Tony Romo Under Fire Again

Added on Sep 01, 2011 by Scott in

NFL

With the 2011 season a week away from kicking off, now seems like the perfect time to heap another mound of criticism on Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. Can he win the big one? Is he a true leader. Will he ever step from the shadow of former Dallas legends? In other words, the same questions we’ve been hearing for the last five years.

The most recent comments attacking Romo came from a pair of retired quarterbacks: Rich Gannon and Babe Laufenberg. First up, Gannon, the one-time league MVP.

“I have met him, and I sense he is highly competitive and motivated. The one constructive criticism I would give Tony is that he has to be more demanding of his teammates.”

Fair enough. Romo is definitely not close to Tom Brady and Peyton Manning in the charisma department. His playful attitude and what many consider immature off the field antics have caused pundits to wonder if he’s professional enough to enter the upper echelon of signal callers.

Laufenberg, the former journeyman quarterback who spent two seasons in Dallas, was even more critical of Romo.

“Tony doesn’t have the body language — he is not Troy Aikman or Roger Staubach,” says Laufenberg, a quarterback-turned-broadcaster. “There are many things he does that, quite honestly, if I were his agent, I would say, ‘Tony, put your hat on straight.’ People mistake that for being non-competitive.”

Statistically speaking, Romo has been one of the league’s best since becoming a full-time starter in 2007. He’s thrown for 4000 yards twice and eclipsed 26 touchdown passes in three of the last four seasons.

However, this isn’t fantasy football. Stats mean little in the grand scheme of things. What matters most is performing in the clutch and winning playoff games. Thus far, Romo has compiled a 1-3 postseason record.

There’s no shortage of offensive talent available in Dallas. The trio of Jason Witten, Miles Austin and Dez Bryant offer Romo an embarrassment of riches in the receiving department. Add a reportedly improved Felix Jones in the backfield and the Cowboys appear equipped to challenge the best defenses in the league.

All that said, until Romo shakes the “choker” label and leads the ‘Boys to a Super Bowl, his numerous detractors will continue to point the finger of blame in his direction.

Source: USA Today