Ugly passes, appealing outcome for Romo
Posted by: Anthony Bialy on November 12, 2007 12:02 AM
This isn't gymnastics. Football players don't have to concern themselves with suited judges grading the loveliness of each play, and besides, fans remember wins more than how many cute passes there were in those victories. In that regard, Tony Romo had an even more triumphant game against the Giants than his 20-for-28 performance would superficially indicate. Notably, he completed several attempts that weren't perfect-looking but were close enough to their targets that they could be brought in for gains, a sign of professionalism on both sides of the pass.
For example, Romo shot-putted a rainbow to Tony Curtis for his first of a handful of touchdown passes on the day. Evading pursuers, the quarterback invented something on a down that seemed doomed to end in either a sack or, at best, an incompletion. Instead, his lob while running to his left was brought down by a tight end adept at getting points, an example of a passer giving a tall receiver the opportunity to reach up and make a play.
The screen to Marion Barber with about two minutes remaining in the first quarter, set up by a feigned handoff to the same player, was not an elegant toss, either, but he got it to his man with limited time to do so and at an awkward angle. It helped advance the ball on a drive that eventually ended with a field goal, allowing the Cowboys to score at a point when these teams appeared destined for their second shootout of the year.
Also eventually aiding his quarterback's efforts to complete any chance possible was Terrell Owens, who emerged from a largely quiet first half to bring in two passes on the touchdown drive before the break, one a rough-looking pass aimed at his right knee that was reeled in by the focused receiver. It was a tough catch, but, vitally, the ball was addressed to a spot where a talented receiver could get his hands on it.
Romo followed that with another completion to his most prominent receiver, on this occasion with a nice sideline strike; soon afterward, he sent a fine pass in stride to Patrick Crayton for the touchdown. The obnoxious way the receiver stopped at the goal line instead of running it through aside, Romo illustrated his ability to deliver a precise ball in a place where the receiver could in turn make a breakaway play.
There were again aesthetically unappealing yet useful throws paired with sharp passes in the second half. For example, the quarterback wobbled one to Anthony Fasano on, as is typical, the touchdown drive Dallas engineered on its first drive of the second half.
It was close to being intercepted, but the important thing is the actuality of the completion to his teammate. Good quarterbacks have to be willing to take chances where success is predicated on fractions of seconds, and potentially great ones usually accomplish much with little time or room, as Romo did on that second-and-11 play.
Romo balanced that shaky fling with a touchdown missile flawlessly synced with Owens' gallop to end the same drive. He used entirely different techniques on each respective try, yet both showed a quarterback making whatever type of throw is necessary under whatever circumstance he faced.
The second pass T.O. took for six was a brilliantly-arced ball, too, demonstrating that Romo can of course do more than dispense unsightly chucked balls. But if the situation calls for improvising something less than attractive, he goes ahead and does it, contriving something productive when forced to.
The core principle of architecture is that form follows function, and, in the case of Tony Romo, that maxim applies to football, too. Efficiency and beauty don't always go together; although Romo is good at displaying both simultaneously through his work, he doesn't necessarily need to launch NFL Films-quality spirals to have a great day and win games.
This isn't gymnastics. Football players don't have to concern themselves with suited judges grading the loveliness of each play, and besides, fans remember wins more than how many cute passes there were in those victories. In that regard, Tony Romo had an even more triumphant game against the Giants than his 20-for-28 performance would superficially indicate. Notably, he completed several attempts that weren't perfect-looking but were close enough to their targets that they could be brought in for gains, a sign of professionalism on both sides of the pass.
For example, Romo shot-putted a rainbow to Tony Curtis for his first of a handful of touchdown passes on the day. Evading pursuers, the quarterback invented something on a down that seemed doomed to end in either a sack or, at best, an incompletion. Instead, his lob while running to his left was brought down by a tight end adept at getting points, an example of a passer giving a tall receiver the opportunity to reach up and make a play.
The screen to Marion Barber with about two minutes remaining in the first quarter, set up by a feigned handoff to the same player, was not an elegant toss, either, but he got it to his man with limited time to do so and at an awkward angle. It helped advance the ball on a drive that eventually ended with a field goal, allowing the Cowboys to score at a point when these teams appeared destined for their second shootout of the year.
Also eventually aiding his quarterback's efforts to complete any chance possible was Terrell Owens, who emerged from a largely quiet first half to bring in two passes on the touchdown drive before the break, one a rough-looking pass aimed at his right knee that was reeled in by the focused receiver. It was a tough catch, but, vitally, the ball was addressed to a spot where a talented receiver could get his hands on it.
Romo followed that with another completion to his most prominent receiver, on this occasion with a nice sideline strike; soon afterward, he sent a fine pass in stride to Patrick Crayton for the touchdown. The obnoxious way the receiver stopped at the goal line instead of running it through aside, Romo illustrated his ability to deliver a precise ball in a place where the receiver could in turn make a breakaway play.
There were again aesthetically unappealing yet useful throws paired with sharp passes in the second half. For example, the quarterback wobbled one to Anthony Fasano on, as is typical, the touchdown drive Dallas engineered on its first drive of the second half.
It was close to being intercepted, but the important thing is the actuality of the completion to his teammate. Good quarterbacks have to be willing to take chances where success is predicated on fractions of seconds, and potentially great ones usually accomplish much with little time or room, as Romo did on that second-and-11 play.
Romo balanced that shaky fling with a touchdown missile flawlessly synced with Owens' gallop to end the same drive. He used entirely different techniques on each respective try, yet both showed a quarterback making whatever type of throw is necessary under whatever circumstance he faced.
The second pass T.O. took for six was a brilliantly-arced ball, too, demonstrating that Romo can of course do more than dispense unsightly chucked balls. But if the situation calls for improvising something less than attractive, he goes ahead and does it, contriving something productive when forced to.
The core principle of architecture is that form follows function, and, in the case of Tony Romo, that maxim applies to football, too. Efficiency and beauty don't always go together; although Romo is good at displaying both simultaneously through his work, he doesn't necessarily need to launch NFL Films-quality spirals to have a great day and win games.
posted by The Gryphon at 8:02 PM
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