Much Ado About Nothing

Yes, I know... ESPN analysts have to have something to talk about. And yes, like it or not, the Cowboys will always command a certain amount of media attention, even as a mediocre team that underachieves in comparison to the talent gathered on the roster. That said, I cannot help but think that the criticism of Tony Romo's performance last week against the Jets was overblown thanks to the media engine that is ESPN.

I do not mean for this to take away from the praise of his performance this week against the 49ers, as it is much deserved, though perhaps equally overblown. There were a few calm heads prevailing this week that assured us that even though Tony Romo clearly blew the Jets game, he would still be fine. But, and this is what eventually tired most of the people I talk to, pundits largely stayed in two camps: Tony Romo can never be a championship quarterback or Tony Romo can't be blamed at all for the loss (absurdly championed, of course, by the one and only Skip Bayless).

I suppose I am okay with a talk show like First and 10 choosing debate topics that evaluate an entire player's legacy after a bad game if that game seems indicative of common mishaps during his career. So, I can't blame ESPN for wondering if pundits felt that the Jets game was indicative of common mistakes made by Tony Romo. In some ways, I generally agree with the many pundits who did argue that Romo does falter in big moments. BUT, Tony Romo was by no means the only reason that the Cowboys have faltered in these big games. It is a team sport, and Tony Romo should not be assigned all of the blame for everything that goes wrong.

That said, Tony Romo has individually probably lost games for the Cowboys, or at the very least been able to save a win minus his own mistakes. I can't remember whether the dropped extra point attempt several years ago was for the win or to put the game into overtime, but that drop was pretty squarely on Tony Romo. Equally, had Tony Romo not fumbled at the goal line last week versus the Jets, the Cowboys probably would not have lost the game. No, Tony Romo is not completely at fault for the loss, but the absurd argument, that for some reason continued until Friday on First and 10 that Jason Witten was to blame, is even more ludicrous. While Tony Romo is not the ONLY member of the Cowboys team, he is certainly a key member of it, and his name should certainly come up when blame is doled out after a loss.

What I mean to say is simply that most evidence points toward Tony Romo being an above average quarterback, and the knee-jerk reactions of the media after one loss promote an exaggerated reaction to both the positives and negatives of his career as a quarterback. It would be nice to see a little more perspective given to the arguments from pundits.