ARON ON COWBOYS: Romo still has plenty to prove

Associated Press
National Football League News Wire

IRVING, Texas -- Tony Romo still does plenty of things that
drive Bill Parcells bonkers. In the last game alone, Romo forgot he
was the holder on a field goal, nearly threw an interception after
faking a clock-killing spike and had several wild overthrows, one
sailing so high that Parcells said "you couldn't have caught it
with a butterfly net."

Then again, Romo has done plenty to make Parcells proud. He's
won two of his first three starts, salvaging a season that seemed
on the verge of collapse, and reached some statistical milestones
comparable to Troy Aikman and Peyton Manning.

So, which is he -- a goofball or a gamer? Someone capable of
being the starter of the Dallas Cowboys for the time being or for
the long term?

The next seven games should answer all questions.

While the Cowboys (5-4) are entering the stretch drive to their
season, the same can be said for Romo and his quest to lock up his
job. How he handles the pressure and challenge of this playoff run
will prove whether his early success was beginner's luck or the
start of something big.

Team owner Jerry Jones certainly likes what he sees ... so far.
The cautiously optimistic remarks Jones made on his radio show
Tuesday indicate the jury is still out in his mind, and his mind
will matter most this offseason when the Cowboys decide how much of
a priority adding a quarterback should be for 2007.

"The plusses have far outweighed the minuses, and that's a
surprise," Jones said. "It's a pleasant surprise. It's very good
because if we can have him for his playmaking ability and count on
him to really be smart about how he handles the game, we've got
something."

The folks who've already spent $119.99 for the framed swath of
Romo's game-worn uniform from his first start would argue that Romo
already has proven himself. But he's played in only four games and
Dallas has lost two of them.

He gets bonus points for having made all three of his starts on
the road. But five of the next seven are at home, so that should be
even more in his favor.

As Romo tries adding to his storybook start, he's going to be
facing defenses who've seen a lot more of him on film, plus the NFC
East-leading Giants will see him a second time. But he also should
get to start doing things we haven't seen yet, as coaches start to
unleash him more.

"Everybody knows now what he can do and exactly how good he can
be. I laugh at that," Parcells said Monday. "I'm not one to
hopscotch forward too quickly because they can turn those pancakes
over."

Romo's first three starts have been against defenses ranked in
the bottom-third of the league. The Colts present a bigger
challenge, and not just because at No. 16 they are smack dab in the
middle of the pack.

Indianapolis is undefeated mainly because of Manning and the
offense. Parcells must decide whether to let Romo try getting into
a shootout with the Colts or see if he has the poise and patience
to lead a methodical, grind-the-clock offense.

So far, Romo has proven the NFL isn't "too big for him," as
Parcells likes to say.

Consider these feats he'll always be able to tell his
grandchildren:

-- In his first three starts, Romo has thrown for 270, 284 and
308 yards, making him the first Dallas quarterback since Troy
Aikman to have three straight games of at least 250 yards passing.
And that wasn't late-in-his-career Aikman; it was vintage Troy,
back in 1993, the season he won his second Super Bowl.

-- Romo has had a quarterback rating of 109 and 126.8 the last
two games. The last Cowboys quarterback to go over 100 in
consecutive games was Vinny Testaverde in 2004.

-- His 308 yards against Arizona was Dallas' most since Drew
Bledsoe had 332 against Kansas City last December, 12 games ago.

-- His rating this season is 101.2, a few points behind
league-leader Manning (104.5).

Pretty good company, right? It gets better when you realize that
Testaverde, Aikman, Bledsoe and Manning were all No. 1 picks.

Crazily enough, the historic touchstone that matters most is
Quincy Carter, the last quarterback to lead Dallas into the
playoffs.

Romo already has a contract for 2007, and his performance thus
far makes him an overwhelming leader in the clubhouse to be the
starter next season.

With Bledsoe almost certain to be gone, the Cowboys will want to
add a quarterback, maybe two. Again, that's why the coming weeks
are so important to Romo's grip on this job.

Do well and Jones can seek a veteran backup and maybe a mid- to
late-round pick; heck, he may even want to go the undrafted route
again considering that's how Dallas got Romo.

Do poorly and Jones may want to sign a veteran capable of taking
over or spend an early-round pick on a hotshot prospect, something
he's been loathe to do but recently said he's willing to consider.

Either way, it should be interesting.