'Vintage Romo' a phenomenon
By MAC ENGEL
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
IRVING - A search that began seemingly forever ago and included the likes of Randall Cunningham, Clint Stoerner, Quincy Carter, Drew Henson, Vinny Testaverde, Chad Hutchinson and Drew Bledsoe might finally be over.
After wasting millions of dollars, Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones might have himself a quarterback. A quarterback of the present. A quarterback of the future.
"I think so," Cowboys guard Marco Rivera said. "Tony [Romo] is legit. He proved that [on Thursday]. I think Tony is here to stay."
That Romo was unearthed from a Division I-AA football program in Charleston, Ill., and cost the Cowboys no draft picks and little money adds to the irony, but Jones doesn't care. Not right now.
There is still apprehension that Romo might be a flash in the pan, but with every pass and every Cowboys win, the fear subsides. Romo could be the answer to a problem that has existed since Troy Aikman retired.
"I tell you, he's far from [Aikman]," Cowboys tight end Jason Witten said after Romo tied a team record with five touchdown passes in the Cowboys' 38-10 victory over Tampa Bay on Thursday.
"But I'm not going to be like [Bill] Parcells and try to keep him humble. He's playing well, and we need him to continue to play well for us to be a good team."
What Romo has done in his first five games as the starting quarterback, other than go 4-1, borders on historic. He's completed 71 percent of his passes for 1,394 yards, with 10 touchdowns and two interceptions.
"No, I couldn't have expected this," center Andre Gurode said. "It's amazing."
Jones called Romo's performance Thursday "vintage Romo."
"We like the promise of the future," Jones said. "And it is exciting."
But forgive Jones. He's always been a quarterback guy. He's done just about everything possible to find another Aikman, with the exception of going to the top of the draft.
"We know [Romo's] smart as a whip," Jones said. "Anybody can see he's got quickness and resourcefulness out there. Seeing him be accurate with where he goes with the ball, accurate decisions. Five ballgames we've seen it."
By having Romo today, it changes everything for tomorrow; now there's no need to find a starting quarterback in the off-season.
But there is one caveat to this tale: five games.
It's that lack of experience that causes Bill Parcells to harp on the things Romo does wrong.
"I do have some faults," Romo said. "I haven't arrived by any means."
With five games remaining and the Cowboys in first place in the NFC East, Romo has gone from an unknown commodity to an instant celebrity, a scenario few could have predicted.
"I always felt sports was a great environment because you can change people's perception of you quickly," Romo said.
Consider the perception changed.
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
IRVING - A search that began seemingly forever ago and included the likes of Randall Cunningham, Clint Stoerner, Quincy Carter, Drew Henson, Vinny Testaverde, Chad Hutchinson and Drew Bledsoe might finally be over.
After wasting millions of dollars, Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones might have himself a quarterback. A quarterback of the present. A quarterback of the future.
"I think so," Cowboys guard Marco Rivera said. "Tony [Romo] is legit. He proved that [on Thursday]. I think Tony is here to stay."
That Romo was unearthed from a Division I-AA football program in Charleston, Ill., and cost the Cowboys no draft picks and little money adds to the irony, but Jones doesn't care. Not right now.
There is still apprehension that Romo might be a flash in the pan, but with every pass and every Cowboys win, the fear subsides. Romo could be the answer to a problem that has existed since Troy Aikman retired.
"I tell you, he's far from [Aikman]," Cowboys tight end Jason Witten said after Romo tied a team record with five touchdown passes in the Cowboys' 38-10 victory over Tampa Bay on Thursday.
"But I'm not going to be like [Bill] Parcells and try to keep him humble. He's playing well, and we need him to continue to play well for us to be a good team."
What Romo has done in his first five games as the starting quarterback, other than go 4-1, borders on historic. He's completed 71 percent of his passes for 1,394 yards, with 10 touchdowns and two interceptions.
"No, I couldn't have expected this," center Andre Gurode said. "It's amazing."
Jones called Romo's performance Thursday "vintage Romo."
"We like the promise of the future," Jones said. "And it is exciting."
But forgive Jones. He's always been a quarterback guy. He's done just about everything possible to find another Aikman, with the exception of going to the top of the draft.
"We know [Romo's] smart as a whip," Jones said. "Anybody can see he's got quickness and resourcefulness out there. Seeing him be accurate with where he goes with the ball, accurate decisions. Five ballgames we've seen it."
By having Romo today, it changes everything for tomorrow; now there's no need to find a starting quarterback in the off-season.
But there is one caveat to this tale: five games.
It's that lack of experience that causes Bill Parcells to harp on the things Romo does wrong.
"I do have some faults," Romo said. "I haven't arrived by any means."
With five games remaining and the Cowboys in first place in the NFC East, Romo has gone from an unknown commodity to an instant celebrity, a scenario few could have predicted.
"I always felt sports was a great environment because you can change people's perception of you quickly," Romo said.
Consider the perception changed.
posted by The Gryphon at 8:50 AM
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