Tony Romo’s defenders — yes, they actually exist — love to say his reputation as a choke artist is undeserved, that it’s just a phony “narrative” cooked up by uninformed detractors.
Good luck defending that after Sunday’s debacle against the Packers.
True, the Cowboys’ defense in the second half of their 37-36 meltdown was atrocious. And there’s no denying offensive coordinator Bill Callahan’s second-half play calling (23 passes and just seven runs with a 26-3 lead) was mind-bogglingly bad.
But there’s also no denying Dallas would be alone in first place in the woeful NFC East today if not for Romo’s two interceptions in the final 2:48, both of which led to the largest comeback in the Packers’ entire storied history.
This isn’t an anti-Romo “narrative.” These are just facts.
According to ESPN, Romo has now thrown seven interceptions in the fourth quarter or overtime in losses where the Cowboys were tied or up by at least three points. That’s nearly twice as many as any other quarterback in the NFL since 2006.
If that’s not a quarterback who struggles with pressure late in games, we’d love to know what qualifies for that distinction.
Romo can’t pin the blame on Callahan or a mistaken receiver this time, either.
That’s especially true of the first of the two interceptions, when Romo opted for a pass over a clock-eating second-down run and forced a ball to Miles Austin that was intercepted by Sam Shields to set up the Packers’ go-ahead score.
When Tom Brady throws a game-ending end zone pick in Miami to a most unlikely hero named Michael Thomas, everyone is surprised. When Romo audibles out of a run call and throws a killer pick, no one is.
Football is a team game, of course, but quarterback isn’t just one of 11 positions on offense — especially now in the pass-happy NFL. They’re certainly not paid like any other position, as Romo and his freshly minted $108 million contract extension can attest.
It’s become by far the most important position on the field at the pro level, which makes a quarterback’s win-loss record — a stat loathed by sabermetric devotees — entirely relevant.
Romo has the chance to change his reputation and change the “narrative.” But with his one lone playoff victory in nearly eight full seasons as the Cowboys’ starter and performances like Sunday, he just keeps fueling it instead.
The monkey on the guy’s back is King Kong, and there aren’t many in Dallas who think this will end with Jerry Jones exulting, “How ’bout them Cowboys!” The eyes of Texas will be on Romo in the likely event that the NFC East title is on the line in a winner-take-all regular-season finale against the Eagles at Jerry World.
The $108 Million Man is due. Long overdue. Jason Garrett’s coaching future rests in his quarterback’s shaky hands.
Tannehill, Philbin keeping Dolphins afloat
The Dolphins’ endless search for a worthy successor to Dan Marino appears to be coming to an end. Ryan Tannehill is growing by leaps and bounds, carrying the Dolphins to the brink of a wild-card playoff berth and Joe Philbin into the Coach of the Year conversation behind Andy Reid.
Tannehill (3 TDs, O INTs) outplayed Brady in the 24-20 victory and Philbin had a printed quote from Pat Riley placed on his players’ locker stalls before the game:
“Every now and then, somewhere, someplace, some time, you are going to have to plant your feet, stand firm and make a point about WHO YOU ARE and what you believe in.”
It’s a lot easier to believe, even after a bullying scandal, when your second-year franchise quarterback starts taking that next step.
Confidence in Cutler pays off
Jay Cutler and Marc Trestman made a lot of skeptics eat their words Sunday.
It was looking dicey at first, as Cutler threw an interception and then a pick-6 in the first quarter against the lowly Browns, but he eventually got his bearings — Alshon Jeffery bailed him out with a highlight reel 45-yard TD catch while sandwiched in double coverage by the goal-line — and led the Bears to a 38-31 win that put Chicago in sole possession of first place in the NFC North.
Cutler had missed five games with a severe groin strain, and the Bears’ offensive success with Josh McCown had caused many to wonder what the first-year coach Trestman was thinking going back to a rusty Cutler with his team fighting for a playoff spot.
But Cutler overcame the early miscues and ended up throwing for 265 yards and three touchdowns, quieting everyone in the process.
It was just the latest example of Trestman proving his NFL coaching chops with a smartly designed, well-balanced offense that plays to the strengths of its quarterback. You have to wonder if just about any competent passer could walk in and thrive in Trestman’s scheme.
Even so, Trestman and the Bears appear to think Cutler is best man for the job for the long haul. It’s doubtful they would have gone back to Cutler except to show their confidence in him and — assuming they don’t use the franchise tag on him — give Cutler something to think about in his impending free agency.
No Wally Pipp in the Windy City.
Coughlin could borrow a page from Fisher
Remember all the kudos thrown Tom Coughlin’s way when the Giants crawled out of that 0-6 hole? The better coaching job has been done by Jeff Fisher, who has kept the Rams competitive with Kellen Clemens at quarterback. It helps that Fisher has the pass rush (namely Richard Quinn) that Coughlin thought he had.
And if Coughlin wants to remind his Giants what pride looks like, he should show them a tape of the Steelers’ dismantling of the Bengals.
These three look like pretenders
Sorry, but the Bengals just can’t be trusted.
Not after Sunday night’s inexcusable no-show in Pittsburgh — a 30-20 loss at half-empty Heinz Field against a Steelers team that’s nearly out of it — in a game that was vitally important to Cincinnati’s playoff seeding.
How did Marvin Lewis’ team come out flat enough to fall behind 21-0 in the first quarter against a hated, longtime division rival on primetime television?
How does that happen?
The Bengals could muster just 279 total yards against an injury-ravaged Pittsburgh defense that has been a shell of its once-dominant self this season, and to be unable to match the energy level of the 5-8 Steelers — who were coming off two straight losses and Mike Tomlin’s SidelineGate controversy — is simply inexcusable.
Even worse, thanks to the Patriots’ loss earlier in the day to the Dolphins, the Bengals were fully aware at kickoff that a win would move them past New England for the AFC’s No. 2 playoff seed and a first-round bye. Cincinnati also could have clinched the AFC North and a playoff berth.
Incredibly, the Bengals now could miss the postseason altogether — even with a win over the Vikings this week — if the Ravens and Dolphins win out. That would be a wild outcome for a team that was 9-4 just a few days ago, but the Bengals would have only themselves to blame.
As Bengals linebacker James Harrison — a former Steeler — said Sunday, Cincinnati just isn’t a mentally tough team. And even if the Bengals end up making the playoffs, Sunday night showed that they likely won’t stick around for long.
The Eagles should be ashamed of themselves. You can’t let a sad-sack Vikings outfit with someone named Matt Asiata replacing Adrian Peterson and Toby Gerhart cause you to lose your composure and any chance of winning the division Sunday. DeSean Jackson and Cary Williams lost their cool and Chip Kelly went for it fourth-and-short at his own 24-yard line down 15 late in the third quarter. Not to mention being so terrified at kicking to Cordarrelle Patterson that the Vikings’ average drive started from the 33.
The Saints have revealed themselves to be paper tigers with a 3-4 record away from the Superdome. Does Drew Brees ever throw into triple coverage at home?
“There’s something about us on the road that has to be addressed and fixed,” offensive tackle Zach Strief said.
Like, now — the division title and 2 seed in the NFC is at stake Sunday at Carolina.
Rare birds a Tuna could love
An intimidating defense, a smashmouth running game, a weather-proof team, a field-general quarterback who can make plays with his legs even better than Jeff Hostetler, a dependable field goal kicker … Bill Parcells would love these Seahawks.