All Is Lost With Tony Romo

Have a seat. Taste your coffee. Get comfortable. Let’s be a little honest. And I’m not talking about a rant or another emotional cry. There’s plenty of people willing to fill in for that. I’m going to try to put this in perspective.

The elimination game against The Washington Redskins was an absolute horrible experience.

The Dallas Cowboys did not surprise me. What surprised me was how surprised I was at being unsurprised. I know, at first it makes no sense. But admit it, deep down you believed they could win. And when they didn’t, it just tore you up inside out.

Dec 30, 2012; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) talks with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) after the game at FedEX Field. The Redskins won 28 – 18. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA Today Sports

I hate it when the season ends like this. First off, when The Cowboys finish 8-8 (again), we miss out on a high draft pick. I’m not saying it’s better to be a losing team. Not at all. But this team needs something to look forward to. Especially after that performance. The fans deserve it.

I’m not going to take this opportunity to use the word “mediocrity.” I dislike that word. When I hear it used I see images of The Dallas Cowboys. I decided to banish the word for good. That’s not right.

I wanted this Garret and Romo carousel to work; this organization needed it to work. When former Quarterback Troy Aikman left the pads for the booth and microphone, The Cowboys were desperate for a franchise player to replace him.

My honest feeling is we have not found him.

I’m not saying that because Quarterback Tony Romo just cost us another big game with a poor decision. I’m calling this like it is. Maybe it was never meant to work out. We should of known Romo would let us down ever since he bobbled “that snap” against the Seattle Seahawks back when Head Coach Bill Parcels was coaching.

It’s hard to defend Romo. Look, I did it for many years. I still could, arguably. But this stat speaks loudly: He is 1-6 when facing elimination games. Listen, if you came to your boss with that stat, do you think he would fire you?

Absolutely!

The truth is Romo has now imploded with three head coaches (Bill Parcels, Wade Phillips, and Jason Garrett). I haven’t seen much in those years to say he has boarded the plane and turned the corner. Maybe he is designed to be where (and what) he is. We can dress him up as much as we want, surround him with sick talent and hall of fame coaches, but at the end of the day the last name on the jersey remains the same. Romo had his chance and his fair share of support.

You can say that it was in fact Romo who put this team in this position in the first place. That’s a fair assessment. What is also fair to say is that you can’t win games with stupid interceptions. Not in a season opener, and certainly not in a elimination game. No. That’s not good. Just because your coach is clapping doesn’t make it okay. Got it?

There’s the little things too that bother me. For example: Play clock management. I don’t think it’s beneficial to let the clock run down to the last second on every down. I can understand getting the assignments and coverage correct. But it all just looks sloppy and predictable. Heck, I’ll send my grandma on a blitz every time you snap with one second on the play clock.

Dec 30, 2012; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins linebacker London Fletcher (59) sacks Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) during the second half at FedEX Field. The Redskins won 28 – 18. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA Today Sports

I don’t know about you, but Tony’s countenance before games makes me nervous. Maybe the responsibility of caring for his kid is keeping him up at night. Or maybe the pressure of being the franchise quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys is too much for him.

I think Tony Romo is a fine quarterback. Don’t get me wrong. I love his story: an undrafted free agent turned starter. He has the mechanics, poise, and talent to be a starter in this league. I just don’t think it should be with the Cowboy’s any longer.

What’s the worse thing about all of this? That for many, many years the Cowboys had a legit shot at making history, but failed in each run. Romo’s Cowboy teams unfortunately will not be remembered for what they did or did not do. They will be remembered for what they could have done.

We can attempt to fill this balloon with air again, and give it another go, but let’s face it, it’s still the same balloon. I don’t think I have enough air in my lungs to do it. I’m not giving up on the Cowboys. Never. When their season ends, so does mine. I don’t even watch playoff games if they are out — not 100 percent anyways. It’s too hurtful to think about what should have been and maybe, what could have been.

I live and work in the D.C. Area. I’ll get my fair share of jokes and laughs. I’ll take it. Because I love the Cowboy star. But right now, it just feels like all is lost.