Nate Newton: Cowboys won't win more than eight games; Garrett is to blame for Sunday'

[Cr122]

Published: 04 October 2011 12:44 AM

Former Cowboys offensive lineman Nate Newton appeared on ESPN's First Take on Monday morning, and he didn't mince words about his former team. A few highlights:
On the whether the Cowboys’ season will collapse after the loss to the Lions:
The season is going to collapse because these guys aren’t going to win more than eight games. I never was on the bandwagon. This team hasn’t done anything. They’ve not been consistent, they haven’t had back-to-back 10-win seasons, so you can’t depend on them. Now, Tony Romo, he is who he is. In big games, he does struggle. That’s where Jason Garrett has to come in as a head coach and dial this thing back. After the second interception, he should’ve been running the ball, he should’ve been eating time off the clock. In the first quarter, they had a chance on 4 and 1 on the one. They tried to run it in, it didn’t happen. You take the three points.

On where the blame lies:
I blame the head coach. The head coach has to understand that [Romo] is coming off an injury from last year. He’s going to be a little rusty, he’s got three new offensive lineman, and he’s got these receivers – can you name any of them? Ogletree. We’ve got a guy off the street in Robinson. [Dez Bryant] looks good, but he’s not the ultimate professional yet. You had to run the clock down.
But Tony Romo is who he is. He does choke in big situations, and it hurts the team. I was a Dallas fan since I was 11 years old, so as a fan, I know that he threw three interceptions for the second time in four games. As a player, as a guy who understands the game, that last interception, he couldn’t put any air under it to Jason Witten because Suh was at his feet. I understand as a player what he’s going through, but as a fan, Tony Romo has to play better.

On whether the Cowboys should move on at quarterback if the Cowboys don’t make the playoffs:
Let me tell you why you can’t move on. There aren’t but four premium quarterbacks in the league: Peyton [Manning], Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and [Tom] Brady. And none of those guys are moving. The other seven or eight guys are just guys that manage teams. Who are you going to go get? There’s no one else. So Tony Romo is who he is.

On whether Romo is considered a good quarterback:
Good quarterbacks, elite quarterbacks understand what they can and cannot do. And until Tony learns what you can and cannot do -- and number one, you cannot lose a game for you team two times in four weeks -- when he learns that, he will be a good quarterback.

 

[DoomsdayDefense]

Nate, thanks for the great years and memories, but I'm not taking a convicted drug dealers thoughts or opinions seriously. Everything he said here is borderline moronic.

 

[DoomsdayDefense]

We can't move on from Romo because Brady, Manning, Rodgers, and Bree's aren't going anywhere. You all get that?

 

[Cythim]

We can't move on from Romo because Brady, Manning, Rodgers, and Bree's aren't going anywhere. You all get that?

Yeah, he is saying those four are the best and Romo is among the group of QBs who come next. You can't get one of those four so you may as well stick with Romo.

 

[dbair1967]

Nate's back on the weed it appears

 

[Cythim]

and if he were being a Romo/Garrett apologist you two would be patting him on the back and singing his praises. Pathetic how you don't care about the man, only what he has to say.

 

[DoomsdayDefense]

Yeah, he is saying those four are the best and Romo is among the group of QBs who come next. You can't get one of those four so you may as well stick with Romo.

I don't interpret that the same way. Even in his next answer, he is saying that Romo won't be a good QB until he learns what he can and can not do. That is exactly what a team manager (what Newton says the next 7-8 guys are) does. It doesn't sound to me like Newton is suggesting Romo is among the group that comes next at all.

 

[Cythim]

I don't interpret that the same way. Even in his next answer, he is saying that Romo won't be a good QB until he learns what he can and can not do. That is exactly what a team manager (what Newton says the next 7-8 guys are) does. It doesn't sound to me like Newton is suggesting Romo is among the group that comes next at all.

It seems clear to me that if he can't have one of the top four he would prefer to keep Romo instead of going after someone in that next group. That tells me he thinks Romo is as good as the next 7-8 guys.

 

[CAP-MAN]

Nate lost alot of weight lol

 

[Idgit]

I don't have a problem with most of what Nate's saying here. Garrett could have called a few more running plays in the second half. Tony certainly can't be forcing throws with that lead. Tony does have elite skills and has demonstrated that he can take care of the ball for long stretches in the past. There isn't an option for replacing him, so talking about doing so is silly.

In my opinion, Garrett's leaving Tony out to dry a bit in these big games. At this point, he needs to dial back the aggressive passing game and trust that high-percentage passes, his TEs and RBs, and his defense can get it done. I'd rather lose that way then have the spotlight on Tony again after another big loss. At some point, Tony's going to lose the team if he keeps slugging like this in Dallas, where one tough loss is worth four heroic wins.

 

[Cr122]

Nate lost alot of weight lol

That's what crack does to you.

 

[RoyTheHammer]

Nate, thanks for the great years and memories, but I'm not taking a convicted drug dealers thoughts or opinions seriously. Everything he said here is borderline moronic.

Actually, drugs or not, he's an ex football player, and there's alot of truth in what he said here if you understand him correctly.

 

[VA Cowboy]

Nate, thanks for the great years and memories, but I'm not taking a convicted drug dealers thoughts or opinions seriously. Everything he said here is borderline moronic.

He makes more sense that you. Romo is who he is and isn't going to change after all these years. And yes, Garrett should realize this and the fact we have the new OL and WR's and dial it back some, especially after the 1st pick 6. But Garrett is as pass happy as Romo and they both deserve the blame. Nate nailed it.

 

[Cythim]

We keep blaming Garrett... does anyone know if Romo killed the first play called on any of the INTs?

 

[RoyTheHammer]

We keep blaming Garrett... does anyone know if Romo killed the first play called on any of the INTs?

Didn't sound like it to me.. its usually pretty obvious when he does it.

 

[cmd34]

I get that everyone needs someone to blame. For most it's Romo and some it's Garrett. I think the rational people realize it's both.

Also, say what you want about Romo, but it is ultimately the Head Coach's job to manage his players and manage the game. People are saying Garrett has no fault in any of this are either being narrow-minded or are protecting him. Garrett himself said he needed to run the ball more and that he, like the players, must continue to get better.

 

[Cr122]

I get that everyone needs someone to blame. For most it's Romo and some it's Garrett. I think the rational people realize it's both.

Also, say what you want about Romo, but it is ultimately the Head Coach's job to manage his players and manage the game. People are saying Garrett has no fault in any of this are either being narrow-minded or are protecting him. Garrett himself said he needed to run the ball more and that he, like the players, must continue to get better.

You'd think that as smart as Jason is he would've at least talked to Tony on the sidelines when he started throwing interceptions. Not having the owner approach him about keeping his head in the game.

 

[dbair1967]

I get that everyone needs someone to blame. For most it's Romo and some it's Garrett. I think the rational people realize it's both.

Also, say what you want about Romo, but it is ultimately the Head Coach's job to manage his players and manage the game. People are saying Garrett has no fault in any of this are either being narrow-minded or are protecting him. Garrett himself said he needed to run the ball more and that he, like the players, must continue to get better.

If the balls would have been tipped by DL's or off our guys hands, putting some blame on Garrett might carry more weight for those who say "we passed too much"

But the fact is on all 3 of those throws, Romo threw into bad coverage. Only one of the receivers (of the three) was even open, and he grossly underthrew that ball because he floated it off his back foot. Those are not play call issues. Those are decision issues.

The people whining about the play calls themselves wouldnt be saying anything had those balls not been intercepted. And the fact is after the first pick for TD (which was a 1 play drive) they did respond by running the ball 11 times and passing 12 times. there is absolutely nothing wrong with that play mix.

People are whining about play calls that didnt work the way they wanted them to. Its back to the "well the play didnt work so its the coach's fault". If Romo hadnt thrown th ball right to the other defenders, people would have more reason to complain. But he f'd up on his own.

 

[Theebs]

I couldnt give a rats ass what sanders, newton or anyone not named todd archer says from espn 103.3

idiots, all of them.

 

[dbair1967]

You'd think that as smart as Jason is he would've at least talked to Tony on the sidelines when he started throwing interceptions. Not having the owner approach him about keeping his head in the game.

How do you know Garrett didnt speak to him? Were you there at the game watching?