Buck Harvey: Kids, Romo's real: Miracle on 34th Street
San Antonio Express-News
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Jerry Jones tried to analyze Tony Romo again, and he tried to remain calm. He tried to talk about how Romo moves in the pocket, and how he has brilliant instincts, but Jones couldn't help himself.
Jones went supernatural. "It's almost like watching a miracle," he gushed.
If you had spent millions on a receiver who keeps dropping passes and a kicker who had the freedom Sunday to get liquored up in his living room, you'd believe a budget quarterback passes for a miracle.
If you watched Sunday, you'd believe, too.
Then, Romo threw interceptions that the Giants fumbled back. Risked a sack at the end of the first half that would have cost the Cowboys a field goal. And threw a pass that somehow went through the hands of a Giants DB and into the hands of Patrick Crayton.
A miracle?
Just another Sunday for Romo.
Everything he touches seemingly goes his way, and that was true at the end. Then, he touched Martin Gramatica.
Romo doesn't get credit for the kick. That would mean Romo would also have to accept blame for Mike Vanderjagt's.
But there was something going on when Gramatica jogged out to define last week's kicker switch. Romo, ever smiling, was there to casually slap Gramatica's hand and to say a few words.
"I just told him," Romo related later, "the wind seems like it was the same as in warm-ups. I don't think he missed going into that end at all, so I had all the confidence he was going to drill it."
Maybe these reassurances mean nothing. Or maybe, to the new guy, hanging with the naturally charismatic made all the difference.
Before the snap, Romo went to the line of scrimmage acting like the one in charge. He pointed at various blocking details and walked off the steps. Then he knelt and held his hand out — and all Gramatica had to do was follow his lead.
What followed qualifies as a miracle, especially to an aging kicker who had been unemployed for more than a year.
But Romo did more than merely calm someone else. He survived his toughest day as a starter with some smart plays and some lucky ones.
Bill Parcells, ever the hard grader, admitted Romo "did not have his best day, but he got us down the field when it counted." Romo's rollout and deep pass to Jason Witten in the final minute was something Drew Bledsoe couldn't do if the Giants counted to three before moving.
But it's the earlier stuff that comes with mystique, such as a play late in the first quarter. A Romo pass sailed high off of Terry Glenn, and a New York rookie named Mathias Kiwanuka intercepted.
Just as life has been going right for Romo, it's been wrong for Kiwanuka. He's the one who let up on Vince Young last week, fueling the Titans' comeback.
This time? "I switched the ball in the other hand," said Kiwanuka, "and it just slipped out."
Just slipped out. Just like that, the Cowboys tied the game a few plays later.
The end of the first half was similar, when Romo stood too long in the pocket with seconds ticking away, nearly getting sacked. After Gramatica drove in his first field goal as a Cowboy, Romo came off the field, and Parcells let him have it.
A drive for a touchdown in the fourth quarter was no different. Romo did a few things right, too, including a 10-yard scramble. But a pass that went through a Giant and found Crayton changed everything. Instead of New York getting a turnover, or even scoring, Crayton set up the Cowboys for the lead.
Romo, in posture and in record, has been the opposite of Eli Manning in this stretch. And last week Parcells framed Manning's struggles.
"For any young quarterback, there's going to be ups and downs," Parcells said. "My guy hasn't had a down day yet, but he's going to have one, and we all know it."
Then Romo had his down day, putting together his lowest quarterback rating as a starter and one nearly half of Manning's. And Romo won, on the road, sealing first place.
The miracle?
That Jones isn't already talking Super Bowl.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Jerry Jones tried to analyze Tony Romo again, and he tried to remain calm. He tried to talk about how Romo moves in the pocket, and how he has brilliant instincts, but Jones couldn't help himself.
Jones went supernatural. "It's almost like watching a miracle," he gushed.
If you had spent millions on a receiver who keeps dropping passes and a kicker who had the freedom Sunday to get liquored up in his living room, you'd believe a budget quarterback passes for a miracle.
If you watched Sunday, you'd believe, too.
Then, Romo threw interceptions that the Giants fumbled back. Risked a sack at the end of the first half that would have cost the Cowboys a field goal. And threw a pass that somehow went through the hands of a Giants DB and into the hands of Patrick Crayton.
A miracle?
Just another Sunday for Romo.
Everything he touches seemingly goes his way, and that was true at the end. Then, he touched Martin Gramatica.
Romo doesn't get credit for the kick. That would mean Romo would also have to accept blame for Mike Vanderjagt's.
But there was something going on when Gramatica jogged out to define last week's kicker switch. Romo, ever smiling, was there to casually slap Gramatica's hand and to say a few words.
"I just told him," Romo related later, "the wind seems like it was the same as in warm-ups. I don't think he missed going into that end at all, so I had all the confidence he was going to drill it."
Maybe these reassurances mean nothing. Or maybe, to the new guy, hanging with the naturally charismatic made all the difference.
Before the snap, Romo went to the line of scrimmage acting like the one in charge. He pointed at various blocking details and walked off the steps. Then he knelt and held his hand out — and all Gramatica had to do was follow his lead.
What followed qualifies as a miracle, especially to an aging kicker who had been unemployed for more than a year.
But Romo did more than merely calm someone else. He survived his toughest day as a starter with some smart plays and some lucky ones.
Bill Parcells, ever the hard grader, admitted Romo "did not have his best day, but he got us down the field when it counted." Romo's rollout and deep pass to Jason Witten in the final minute was something Drew Bledsoe couldn't do if the Giants counted to three before moving.
But it's the earlier stuff that comes with mystique, such as a play late in the first quarter. A Romo pass sailed high off of Terry Glenn, and a New York rookie named Mathias Kiwanuka intercepted.
Just as life has been going right for Romo, it's been wrong for Kiwanuka. He's the one who let up on Vince Young last week, fueling the Titans' comeback.
This time? "I switched the ball in the other hand," said Kiwanuka, "and it just slipped out."
Just slipped out. Just like that, the Cowboys tied the game a few plays later.
The end of the first half was similar, when Romo stood too long in the pocket with seconds ticking away, nearly getting sacked. After Gramatica drove in his first field goal as a Cowboy, Romo came off the field, and Parcells let him have it.
A drive for a touchdown in the fourth quarter was no different. Romo did a few things right, too, including a 10-yard scramble. But a pass that went through a Giant and found Crayton changed everything. Instead of New York getting a turnover, or even scoring, Crayton set up the Cowboys for the lead.
Romo, in posture and in record, has been the opposite of Eli Manning in this stretch. And last week Parcells framed Manning's struggles.
"For any young quarterback, there's going to be ups and downs," Parcells said. "My guy hasn't had a down day yet, but he's going to have one, and we all know it."
Then Romo had his down day, putting together his lowest quarterback rating as a starter and one nearly half of Manning's. And Romo won, on the road, sealing first place.
The miracle?
That Jones isn't already talking Super Bowl.
posted by The Gryphon at 8:17 PM
<< Home