Jan 1, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) passes the ball against the Oakland Raiders during the first quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jason O. Watson-US PRESSWIRE

There’s been so much debate recently about who the superior quarterback is between Tony Romo and Eli Manning. The funny thing is that for those Manning supporters thinking it’s a worthwhile debate, they are actually not doing Manning any favors. The fact that so many are waging the argument between a two time Super Bowl winner and another quarterback who hasn’t sniffed a ring and has only one playoff victory is an embarrassing commentary on Manning. I have not heard one comparison to Rodgers, Brees, Brady or Peyton Manning with another active QB who does not have any rings. It shows that some folks still aren’t entirely sold on Eli Manning and that Romo is a ring away from sealing the deal on this argument.

There is however another more apt comparison: Tony Romo vs. Philip Rivers. Ironically, it was the Manning for Rivers swap during the draft that made these particular debates possible in the first place. Both Romo and Rivers have found themselves in the hot seat for their ability to get to the Super Bowl but their talent and play on Sundays is as good as any quarterback playing today.

Production. Rivers has started for six seasons and has compiled a 63% completion percentage. He throws an interception every 39 passes and has a 95.5 career quarterback rating. He is an iron man having not missed a start since he took over the Charger reins in 2006. Romo has started five and a half seasons and has played about a season’s worth of games less than Rivers. His career completion percentage is 64%. He throws an interception every 36 passes and has a career quarterback rating of 97.

Romo has missed some games due to injuries including the broken collarbone suffered against the Giants that resulted in him missing 10 games in 2010. While Rivers is 3-4 in the playoffs, Romo is 1-3.

Styles. Rivers has been the fire and intensity of the Chargers since he got there and his offenses have not been the primary reason the Chargers have missed out on the Super Bowl under his leadership. His team is completely reliant on his production being at an extremely high level. There is no defense to bail him out when he is not getting it done. He excels with the deep ball and seems to have developed a real synergy with the big receiver. He is fearless in throwing the ball up for his tall receivers to go and get and though it often looks like a hail mary, there is actually a method and proficiency to his madness. He is an accurate thrower of the deep pass and is equally adept at short touch passes. He has a quick release and he is always the primary reason his teams reach the playoffs.

December 17, 2011; Tampa, FL, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) throws the ball for a touchdown as Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Adrian Clayborn (94) pressures during the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Romo may have the quickest release in football if it’s not Rodgers. Romo is incredibly accurate and is comfortable in tight spaces. He is great at spreading the ball around and can use his feet as well as his arms to move within the pocket to buy more time. Romo has faced more national scrutiny than Rivers and Romo faces a significantly more challenging division and overall schedule than Rivers year after year. Romo is also the teams’ unquestioned leader but it is not leading by fire. Instead, Romo leads by production and by example.

Environment. They both have to fight through the challenges that come with the position but both Romo and Rivers have a bit more to overcome than most other QBs in the NFL. Romo has to navigate the distracting waters created by the owner and GM Jerry Jones. Romo  is often fed pretty good talent by Jerry Jones and co. but that talent is arbitrary. Often, the puzzle pieces are impressive themselves but in the context of what the team needs the pieces rarely fit. The Cowboy personnel organization won’t ever be mistaken for the operations of the Ravens, Packers and Giants.

Similarly, Rivers endures a lesser but still significant distraction yearly with what the fate of his coach will be. Many believe that Rivers carries both the burden of leading the Chargers to the Super Bowl and the responsibility of saving Norv Turner’s job yearly.

Romo has played a good portion of his career with little to no help up front. He consistently is harassed and often hit by free runs from the opposing defensive lines and blitz packages.

Rivers has had more of a consistently good line but the injuries and loss of McNeil in recent years have proven to also be a very tough deficit to make up. Rivers has been sacked often and remains a true and unheralded iron man of the NFL while Romo’s display of toughness during and following the 49ers game in 2011 revealed a great competitor and true NFL warrior.

Decision:  It’s hard to argue playoff participation and overall playoff record. Philip Rivers has won 65% of his regular season starts against 61% by Romo. The edge goes to Romo on strength of schedule because the NFC East is routinely better across the whole division than the AFC West. However I can’t argue the fact that the Chargers’ offense has Rivers’ personality and style all over it while the Cowboys offense seems to reflect the instability and inconsistency of the offensive line over the last several years.

Jan 1, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) meet on the field after their game at MetLife Stadium. Giants won 31-14. Mandatory Credit: Chris Faytok/The Star-Ledger via US PRESSWIRE

Until Romo can own and influence production not only in the specialty areas where he is having some influence, but also in how physical and confident the offense is performing as a whole, Romo will continue to look slightly up at Philip Rivers. Romo does not stand alone in this vantage point and there is no shame in being slightly under Rivers. After all, Romo has the company of a two time Super Bowl winner.

I remember Dallas was playing against the New York Giants on an October night back in 2006. The Boys were struggling and so was their starting quarterback at the time, Drew Bledsoe. The game looked lost and chants for the unknown second string QB were being shouted all around Texas Stadium: “Romo! Romo! Romo!” Finally, without hesitation, Head Coach Bill Parcells pulled the trigger. Bledsoe was out and the crowd went crazy as the unproven quarterback from Eastern Illinois walked onto the field. Despite the chants for Romo, many were still skeptical about him and thought he might just be a one-day starter.

The fans really cheered because they wanted a change and they hoped Romo could be something special. They needed someone to end an endless drought of mediocre quarterback play. That’s a lot to expect from an unknown quarterback that was not a big name college athlete.

Romo’s reign of glory didn’t last long though as an interception on one of his first plays watered down fan’s initial expectations. Anger and frustration was soon replaced with hope as Romo started to move the ball and show some athleticism in the pocket. Although that day ended with a loss, it was a big win in the long run for the franchise. That same year, they went on to reach the wildcard round of the playoffs with Romo as their quarterback. Eventually, the Cowboys loss in a fashion that would leave dark clouds over the new starting QB that offseason. The Cowboys understood they had discovered a missing piece in their puzzle, a franchise quarterback.

Romo has been very solid at the quarterback position since that night in 2006 and hasn’t looked back. Tony is a top 10 quarterback, easily over guys like Michael Vick and Phillip Rivers. I would take him over those two any day.  Romo had perhaps his best season last year despite the Dallas Cowboys going 8-8. The stats prove it. He threw for 4185 yards for 31 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions ending with a 102.5 rating. Vick in the other hand had only 3303 yards, 18 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions with a rating of 84.9. Romo has out played many of the supposed Top 10 quarterbacks in the NFL each year. He just fails to get the recognition he deserves because he’s always under the microscope. That’s simply the price of being the quarterback for America’s Team.

Just like Romo gave us hope when he emerged back in 2006, lets continue to have that hope in him now that he is older and much more wiser. Romo has committed his share of mistakes in the past but he has shown he can battle through them. Dallas has something great in Tony and I believe it’s only a matter of time before he leads the Cowboys to the Super Bowl and brings home the Lombardi Trophy. It’s time we all remembered why we first believed in Tony Romo in the first place.

The question of whether Tony Romo is an elite quarterback or not is one that causes all kinds of rifts with analysts and fans alike. Being the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys puts you in the spotlight, and in turn you are subjected to all kinds of ridicule and over-analyzing. Romo is a good sport about all the prying questions and the constant leadership questions he endures each season. I think both of these things comes from his natural cool-headed nature, which could, or could not, be characteristics of an elite quarterback.

So what is an elite quarterback? How do you know if you have one or not? What stats or characteristics determine if a quarterback is elite or just really good? These are all questions we need to ask ourselves before deciding if Romo is elite or if he is just good or average.

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