NFL Predictions: Why Tony Romo Will Be the Next Aaron Rodgers

Last year marked an incredible run for the Green Bay Packers, who almost didn't even make the playoffs. They snuck their way in towards the end of the season and rolled everyone on the way to winning the Lombardi Trophy. Rodgers carried his injury rattled team all the way to a Super Bowl victory. Who is next in line to do the same?

Looking at the list of candidates this year that have a chance to do what Rodgers and the Packers did last year, there is one guy that stands out to me. Tony Romo has been very good at times, and also really bad at times. His potential and natural abilities mirror that of Rodgers before Rodgers' great season last year. For Romo though, it has been drama off the field and injuries that have prevented him from taking "America's Team" back to the top.

It seems that these two could be on very similar paths, especially when you look at the pressure around them and the historic teams they are playing for. Just as Rodgers had to find a way out of Bart Starr and Brett Favre's shadows, there is history in Dallas with Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach. The good news is that just like in Green Bay, there are plenty of weapons surrounding Mr. Romo.

I don't know if there is a team in the league with as many offensive weapons as the Cowboys. They have two outstanding receivers in Miles Austin and Dez Bryant, another elite catcher in tight end Jason Witten, as well as a dynamic duo of Felix Jones and DeMarco Murray at running back. With Romo, it seems he has been trying to get everyone the ball, instead of just hitting the open guy. If these guys can cut out all of the drama, there is no reason Dallas can't compete for the Super Bowl this year.

Obviously everyone is picking the Eagles as the team to beat this year, which just happens to be the Cowboys' bitter division rival. The Giants should be players this year as well, so winning the division is not going to come easy. Even if they make the playoffs as a wild card, Green Bay did the same last year when they went on to win the Lombardi Trophy.

Another similarity between this year's team in Dallas and last year's Packers is the improved defense. Much like Green Bay, the Cowboys have two very talented corners in Terrence Newman and Michael Jenkins, as well as one of the best linebackers in the league in DeMarcus Ware. If they can solve their defensive line and get quality play at the safety position, this team could be destined for Indianapolis in February.

People have been waiting on Romo to get this team to the Super Bowl for a few years now. Some have already begun to say he is overrated. While I do think he has underachieved, I think he has the talent and the ability to get this team there. I used to think he didn't really care enough about the game of football, but he seems to be more dedicated this year. He has a calmness about him that may appear as though he doesn't care enough, but I saw the same thing in Rodgers two years ago.

I'm not sure if he will ever reach the same level of success as Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, or Drew Brees, but I think Romo fits right in with the other group of great quarterbacks—guys like Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers. Even though he and Rivers have yet to win the big game, I think each of them will eventually get it. To me, this year's team in Dallas just has that same look that Green Bay had last season.