Tony Romo: Why He Isn't an Elite NFL QB Anymore
Tony Romo is a good NFL quarterback, but the term "elite" is thrown around too loosely these days.
In a league with only 32 teams, there aren't as many elite gunslingers as people like to think. In fact, top notch quarterbacks are the exception rather than the rule.
For every Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, there's three Alex Smiths.
Romo has often been listed just behind, or even with, the upper echelon of quarterbacks in the league. He's been labeled a first-class quarterback by some and a scrub by others.
I don't think he belongs in the same conversation as guys like Manning or Brady, but where does he really fall among the NFL's quarterback hierarchy?
Here are the top 10 reasons why Romo is no longer an elite NFL quarterback, or what I like to call 10 reasons why Dallas Cowboy fans will hate me after reading this.
10. Off-The-Field Distractions
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To be considered elite in this league, you can't let the stuff that happens off the field affect you on it.
But we've all seen how Romo's newfound celebrity status has resulted in terrible performances on the field of play.
Remember Dec. 16, 2007, when Romo's girlfriend Jessica Simpson attended the Cowboys-Eagles game? Romo had a horrible performance in that game, and many attributed it to problems in his relationship with Simpson.
Later in the season, pictures surfaced of Romo at a resort in Cabo San Lucas with Simpson before a playoff game.
Come on, man.
9. The Fourth Quarter
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Former Cowboys wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson summed up Romo's stint in Dallas pretty well:
"You look at his fourth quarters. There is always something bad happening in the fourth quarter of tight games. What game can you remember him actually pulling out late in the fourth quarter," Johnson said on ESPN.
Good point. I can't really remember either.
I'm sure there are some, but there's a lot more fourth quarter letdowns than there are comebacks.
8. The Talent Around Him
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This isn't to say that having a slew of weapons prohibits a quarterback from being elite. Basically every top-tier NFL quarterback has a talented group of guys playing around him.
But Romo's teams are constantly loaded with talent—Terrell Owens, Miles Austin, Roy Williams, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, Felix Jones, Marion Barber, etc.—and the team still fails to make a lasting impact in this league.
Imagine the disastrous effect it would have on Romo if you took a couple of those guys out of the equation.
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7. Week 17 of 2008 Season
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If you want legitimate proof that Tony Romo is a ghost in big games, look no further than Week 17 of the 2008 season.
In the Cowboys' final regular season game, it was a win and you're in situation against the Philadelphia Eagles. And what happened?
Romo threw zero touchdowns and committed three turnovers in the team's 44-6 loss, and Romo's December record at the time dropped to 5-8.
6. Winning and Losing
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A quarterback who never wins obviously doesn't endear himself to his team's fans. But what do fans hate even more than that?
A quarterback who can't win when it matters most.
Some guys just aren't made to win when a game or even a season is on the line, and Romo is one of them. He has had a succesful overall run in the regular season, but it hasn't gotten the Cowboys anywhere.
Romo's kind of like LeBron James was in Cleveland (except Romo isn't that good).
Yeah, they're pretty good, but what have they gotten out of Romo's statistical success besides a few playoff appearances and eventual disappointment?
5. Turnovers
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Statistically, the Cowboys should be a top-10 team in the NFL this season, but Romo puts the Cowboys in the position to lose.
In three of the team's four losses—against Chicago, Tennessee, and Minnesota—Romo threw at least two interceptions and even put the cherry on top of the interception sundae with a three-interception performance against the Titans.
Dallas lost all three of those games by a touchdown or less.
4. Inflated Stats
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Through the Cowboys' first five games this season, Romo has thrown 10 touchdowns and averages 313 passing yards per game.
You know why? It's because the Cowboys have constantly been behind, they lack a running game and Romo has to throw the ball 45-plus times to give his team a chance.
Romo has three games this season with at least 46 attempts and 30 completions. In two of those games, he topped 374 yards passing.
And Dallas still lost every single one of them.
3. The Choke Artist
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Romo finally got his first career playoff win in the NFC Wild Card round last year, but he followed that up with a big choke job in the Divisional round against the Vikings.
He had three fumbles (two lost), an interception and was sacked six times as the Cowboys were blown out by Minnesota, 34-3.
Elite quarterbacks don't choke in big games.
2. Winning in the Playoffs
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Tony Romo has led the Cowboys to the playoffs in all but one season as the team's starter, which is certainly good in a league with so much parity.
But in three career postseason trips, Romo has all of one victory in the playoffs. That win came last year in the wild card round before Dallas was blown out by Minnesota in the divisional round.
Elite quarterbacks win more than one career playoff game.
1. No Super Bowl Ring
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Elite NFL quarterbacks have one thing in common: they've won at least one Super Bowl ring.
Take Brady, Manning and Drew Brees for example. Although each quarterback has his fair share of critics, these three guys can boast that they've done something not many quarterbacks in this league have done, and that's win the league's biggest game on its biggest stage.
It shouldn't come as a surprise that recent NFL champions are the only quarterbacks that are considered elite by the vast majority of the league.
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