Romo, Brady Leading League's Top Two Offenses
Rob Phillips - Email
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
October 12, 2007 6:50 PM
IRVING, Texas - Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo isn't trying to pattern his career after Tom Brady, though the New England Patriots captain is one of several great quarterbacks he has studied over the years.
He doesn't want Sunday's "battle of unbeatens" between the equally 5-0 Cowboys and Patriots billed as a one-on-one showdown between the two starters, both of whom were unheralded coming out of college.
But Brady does have what Romo wants: Long-term success in the league.
At age 30, Brady has three Super Bowl rings and two Super Bowl MVP awards. His 87-26 record (12-2 in playoffs) ranks first among active starters.
And as he makes his 100th career start Sunday at Texas Stadium, Brady is widely considered one of the league's top two quarterbacks alongside Indianapolis' Peyton Manning.
"He's obviously really special and he's tough to beat," Romo said. "That team became the Patriots when he really came along and took them to that next level."
That's exactly what Romo wants to accomplish in Dallas.
Since replacing Bledsoe as the starter last October, Romo has led the Cowboys to an 11-4 regular-season record and their first playoff appearance since 2003. This season, they're 5-0 for the first time in 24 years and would match Manning's idle Colts as the only two undefeated teams left with a win over New England.
The Patriots have sustained excellence under Brady, winning at least nine games and reaching the playoffs in all but one of his first six seasons as a starter. Romo, meanwhile, is the catalyst for the Cowboys' 5-0 start (despite his six turnovers in Monday's chaotic 25-24 win over Buffalo) and appears headed for a lucrative contract extension.
Are the first five games an indication the Cowboys are prepared for that type of consistent success? The players certainly hope so, even if they aren't using Sunday's game as the ultimate gauge.
"We want to play against the best - that lets you know where you are," Cowboys linebacker Bradie James said. "And to get to where those guys have been, we've got to beat these guys or we've got to beat guys that are considered the best.
"You can't run from this. It's been kind of taboo for us to say we're overlooking the Bills or we're overlooking the Rams to get to New England. It's here now."
The task is tall for both defenses. The Cowboys' top-ranked total offense (429.6 yards per game) is one giant step ahead of the Patriots (427.8). The Patriots' No. 1 scoring offense edges the second-ranked Cowboys in points per game, 36.4 to 35.2.
"They're going to be hard to stop, we know that," Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips said. "We think we will be, too. It's an offensive game, so to speak. Both teams are so strong on offense it's going to be tough."
The Patriots have won all five of their games by at least 17 points behind Brady's sparkling 128.7 passer rating. He's completing 74.1 percent of his passes and has thrown a league-high 16 touchdowns to only two interceptions.
Phillips and defensive coordinator Brian Stewart have seen Brady's brilliance firsthand. As members of the San Diego Chargers' coaching staff last season, they watched their defense intercept Brady three times and hold him to 27-of-51 passing for 280 yards in a 24-21 playoff loss to New England.
Brady overcame his mortal performance by driving the Patriots into position for a game-winning field goal with 1:10 left.
Stewart said Brady prides himself on "being right" - determining the defense's coverage before the snap rather than taking a chance once the play starts.
"He feels that he knows exactly who's coming, who's blocking who, and then who should be open," Stewart said. "He already knows the routes. He just wants to know who's going to be coming. Once he can be able to dictate who's coming and knows who's coming, that helps him."
Romo showed similar resilience Monday night against Buffalo by overcoming a career-high five interceptions to lead the Cowboys on a pair of game-winning scoring drives in the final 3:45.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones, asked weekly whether each performance has increased or decreased the chances of his quarterback getting a big-money deal, said Romo's clutch play actually "enhanced his value" despite the turnovers.
"I'm still learning, obviously," Romo said. "Last week obviously shows you've still got a ways to go. But at the same point, most days I think you get to a point where you feel comfortable. Some days are better than others, but you still learn things along the way and gain from the experiences and you get better each game and each year."
Romo once again will play with a heavy heart Sunday. His father, Ramiro, getting diagnosed with prostate cancer a few weeks ago has put football into true perspective.
Despite the comparisons to Sunday's quarterback counterpart, Romo's only on-field focus is getting to 6-0.
"I hope he comes out and has the game of his life," James said. "Because if he does that, that means we win the game."
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
October 12, 2007 6:50 PM
IRVING, Texas - Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo isn't trying to pattern his career after Tom Brady, though the New England Patriots captain is one of several great quarterbacks he has studied over the years.
He doesn't want Sunday's "battle of unbeatens" between the equally 5-0 Cowboys and Patriots billed as a one-on-one showdown between the two starters, both of whom were unheralded coming out of college.
But Brady does have what Romo wants: Long-term success in the league.
At age 30, Brady has three Super Bowl rings and two Super Bowl MVP awards. His 87-26 record (12-2 in playoffs) ranks first among active starters.
And as he makes his 100th career start Sunday at Texas Stadium, Brady is widely considered one of the league's top two quarterbacks alongside Indianapolis' Peyton Manning.
"He's obviously really special and he's tough to beat," Romo said. "That team became the Patriots when he really came along and took them to that next level."
That's exactly what Romo wants to accomplish in Dallas.
Since replacing Bledsoe as the starter last October, Romo has led the Cowboys to an 11-4 regular-season record and their first playoff appearance since 2003. This season, they're 5-0 for the first time in 24 years and would match Manning's idle Colts as the only two undefeated teams left with a win over New England.
The Patriots have sustained excellence under Brady, winning at least nine games and reaching the playoffs in all but one of his first six seasons as a starter. Romo, meanwhile, is the catalyst for the Cowboys' 5-0 start (despite his six turnovers in Monday's chaotic 25-24 win over Buffalo) and appears headed for a lucrative contract extension.
Are the first five games an indication the Cowboys are prepared for that type of consistent success? The players certainly hope so, even if they aren't using Sunday's game as the ultimate gauge.
"We want to play against the best - that lets you know where you are," Cowboys linebacker Bradie James said. "And to get to where those guys have been, we've got to beat these guys or we've got to beat guys that are considered the best.
"You can't run from this. It's been kind of taboo for us to say we're overlooking the Bills or we're overlooking the Rams to get to New England. It's here now."
The task is tall for both defenses. The Cowboys' top-ranked total offense (429.6 yards per game) is one giant step ahead of the Patriots (427.8). The Patriots' No. 1 scoring offense edges the second-ranked Cowboys in points per game, 36.4 to 35.2.
"They're going to be hard to stop, we know that," Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips said. "We think we will be, too. It's an offensive game, so to speak. Both teams are so strong on offense it's going to be tough."
The Patriots have won all five of their games by at least 17 points behind Brady's sparkling 128.7 passer rating. He's completing 74.1 percent of his passes and has thrown a league-high 16 touchdowns to only two interceptions.
Phillips and defensive coordinator Brian Stewart have seen Brady's brilliance firsthand. As members of the San Diego Chargers' coaching staff last season, they watched their defense intercept Brady three times and hold him to 27-of-51 passing for 280 yards in a 24-21 playoff loss to New England.
Brady overcame his mortal performance by driving the Patriots into position for a game-winning field goal with 1:10 left.
Stewart said Brady prides himself on "being right" - determining the defense's coverage before the snap rather than taking a chance once the play starts.
"He feels that he knows exactly who's coming, who's blocking who, and then who should be open," Stewart said. "He already knows the routes. He just wants to know who's going to be coming. Once he can be able to dictate who's coming and knows who's coming, that helps him."
Romo showed similar resilience Monday night against Buffalo by overcoming a career-high five interceptions to lead the Cowboys on a pair of game-winning scoring drives in the final 3:45.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones, asked weekly whether each performance has increased or decreased the chances of his quarterback getting a big-money deal, said Romo's clutch play actually "enhanced his value" despite the turnovers.
"I'm still learning, obviously," Romo said. "Last week obviously shows you've still got a ways to go. But at the same point, most days I think you get to a point where you feel comfortable. Some days are better than others, but you still learn things along the way and gain from the experiences and you get better each game and each year."
Romo once again will play with a heavy heart Sunday. His father, Ramiro, getting diagnosed with prostate cancer a few weeks ago has put football into true perspective.
Despite the comparisons to Sunday's quarterback counterpart, Romo's only on-field focus is getting to 6-0.
"I hope he comes out and has the game of his life," James said. "Because if he does that, that means we win the game."
posted by The Gryphon at 8:41 PM
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