By Mac Engel
tengel@ star-telegram.com
IRVING -- The Dallas Cowboys' season is days away and already their thin secondary has been gutted by injury, their first-round draft pick -- the starting right tackle -- is out at least two games, and they have two kickers who should be just fine on extra points.
The Cowboys are going to play against a defense that would blitz the punter during halftime. And they are going to do so with a starting quarterback who missed the second half of last season because his offensive line couldn't block.
The following isn't a joke: Cowboys coach Jason Garrett needs to start Jon Kitna at quarterback in Week 1 in New Jersey against Los Jets. Stephen McGee? Fine. Tony Romo's play isn't the issue, but his health is. Sitting Romo on Sunday is all about saving the season.
Right now, the plan is for Romo to play behind offensive linemen named Young, Green, Novice, Raw and Improving. Sorry; Young was waived and signed by someone else leaving some guy on the 53-man roster named Prakt S. Quad.
The game has never been more controlled by the QB, and if Romo isn't running for his life and he is upright, the Cowboys can rise to the top of the NFL's middle class and make the playoffs. The way Week 1 looks, Romo may be on his back so much he won't have a Week 2.
"As a coach, you always want more depth and I think, if you ask 32 coaches around the league, they'll probably say the same thing," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said Wednesday at Valley Ranch. "You want to have as much experienced depth as you can while at the same time developing players. Hopefully, you don't get banged up in the wrong places."
Tackle? Wrong place to be banged up.
Cornerback? The really, really wrong place to be banged up.
Why couldn't the GM be on injured reserve during the draft?
The only place any worse for a team to be banged up is Romo's position. Lose that guy, lose the season. There aren't enough tight ends on a roster to keep in to block. At this point, if Red wants to keep his QB breathing against the Jets, Romo will send out one receiver on a route and throw up Hail Marys. The Cowboys may be better off punting on second down.
The situation Romo faces Sunday night before a national TV audience is frightening at best, and vulnerable at least.
The Cowboys aren't expected to win this game, but they can live and breathe at 0-1. If they walk out 0-1 with an injured quarterback, it is time to fire up the draft talk.
Like it or not, the Cowboys' only chance to do anything this season depends on Romo. Even Kitna knows it.
Romo is the single reason this team isn't rebuilding.
Under this new Webster's definition I just made up, absolutely no NFL team can be considered rebuilding with a healthy Pro Bowl quarterback, which Tony Romo is, whether you like it or not.
When evaluating this team one year later, it is imperative to consider the strength of the quarterback. This is not Seattle, where Tarvaris Jackson will be frustrating Seahawks fans. This isn't Tennessee, where an aging Matt Hasselbeck will leave fans praying for the chance to take Andrew Luck.
Romo is a 31-year-old guy with plenty of good years left.
As much as he may frustrate you, he is this team's best chance to begin the process of establishing itself as a threat.
"He's developed in all areas as a quarterback. He's better fundamentally. He manages the game better. His understanding of offense and defense is significantly better," Red said.
I do not grasp the venom pointed at Romo.
Who is better?
The only neighborhood Romo clearly does not have the gate code for is the one that includes Brady, Brees, Peyton, Rivers, Rodgers, Vick and Roethlisberger.
Romo is just outside of that neighborhood. He belongs in the same condo complex as Ryan, Cutler, Eli and Sanchez.
With Romo healthy, the Cowboys could potentially open the season 3-1. Seriously. I'm not kidding.
"I am very hopeful that we'll come out positive. I'd like for us to have a fast start," Jerry Jones said Wednesday. "I'm hopeful that we'll have a team that we thought we were going to have last year."
The only way that happens is if the quarterback is playing quarterback, and not standing on a sideline wearing a headset talking to the quarterback on the field. Except Sunday night.
The season is not even a game old and, considering all that has happened at such vital positions, having a crash test dummy play QB in Week 1 may be necessary to save Weeks 2 through 17.
----------------------
:sbk92
tengel@ star-telegram.com
IRVING -- The Dallas Cowboys' season is days away and already their thin secondary has been gutted by injury, their first-round draft pick -- the starting right tackle -- is out at least two games, and they have two kickers who should be just fine on extra points.
The Cowboys are going to play against a defense that would blitz the punter during halftime. And they are going to do so with a starting quarterback who missed the second half of last season because his offensive line couldn't block.
The following isn't a joke: Cowboys coach Jason Garrett needs to start Jon Kitna at quarterback in Week 1 in New Jersey against Los Jets. Stephen McGee? Fine. Tony Romo's play isn't the issue, but his health is. Sitting Romo on Sunday is all about saving the season.
Right now, the plan is for Romo to play behind offensive linemen named Young, Green, Novice, Raw and Improving. Sorry; Young was waived and signed by someone else leaving some guy on the 53-man roster named Prakt S. Quad.
The game has never been more controlled by the QB, and if Romo isn't running for his life and he is upright, the Cowboys can rise to the top of the NFL's middle class and make the playoffs. The way Week 1 looks, Romo may be on his back so much he won't have a Week 2.
"As a coach, you always want more depth and I think, if you ask 32 coaches around the league, they'll probably say the same thing," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said Wednesday at Valley Ranch. "You want to have as much experienced depth as you can while at the same time developing players. Hopefully, you don't get banged up in the wrong places."
Tackle? Wrong place to be banged up.
Cornerback? The really, really wrong place to be banged up.
Why couldn't the GM be on injured reserve during the draft?
The only place any worse for a team to be banged up is Romo's position. Lose that guy, lose the season. There aren't enough tight ends on a roster to keep in to block. At this point, if Red wants to keep his QB breathing against the Jets, Romo will send out one receiver on a route and throw up Hail Marys. The Cowboys may be better off punting on second down.
The situation Romo faces Sunday night before a national TV audience is frightening at best, and vulnerable at least.
The Cowboys aren't expected to win this game, but they can live and breathe at 0-1. If they walk out 0-1 with an injured quarterback, it is time to fire up the draft talk.
Like it or not, the Cowboys' only chance to do anything this season depends on Romo. Even Kitna knows it.
Romo is the single reason this team isn't rebuilding.
Under this new Webster's definition I just made up, absolutely no NFL team can be considered rebuilding with a healthy Pro Bowl quarterback, which Tony Romo is, whether you like it or not.
When evaluating this team one year later, it is imperative to consider the strength of the quarterback. This is not Seattle, where Tarvaris Jackson will be frustrating Seahawks fans. This isn't Tennessee, where an aging Matt Hasselbeck will leave fans praying for the chance to take Andrew Luck.
Romo is a 31-year-old guy with plenty of good years left.
As much as he may frustrate you, he is this team's best chance to begin the process of establishing itself as a threat.
"He's developed in all areas as a quarterback. He's better fundamentally. He manages the game better. His understanding of offense and defense is significantly better," Red said.
I do not grasp the venom pointed at Romo.
Who is better?
The only neighborhood Romo clearly does not have the gate code for is the one that includes Brady, Brees, Peyton, Rivers, Rodgers, Vick and Roethlisberger.
Romo is just outside of that neighborhood. He belongs in the same condo complex as Ryan, Cutler, Eli and Sanchez.
With Romo healthy, the Cowboys could potentially open the season 3-1. Seriously. I'm not kidding.
"I am very hopeful that we'll come out positive. I'd like for us to have a fast start," Jerry Jones said Wednesday. "I'm hopeful that we'll have a team that we thought we were going to have last year."
The only way that happens is if the quarterback is playing quarterback, and not standing on a sideline wearing a headset talking to the quarterback on the field. Except Sunday night.
The season is not even a game old and, considering all that has happened at such vital positions, having a crash test dummy play QB in Week 1 may be necessary to save Weeks 2 through 17.
----------------------
:sbk92
