NYT Article: Against Giants, Romo Is Not Hoping for a Repeat
By TOM SPOUSTA
Published: September 6, 2007
IRVING, Tex., Sept. 5 — The moment remains seared in Tony Romo’s memory as one of those surreal situations that called for a desperate rally and a dramatic finish.
If only Romo had followed the script Oct. 23 against the Giants at Texas Stadium, he would not have looked back at his debut with a comedic smirk Wednesday.
Romo recalled standing on the sideline and having Chris Palmer, the Dallas Cowboys’ quarterbacks coach at the time who now has the same role with the Giants, approach with the news that Drew Bledsoe was being benched.
“Palmer comes over, ‘Romo, you’re in,’ ” Romo said. “He says it kind of mad.
“I’m like, ‘In where?’ ”
What would become an improbable season started with a pass that was fired to a Giants defender deep in Cowboys territory, one of three interceptions thrown by Romo in the game.
“Couldn’t have went any better, I guess, huh?” Romo said.
“I wish I’d had played well. It was so exciting, it was electric, the atmosphere out there. Blur is kind of a good word for it.”
The Cowboys’ 9-7 season quickly came into focus under Romo, who was 6-4 as a starter. He can look back on that first game, which became a 36-22 loss, from a Pro Bowl perspective as he enters Sunday night’s opener here against the Giants.
Romo has used that game as a study guide for the first act of his encore. If he is to validate last season, he will need to match or improve upon a 65.3 completion percentage (second in the N.F.L.) and 95.1 quarterback rating (fourth in the National Football Conference, sixth in the N.F.L.).
“To have a repeat season like that, it’s going to be tough,” Cowboys guard Leonard Davis said. “But he’s a guy that will be able to do it.”
Terrell Owens said: “He feels like he has some things to prove. Last year he didn’t start every game and made the Pro Bowl; this year, he wants to make it legitimately. We’re going to help him do that.”
Romo prefers not to view success or failure according to statistics. He points to Daunte Culpepper, then the Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback, who finished second in most valuable player voting in 2004.
“A year later, he’s not with the team anymore,” Romo said. “I don’t think you ever prove anything, other than what you’re supposed to do. And that’s, as a quarterback in the N.F.L., you’re supposed to help your team win games and play well. At the end of the day, everybody, I don’t care who you are, has to come out here and prove that you’re good again.”
Unlike the Giants’ maligned Eli Manning, Romo still enjoys a honeymoon of sorts, despite his botched hold on a potential game-winning field-goal attempt against Seattle in the first round of last season’s playoffs. The reaction might not have been so forgiving had Romo, say, threw an interception that the Seahawks returned for a touchdown that ousted the Cowboys.
Romo, though, shrugs off comparisons to Manning. “At the end of the day, we’re two separate quarterbacks on two separate teams,” Romo said.
Indeed, Romo does not appear to be in danger of being thrown overboard. He has a lifeline held on all sides by a new head coach, three assistant coaches — all former N.F.L. quarterbacks — and a 15-year veteran as a backup acquired during the off-season.
Coach Wade Phillips comes across as warm and fuzzy in contrast to the contentious relationship Romo had with Bill Parcells, a mood shift Romo hopes will unlock his potential further in his first full season as a starter.
The new offensive coordinator, Jason Garrett, was a former Cowboys quarterback, backing up Troy Aikman from 1993-99.
Brad Johnson, who quarterbacked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the 2003 Super Bowl title, has already become a mentor to Romo, a role Bledsoe did not play.
Perhaps Johnson’s biggest contribution thus far came Wednesday, when he was named the holder for placekicks, saving Romo from having to endure any flashbacks to his costly gaffe.
“Brad has a lot more experience in that area,” said Phillips, who unlike Parcells seems protective of his quarterback.
“He’s a football rat,” Phillips said of Romo. “He loves football. He loves to practice. He competes every play in practice and games. He takes coaching well and knows what he’s doing. There’s always questions about every player. But he’s been to the Pro Bowl, and it was deserved.”
Romo’s support group, though, has an empty chair for the first five games. The quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson was suspended last week by the N.F.L. for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.
“It’ll definitely hurt not having him around,” Romo said.
extra points
Terrell Owens said he was fully recovered from an operation to repair his thumb and hand. He also predicted he would surpass his 13-touchdown, 1,180-yard performance last season. “Add butter this year,” he said. “Have you ever had popcorn buttered before? All right then, you’ll see this year.”
Published: September 6, 2007
IRVING, Tex., Sept. 5 — The moment remains seared in Tony Romo’s memory as one of those surreal situations that called for a desperate rally and a dramatic finish.
If only Romo had followed the script Oct. 23 against the Giants at Texas Stadium, he would not have looked back at his debut with a comedic smirk Wednesday.
Romo recalled standing on the sideline and having Chris Palmer, the Dallas Cowboys’ quarterbacks coach at the time who now has the same role with the Giants, approach with the news that Drew Bledsoe was being benched.
“Palmer comes over, ‘Romo, you’re in,’ ” Romo said. “He says it kind of mad.
“I’m like, ‘In where?’ ”
What would become an improbable season started with a pass that was fired to a Giants defender deep in Cowboys territory, one of three interceptions thrown by Romo in the game.
“Couldn’t have went any better, I guess, huh?” Romo said.
“I wish I’d had played well. It was so exciting, it was electric, the atmosphere out there. Blur is kind of a good word for it.”
The Cowboys’ 9-7 season quickly came into focus under Romo, who was 6-4 as a starter. He can look back on that first game, which became a 36-22 loss, from a Pro Bowl perspective as he enters Sunday night’s opener here against the Giants.
Romo has used that game as a study guide for the first act of his encore. If he is to validate last season, he will need to match or improve upon a 65.3 completion percentage (second in the N.F.L.) and 95.1 quarterback rating (fourth in the National Football Conference, sixth in the N.F.L.).
“To have a repeat season like that, it’s going to be tough,” Cowboys guard Leonard Davis said. “But he’s a guy that will be able to do it.”
Terrell Owens said: “He feels like he has some things to prove. Last year he didn’t start every game and made the Pro Bowl; this year, he wants to make it legitimately. We’re going to help him do that.”
Romo prefers not to view success or failure according to statistics. He points to Daunte Culpepper, then the Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback, who finished second in most valuable player voting in 2004.
“A year later, he’s not with the team anymore,” Romo said. “I don’t think you ever prove anything, other than what you’re supposed to do. And that’s, as a quarterback in the N.F.L., you’re supposed to help your team win games and play well. At the end of the day, everybody, I don’t care who you are, has to come out here and prove that you’re good again.”
Unlike the Giants’ maligned Eli Manning, Romo still enjoys a honeymoon of sorts, despite his botched hold on a potential game-winning field-goal attempt against Seattle in the first round of last season’s playoffs. The reaction might not have been so forgiving had Romo, say, threw an interception that the Seahawks returned for a touchdown that ousted the Cowboys.
Romo, though, shrugs off comparisons to Manning. “At the end of the day, we’re two separate quarterbacks on two separate teams,” Romo said.
Indeed, Romo does not appear to be in danger of being thrown overboard. He has a lifeline held on all sides by a new head coach, three assistant coaches — all former N.F.L. quarterbacks — and a 15-year veteran as a backup acquired during the off-season.
Coach Wade Phillips comes across as warm and fuzzy in contrast to the contentious relationship Romo had with Bill Parcells, a mood shift Romo hopes will unlock his potential further in his first full season as a starter.
The new offensive coordinator, Jason Garrett, was a former Cowboys quarterback, backing up Troy Aikman from 1993-99.
Brad Johnson, who quarterbacked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the 2003 Super Bowl title, has already become a mentor to Romo, a role Bledsoe did not play.
Perhaps Johnson’s biggest contribution thus far came Wednesday, when he was named the holder for placekicks, saving Romo from having to endure any flashbacks to his costly gaffe.
“Brad has a lot more experience in that area,” said Phillips, who unlike Parcells seems protective of his quarterback.
“He’s a football rat,” Phillips said of Romo. “He loves football. He loves to practice. He competes every play in practice and games. He takes coaching well and knows what he’s doing. There’s always questions about every player. But he’s been to the Pro Bowl, and it was deserved.”
Romo’s support group, though, has an empty chair for the first five games. The quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson was suspended last week by the N.F.L. for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.
“It’ll definitely hurt not having him around,” Romo said.
extra points
Terrell Owens said he was fully recovered from an operation to repair his thumb and hand. He also predicted he would surpass his 13-touchdown, 1,180-yard performance last season. “Add butter this year,” he said. “Have you ever had popcorn buttered before? All right then, you’ll see this year.”
posted by The Gryphon at 8:17 AM
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