Romo’s mental error in OT could have cost Cowboys the game

[Midswat]

Posted on 11/20/2011 by torsborn


Tony Romo left FedEx Field a Cowboys hero after throwing three touchdowns in regulation and a key 26-yard strike to Dez Bryant in overtime.

But a gaffe by Romo could have turned Dan Bailey’s 39-yard winning field goal into a 54-yard attempt that the rookie would have been hard pressed to make.

With the play clock winding down, Romo signaled from his holder position for a timeout the Cowboys didn’t have. Fortunately for Romo and the Cowboys, Washington coach Mike Shanahan had signaled for and been granted a timeout just a second earlier.

Had Shanahan not called timeout in an attempt to ice Bailey, the Cowboys would have been penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Romo said he wasn’t aware the Cowboys had already used their two allotted OT timeouts.

“The clock was running down, yeah, I tried to stop it at one second,” Romo said. “They helped us out on that.”

Coach Jason Garrett smiled while talking after the 27-24 win about Romo’s error.

“I just saw the whole sequence and they gave the Redskins the timeout,” Garrett said. “It was a good sequence.”

Romo played a good game, but he can’t be let off the hook for his huge mental mistake. Bottom line: It could have cost the Cowboys the win.

 

[dbair1967]

It was still only 3rd down, they could have run another play to get some, if not all of the yardage back.

It was a mistake, but it wasnt the collasal miss que they are making it out to be.

 

[Midswat]

It was a mistake, but it wasnt the collasal misque they are making it out to be.

Yeah, it was.

If that's really a 15 yard penalty, then that's a huge brain-fart. Don't like the "didn't know we used both TO's" line either. Situational awareness.

Had we not gotten lucky there, instead of going for a 39 yard field goal on third down, we would've had to put the ball in the air in hopes of getting some yardage back in order to secure a field goal attempt from a reasonable position.

Be better off to take a 5 yard penalty, and then decide if you want to run a play on third down to get a little closer or not.

 

[Theebs]

It was third down, not fourth.

Nobody knows what would have happened.

 

[Midswat]

It was third down, not fourth.

Nobody knows what would have happened.

Obviously. But you don't call a TO when you don't have one.

A QB ought to know how many TO's are left.

We got lucky there. Real lucky.

 

[Everlastingxxx]

It was still only 3rd down, they could have run another play to get some, if not all of the yardage back.

It was a mistake, but it wasnt the collasal misque they are making it out to be.

The Cowboys were only able to gain a yard on each of the previous two running plays. I doubt they would have been able to get back the 5 they lost from the penalty. The field goal probably would not have been good. It was a huge turn of events.

 

[Theebs]

Obviously. But you don't call a TO when you don't have one.

A QB ought to know how many TO's are left.

We got lucky there. Real lucky.

Yeah of course. It's not a crime worth hanging him however.

 

[Theebs]

The Cowboys were only able to gain a yard on each of the previous two running plays. I doubt they would have been able to get back the 5 they lost from the penalty. The field goal probably would have not been good from 5 more yards further. It was a huge turn of events.

the first run they are trying to get yards, the second they are setting up the positioning for fg. Hard to use those two plays as a barometer for what would hav happened. Especially since we would have been throwing the ball not running it.

 

[Midswat]

Yeah of course. It's not a crime worth hanging him however.

Who's hanging him?

 

[Everlastingxxx]

the first run they are trying to get yards, the second they are setting up the positioning for fg. Hard to use those two plays as a barometer for what would hav happened. Especially since we would have been throwing the ball not running it.

Usually when teams position for a field goal the QB does it. Looked like they were trying to gain yardage by giving it to Murray. The Redskins were stacking the box. Running was not going to provide you very many yards. The fact they only gained one yard per carry proves that point. I also doubt they would have taken the field goal unit off the field and risk throwing the ball. That would be too risky. Move the ball back 5 yards and let the kicker try to nail it. Cowboys were fortunate.

 

[peplaw06]

So then... Shanahan's error DID cost them the game. Where are the articles about that?

Bottom line: It could have cost the Cowboys the win.

Wrong. The "bottom line" is we won the game.

 

[marionbarberthe4th]

What took them so long to get lined up Garrett?

 

[Theebs]

Usually when teams position for a field goal the QB does it. Looked like they were trying to gain yardage by giving it to Murray. The Redskins were stacking the box. Running was not going to provide you very many yards. The fact they only gained one yard per carry proves that point. I also doubt they would have taken the field goal unit off the field and risk throwing the ball. That would be too risky. Move the ball back 5 yards and let the kicker try to nail it. Cowboys were fortunate.

What? It was a 15 yd penalty....no way we just move back and kick on third down. That makes zero sense. We would have been throwing looking to get the yardage back.....it's a situation where I bet we would have seen that dig route for about 8 yards or so to witten that is so hard to defend and safe to throw. Probably would have attempted a 45 harder or so..

 

[dbair1967]

The Cowboys were only able to gain a yard on each of the previous two running plays. I doubt they would have been able to get back the 5 they lost from the penalty. The field goal probably would not have been good. It was a huge turn of events.

So you are saying there was a law against trying a 3rd down pass?

And Bailey has made all but one of his FG's, including everything he has tried over 40 (and 50) yards.

 

[Everlastingxxx]

What? It was a 15 yd penalty....no way we just move back and kick on third down. That makes zero sense. We would have been throwing looking to get the yardage back.....it's a situation where I bet we would have seen that dig route for about 8 yards or so to witten that is so hard to defend and safe to throw. Probably would have attempted a 45 harder or so..

I don’t think it would have been a 15 yard penalty. Refs only call it if they do infact stop the clock and then realize they were out of time outs. Generally they ignore the request as per Mike Pereira’s twitter comment: http://twitter.com/#!/MikePereira/status/138398603369660419

Regardless. You went from kicking the game winner to needing another big play. Cowboys were fortunate.

 

[Everlastingxxx]

So you are saying there was a law against trying a 3rd down pass?

And Bailey has made all but one of his FG's, including everything he has tried over 40 (and 50) yards.

Not sure where i said it was a “law”. I think the risk vs the reward was not worth it. What if Romo gets sacked? A bad snap? Tipped pass intercepted, ect ect. Move the ball back and take the kick. It was barely good. Another yard or two back and it would have been wide right.

 

[dbair1967]

Not sure where i said it was a “law”. I think the risk vs the reward was not worth it. What if Romo gets sacked? A bad snap? Tipped pass intercepted, ect ect. Move the ball back and take the kick. It was barely good. Another yard or two back and it would have been wide right.

Your assuming the kick would have played out exactly like it did, and it may not have. Kickers do adjust based on distance.

And if your going to "what if" all the bad scenarios had we attempted another play, there's also "what ifs" for the kick itself. What if no time out had been called and they blocked the kick? What if they hadnt called time out and the snap was bad?

I just think people are making a bigger deal out of than needs be.

 

[Everlastingxxx]

Your assuming the kick would have played out exactly like it did, and it may not have. Kickers do adjust based on distance.

And if your going to "what if" all the bad scenarios had we attempted another play, there's also "what ifs" for the kick itself. What if no time out had been called and they blocked the kick? What if they hadnt called time out and the snap was bad?

I just think people are making a bigger deal out of than needs be.

Sure and a meteor could have fallen from space landing on FedEx killing everyone. It’s seems more logical to keep the events similar to how they eventually played out. I think some are making it a smaller deal then it needs to be.

 

[cboys72]

You can play the what if game every game. Tony missed some open guys who could have scored and changed the outcome. Defense could have ggot a stop in the 4th and won the game too. Its easy to think what could have happened. We won albeit not the greatest game yet its still a W and against a divisional opponent on the road.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

It was still only 3rd down, they could have run another play to get some, if not all of the yardage back.

It was a mistake, but it wasnt the collasal miss que they are making it out to be.

Well, Romo has a habit of letting those type of gaffes get to him. Who knows what he would have done had he been forced to make up some of that 15 yards. In any event, we probably would have run a draw play.