Aikman, Simms, Madden ON Bledsoe
Analysts lend perspective on QB decision
12:05 AM CDT on Thursday, October 26, 2006
By BARRY HORN / The Dallas Morning News
Sports media columnist Barry Horn chatted about the Cowboys quarterback change with the lead NFL analysts at Fox, CBS and NBC on Wednesday.
His conversation with Fox's Troy Aikman focused on Tony Romo's skills as a quarterback. With CBS' Phil Simms, who played for Bill Parcells with the Giants, the discussion centered on the coach's philosophy regarding quarterbacks. NBC's John Madden, a Hall of Fame coach with the Raiders, recalled making a similar mid-season quarterback switch.
Troy Aikman
"I think Tony Romo will play well. He'll have a good career. It will help him this week to take all the snaps in practice. You can't underestimate the importance of that.
"I like the energy he plays with. He has charisma. He seems to be a leader. Does he have a great arm? No. But he certainly throws the ball well enough to be successful in this league.
"He brings escapability and mobility in the pocket. What the Cowboys gain there will be balanced by a guy who hasn't played. ... For some reason, lacking mobility has become a four-letter word. The quarterback's job is to throw the ball. Peyton Manning doesn't move real well. I don't think anyone in Indianapolis would suggest benching him.
"Some people compare Romo to Brett Favre. I see Romo playing with the same type of energy as Brett, but, for now, I'd end the comparisons there. You have to rein in his recklessness. But then, it was Favre's recklessness that made him a success."
Phil Simms
"I don't know Tony Romo. I've never seen him play. But Coach Parcells is not a guy who makes these decisions quickly. He has thought about this for a long time ...
"When I played for Bill Parcells, he called me in one time during the off-season and said, 'Simms, I don't care if you do nothing, but I want you to show up here every day and at least pretend to be working out. Then I want you to walk through the locker room carrying a big stack of film and go into the film room. I don't care if you spend the next four hours sleeping in there. When you walk out, you will have created a perception and set a tone.'
"Coach Parcells knows that if you are trying to shake up a team, quarterback is the one position that can give it a different personality. He is hoping for a shot of energy from Romo that will change the style of performance of the whole team.
"He knows this one move can produce a different team. The way a quarterback talks in the huddle, the way he walks through the locker room is vital in the development of a team."
John Madden
"I know what Bill Parcells is going through. I had Daryle Lamonica as my quarterback and I switched to Kenny Stabler after the start of the season. Like Bill, I was giving up experience and arm strength for mobility.
"Daryle had no mobility and was hanging on to the ball too long. Snake could move the ball. It wasn't something I did on the spur of the moment. It is a tough decision giving up the known for the unknown. It worked out well for us, but it wasn't something I was sure of.
"When Bill made the decision on Monday night, I said he has to stick with it now. He couldn't say after the game, 'I was kidding. We're going back to Drew Bledsoe now.' I knew Romo was his new quarterback.
"I've always liked Drew Bledsoe, but if you go with a guy like him, you better have a running game and you better be able to protect him. The focus on quarterback has camouflaged some other Cowboys problems. There are a lot of moving parts there that need to be examined."
12:05 AM CDT on Thursday, October 26, 2006
By BARRY HORN / The Dallas Morning News
Sports media columnist Barry Horn chatted about the Cowboys quarterback change with the lead NFL analysts at Fox, CBS and NBC on Wednesday.
His conversation with Fox's Troy Aikman focused on Tony Romo's skills as a quarterback. With CBS' Phil Simms, who played for Bill Parcells with the Giants, the discussion centered on the coach's philosophy regarding quarterbacks. NBC's John Madden, a Hall of Fame coach with the Raiders, recalled making a similar mid-season quarterback switch.
Troy Aikman
"I think Tony Romo will play well. He'll have a good career. It will help him this week to take all the snaps in practice. You can't underestimate the importance of that.
"I like the energy he plays with. He has charisma. He seems to be a leader. Does he have a great arm? No. But he certainly throws the ball well enough to be successful in this league.
"He brings escapability and mobility in the pocket. What the Cowboys gain there will be balanced by a guy who hasn't played. ... For some reason, lacking mobility has become a four-letter word. The quarterback's job is to throw the ball. Peyton Manning doesn't move real well. I don't think anyone in Indianapolis would suggest benching him.
"Some people compare Romo to Brett Favre. I see Romo playing with the same type of energy as Brett, but, for now, I'd end the comparisons there. You have to rein in his recklessness. But then, it was Favre's recklessness that made him a success."
Phil Simms
"I don't know Tony Romo. I've never seen him play. But Coach Parcells is not a guy who makes these decisions quickly. He has thought about this for a long time ...
"When I played for Bill Parcells, he called me in one time during the off-season and said, 'Simms, I don't care if you do nothing, but I want you to show up here every day and at least pretend to be working out. Then I want you to walk through the locker room carrying a big stack of film and go into the film room. I don't care if you spend the next four hours sleeping in there. When you walk out, you will have created a perception and set a tone.'
"Coach Parcells knows that if you are trying to shake up a team, quarterback is the one position that can give it a different personality. He is hoping for a shot of energy from Romo that will change the style of performance of the whole team.
"He knows this one move can produce a different team. The way a quarterback talks in the huddle, the way he walks through the locker room is vital in the development of a team."
John Madden
"I know what Bill Parcells is going through. I had Daryle Lamonica as my quarterback and I switched to Kenny Stabler after the start of the season. Like Bill, I was giving up experience and arm strength for mobility.
"Daryle had no mobility and was hanging on to the ball too long. Snake could move the ball. It wasn't something I did on the spur of the moment. It is a tough decision giving up the known for the unknown. It worked out well for us, but it wasn't something I was sure of.
"When Bill made the decision on Monday night, I said he has to stick with it now. He couldn't say after the game, 'I was kidding. We're going back to Drew Bledsoe now.' I knew Romo was his new quarterback.
"I've always liked Drew Bledsoe, but if you go with a guy like him, you better have a running game and you better be able to protect him. The focus on quarterback has camouflaged some other Cowboys problems. There are a lot of moving parts there that need to be examined."
posted by The Gryphon at 7:06 PM
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