Romo takes team for winning ride
Mosley: Romo takes team for winning ride
12:33 PM CST on Monday, October 30, 2006
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – After a false start against the Giants, the Tony Romo era was cleared for takeoff Sunday night.
Bill Parcells told his team last week that the Romo Plan could last two plays or two years. This was partly out of respect for the quarterback he drafted out of Washington State in 1993, but also because hates for anyone to feel comfortable.
In private, Parcells was telling Romo not to look over his shoulder.
The short-timer coach had taken the calculated risk that his team needed radical change, and based on Sunday night's 35-14 victory over the Panthers, the move paid off.
In a fit of passion, Parcells kissed every player in sight. Terrell Owens. Keith Davis. Keyshawn Johnson.
They were all victims of the Cowboys' very own Kissing Bandit.
"I'll take my hat off to my kids tonight," Parcells said. "They fought back. They fought their guts out."
He recovered in time to downplay Romo's 24-of-36, 270-yard performance, but he may have been the only one in the locker room doing so. T.O. and Witten were giddy over Romo's performance, in no small part because the two former Pro Bowlers combined for 15 catches and 187 yards.
Romo may have been inspired by a career backup quarterback named Frank Reich, who engineered one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history and was the guest speaker during Sunday afternoon's team chapel service.
Romo, an avid reader, alluded to an inspirational book he'd read a few weeks ago after the game but didn't provide the title. He said it was about an athlete who realized, after a big-game situation, that it had been less nerve-racking than expected.
Because we've had several book discussions over the past four seasons, I can all but assure you that the book's either about Brett Favre or Michael Jordan, Romo's two heroes.
It's hard to believe that the Cowboys almost played themselves out of the game in the first quarter. After a costly interception helped put his team in a 14-0 hole, Romo engineered a nine-play, 47-yard touchdown drive that was aided by Tyson Thompson's 37-yard kickoff return and a 15-yard penalty for a late hit by Karl Hankton.
Thompson broke his ankle on the play.
From there, Romo connected on four of five passes and hit Witten with a nifty back-shoulder pass.
From that moment on, Romo never seemed rattled.
The Cowboys' defense gained their footing and pitched a shutout the rest of the way.
Of course, you would probably be reading a completely different column if a wide-open former Cowboys wide receiver hadn't dropped a pass midway through the third quarter.
Keyshawn, who has flourished with the Panthers, eyed the goal line too early on the third-and-7 play and the Cowboys were given new life.
Let's hope Parcells' lips wiped away some of the pain.
Anyway, you've heard the coach talk about "distractible players," and Romo's definitely fit the description at times. He looked like a college drum major while attempting to call an audible in the first quarter.
And if you've spent any time watching Peyton Manning, you know what I'm talking about.
Parcells likes for his quarterbacks to take "mental breaks" between plays, but Tony often spends his downtime executing Tiger Woods fist-pumps and bantering with officials.
What you hope is that the good qualities – the quick release and mobility – outweigh the bad.
Parcells doesn't want to mute Romo's gunslinger mentality because it's a big part of why he's here. The kid from Burlington, Wisc., grew up studying Favre's every move, right down to the way he jogs onto the field before each series.
On Sunday night, a team that had been stuck in neutral fed off Romo's exuberance.
His teammates were strongly advised not to share their opinions about the quarterback switch, but judging by their reaction Sunday night, I'm thinking they're on board.
Now, if you're interested in what happened away from the action last night, please continue reading:
Things I jotted down on my 8½x11¾-inch notepad that may or may not interest you: The next time your family's planning a Halloween Weekend getaway, don't rule this place out.
Dressed as gnomes, witches and disgraced ex-presidents, Panthers fans flooded the downtown area at least five hours before kickoff.
The Panthers are a huge draw in this community, in part, because nothing else is open on Sundays.
Bank of America Stadium has quickly become one of Charlotte's most important landmarks. The teal seats are to die for, and the stadium has more ATMs than Caesars Palace.
Being in the Bible Belt, an invocation was given before the game. This was quickly followed by the Panthers' mascot, SirPurr, doing the Running Man dance. …
Mike Vanderjagt's kickoffs are so awful that teams have no clue how to field them. His unintentional squib kick in the fourth quarter somehow ended up in the arms of Panthers fullback Brad Hoover, who promptly fumbled. Credit rookie Sammy Hurd with the strip and fumble. The kid impressed us with his hands during training camp, but since then, he's emerged as one of the team's most dynamic special teams players. …
Some of you know I've always been partial to mascots, and the Panthers didn't disappoint with Sunday's Mascot Mania halftime show. SirPurr and several local professional and college mascots squared off in a tackle football game. Fans were so entertained that they booed the non-mascot players when they returned for the second half. …
Rufus Lynx of the Charlotte Bobcats organization delivered some nice throws, but was hampered by several drops, which may have been caused by small eye slits. Rufus finally scored on a keeper when N.C. State's Mr. Wuff broke outside containment. …
The New York Times sports magazine, Play, contained an epic Bill Parcells story by Moneyball author Michael Lewis on Sunday. If you have a couple of days to spare, it's a good read.
Quick excerpt: "Flozell Adams is as impenetrable as a symbolist poem."
It's funny, but this stuff almost never pops into my head on deadline.
Lewis, who like most sportswriters, has a home in Paris, France, had the opportunity to watch film in Parcells' office and check out his elephant figurine collection.
Check out his upcoming book, Flo Knows Lambic Pentameter. …
And speaking of the Old Gray Lady, check out the review of Richard Ford's new novel, Lay of the Land in the Sunday Book Review. Headed to my local bookstore to pick this one up following Bill's news session today. …
A wide-open Keyshawn Johnson dropped what would have been a certain touchdown pass midway through the third quarter. He then chucked his helmet on the sideline. When I talked to him Saturday evening, he was almost despondent about USC's loss to Oregon State and that may have carried over onto the field. …
Team chaplain John Weber was nice enough to let me attend the team's Sunday afternoon chapel service. The guest speaker was former Bills quarterback Frank Reich, who took a beating from the Cowboys in Super Bowl XXVII. He said he was pulled over for going 58 in a 40 on his way to the service Sunday afternoon, but was given a free pass when the officer said his wife was a former Bills cheerleader. "That won't happen on Judgment Day," he said. …
Funny moment when referee Scott Green accidentally turned his stadium mic on while shouting at head linesman Tony Veteri.
"C'mon, Tony!" Green said to Veteri, who was loitering with the line judge. …
I just read where a woman is in jail for stalking Jake Delhomme. I'm thinking Jake may have helped his cause with that performance in the second half, though. …
Anyone have any advice on what to do when the man in 16E accidentally puts his head on your shoulder while sleeping? … Was having a nice conversation with T.O. at the team hotel Saturday evening before a Fox 4 reporter broke things up.
12:33 PM CST on Monday, October 30, 2006
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – After a false start against the Giants, the Tony Romo era was cleared for takeoff Sunday night.
Bill Parcells told his team last week that the Romo Plan could last two plays or two years. This was partly out of respect for the quarterback he drafted out of Washington State in 1993, but also because hates for anyone to feel comfortable.
In private, Parcells was telling Romo not to look over his shoulder.
The short-timer coach had taken the calculated risk that his team needed radical change, and based on Sunday night's 35-14 victory over the Panthers, the move paid off.
In a fit of passion, Parcells kissed every player in sight. Terrell Owens. Keith Davis. Keyshawn Johnson.
They were all victims of the Cowboys' very own Kissing Bandit.
"I'll take my hat off to my kids tonight," Parcells said. "They fought back. They fought their guts out."
He recovered in time to downplay Romo's 24-of-36, 270-yard performance, but he may have been the only one in the locker room doing so. T.O. and Witten were giddy over Romo's performance, in no small part because the two former Pro Bowlers combined for 15 catches and 187 yards.
Romo may have been inspired by a career backup quarterback named Frank Reich, who engineered one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history and was the guest speaker during Sunday afternoon's team chapel service.
Romo, an avid reader, alluded to an inspirational book he'd read a few weeks ago after the game but didn't provide the title. He said it was about an athlete who realized, after a big-game situation, that it had been less nerve-racking than expected.
Because we've had several book discussions over the past four seasons, I can all but assure you that the book's either about Brett Favre or Michael Jordan, Romo's two heroes.
It's hard to believe that the Cowboys almost played themselves out of the game in the first quarter. After a costly interception helped put his team in a 14-0 hole, Romo engineered a nine-play, 47-yard touchdown drive that was aided by Tyson Thompson's 37-yard kickoff return and a 15-yard penalty for a late hit by Karl Hankton.
Thompson broke his ankle on the play.
From there, Romo connected on four of five passes and hit Witten with a nifty back-shoulder pass.
From that moment on, Romo never seemed rattled.
The Cowboys' defense gained their footing and pitched a shutout the rest of the way.
Of course, you would probably be reading a completely different column if a wide-open former Cowboys wide receiver hadn't dropped a pass midway through the third quarter.
Keyshawn, who has flourished with the Panthers, eyed the goal line too early on the third-and-7 play and the Cowboys were given new life.
Let's hope Parcells' lips wiped away some of the pain.
Anyway, you've heard the coach talk about "distractible players," and Romo's definitely fit the description at times. He looked like a college drum major while attempting to call an audible in the first quarter.
And if you've spent any time watching Peyton Manning, you know what I'm talking about.
Parcells likes for his quarterbacks to take "mental breaks" between plays, but Tony often spends his downtime executing Tiger Woods fist-pumps and bantering with officials.
What you hope is that the good qualities – the quick release and mobility – outweigh the bad.
Parcells doesn't want to mute Romo's gunslinger mentality because it's a big part of why he's here. The kid from Burlington, Wisc., grew up studying Favre's every move, right down to the way he jogs onto the field before each series.
On Sunday night, a team that had been stuck in neutral fed off Romo's exuberance.
His teammates were strongly advised not to share their opinions about the quarterback switch, but judging by their reaction Sunday night, I'm thinking they're on board.
Now, if you're interested in what happened away from the action last night, please continue reading:
Things I jotted down on my 8½x11¾-inch notepad that may or may not interest you: The next time your family's planning a Halloween Weekend getaway, don't rule this place out.
Dressed as gnomes, witches and disgraced ex-presidents, Panthers fans flooded the downtown area at least five hours before kickoff.
The Panthers are a huge draw in this community, in part, because nothing else is open on Sundays.
Bank of America Stadium has quickly become one of Charlotte's most important landmarks. The teal seats are to die for, and the stadium has more ATMs than Caesars Palace.
Being in the Bible Belt, an invocation was given before the game. This was quickly followed by the Panthers' mascot, SirPurr, doing the Running Man dance. …
Mike Vanderjagt's kickoffs are so awful that teams have no clue how to field them. His unintentional squib kick in the fourth quarter somehow ended up in the arms of Panthers fullback Brad Hoover, who promptly fumbled. Credit rookie Sammy Hurd with the strip and fumble. The kid impressed us with his hands during training camp, but since then, he's emerged as one of the team's most dynamic special teams players. …
Some of you know I've always been partial to mascots, and the Panthers didn't disappoint with Sunday's Mascot Mania halftime show. SirPurr and several local professional and college mascots squared off in a tackle football game. Fans were so entertained that they booed the non-mascot players when they returned for the second half. …
Rufus Lynx of the Charlotte Bobcats organization delivered some nice throws, but was hampered by several drops, which may have been caused by small eye slits. Rufus finally scored on a keeper when N.C. State's Mr. Wuff broke outside containment. …
The New York Times sports magazine, Play, contained an epic Bill Parcells story by Moneyball author Michael Lewis on Sunday. If you have a couple of days to spare, it's a good read.
Quick excerpt: "Flozell Adams is as impenetrable as a symbolist poem."
It's funny, but this stuff almost never pops into my head on deadline.
Lewis, who like most sportswriters, has a home in Paris, France, had the opportunity to watch film in Parcells' office and check out his elephant figurine collection.
Check out his upcoming book, Flo Knows Lambic Pentameter. …
And speaking of the Old Gray Lady, check out the review of Richard Ford's new novel, Lay of the Land in the Sunday Book Review. Headed to my local bookstore to pick this one up following Bill's news session today. …
A wide-open Keyshawn Johnson dropped what would have been a certain touchdown pass midway through the third quarter. He then chucked his helmet on the sideline. When I talked to him Saturday evening, he was almost despondent about USC's loss to Oregon State and that may have carried over onto the field. …
Team chaplain John Weber was nice enough to let me attend the team's Sunday afternoon chapel service. The guest speaker was former Bills quarterback Frank Reich, who took a beating from the Cowboys in Super Bowl XXVII. He said he was pulled over for going 58 in a 40 on his way to the service Sunday afternoon, but was given a free pass when the officer said his wife was a former Bills cheerleader. "That won't happen on Judgment Day," he said. …
Funny moment when referee Scott Green accidentally turned his stadium mic on while shouting at head linesman Tony Veteri.
"C'mon, Tony!" Green said to Veteri, who was loitering with the line judge. …
I just read where a woman is in jail for stalking Jake Delhomme. I'm thinking Jake may have helped his cause with that performance in the second half, though. …
Anyone have any advice on what to do when the man in 16E accidentally puts his head on your shoulder while sleeping? … Was having a nice conversation with T.O. at the team hotel Saturday evening before a Fox 4 reporter broke things up.
posted by The Gryphon at 9:05 PM
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