Former Cowboys quarterback and FOX broadcaster Troy Aikman tossed around some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby:
Q: The atmosphere in and around Dallas for Cowboys-Eagles?
A: I do believe that with [Tony] Romo going down, and not that the expectations really change, but I think that takes a little bit of the edge off of the intensity of the moment that there otherwise would have been, based on what’s happened the last couple of seasons, being unable to win that game and go on to the playoffs.
Q: Knowing him as you do, how much does this eat at Tony Romo that he can’t play in this game?
A: Probably one of the biggest myths surrounding Tony is that he doesn’t like competition. I know Tony well … the guy has a thirst for competition, he loves competition. Like any quarterback, you don’t always win, but to say, “Well this guy cowers when there’s competition,” nothing could be further from the truth. I think that, yeah, it pains him not to be able to be out there in a game like this with all on the line.
Q: What are your thoughts on Kyle Orton?
A: I like Orton. I know him from when he came into the league with the Bears, fourth-round pick, and Rex Grossman goes down, and he came in and won a lot of games as a rookie. He was held to a standard that I think was unobtainable for whatever reason, but he did a nice job, and he did a nice job when he was at Denver. I think that he’s been one of these players that people have just not really embraced when he’s had his opportunities. But I like him, I think he’s a smart guy. He was regarded somewhat as a caretaker because of his early days in Chicago because of the way that they were built, and that being a defensive-minded team, and then offensively playing conservatively. But back in his college days at Purdue, they ran a wide-open attack, he threw the ball all over the place. He’s certainly capable of playing within that type of scheme, but him as a backup in Dallas I thought was a great fit for him, it was certainly a good situation for the Cowboys to have a guy of his caliber that’s won that many games backing up Romo. And I expect him to come out and play well. I think he’s going to make good decisions with the football. But I believe that there’s going to be more of an emphasis on running the ball, which there probably should have been at other times already this year, and I believe that will help this Cowboys team. It’ll allow them offensively to have more balance, and I expect him to play well, and I expect the offense to play well.
Q: So you think all is not lost for the Cowboys?
A: I don’t, no … I like (Eagles coach) Chip Kelly, I like what he’s doing offensively, the scheme, it’s very sound, you’ve got answers for what defenses do, we’ve seen that. He’s got Nick Foles playing at a high level, LeSean McCoy is amazing. And then defensively, Bill Davis has gotten them playing better as the year’s gone along … I think they’re probably a better football team, but I wouldn’t necessarily then say that means that they win the game.
Q: Foles?
A: He’s very composed. He doesn’t move all that well. If you just look at him athletically, I think he runs like a 5.1 40 or something, but yet he’s able to create some things within the pocket, and he has been able to run the read option at times and keep the ball and pick up some positive yards. And he’s distributed the ball well, to guys that are the playmakers. I think part of that is him just really getting an understanding of his offense, but also for Chip, giving a guy like him places to go with the ball. I’ve seen his confidence grow each week that he’s played. We had him last year as a rookie, and I was impressed when he came in and played last year.
Q: Your impression of Chip Kelly’s offense?
A: I like it. I studied it pretty long when we had them earlier in the year, because I didn’t know a lot about it when he was at Oregon. … He makes you defend every part of the field. And he ‘s a smart guy, he doesn’t feel like he has all the answers, he doesn’t feel like he’s reinventing football. But I like the way he stretched you out. He makes you play in space horizontally, and then he takes his shots down the field vertically. He makes you defense it all, and there’s not many offenses out there that are making defenses do that. He puts a lot of stress on a defense. They’re well-conditioned, they play at a very fast pace. He had influenced the NFL before he ever even got to Philadelphia. When you’ve got guys like Bill Belichick and the Patriots going and spending time with you as far as your hurt up offense … he’ll be in the NFL as long as he wants to be. I don’t know if that’s where he wants to be forever, but I think he’s one of those guys, that people talk about the college coach and whether or not they can survive in the NFL — to me, if the NFL is where he wants to be, he’ll be here as long as he wants to.
Q: Do you get any sense that Jason Garrett has to win this game to keep his job?
A: I’m not sure. I know that Jerry [Jones] came out this past week and said that his job is not in question in this game. I think I’ve learned over the years that doesn’t necessarily mean much (chuckle). I think to say that regardless of what happens in this game on Sunday for the Cowboys that Jason Garrett is safe as the head coach, I wouldn’t necessarily feel that way.
Q: How is Dez Bryant going to control his emotions in this one?
A: I don’t know that he will control them, I don’t mean that in a negative way. I think there’s always going to be an element of danger (chuckle) when it comes to Dez and his emotions in these types of ballgames.
Q: Was there a difference in Michael Irvin’s emotion?
A: They’re both highly-emotional players that want the football, but above everything want to win. So I think there are a lot of parallels between those two players. I think Michael kept it under control long enough to keep it from being detrimental to the team. He didn’t rip the helmet off and get a penalty, he didn’t walk off the field before the game ended. But beyond that, they’re very similar.
Q: Thoughts on Aaron Rodgers coming back against the Bears?
A: I think this is an important game for him to come back and play in. There’s a lot of players that are out there that are at risk, they’re playing less than 100 percent, this is your franchise, so you treat that guy differently. But you’ve got the division title on the line and a chance to go on to the playoffs, I felt this was an important game for him to show up and play in, and I’m sure Aaron feels the same way, I know he’s been frustrated the last two weeks not getting to play, and I expect him to play well. He’s been practicing now for three weeks. I’d be surprised, even with the layoff, if he doesn’t come out and play really well.
Q: Did the Bears make the right decision switching back to Jay Cutler and sitting Josh McCown?
A: I think that question gets answered on Sunday. Because this is the game that really matters. I think it’s an important game for Jay. There’s a lot of speculation as to maybe it’ll determine his future with the Bears — I don’t know if that’s the case. The Bears seem to be really committed to keeping him. But there’s games that really shape who you are and what you’re about, and what you’re remembered for. If legacy’s important to you, I know for me, I wanted to be regarded as a guy who played well in big games.
Well, this is a big game, and this is an offense that has the talent, whereas in year’s past, they haven’t. He has not played particularly well against the Packers, and he’s not played particularly well in games like this. So now that he’s got the firepower around him, I think it’s a game where you get to evaluate him for who he is and what he is as a quarterback. So there’s going to be a lot of expectations on both these quarterback’s because of the way their defenses have struggled, but did they [Marc Trestman] make the right decision or not? We’re going to find out. But I know that Josh McCown, I couldn’t have been more impressed with the way that he played in Cutler’s absence.
Q: Why has Peyton Manning been able to throw 51 TD passes this season?
A: It’s unfathomable for me — I don’t know that I threw 50 in three years. You don’t throw 50 touchdowns if you’re not throwing the ball from the 5-yard line, or in there tight. The league, not just him, but I see teams go first-and-goal from the 1, they’re in shotgun formation throwing the football. It’s a far different league than it ever had been in the past … 40 touchdowns doesn’t really even get anybody’s attention any more … I don’t know if 50 does. Whatever the numbers are — 5,000 yards passing, 50 touchdowns — the numbers are astronomical, and to try to put that in any kind of historical context I think is very difficult.
Q: Would you say that Tom Brady is as dangerous as ever?
A: Yeah, yeah. As a quarterback myself, I’m impressed because he’s done it with a different cast. You look at when he first came into the league, and they were a little more conservative as you would expect, then they went to their three wide receiver sets, and he lit it up, and that’s when he had his big year, 50 touchdowns, and they went to two tight end packages, and he’s still doing what he did. Then this year he comes into the season, and just was decimated with injuries, guys not there for a variety of reasons, and yet, they were still able to win games. I think it’s a tremendous to him. There’s guys like him and like Peyton Manning and just a few others, that they just elevate the players around them, and they win regardless of what you throw out there with them. And he has had, in my opinion, a phenomenal season, primarily because of how he’s had to do it, and we tend to take it for granted that, “OK, here the Patriots are,” and heck, they may be the No. 1 seed before this weekend’s over, and you tend to not really acknowledge it I think like we should.
Q: The New York-New Jersey Super Bowl?
A: I’m interested to see how it plays out, what the weather’s going to be like, navigating traffic, what the fan experience is going to be — I think ultimately that’s really who you’re trying to appeal to, is the fans. I think the people that stay at home, they’re going to enjoy it, no matter where it was played. But for those that travel through the host city, you think you owe it to them to make it a great experience, so I’m hopeful that it will be. I’m confident it will be. But it is faced with a different set of circumstances and challenges compared to other Super Bowls. The one thing, I think from the game is, we saw that Philadelphia-Detroit game a few weeks back in the snowstorm and how that impacted strategy, you couldn’t kick a 25-yard field goal. Is that the type of game that this could become if we get that type of storm, and is that really what this game should be about? I don’t know. There’s a lot of ifs in there. New York is a special place, and to host a Super Bowl, the biggest event of our sport, to have the world watching, I think is exciting, and there’s no doubt to me that the New York Host Committee and the city and the state and everybody will rally, get behind this and make it as good of an experience as possible. But the weather’s going to have a huge factor in determining what that experience is like.
Q: What’s the difference broadcasting a Super Bowl compared to playing in it?
A: It’s quite a bit different. As a player, you have time to think about the magnitude of the game, or what’s at stake, or what the thoughts are going on as to how you’re going to do certain things, then you get into the game and you kind of react. And I think that the broadcasting side of it is a little like that as well. There’s some real parallels to it that suggest that hey, it’s just like any other game. Well, it’s not. And you’re very mindful of the fact that 180 million people are watching this broadcast, even though for us in the booth, it’s the same. There’s clearly some urgency that comes with that, but then you get into the game and it unfolds like other games. But it’s exciting. I love being a part of that broadcast, this will be my fourth Super Bowl to call, and just knowing the magnitude of what that game represents and the importance of it, it’s fun. There’s not a lot of guys that get to say that they’ve been a part of a Super Bowl broadcast, and I get a chance to do it again.
Q: What would you hope viewers say about Troy Aikman after they’re done watching the Super Bowl?
A: I hope that they remember the game, first and foremost (chuckle). I hope that that’s what they’re talking about. I think that what I try to do as a broadcaster each week is add some perspective to the game, maybe inform, enlighten, educate the viewer, and they come away from it feeling like they got a little better understanding of what took place than they otherwise would have or learned something in the process. If that occurred, then it was a success. You want them to be able to enjoy what it is that they’re watching and you don’t want to get in the way of it either. The game in and of itself is pretty good television, and sometimes, I think, you can overdo it, and there’s sometimes not a lot that really needs to be said.
Q: Do you think the Seahawks are the team to beat in the NFC?
A: I do. I think that when you get into that atmosphere in the postseason having seen it before, as we know it’s a really hard place to play, they definitely have a home-field advantage. You better be on your best game if you’re gonna go in there and beat that team in Seattle.
Q: Is Denver the team to beat in the AFC?
A: I don’t know. The history between Peyton and Brady and Belichick, and what happened this year. … I’d go in saying, yeah, Denver’s the team to beat, they’ve shown that throughout the regular season. But that would be a heck of a matchup once again if those two teams met.
Q: Does the league have to clarify the hitting zones for defenseless players?
A: I think players are now very mindful of where they’re supposed to try to hit players and what the rules are. Defensive players are very responsible in what they’re attempting to do, but it’s not as easy as sometimes the league tries to make it out to be. At those speeds, and guys are moving and contorting and trying to catch balls and ducking, and those penalties influence the outcomes of these games. From that standpoint, it’s unfortunate when we see those types of penalties on players that really are doing everything within their power to be protective of the guy that they’re making a play on.
Q: Does any part of you wish the NFL was as vigilant on concussions as it is now when you played?
A: Well yeah … I do think it’s been frustrating for a lot of people within the game. I think it’s been frustrating for players, been frustrating for fans, been frustrating for coaches. I don’t think that that’s good. But the health of the players is of paramount importance as it should be. The sport right now is, I’d say it was at a crossroads, I think we’ve been at a crossroads, to where we’ve got to show the parents that their kids are safe to come out and play the sport. And so the game as we once knew has changed, and it won’t ever go back to what it once was. And I think the question is, “Is that going to appeal to the fans as we move forward, and is it going to be enough to get people back out playing football?” We’re seeing the numbers decline.
Q: Would you let your son play football?
A: If he wanted to play, I would. I would not discourage my son if I had one from playing the game. The game’s been great to me. I owe a lot of what I have to the game of football, and a lot of who I am as a person I owe to the great game of football. But I understand the concerns. With all the information that we now have, for a parent to have some concerns as to whether or not they’re going to let their sons play the game, I think is being a responsible parent. But there’s other sports that are for whatever reasons not met with the same scrutiny as football is. There’s other sports, soccer being one of them, that have a number of head injuries.
Q: Rex Ryan’s job is in danger.
A: It’s a bottom-line business, and there’s not much patience in this league, less than there’s ever been … so as far as anyone if they were to lose their jobs, there’s not many that would really surprise, I think that most people would agree with that.
Q: Would it be a setback for Geno Smith if he had to learn a new system with a new offensive coordinator?
A: I don’t know. … I think from my own experiences, I think it’s just a function of whether or not whoever is coaching him is good. Norv [Turner] came in my third year, and I would hate to think where I would have been if he had not have come in. I think sometimes learning a new system is a bit overrated, the plays are all the same, it’s just called a little differently, you know? But, having said that, I think guys like Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning … Brett Favre never played in a different offense, there’s something to be said for that, too. Eli Manning’s been in the same offense his entire career.
Q: Describe Jerry Jones in 25 words or less.
A: (Laugh) I don’t know that there’s enough time to break down Jerry. He was a great owner — a guy who’s very passionate about the game, and wants to win more than anything. From my perspective, I was fortunate to get a chance to play for a guy like that, he’s very visible, he’s a very polarizing figure … in a lot of ways, when you look at this league as to what we’re at right now, the wealth and popularity and health of the sport, at least the professional game, Jerry’s had a big hand in that.
Q: The age-old question: Does he need to get a football GM instead of making the calls himself?
A: Well yeah, that’s the question, and … it’s kind of a moot point just because it’s not going to happen. Jerry’s going to be the guy who’s in charge, he’s always going to be the ultimate decision maker. But this franchise has not had much success relatively speaking, in quite some time.
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: JFK, Vince Lombardi, Elvis Presley.
Q: Favorite movies?
A: Shawshank Redemption, Rocky I, and About Last Night.
Q: Favorite actor?
A: Jack Nicholson.
Q: Favorite entertainers?
A: Springsteen and Mellencamp.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: Mexican food.
Q: Favorite NYC restaurants?
A: Phillippe Chow, Il Mulino, Nobu.