Why It's Time for the Cowboys to Move on From Tony Romo

By Michael Schneid

One week after the Cowboys season ended in crushing fashion, I am ready to speak and open up on my thoughts of the future.

You can't "rebuild" the Cowboys. Despite issues along the OL and DL, the Cowboys have a ton of talent on both sides of the ball. Demarcus Ware, though injured most of the season, is still one of the most feared linebackers. Jason Witten is a future hall of fame tight end and Dez Bryant matured and became one of the league's top WRs. When healthy, Demarco Murray has shown explosiveness out of the back field. Morris Claiborne is a rising star at CB and though Sean Lee was injured early in the season, he has shown potential as a leader on defense.

You can't just trade or cut this talent. Especially considering everyone mentioned above was drafted by the Cowboys. Say what you want about GM Jerry Jones' eye for talent and the poor job he has done as general manager over the years, but he has made some excellent draft picks that have laid a solid foundation for the team.

This foundation has won one recent playoff game, in 2009 against the Eagles, before losing to Brett Favre's Vikings.

Jason Garrett, in two years and a half has yet to coach a playoff game. Something has to change in Dallas. Something about the culture.

Tony Romo has some big time franchise records in Big D.

• 175 Touchdown passes (Troy Aikman with 165)
• 40 games with 300+ yards passing (Troy Aikman - 13)
• 27 games with 3+ touchdown passes (Danny White 20)
• 36 Passing TDs, 2007 (Danny White -29)
• 4,685 yards passing (2012) *only Cowboys' quarterback to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a season (2007, 2009, 2011, 2012)
• On Nov 23, 2006, Romo threw 5 TD passes in a game, a record he shares with Troy Aikman.
• Romo has also 5 INTs in a game twice. Despite all these records, he comes up short in the big moments.

The last two season’s ended with the Cowboys losing a "division championship game" on the road against their biggest rivals. In 2011, they lost to the Giants in Week 17. Prior to that Week 17, the Cowboys played the Giants on a Sunday night in Week 14. Romo had a great game, 21-31, 321 yards, 4 TD, ZERO INTs. However, all myself or any Cowboys fan will remember, is third and short, late in the fourth quarter, Romo overthrew a wide open Miles Austin. A pass that might have gone for six, or at least simply picked up a first down and would have likely helped end the game for Dallas.

Back to 2011 Week 17. The game began for Dallas with five straight punts. Three of those five possessions, the Cowboys went three and out (four and out on one of them). Romo had 2 TDs and just one interception, but as always, it came at a costly time as the Cowboys were beginning to gain momentum.

How do you separate a great game and a bad game, at least statistically? You judge where the good and the bad came. Week 17, for example was a bad game for Romo. He threw 3 INTs. Two in the first quarter, one coming off a great punt return, where Dallas started their opening drive in field goal range. Romo and Kevin Ogletree had a classic case of miscommunication. His second interception was just an overthrown deep ball intended for Miles Austin. Romo helped lead the Cowboys to a comeback and within three points, but with under three minutes to go, on a wheel route play, he threw the ball right to the defender, thus essentially ending the game and season for the Cowboys.

It is easy to say Romo cost the Cowboys the game and season based on that one throw. But that isn't fair as the defense gave up 274 yards rushing. But under the bright lights, on the biggest stage, in front of the largest rated audience on NBC in 2012, Romo put the ball in Washington's hands allowing them to win the game.

In Week 8 against the Giants, Romo threw for 437 yards. But just 1 TD...and 4 INTs. 3 of which came in the first half. Romo got his act together and helped put together some impressive drives to lead the Cowboys back. After trailing 23-0, the Cowboys actually took a 24-23 lead. But here comes “bad” Romo again, throwing an INT with under three minutes left, yet again. The Cowboys were in position to win on one final drive. A fluke play with Dez Bryant out of bounds and a Miles Austin drop hurt the Cowboys. But again, look at the 4 INTs. If you protect the ball, you don't go down 23-0.

The Cowboys played one Monday night game this year, Week 4 against the Bears. Romo tied a career high with five interceptions, two of which returned for TDs. Amazingly, Romo's other 5 INT game also came on Monday Night Football, back in 2007.

On Thanksgiving, the first time the Cowboys played the Redskins, Romo threw for 441 yards and 3 TDs...but had two very costly interceptions. Both INTs led to Redskins TDs.

You can look at Romo statistically and shrug your shoulders thinking he truly is among the league's top QBs. But in games against the Giants and Redskins he threw the ball over 60 times. The Cowboys trailed in ALL 16 games in 2012. Also the lack of a run game certainly impacted the passing game. How is this for unbalanced: the Cowboys were third in league in passing (295.6 ypg) but 31st in rushing (79.1 ypg).

In 2010, Eli Manning threw 25 INTs. But a large majority of them were off tipped balls, either by defends or his own receiver. Manning accurately threw towards the receiver, though the pass was not completed or caught. Romo often times doesn't even reach his. Too many times, Romo throws the ball right at a defender.

Having watched Romo his whole career, it is easy to identify the Cowboys have more pre-snap issues than any other team in the NFL. After a lot of INTs or incompletions, Romo is seen talking to the WR, making hand gestures about where to go. Why? Whose fault is this? Why does it seem like there is so much pre-snap audibling? Romo and his WRs have a hard time getting on the same page. Whose fault is that? Romo? Garrett? The WRs?

Romo also has a habit of waiting until there is no time on the play clock before yelling hike. There is often a lot of miscommunication issues with the offense. The Cowboys first TD against Washington came with literally 0 seconds on play clock  and the refs should have called a delay of gam). Chris Collinsworth noted that by waiting until there is 1 second left on the play clock, the defense knows exactly when to blitz.

Since 2006, I have been Tony Romo's biggest fan. I have supported him and stuck by him through every interception, every turnover for seven years now. My head hurts. It is time for the Cowboys to move on. As a fan, I have absolutely zero confidence in Tony Romo to win a big game. Why would I? He is going to be 33 years old. Not getting any younger. And clearly not getting any better.

At some point, players in the locker room and coaches must grow frustrated with the constant turnovers and lack of big time play in big moments. I think Romo has a few years left of playing at a high level. I think, as long as he is healthy, Romo should be a 16 game starter somewhere in the NFL in 2013. Just not in Dallas. It is time to move forward and it is time for a new plan. Romo has had three head coaches - Bill Parcells, Wade Philips, and Jason Garrett. Only Wade won a playoff game and Garrett has yet to coach in one.

It's not like Romo doesn't have weapons. As starting QB he has had Jason Witten, WRs Miles Austin, Dez Bryant, Terrell Owens, Roy Williams. RBs Felix Jones, Marion Barber, Demarco Murray. An inconsistent and weak offensive line has been a problem during his Dallas tenure.

Tony Romo is not a bad QB. He is a very good one. He is just turnover prone and those turnovers come at the worst possible times. He is undoubtedly the Cowboys best QB option since the 90s when they had Troy Aikman at the helm. But Aikman was surrounded by a a much better team and supporting staff. Norv Turner called plays for Aikman and he always delivered and did so in the "big" moments. Granted, Aikman did so with one of the all-time great running backs Emmitt Smith and WR Michael Irvin. Romo is saddled with the league's 31st ranked rush offense.

 

2013 QB Options

The 2013 crop of QBs in both free agency and the draft is weak. Also, the Cowboys have very little free agency money and too many holes to waste an early pick on a QB.

• One idea is Joe Flacco. Flacco is expected to be a free agent but is also expected to receive the franchise tag.
• Flacco would be the Cowboys best option to continue to win now. If they want to evolve into more of a running team (need to revamp o-line and add RB depth), they can pursue a "caretaker" QB like Alex Smith (who is expected to be let go from SF) or perhaps try and rejuvenate the career of Mark Sanchez
• The Browns need ownership and front office might be willing to part with Brandon Weeden, for a defensive piece perhaps? Or Colt McCoy?
• Maybe San Diego would be willing to deal Philip Rivers?
• Perhaps Dallas can trade a late pick to Washington for Kirk Cousins or to Seattle for Matt Flynn
• And just because it is a requirement in every QB-related article, how about considering Mike Vick or Tim Tebow
• As for the draft - Oklahoma Sooners QB Landry Jones could be a fit late in the draft or Syracuse's Ryan Nassib.

Remember, I am not saying any of these QBs are necessarily "better" than Tony Romo, but they could be a better fit for a revamped Dallas offense and bring a new culture and attitude to the team. This might hopefully lead to a better chance of the Cowboys becoming a more successful team, a team that can make a deep runin the playoffs.

Let's look at the 12 playoff teams and their QBs. Romo is arguably better than Christian Ponder, Matt Schaub, and perhaps Colin Kaepernick (jury still out on him). But those QBs fit their teams' offensive schemes and do what they need to in order to win.

“[I]f you don’t do something, almost unconventional, then you really don’t break out of that cycle” of NFL parity is what Jerry Jones told media on Monday. He cited the Redskins and Broncos as examples. The Broncos went 8-8 in 2011, just like the Cowboys did each of the last two years. Denver won the AFC North AND their first round playoff game. And did so with Tim Tebow at QB! Is Tebow better than Romo? Is Texans backup QB TJ Yates better than Romo? Both of those guys won playoff games last season. In 2012, the Broncos dumped Tebow for Peyton Manning, and won 13 games. The Broncos weren’t happy with their quarterback situation, made an aggressive move and have definitely improved as a team. The issue here is that there is not going to be a quarterback of the caliber of Peyton Manning on the market this year or any year in the near future.

The Redskins traded three two future first round picks, swapped picks last year and dealt a few other late rounders to move up for RG3. And here are the Skins, winners of the NFC East, winners of seven straight games and in the playoffs, hosting a game for the first time since 1999. All because they were bold.

Status quo is over in Dallas. Time to break the trend and pattern. The Romo-coaster must end. The constant alternating wins and losses. The 4 TD, 3 INT games, the inconsistency, the pre-snap audible followed by post play argument/explanation with receivers, the jokes and the culture in Dallas all must change. Following a pair of 8-8 seasons, ending in road losses to division rivals in glorified playoff games, change must happen now.

Romo and Garrett have been together for six seasons. Romo is going to be 33 years old. This is not a developmental process anymore. The honeymoon expired many years ago and the margin for error is very slim now.