Dallas Cowboys Fans Should Lay off Tony Romo

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo missed most of the 2010 NFL season with a broken collarbone.

Now, he's back and played a series in the Cowboys' preseason-opening 24-23 victory over the Denver Broncos.

But, even though he's only attempted a measly five passes so far, he's already facing a lot of scrutiny and pressure.

So, here's my message to Cowboy fans: Relax, Romo is going to be just fine in 2011.

Let's look at the facts.

In 2010, it wasn't his fault the Cowboys did so poorly in the early going. That blame rests mostly on the defense, which took a major step back from 2009.

In fact, in the six games Romo participated in last season, he threw for over 1,600 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Basically, he was on pace to throw for more than 4,000 yards and about 25 touchdowns before the injury cut his season short.

In Romo's last full season, 2009, he threw for 4,483 yards and 26 touchdowns with only nine interceptions.

To be fair, he's no Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, but when he's healthy, he's definitely one step below those elite QBs.

He also has plenty of weapons to utilize on offense, including wide receivers Miles Austin and Dez Bryant, tight end Jason Witten and running back Felix Jones.

With a healthy Romo, that unit becomes one of the most potent offenses in the entire NFL, capable of scoring on any given play.

As far as this preseason, Romo will probably get a little bit more work in Week 2, will probably play the whole first half in Week 3 and then won't play at all in Week 4.

That's the norm for starters in the preseason and I don't expect head coach Jason Garrett to deviate from it.

He'll get his starters the work they need and then he'll get them out of the game to avoid injury.

With only five pass attempts in preseason Week 1, there's no need to read too much into Romo's performance and start scrutinizing him already.

He's a professional; he'll make sure he's where he needs to be by the time the regular season starts on September 11 against the New York Jets.

He'll get his team on the right track to get back into playoff contention in 2011, as long as the rest of the offense stays happy and healthy.

So, Cowboy fans, lay off your QB. He's going to be just fine in 2011 and beyond.