Cowboys Corner

Dallas Cowboys Romo Progression or Choking???

Lets face it.  Cowboys QB Tony Romo did not have a good game against the Vikings.  Is this the best he will ever be or is this just part of his progression to being one of the NFL's best QBs.

The stats from the game don't show the whole story.  6 sacks, multiple passes knocked down and just one big butt kicking all around.  Romo would hand the ball off and the RB would get hit almost as soon as he took the ball.  The first quarter looked so promising but it did not last.  As the game went on nothing seemed to work.  WR Williams wasn't even in the game and gave his QB no help.  He has little help other then Witten and Austin who at least had positive plays.

Romo did not help himself with 3 turnovers but in the end it would not have changed the final outcome.

Team Stat Comparison
1st Downs	16	16
Passing 1st downs	10	11
Rushing 1st downs	6	4
1st downs from Penalties	0	1
3rd down efficiency	3-13	4-13
4th down efficiency	0-2	1-2
Total Plays	66	60
Total Yards	248	323
Passing	156	214
Comp-Att	22-35	15-24
Yards per pass	4.5	8.9
Rushing	92	109
Rushing Attempts	25	33
Yards per rush	3.7	3.3
Red Zone (Made-Att)	0-1	2-4
Penalties	2-10	8-50
Turnovers	3	0
Fumbles lost	2	0
Interceptions thrown	1	0
Defensive / Special Teams TDs	0	0
Possession	30:34	29:26

There was another QB who had a bad playoff game which ended his fifth season as a QB.  He lost 34 - 9 and it wasn't even that close.  That QB was Brett "Run the Score Up" Favre.  The Cowboys made him look bad realy bad in that game.  Favre ended the 1995 season with a 99.5 passer rating.  Romo's passer rating in 2009 was 97.6.  There is hope for the future.

Favre's Passing Stats
YEAR	TEAM	G	CMP	ATT	PCT	YDS	AVG	TD	LNG	INT	RAT
1991	ATL	2	0	4	0.0	0	0.0	0	0	2	0.0
1992	GNB	15	302	471	64.1	3227	6.9	18	76	13	85.3
1993	GNB	16	318	522	60.9	3303	6.3	19	66	24	72.2
1994	GNB	16	363	582	62.4	3882	6.7	33	49	14	90.7
1995	GNB	16	359	570	63.0	4413	7.7	38	99	13	99.5
1996	GNB	16	325	543	59.9	3899	7.2	39	80	13	95.8
1997	GNB	16	304	513	59.3	3867	7.5	35	74	16	92.6
1998	GNB	16	347	551	63.0	4212	7.6	31	84	23	87.8
1999	GNB	16	341	595	57.3	4091	6.9	22	74	23	74.7
2000	GNB	16	338	580	58.3	3812	6.6	20	67	16	78.0
2001	GNB	16	314	510	61.6	3921	7.7	32	67	15	94.1
2002	GNB	16	341	551	61.9	3658	6.6	27	85	16	85.6
2003	GNB	16	308	471	65.4	3361	7.1	32	66	21	90.4
2004	GNB	16	346	540	64.1	4088	7.6	30	79	17	92.4
2005	GNB	16	372	607	61.3	3881	6.4	20	59	29	70.9
2006	GNB	16	343	613	56.0	3885	6.3	18	82	18	72.7
2007	GNB	16	356	535	66.5	4155	7.8	28	82	15	95.7
2008	NYJ	16	343	522	65.7	3472	6.7	22	56	22	81.0
2009	MIN	16	363	531	68.4	4202	7.9	33	63	7	107.2
Career		289	6083	9811	62.0	69329	7.1	497	99	317	86.6

Romo's 2009 Stats

Stats Overview	Passing
SPLIT	CMP	ATT	YDS	CMP%	YPA	LNG	TD	INT	SACK	RAT
2009	347	550	4483	63.1	8.15	80	26	9	34	97.6

It's December will Romo get Frost Bite Video!!!

Most NFL QB's do not do well in December.  There is only one Super Bowl winner each year and the thinning out precess starts in December.  The Cowboys have been 5 - 8 in December since 2006 which is not great but Romo has thrown 19 interception and only 14 TD passes in that time.  The interceptions and fumbles need to be limited before the cold of December can be turned to the warmth of Florida in January.

Check out the video.  It is eye opening.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/09000d5d814b0173/Romo-s-December-hex

Cowboys Tony Romo talks about preparation for the Redskins and beyond!!!

Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo found new ways to excercise the English language when discussing his preparation for this week's game. 

Check it out and let me know what you think!

http://player.cinesport.com/services/player/bcpid41190924001?bclid=41696753001&bctid=50898280001

Cowboys 31 Giants 33 Bloody Passion Bowl Video Highlights!!! Romo must Mature!!!

The Bloody Passion Bowl! Game 1- 2009

Check out the highlights and the low lights!!!

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/09000d5d812ca471/NFL-GameDay-Giants-vs-Cowboys-highlights

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/09000d5d812d1550/Romo-s-big-game-struggles

The Cowboys were up 24 to 20 and on the Giants side of midfield when Romo throws that terrible interception.  To watch it a second and third time it is clear that Romo had the offense rolling.  There was no reason to go for the big play.  Drive the ball down the field, take time off the clock, keep the Giants offense off the field at least get a Field Goal to go up by 7.  But Noooooooooooooooooooooo!  Romo throws a bad pass, Manning throws a great on and the Cowboys lose.

Time for Romo to mature and be more patient. 

Walk down the hill and get all the blonds!!!

Emmitt Smith Dances on Cowboys' Stars - Romo etc.

On the eve of the 2009 season former Cowboys great Emmitt Smith has picked the Cowboys to go 7-9 and puts the blame squarely on Tony Romo's shoulders.

The three-time Super Bowl champion said quarterback Tony Romo and coach Wade Phillips need to do better jobs as leaders of the Cowboys.

This is tough criticism but Romo will need to get to that long sought after 'next' level this year.  Coach Phillips will just need to ge the defense to play lock down.

DEFENSE WINS SUPER BOWLS!

Check out the full article and let me know what you think!

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4458174

Cowboys Romo Glad to be Back!!!

And at TheCowboysCorner.com is glad to have him back!!!

TheCowboysCorner.com is about football. The way the season ended last year I did not think it could get any worse.  Well it did!

All of this off field stuff, which Romo was at the center of was just enough.  T.O.'s release, music videos, People Magazine, fishing boats, and less then static weight girlfriends was just enough.

Bill Parcels was right the Cowboys do not need a celebrity QB.  They need a QB that wins Super Bowls,  The celebrity will last forever then.

On Thursday Romo was asked if he has grown up on the job, Romo said he'd like to think so -- but he's not sure.

"When I was 25, I thought I was mature, and I'm sure I wasn't," he said. "When I was 22, I thought I was mature, but I probably wasn't. I'm 29 now. I think I'm mature. Am I? I don't know. ...

Seeing the problem is the first step to resolving the problem.

Check out the Romo video.  Does he seem ready?

Romo-ready-to-go

 

Hear Jason Wittens', Row Willams' and Sam Hurds' thoughts:

 

Cowboys-at-camp

Dallas Cowboys 2009: GOING WILDCAT!!!

JERRY JONES HAS OPENED THE WILDCAT DOOR!

"We may want to do some things in our offense this year with a third quarterback," Jones said. "That's something other than be there as a backup to the second quarterback and be there in case you lose all the quarterbacks. ... We could hopefully find a quarterback with a set of skills that we could put some packages in for."

Could he mean a QB like Pat White of West Virgina? This could be interesting.  Isaiah Stanback played QB at Washington which could be an option.  I would like to see Felix Jones take some direct snaps.  get him the ball quickly and let him run.

This could be very affective with the three solid RBs the Cowboys have.

Dallas Cowboys 2009: Michael Vick out of Prison!

Former Falcons QB Vick is on his way to a half way house.  I curious if Jerry Jones can get the house moved to somewhere near the new stadium.  Romo needs a backup and a guard dog.

Dallas Cowboys 2009: Back-up to Romo Raffle!!!

 

As I survey the other free-agent candidates out there (Kyle Boller, Jon Kitna, Charlie Batch, Chris Simms, Rex Grossman, Bruce Gradkowski, etc.) not one would cause Romo to change his personality. Former 49er, Eagle, Buc Jeff Garcia would be an interesting pick.  So would Leftwich.

 

I would use my highest draft pick to pick up a stud QB out of college.  It may cost a lot less and Romo can bringhim along.

Dallas Cowboys 2009: Tony Romo's Backup is...

Well Johnson and Bollinger need to go.  The Cowboys do not have a #1 draft pick so the Cowboys will need to test the free market if they want to get a viable #2 QB.  Look at how bad the Cowboys were when Romo missed those 4 games (1-3).

He are some guys for the Cowboys management to ponder:

WHO IS YOUR PICK???

SOME AVAILABLE QB FREE AGENTS
Player	Team
Kurt Warner	Arizona
Kerry Collins	Tennessee
Matt Cassel *	New England
Byron Leftwich	Pittsburgh
Chris Simms	Tennessee
J.P. Losman	Buffalo
Dan Orlovsky	Detroit
Kyle Boller	Baltimore
Bruce Gradkowski	Cleveland
* Franchise tag

Dallas Cowboys 2009: QB Bruce Gradkowski Available from Browns!!!

Today the Cleveland Browns release backup QB Bruce Gradkowski.  Bruce was picked up by the Browns the last three weeks of the season and made the Browns starter for its season finale versus the Pittsburgh Steelers.

There was no way the Browns or any team could put in any QB in with less than a week to prepare for the number one defense in the NFL and the future Super Bowl champions.  That said Bruce has shown great promise as he has bounced around the NFL his first couple of seasons.

He started his rookie year in Tampa and was then benched by Coach Gruden along with about 10 other more seasoned QBs.  He then went to St. Louis and was the last guy to be cut this summer.  Look how well that turned out for the Rams. 

Gradkowski tried to catch on with several teams during the season but a hamstring issue slowed that down.  The Cleveland situation got him back on the field but with little time to prepare it is not surprising the less than pleasant result.  The Browns have two true #1 QBs in Anderson and Quinn who are now healthy, so it is no surprise that he would not be asked back.

The Cowboys have Tony Romo and two open QB slots on the roster as far as I am concerned.  Gradkowski would be a nice pickup for the Cowboys.  Give him time to learn the system and with the weapons the Cowboys have he could be a nice pickup for the Cowboys!

Gradkowski Career Stats

Season	Team			Passing
		G	GS	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	Avg	TD	Int	Sck	SckY	Rate
2008	Cleveland Browns	2	1	7	21	33.3	26	1.2	0	3	4	18	2.8
2007	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	4	0	13	24	54.2	130	5.4	0	1	2	14	52.4
2006	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	13	11	177	328	54.0	1,661	5.1	9	9	25	146	65.9
TOTAL				197	373	52.8	1,817	4.9	9	13	31	178	59.9

Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo Back to Practicing!

Looks like Romo had a minor touch of the flu this week.  Not good being the biggest game of his career is this Sunday.  He did practice on Thursday and Friday.

Hopefully he will not "Throw Up" any balls on Sunday!

The Cowboys Corner Gets it Right Says Dallas Morning News!

The Cowboys Corner has been saying for weeks and weeks that Tony Romo’s cavalier usage of the football has killed the Cowboys this season.  Between the fumbles and interceptions he has just killed the team.  13 interceptions and 5 fumbles in 12 games played.  That’s 1.5 turnovers per game.  They have been able to sneak by on being such a good team but in close games against good teams it is just not good enough.  

 

Finally someone has stopped drinking the Kool-Aide and realized what is happening on the field.

 

Check out the story and let me know what you think!

 

Romo does not Grasp!

 

Can Tony Romo win the BIG GAME???

Tony Romo’s overall record has been nothing short of amazing.  He came seemingly out of nowhere to turn the so-so Cowboys into contenders.  His record in December and January has not been so hot and last week’s 44.9 QB Rating just was not good enough.

 

To say that this week’s game versus the Giants is a BIG GAME is the professional sports understatement of the year.  If the Cowboys loose half of the NFC is poised to pass them for the last two playoff spots.  And the Cowboys do not want to go into the tie-breaker system to make the playoffs when they have had such a tough NFC schedule. 

 

The Cowboys are on the edge of disarray this week with multiple key injuries and Jerry Jones, T.O. and a host of others talking too much.  When this happens it is time for the team leaders, specifically the QB to step up and lead the team to a victory that they may not deserve.

 

The question is can Tony Romo win the BIG GAME?

 

As a fan I have to say yes he can, but as an objective observer I am not too sure.  He has all the skills and is surrounded by solid talent but his propensity to turn over the ball will not win the big game.  A year ago I cut him some slack because he did not have significant playoff big game experience.   That is over.  He has played at Pro Bowl levels but not Super Bowl levels.  If he makes the next step, he takes the team with him.

 

After the Giants it’s the Ravens and the Eagles.  Both teams are super desperate to make the playoffs and either of those games could go either way.  If the Cowboys are to have a chance they ROMO must win the BIG GAME this week.

 

GO COWBOYS!

 

Romo Highlights:

 

Dallas Cowboys Jason Witten Steps Up - Takes Blame!

"It was all on me today," Witten said. "It wasn’t on Tony... It was going to come down to a play. It did. I didn’t make the play."

"I had an option route. I made a break and slipped," Witten said. "It was completely on me. I told the offense. It’s the little things that matter. You feel horrible because you feel accountable and you feel like you’re a Pro Bowl player. You get a chance to put the team on your back like all the other play makers in this room you want the ball in your hands and you slip."

Romo blamed himself, too.

"We had a play designed to go to 'J.’ I don’t know if it was miscommunication or a just slip or, what ... it’s part of the situation, the time, you have to do the right thing," Romo said. "I threw it where he wasn’t, so that’s on me."

I like that Witten stepped up and maybe he did slip on the big interception but the Cowboys should have never been in that situation to begin with.  The four previous turnovers had more to do with the outcome of the game then the last one.  Even on the previous series the Cowboys had the ball at the 40.  All they had to do was make one or two first downs, eat up the clock and the game is over.  Romo goes three and out and the Steelers have the ball with plenty of time to march right down the field on a defense that should not have been on the field.

The QB leads the offense not the Tight End.