the chaos that forever swirls around him.
Sunday could be one of those days.
The last thing these Giants should fall back on is the belief that Eli Manning will find a way, even in the forecasted wind, to outduel Romo in The Big Game.
The truth of the matter is Romo was better than Manning in the regular-season opener — when he improved to 7-9 against the Giants — and he has been better than Manning this season.
Except for his Murphy’s Law moment against the Broncos, Romo (21 TDs, six INTs) hasn’t been the same quarterback who threw the last-minute end zone interception to R.W. McQuarters in the 2007 playoffs. A gunslinger at heart, he has reined in what Bill Parcells used to label his “mentally aggressive” tendencies and become a smarter, more surgical quarterback.
Amukamara, asked what he’s learned about Romo, said: “I learned that he’s capable of anything. I don’t know if he is known or he can be known as a comeback kid. He always has a strong second half or strong fourth quarter, and he definitely likes to take chances and he definitely has a lot of trust in his receivers.”
The key to defending him?
“Trying to confuse him with disguises and try to discourage him with trying to squeeze the ball in there just by making plays on the balls,” Amukamara said, “and I think our D-line is hungry for him, they always are, so hopefully they get fed.”
Indeed, Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and the D-line is hungry for him.
“He’s always gotten rid of the ball quick,” Tuck said. “Even when we can’t hit him, make sure he’s not comfortable. Even when he’s throwing the ball quick, make sure he knows that if he’d have held it for half a second later, he’d have got hit.
“They’re coming off the bye week, DeMarco Murray is healthy. I’m sure they’re gonna to get him the ball and get him established in the football game. We gotta make sure we take that edge away from them and get after him. The formula is the same against most elite quarterbacks. It really doesn’t change.”
You consider him an elite quarterback?
“Sure I do,” Tuck said.
Why?
“Have you seen his stats? I think that’s what everybody judges elite quarterbacks.”
He’s only won one playoff game.
“Well, I’ve seen people get put in elite status with less,” Tuck said. “You can’t tell me he’s not a top-10 quarterback in this league.”
I can tell you he hasn’t won The Big One.
“Ok. Dan Marino didn’t win The Big One. So he’s not an elite quarterback?”
What makes Romo an elite quarterback?
“I think the elite quarterback status comes from the fact that he can make all the throws. He’s definitely put up the stats. He’s given me fits.”
It doesn’t mean he can’t be rattled.
“You’re able to rattle every quarterback at some point, I don’t care who it is. I think I’ve had a lot to do with rattling one of the best that ever played in Tom Brady.”
Playing the way you’re playing now, are you ready to rattle Romo?
“I think yes. But we’ll see.”
Defensive Perry Fewell has his own read on Romo.
“He’s a good pocket passer, and when he moves out of the pocket, he’s even more dangerous,” Fewell said. “The thing I see is he seems like he commands the offense more because he may call more plays on his own or what have you. He seems like he has more control of the offense than he has in the past.”
Fewell will need the improved communication he has seen this week to prevent the kind of downfield throws Tolzien made against them.
“He’s very accurate this year, probably more so than he has been in the past. You just have to hope he has a bad day and that you’re having a good day and that you can steal a couple of downs.”
Fewell will try to disguise coverages.
“He’s seen it all,” Fewell said. “In my mind, he’s like Peyton and Tom Brady and those guys. He’s been in the league a long time, he’s seen every coverage known to man. You’ll try to disguise and do some things like that, but … they employ a quick game against us. It depends on the approach that he comes out with and what the philosophy they’re gonna come out with, because you can disguise, and you can disguise yourself out of position.”
Not Josh Freeman this time.
Not Matt Barkley.
Not Terrelle Pryor.
Not Scott Tolzien.
Is Big Blue ready for this class of quarterback?
“I think our football team is ready to rise up and win football games,” Fewell said. “We’re behind in this race, and we’ve gotta win this race in order to earn the right to play more football. I don’t care who’s under center and who’s at receiver, whatever. We gotta rise to the challenge each and every week.”
Beware Tony Romo.
Target Tony Romo.