Troy Aikman: Cowboys' Tony Romo 'already a better quarterback than I was'

[dbair1967]

Oh god, why would anyone cite Calvin Watkins for anything.

He is as dumb as a box of rocks. The man has no business writing about the NFL.

QFT

 

[peplaw06]

If true, wouldn't that mean that guys like Warren Moon and Jim Kelly are also superior to Aikman?

As a QB, I'd say they're definitely arguable. Aikman's not widely regarded as one of the greatest passing QBs of all time. He's regarded as a great QB mainly because of his leadership abilities and Super Bowl wins.

Then Zoners won't be happy. According to them, Tony is a "leader" no matter what.

I think he's a decent to good leader. I think he could be better. But he's not a HOF leader like Aikman was.

 

[peplaw06]

Stats dont define everything.

I didn't say they defined everything. I said you can define a persons pure QB skills by his stats as a QB.

Some QB's can be terrible but have great "stats". They can have some unreal games or even a miracle season or two.

Show me some QBs that were "terrible" but have "great stats."

The whole QB rating thing is a sham anyway. Stats can easily be skewed by a handful of plays.

Not over a large sample size.

 

[dbair1967]

As a QB, I'd say they're definitely arguable. Aikman's not widely regarded as one of the greatest passing QBs of all time. He's regarded as a great QB mainly because of his leadership abilities and Super Bowl wins.

I think he's a decent to good leader. I think he could be better. But he's not a HOF leader like Aikman was.

Stats dont measure how strong or accurate someone's arm is. They dont measure one's ability to throw the ball on time or into tight windows. Case in point, you throw a screen pass to a RB and he runs 90 yds for a TD. The stats probably have that QB with a perfect QB rating, but he did basically nothing.

All anyone has to do is put in film of Aikman throwing in his prime and compare that to any number of people, and his pure passing skill is easily seen. There are very, very few QB's who had his combination of accuracy and arm strength.

Love Romo, but like I said earlier you ask any NFL personnel guy who'd they take to start a franchise- Aikman or Romo. And I guarantee you everyone of them would pick Aikman.

 

[dbair1967]

Show me some QBs that were "terrible" but have "great stats."

You can go to "Top 25 alltime NFL Passer Rating"

Get back to me with your argument about stats after seeing guys like Matt Schaub, Chad Pennignton, Ben Rapistberger, Duante Culpepper, Jeff Garcia, Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Trent Green, David Garrard and Shaun Hill in it.

 

[Midswat]

I don't mean to take anything away from Romo. And I don't think it's ludicrous for fans to suggest Romo is better than Aikman.

When Romo is on - when he's not brain farting... he's damned good. Very underrated. Doesn't get the respect he deserves.

I'd take him over Eli. I'd take him over Roethlisberger. I'd take him over most QB's in the league not named Brady, Rodgers, Brees.

But I grew up watching Aikman in his prime, and it's not lost on me how great he absolutely was. Guy got abused behind a horrid Oline his rookie year. The kind of rookie year that would've broke a lot of QB's. See David Carr for example.

He was clutch in the playoffs. Started something like 9-0 in the playoffs. Only 1 interception in three Super Bowls. Pin point accuracy.

Would stand in the pocket and deliver a bullet without regard to getting blasted right when the ball was released.

And he played both when the QB's weren't as protected as they are today, and offensive rules weren't skewed so heavily in the offenses favor. Corners raped receivers back then (in comparison to todays rules).

If he had quality coaching his entire career, and not the Barry Switzer etc clusterfrack, as well as the horrid GM'ing under Jerry during that time... who knows how many more SB's we/he would've won as well as how much better his stats at the tail end of his career could've been.

On the same token... had Romo had real coaching his entire career and not the bad Wade years, and had Parcells not coached that Seattle game like a puss, who knows how much better Romo's post season success would be.

But, as it all is, Aikman is better in my book.

I dig me some Romo though. And I'm rooting that he strengthens his case for being the better QB over the next few years.

 

[UVAwahoos]

tl;dr

 

[bbgun]

But I grew up watching Aikman in his prime, and it's not lost on me how great he absolutely was. Guy got abused behind a horrid Oline his rookie year. The kind of rookie year that would've broke a lot of QB's. See David Carr for example.

He was clutch in the playoffs. Started something like 9-0 in the playoffs. Only 1 interception in three Super Bowls. Pin point accuracy.

Would stand in the pocket and deliver a bullet without regard to getting blasted right when the ball was released.

Indeed.

[video=youtube;LEqFQlDi6AE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEqFQlDi6AE[/video]

 

[UVAwahoos]

Aikman's career took a nosedive right around the age of 30, when most of the great QBs just start entering their prime. And this is even regardless of concussions.

At age 35, he could not even find a franchise to sign him after he was waived by Dallas. The Chiefs are the only team I can recall the even entertained it.

He was a great QB when in a system with all-stars at all 10 other starting spots on offense, and a baller defense.

Give him Jason Garrett, Wade Philips, and all the other bullshit Dallas has been patching together since Parcells left, and he sure as fuck would not have a bust in Canton.

I don't think many of you realize that about 50% of our starters suck ass. Has anyone but Robinson even got picked up in FA this offseason? Romo is covering a lot of holes.

 

[Bonecrusher#31]

Aikman's career took a nosedive right around the age of 30, when most of the great QBs just start entering their prime. And this is even regardless of concussions.

At age 35, he could not even find a franchise to sign him after he was waived by Dallas. The Chiefs are the only team I can recall the even entertained it.

He was a great QB when in a system with all-stars at all 10 other starting spots on offense, and a baller defense.

Give him Jason Garrett, Wade Philips, and all the other bullshit Dallas has been patching together since Parcells left, and he sure as fuck would not have a bust in Canton.

I don't think many of you realize that about 50% of our starters suck ass. Has anyone but Robinson even got picked up in FA this offseason? Romo is covering a lot of holes.

I believe Andy Reid wanted him after he had been out for a year or so and Troy said no.

 

[peplaw06]

Stats dont measure how strong or accurate someone's arm is. They dont measure one's ability to throw the ball on time or into tight windows.

A strong and accurate arm are not all that is needed to be a good QB. See Jeff George, Ryan Leaf, et al.

Case in point, you throw a screen pass to a RB and he runs 90 yds for a TD. The stats probably have that QB with a perfect QB rating, but he did basically nothing.

Good lord, what do you not understand about sample size?

All anyone has to do is put in film of Aikman throwing in his prime and compare that to any number of people, and his pure passing skill is easily seen. There are very, very few QB's who had his combination of accuracy and arm strength.

Again, that alone doesn't mean he's a better QB. He wasn't more accurate than Romo, nor could he protect the ball as well. Romo doesn't have as strong an arm, but he's not a noodle arm either.

Love Romo, but like I said earlier you ask any NFL personnel guy who'd they take to start a franchise- Aikman or Romo. And I guarantee you everyone of them would pick Aikman.

Apparently Aikman wouldn't.

You can go to "Top 25 alltime NFL Passer Rating"

Get back to me with your argument about stats after seeing guys like Matt Schaub, Chad Pennignton, Ben Rapistberger, Duante Culpepper, Jeff Garcia, Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Trent Green, David Garrard and Shaun Hill in it.

None of those are "terrible" QBs. Shaun Hill? How can he even have enough starts or attempts to even qualify as top 25 all time passer rating? And I don't think passer rating is the only QB stat, do you?

 

[lons]

Aikman is a Hall of Fame QB, who threw to a Hall of Fame WO, handed off to a Hall of Fame RB, who was blocked by a FB That should be in the Hall of Fame, behind a line that most should also be HoF contenders. Who's leads were protected by future hall of famers and Hall of famers alike.

Romo is a better QB, because well... he has to be. He throws to an undrafted guy, a first round pick that has had all of .5 of an off season program ever and a Hall of Fame Tight End in Witten. He hands off to... oh wait. Who is running behind ... oh wait. Behind a line that is full of disappointment and only looks that good because Romo is mobile. Who's leads are not protected by much of anyone.

 

[UVAwahoos]

So you're saying that Costa and Nagy are NOT the next Stepnoski and Larry Allen?

Bullshit.

 

[lons]

All I know is that if Romo were on that team they'd have similar results or greater. Hell you could be McGee on that team and they would. I love Aikman, but it wasn't like he had a hard job. Once he lost the wide out, we never were the same.

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

Didn't the Cowboys send like 11 players to the Pro Bowl just a few years ago? Conversely, when Troy arrived in Dallas, the cupboard was more or less completely bare. By the end of his rookie year, in which he got hurt behind a leaky o-line, he was throwing to guys like Derek Shepherd and James Dixon. Late in his career, he was again playing behind a bad o-line and throwing to scrubs like Billy Davis and Eric Bjornsen. When Tony took over the reins from Bledsoe in 2007, he was throwing to future HOFer Owens, Glenn, Crayton and Witten, while handing off to workhorse Marion Barber. Let's stop pretending that Tony is or was a one-man show.

Yup. People who whine about how bad Tony's line is must not have seen Troy's early ones.

Troy >>> Tony. Not even close. (And I like Tony.)

All I know is that if Romo were on that team they'd have similar results or greater. Hell you could be McGee on that team and they would.

:WTF:sbk92:mock

 

[UVAwahoos]

Nostalgia def. clouding the minds of all the older members on this site.

Aikman himself is saying this. People are arguing about it like a random beat writer suggested it. There's really no argument when your source is also the person in question.

 

[bbgun]

Nostalgia def. clouding the minds of all the older members on this site.

Aikman himself is saying this. People are arguing about it like a random beat writer suggested it. There's really no argument when your source is also the person in question.

On the contrary. Who better to compare the two quarterbacks than fans old enough to remember Aikman's career from start to finish?

 

[Everlastingxxx]

To me, one of the key ways to measure a QB is that they are able to make the plays when they have to be made. I think Aikman exceeds Romo in that department. His arm strength, leadership and pin point accuracy are on another level. Just watch a few of those bbgun videos in the video forum to remind yourself. I also believe Aikman’s game management was better. I do believe Romo is better at improvising and turning something out of nothing. Romo is instinctive while Aikman was calculated. Troy also saved his best games for the playoffs, while Romo has been mediocre.

 

[dbair1967]

Aikman's career took a nosedive right around the age of 30, when most of the great QBs just start entering their prime. And this is even regardless of concussions.

At age 35, he could not even find a franchise to sign him after he was waived by Dallas. The Chiefs are the only team I can recall the even entertained it.

He was a great QB when in a system with all-stars at all 10 other starting spots on offense, and a baller defense.

Give him Jason Garrett, Wade Philips, and all the other bullshit Dallas has been patching together since Parcells left, and he sure as fuck would not have a bust in Canton.

I don't think many of you realize that about 50% of our starters suck ass. Has anyone but Robinson even got picked up in FA this offseason? Romo is covering a lot of holes.

Actually its well documented that both Philadelphia and Miami wanted to sign him, dont know where you got your info from.

Garrett's a far better coach than Switzer and Chan Gailey were. So is Wade Phillips for that matter.

With some of the baloney you've been posting on this, I wonder if you ever saw him play much. Sure as heck doesnt sound like it.

 

[dbair1967]

All I know is that if Romo were on that team they'd have similar results or greater. Hell you could be McGee on that team and they would. I love Aikman, but it wasn't like he had a hard job. Once he lost the wide out, we never were the same.

Yeah, its really easy when you have guys like Billy Davis, Jeff Ogden, Deion Sanders, Eric Bjornson, Ernie Mills etc etc as your goto guys for half of your your career.

You people that act like every player Aikman played around was all world are using either selective memory or just never saw shit during his career. People have this idea that the OL stonewalled every opposing defense and Aikman had 10 seconds to throw on every play, when nothing could be further from the truth. He got hit a ton, even during the super bowl years.