Romo's up-and-down night sign of things to come
by Tom Orsborn
Sports writer for the San Antonio Express-News.
IRVING - Tony Romo grew up a Brett Favre fan.
On Monday night, he looked a lot like Favre - the old, washed-up version.
Like his hero, Romo has nimble feet and a lively arm. But those attributes were overshadowed by his three interceptions, one of which was returned 96 yards for a 36-15 Giants lead with 2:33 left.
Expect more of the same if coach Bill Parcells decides to bench Drew Bledsoe permanently and go with Romo. Simply put, he's a gunslinger, which means the Cowboys turnover problems will continue.
Report card
Pass offense: The line surrendered six sacks and allowed the Giants to pressure both quarterbacks all night. The pressure also prevented Bledsoe from hitting Terrell Owens on a flea-flicker in the first half. But it was bad decisions by Bledsoe and Romo - not pressure - that caused the four interceptions they threw. Owens caught six passes for a season-best 98 yards, but he also dropped a crucial fourth down pass. Grade: D
Run offense: Julius Jones averaged a season-low 2.3 yards per carry, mainly because the Giants manhandled the Cowboys offensive line. Grade: F
Pass defense: Eli Manning threw for only 189 yards, but he also had touchdown passes of 50 and 13 yards to Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockley. Burress also caught a 44-yard pass. Grade: C
Run defense: Tiki Barber gained 114 yards on 27 carries for a robust 4.2 average. Big Brandon Jacobs added 40 yards on 10 attempts and scored on a 3-yard run on fourth-and-1. Grade: F
Special teams: Mat McBriar's three punts netted an average of 36.7 yards, a season low. Tyson Thompson averaged a respectable 22.7 yards on six kickoff returns. Grade: C
Coaching: Tony Sparano's offensive liine continues to make mental errors and allow defenders to race untouched to the quarterback. Mike Zimmer's defense showed no backbone and his blitzes didn't make a difference. But the biggest failure belongs to Parcells, who didn't have his team ready for its biggest game of the season. Grade: F
Sports writer for the San Antonio Express-News.
IRVING - Tony Romo grew up a Brett Favre fan.
On Monday night, he looked a lot like Favre - the old, washed-up version.
Like his hero, Romo has nimble feet and a lively arm. But those attributes were overshadowed by his three interceptions, one of which was returned 96 yards for a 36-15 Giants lead with 2:33 left.
Expect more of the same if coach Bill Parcells decides to bench Drew Bledsoe permanently and go with Romo. Simply put, he's a gunslinger, which means the Cowboys turnover problems will continue.
Report card
Pass offense: The line surrendered six sacks and allowed the Giants to pressure both quarterbacks all night. The pressure also prevented Bledsoe from hitting Terrell Owens on a flea-flicker in the first half. But it was bad decisions by Bledsoe and Romo - not pressure - that caused the four interceptions they threw. Owens caught six passes for a season-best 98 yards, but he also dropped a crucial fourth down pass. Grade: D
Run offense: Julius Jones averaged a season-low 2.3 yards per carry, mainly because the Giants manhandled the Cowboys offensive line. Grade: F
Pass defense: Eli Manning threw for only 189 yards, but he also had touchdown passes of 50 and 13 yards to Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockley. Burress also caught a 44-yard pass. Grade: C
Run defense: Tiki Barber gained 114 yards on 27 carries for a robust 4.2 average. Big Brandon Jacobs added 40 yards on 10 attempts and scored on a 3-yard run on fourth-and-1. Grade: F
Special teams: Mat McBriar's three punts netted an average of 36.7 yards, a season low. Tyson Thompson averaged a respectable 22.7 yards on six kickoff returns. Grade: C
Coaching: Tony Sparano's offensive liine continues to make mental errors and allow defenders to race untouched to the quarterback. Mike Zimmer's defense showed no backbone and his blitzes didn't make a difference. But the biggest failure belongs to Parcells, who didn't have his team ready for its biggest game of the season. Grade: F
posted by The Gryphon at 8:12 PM
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