Did Romo play like shit? The offensive line? Running backs? Tight ends? Did the defense play like shit? Maybe the wide receivers were shitty at times, but they did end up making a couple of plays. It was all about turnovers. I know you guys need to make dramatic comments, but try to break things down a little more. The team showed a lot of positives signs moving forward.
That’s true, but they just have to find a way to win. These next games are going to come down to the final few plays. Cowboys after one game have proven they can be mentally tough. Will be interesting to see if their road dominance carries over from last year. They actually played better on the road.
BTW, we are getting these players back. It could have been much worse.
It's a good point. Romo diagnosing the Giants defense almost like he was intercepting their calls was elite. Certain QBs reach a point where the appear to be above their own coaches. McFadden and Dunbar were solid and showed good potential for how this offense can move the ball on the ground. The Randle role of punishing, dirty yards, chains moving, snowplow is laughably miscast by a slow thin player who needs more meat on his bone before he has any business popping off about potential yards. Hoping Christine Michael (who has extremely quick feet and a bowling ball physique can pick up that role.
The LBs were fairly good and will probably only get better. The D-line is still missing Hayden being on the team. A big aggressive NT is still necessary especially for runs.
Back to Romo. The sad thing is Romo started out with a coach who saw a lot of potential, wanted him to correct his flaws and use his legs to advance the ball, not run around. Parcells saw Romo as a diamond in the rough needing shape and work to have value. Parcells did not want plays to continue indefinitely because error usually increases when formal plays break down. Remember that Parcells wanted Romo to just throw the ball away or tuck it and run of a play broke down. Parcells had Romo to the last play of a playoff game in his first year. But then Romo is given an offensive coordinator and coach that basically keep him as the diamond stuck in the coal being formed by constant pressure. Yes, he has developed but he has had the unfair and improbable trajectory of learning by surviving. One coach who had a plan for how to lead the QB and the team and the other (current) coach who regards any improvisation and chaos within a called play as justified.
Read what Romo says about those 8-8 years:
“A couple years ago we trailed in just about every single game,” Romo said. “We were losing in the second half in about 15 or 16 of the games. That was kind of the normal par for the course. Either you’re going to be comfortable in these situations, or you’re going to lose a lot of them. You just have to execute under that feeling".
Until last year where Romo and Jones talked about dictating and intentionally running the ball, the Garrett years were "wait and see what the defense gives us" which usually meant that 2:00 to go in each half, Dallas would go in hurry up offense against (hopefully) a prevent defense and try to make up 56 minutes of try and see.
