I was going to start a thread, but I'll just throw my thoughts in this one.
Jason Garrett is handicapped by Romo, IMO.
And when I say this, understand I'm not a Romo basher idiot like XDawg and the people calling for his release.
Hell I've been one of his biggest fans since jumpstreet - defending his playoff losses and arguing at times that he was just as good or at least right below the Brady's, Mannings, Rogers, etc of the league.
But he lost the shine in my eyes last night. Kids been in the league 9 years now, and he's still making those bonehead plays.
He's an all pro, until he faces adversity in a loud, hostile enviroment. He cracks everytime.
Thing is, I don't know what to do with him. You don't release him. And he's clearly better than Kitna and McGee.
He'll likely be more talented than any free agent we could bring in next year.
I mean, he's a good QB. He just can't handle pressure - and not pressure from opposing defenses... pressure from situations.
I guess I need to hope the Cowboys end up drafting a QB soon, to groom as a replacement.
When you say loud/hostile environment, I assume you mean on the road. Romo is 21-13 on the road--give or take. Let's not forget his game against the Saints in 2009, when the Cowboys season was on the line, and he came through, and also that Lions' game in the last second when he hits Witten for a TD. So that kind of undercuts your claim of how he can't perform in critical situation in "games that count". The Saints were undefeated at that time. Let's not fall into that trap of the games that Romo loses are all of a sudden "big games", and thus maintain the bs claim that Romo can't win the "big games". I'm as pissed at Romo as any of you.
Tomorrow, he will be in a loud and hostile nevironment. And because of what took place last week, he is under even greater pressure, pressure of his own making. This game is a no-win for Romo: if he beats the 49ers, big deal---they'll just say that he can whip up on the lesser teams but fold against the true contenders. And if he loses...you know what's going to happen. But by your claim, being that he will be under more pressure, then are you expecting the Cowboys to lose?
Truth be told, the playoff losses the Cowboys incurred under Romo, wasn't his fault entirely.
With that said, I have a different take. I think Romo is selfish. I think he needlessly creates a pressure situation, with the intent on puklling it out so as to appear that he is indeed clutch. It's not fun enough for him to play with a large lead and continue to add to it---what fun is that? He likes the game close because he is a
play by the seat of your pants- type of player; it gets his juices going, just like the two examples I cited with the Saints and Lions in 2009, but also the Redskins' game of last year, although we lost, that's the kind of game Romo likes to play, and sadly at the expense of the team.