Deal or No Deal

Tony Romo is heading into his 7th game as the starting quarterback. Has he been perfect so far? One can argue that he isn't the one that lost the Washington game, that that loss falls completely on the botched field goal attempt or the ensuing penalty which gave Washington just enough field goal range for them to successfully make the play. On the other hand, one could argue that if it weren't a 3 point game at that point in the first place, all that would be irrelevent, and therefore Romo, as de facto leader of the offense, holds the blame. But regardless, Tony Romo has not been perfect. Stellar, most definitely, but not perfect. Perfection is simply not possible in this realm of existence.

But we have seen amazing things at that position since he took the reins. His mobility has changed the entire offense. His ability to adjust to the speed of NFL play almost immediately is nothing short of phenomenal. For a quarterback who, although had two years on the bench watching but had not seen any regular season action, Tony Romo has been the most pleasant surprise for the Dallas Cowboys in years.

But the question at hand for many of us remains "is he the real deal or not?" So, what yardstick do we use to determine the answer to that question? Should we use quarterback rating? If so, he's been top of the totem pole for several weeks. Ahead of Peyton Manning and everyone else in the NFL. Is six games enough to declare him able to sustain that level of play? Five wasn't to me. Six is getting closer. Will seven be the magical number for me? It may very well. He just had his worse game to date as a starter. And he rallied the Cowboys to a win over the Giants in the last minute. When a play from the quarterback was needed, he made the play. He hasn't panicked, nor has he lost his confidence.

Perhaps we simply look at number of wins as the barometer to decide if Tony Romo is the real deal or not. If that's the case, then again, he's at the top of the totem pole. He's coming off of his fourth consecutive win, and 5 wins out of the 6 games he's started. He is the one with the "hot hand" in the league. Seasoned veterans are watching this guy and just shaking their heads in amazement that he is playing at the level he has so far. Coaches who are looking at a game against the Cowboys are definitely factoring Tony Romo into their defense. So far, not one has shut him down.

We could also look at leadership ability as the measuring stick for judging Tony Romo. He trots onto the field in the second half of the first Giants game and immediately throws an interception. But he came back on the field when the Cowboys got the ball and proceeded to produce. The Cowboys lost that game, but he had started carving his notch on the team. The next game, he was the starter. And they won. Then the freak Washington game, another loss. And since then, he's been "the man". The offense stepped it up a notch and both the running game and the passing game has improved. Points per game have increased. No longer are only a couple receivers getting the ball. Now, the guy that's open gets it. And defenses haven't been able to stop it. Tony Romo has shown he has great field vision. He sees the open receivers and gets the ball there. And because of all this, his team believes he'll get the job done. He has earned their respect and their trust. He walked on that field and just took command. Rightfully so, he is now the leader of the Cowboys.

If winning big games is an important criteria, Tony Romo fills the bill there, also. He led the Cowboys to a win against the unbeaten Baltimore Colts. He has now finished 6 games, winning 5 of them. The last one put the Cowboys in the lead in the NFC East. With 3 of the final 4 games in the season being played in Texas Stadium, everyone expects the Cowboys to be in the playoffs, and quite possibly with a bye week.

How about winning "big games"? I've already mentioned the game against the unbeaten Colts. Romo led the team to a victory there. And then the Thanksgiving Day game, before a national audience, Romo led the team to a victory over Tampa Bay. And also previously mentioned, the Giants game for lead in the NFC East. He put the team in position to win at the very end of the game. And they did win. Yes, he can play in the big ones.

So, what's the negative side of things? As I said earlier, no one is perfect. The biggest obstacle to declaring Tony Romo as the "real deal" is simply the number of games he's started. We're talking 6 games here, folks. Pop Warner seasons last longer than that. This isn't a career yet. Sure, he's been in the NFL too long to call him a rookie. But sitting on the bench is not a career. Neither is 6 games. If he were injured tomorrow, beyond return, would we talk about his great career? No, we'd talk about his potential to have a great career and have to settle for the "what if" routine.

Tony Romo, so far, has shown just about everything one needs to show to be declared the "real deal". Except longevity and the ability to sustain play at his current level. And there's no way to magically make those two items appear tomorrow. It's going to require him receiving snaps, throwing passes, making decisions, etc. Bill Parcells can't give it to him, his teammates can't give it to him, you can't give it to him and neither can I. Not today, anyway. It's simply going to take time.

So, in answer to the question "Deal or No Deal?" I have to say "No Deal". Not because he won't be the real deal, but because he hasn't had time to become the real deal yet. I fully expect him to do just that. But, isn't it fun watching him mature into what this team has needed for years?

Cowboys win against the Saints. Dallas' defense tightens the vise. Tony has a better game than he did in New York. It won't be in Gramatica's hands this time.

Rod