Cowboys, not Bears, NFC’s team to beat
Dallas dangerous with Romo at helm, strong defense
By Dennis Dillon
SportsNews
1. Can any NFC team challenge the Bears?
You betcha. It's that one with the star on its helmets and the latest league luminary at quarterback.
While Chicago fans and sports talk radio hosts are roasting Rex Grossman for his inconsistency, folks in Dallas are ready to induct Tony Romo into Texas Stadium's Ring of Honor. That would be a rush to judgment after only six starts, but there's no question Romo has re-energized the Cowboys and increased Bill Parcells' REM cycles after replacing Drew Bledsoe in the second half of a Week 7 loss to the Giants. Since then, Dallas has gone 5-1.
Romo is the NFL's No. 1-rated passer and leads the league in passing yards per attempt (8.94). He comes up big in clutch situations such as on third down, when he has completed 76.4 percent of his attempts (42 of 55) for 33 first downs. His rapid ascent — an undrafted free agent from Division I-AA Eastern Illinois in 2003, he had never thrown a pass in the NFL until this season — has coincided with the Cowboys' moving into position to win the NFC East and make a run at the Bears for NFC supremacy.
"Romo has been the catalytic event that's really stoked their fire," says TV analyst and former NFL offensive lineman Mark Schlereth.
Unlike Bledsoe, Romo is mobile and can throw accurately on the run. He spreads the ball around to wide receivers Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn and Patrick Crayton, and tight end Jason Witten. He hits his receivers in stride and allows them to make yards after the catch.
Romo also is big on ball security. (He'd better be if he wants to avoid the wrath of Parcells.) In his six starts, he has been intercepted only four times and lost one fumble, on a blindside hit. In contrast, Grossman has committed 18 turnovers (14 interceptions, four fumbles) in the past seven games.
The Cowboys' defense also bears mention. Only Tommy Flanagan, Jon Lovitz's pathological liar in the old Saturday Night Live skits, would proclaim it to be as formidable as Brian Urlacher and Co. But the Dallas "D" has improved, which has made the Cowboys one of the NFL's most balanced teams (fourth in total offense and defense before last week).
By Dennis Dillon
SportsNews
1. Can any NFC team challenge the Bears?
You betcha. It's that one with the star on its helmets and the latest league luminary at quarterback.
While Chicago fans and sports talk radio hosts are roasting Rex Grossman for his inconsistency, folks in Dallas are ready to induct Tony Romo into Texas Stadium's Ring of Honor. That would be a rush to judgment after only six starts, but there's no question Romo has re-energized the Cowboys and increased Bill Parcells' REM cycles after replacing Drew Bledsoe in the second half of a Week 7 loss to the Giants. Since then, Dallas has gone 5-1.
Romo is the NFL's No. 1-rated passer and leads the league in passing yards per attempt (8.94). He comes up big in clutch situations such as on third down, when he has completed 76.4 percent of his attempts (42 of 55) for 33 first downs. His rapid ascent — an undrafted free agent from Division I-AA Eastern Illinois in 2003, he had never thrown a pass in the NFL until this season — has coincided with the Cowboys' moving into position to win the NFC East and make a run at the Bears for NFC supremacy.
"Romo has been the catalytic event that's really stoked their fire," says TV analyst and former NFL offensive lineman Mark Schlereth.
Unlike Bledsoe, Romo is mobile and can throw accurately on the run. He spreads the ball around to wide receivers Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn and Patrick Crayton, and tight end Jason Witten. He hits his receivers in stride and allows them to make yards after the catch.
Romo also is big on ball security. (He'd better be if he wants to avoid the wrath of Parcells.) In his six starts, he has been intercepted only four times and lost one fumble, on a blindside hit. In contrast, Grossman has committed 18 turnovers (14 interceptions, four fumbles) in the past seven games.
The Cowboys' defense also bears mention. Only Tommy Flanagan, Jon Lovitz's pathological liar in the old Saturday Night Live skits, would proclaim it to be as formidable as Brian Urlacher and Co. But the Dallas "D" has improved, which has made the Cowboys one of the NFL's most balanced teams (fourth in total offense and defense before last week).
posted by The Gryphon at 6:53 PM
<< Home