Romo has put life in the offense
By RICK HERRIN
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
IRVING - Tony Romo flips his memory back to some of his finest moments at Eastern Illinois.
The Cowboys' starting quarterback goes back to a couple of highlights when he was leading the Division I-AA Panthers to game-winning touchdowns. It helps clear his mind and feed his confidence in pressure situations such as he had last week against Washington.
In his first attempt at a fourth-quarter, game-winning drive, Romo passed his latest test by putting the Cowboys in position to win with a dramatic march down the field. It was another sign Romo might be the quarterback of the future the Cowboys have been seeking since Troy Aikman retired after the 2000 season.
While he's made only two starts, Romo has delivered fast and provided an offensive spark that was missing.
"I can't ask for any more than what I've seen the first two games," coach Bill Parcells said. "He won one game, and he had his team in position to win the second. You can't ask a player to do any more than that."
The undrafted free agent also has won over his teammates with fire, poise and play-making. He led the team back from a 14-0 deficit at Carolina and led a 44-yard drive in 25 seconds in the waning moments at Washington to set up a potential game-winning field goal that was blocked. Romo completed three of four passes on the drive, including a nifty 28-yard pass to tight end Jason Witten on a third-and-5 play.
"If it's too big for you, if you always think this is huge, then you are probably not going to be that successful," Romo said. "If you make it where you have been here before, you can call on something you've done in the past, and you have confidence in those situations."
Romo, in his fourth year, also has given Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones a clearer picture of his potential than when he first replaced veteran Drew Bledsoe.
Jones said he would have to lower his expectations with a change to an unproven quarterback, but not after what he saw against Carolina, which is regarded as a Super Bowl contender.
"I think he has a lot of confidence from the rest of the guys," Witten said. "He has rallied it up. He commands the huddle. I think guys realize no situation is too big for him. For some quarterbacks it is."
Romo has completed 24 of 36 passes in his starts, throwing for 270 yards against Carolina and 284 against Washington. Bledsoe did not throw for more than 250 yards in any of his six starts this season. Romo has completed 64.6 percent of his passes, and Bledsoe completed 53 percent.
Another difference between the two starters has been the distribution of the ball. Romo is better utilizing his weapons. His scrambling ability has allowed him to buy time Bledsoe never had in the pocket.
Witten and wide receivers Terrell Owens and Patrick Crayton have seen their numbers go up since Romo took over. Romo seems to connect well with that trio, as he showed against Washington.
Owens had his first 100-yard receiving game with the Cowboys in Romo's starting debut at Carolina. He would have had another if not for a dropped pass that would have been a 74-yard touchdown against Washington. Crayton set a season high in receiving yards last week, and two weeks ago Witten had season highs in catches (six) and yards (80).
"With the way we've played the last couple of games, everybody should know the strength of this team offensively is our passing game," Owens said. "He's a good quarterback. He's gotten us out of some wild situations making plays with his feet and obviously with his arm."
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
IRVING - Tony Romo flips his memory back to some of his finest moments at Eastern Illinois.
The Cowboys' starting quarterback goes back to a couple of highlights when he was leading the Division I-AA Panthers to game-winning touchdowns. It helps clear his mind and feed his confidence in pressure situations such as he had last week against Washington.
In his first attempt at a fourth-quarter, game-winning drive, Romo passed his latest test by putting the Cowboys in position to win with a dramatic march down the field. It was another sign Romo might be the quarterback of the future the Cowboys have been seeking since Troy Aikman retired after the 2000 season.
While he's made only two starts, Romo has delivered fast and provided an offensive spark that was missing.
"I can't ask for any more than what I've seen the first two games," coach Bill Parcells said. "He won one game, and he had his team in position to win the second. You can't ask a player to do any more than that."
The undrafted free agent also has won over his teammates with fire, poise and play-making. He led the team back from a 14-0 deficit at Carolina and led a 44-yard drive in 25 seconds in the waning moments at Washington to set up a potential game-winning field goal that was blocked. Romo completed three of four passes on the drive, including a nifty 28-yard pass to tight end Jason Witten on a third-and-5 play.
"If it's too big for you, if you always think this is huge, then you are probably not going to be that successful," Romo said. "If you make it where you have been here before, you can call on something you've done in the past, and you have confidence in those situations."
Romo, in his fourth year, also has given Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones a clearer picture of his potential than when he first replaced veteran Drew Bledsoe.
Jones said he would have to lower his expectations with a change to an unproven quarterback, but not after what he saw against Carolina, which is regarded as a Super Bowl contender.
"I think he has a lot of confidence from the rest of the guys," Witten said. "He has rallied it up. He commands the huddle. I think guys realize no situation is too big for him. For some quarterbacks it is."
Romo has completed 24 of 36 passes in his starts, throwing for 270 yards against Carolina and 284 against Washington. Bledsoe did not throw for more than 250 yards in any of his six starts this season. Romo has completed 64.6 percent of his passes, and Bledsoe completed 53 percent.
Another difference between the two starters has been the distribution of the ball. Romo is better utilizing his weapons. His scrambling ability has allowed him to buy time Bledsoe never had in the pocket.
Witten and wide receivers Terrell Owens and Patrick Crayton have seen their numbers go up since Romo took over. Romo seems to connect well with that trio, as he showed against Washington.
Owens had his first 100-yard receiving game with the Cowboys in Romo's starting debut at Carolina. He would have had another if not for a dropped pass that would have been a 74-yard touchdown against Washington. Crayton set a season high in receiving yards last week, and two weeks ago Witten had season highs in catches (six) and yards (80).
"With the way we've played the last couple of games, everybody should know the strength of this team offensively is our passing game," Owens said. "He's a good quarterback. He's gotten us out of some wild situations making plays with his feet and obviously with his arm."
posted by The Gryphon at 8:35 AM
<< Home