The quarterback inevitably gets the blame.
But anyone that blames Tony Romo for the Cowboys' latest December disappointment is insane. Or didn't watch Sunday's game. Romo missed a big throw to Roy Williams, but otherwise played one of his best games of the season under heavy pass rush duress.
Dallas looked like the better team for much of the game against New York, but the Giants made the big plays on offense, defense, and special teams. Former champs sometimes do that. It happens.
Of course, it seems to happen a lot for the Cowboys towards the end of the season. With a brutal schedule coming up, Romo didn't want to talk about the past.
"We don't care about December talk," Romo said. "The season will be written when it's
over with, no matter what happens in December. I know that's part of it
until we win in December, but I just think this team needs to win."
Romo says the negativity won't get to him.
"It just doesn't matter. I've built up a turtle shell for positive and
negative. You're never as great as they think you are when you play
great. You're never as bad as they say you are when you play poor. And
I think that goes with the team as well, and this team just puts the
blinders on and keeps trying to get better."
It's tempting to read more into Dallas' loss, but we just saw one flawed team outplay another. Romo's problem is that his next two opponents -- San Diego and New Orleans -- have fewer flaws.
Romo needs to keep up his level of play to beat them, and get more help from his teammates.
Romo: "We don't care about December talk"
Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on December 7, 2009 10:12 AM ET
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72 Comments
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Of course he doesn't want to talk about the fact that his team continually disappoints after an otherwise promising start year after year.
Dallas will be lucky to even make the playoffs this year as they will probably lose their next 3 of 4.
A very feasable 9-7 record will probably not get you there.
Sorry Vox maybe next year.
Clearly Romo doesnt care about December talk. I think one thing is clear, Romo isnt as serious as he needs to be. The trip to Mexico was a disaster, and so far the trip to Vegas is the same thing. I think that id Romo stops taking these trips and things, and has success, people will then be able to blame him and his trips for the past failures. So he is going to continue to take trips, in the hopes that he will eventually win, and can then say, "See, it wasnt my trip to _____ that made us lose..."
Tony Romo via Bill Parcells said:
"You're never as great as they think you are when you play great. You're never as bad as they say you are when you play poor."
Wade Phillips and Jerry Jones must be proud to hear their prized pupil still using quotes and philosophies from Bill Parcells...
"But anyone that blames Tony Romo for the Cowboys' latest December disappointment is insane. Or didn't watch Sunday's game. Romo missed a big throw to Roy Williams, but otherwise played one of his best games of the season under heavy pass rush duress."
Hey Gregg, when the hell has anyone blaming Romo for anything except for the bobbled snap not been insane? His career numbers are well above average but he still gets no love. Not saying I am a huge Romo supporter because of his choking but "men lie, women lie, and numbers dont"
I'll await some moron Eagles fan to post the December record for Dallas in a few seconds. Then we can post all of McNabbs let downs in the playoffs and such. People forget McNabb has as many rings as Romo.
"I've built up a turtle shell for positive and negative"
I think he means:
We usually retreat into a shell about this time of year.
Any Dallas loss is a good loss.
Yeah, that wasn't Romo's fault last night - it was a complete team effort. But that's what happens when an organiztion has a tradition (in this case, December gag jobs). If the leaders aren't getting it done, the backups step it up.
That's all you can do, Tony, is try not to care about it...LOL. These dallas cowboys are great fun! The East for that matter is a great division.
Chapnasty,
The reason Romo gets "no love" is because of his numbers in December. He was solid yesterday, but he has not been historically solid this time of year. You're right, the numbers don't lie.....and you've obviously not looked at his career numbers in December. They are atrocious.
4727 days since they won a playoff game.
Wow.
Maybe you can explain how Romo blew it when he was blitzed....the minute he feels pressure, he gets scared....the 4th and 3 pass was a joke, the intentional grouding was a joke and he screwed up again when the game was on the line....its classic Romo......Just for the record, I am the biggest Dallas fan in the country
I'll await some moron Eagles fan to post the December record for Dallas in a few seconds. Then we can post all of McNabbs let downs in the playoffs and such. People forget McNabb has as many rings as Romo.
Wouldn't that be the same moron talking bout Super Bowl wins from two, three decades ago?
Just checking.
Yea, the Vegas trip really hurt Romo and Austin - dopes! Where's that story? Not that I agree with it, but they should know better b/c of what the media hounds will do with it. #24 and the Def/ST lost this game. The media and those that jump on their bandwagon need to come up with something more creative. They lost the game, period. It has nothing to do with last December or the one before that.
"It just doesn't matter. I've built up a turtle shell for positive and negative. You're never as great as they think you are when you play great. You're never as bad as they say you are when you play poor. And I think that goes with the team as well, and this team just puts the blinders on and keeps trying to get better."
I can't stand the Cowboys, and most players on that team. And the coach, and the owners, and the fans. But that statement was the smartest thing I've ever heard come out of Romo's mouth.
Please. Romo rocked yesterday. PERIOD.
It's a team loss not a playa loss.
"We saw 1 flawed team outplay anuda" Oh, there are perfect teams in The NFL ? Show me 1. Not 1 perfect record, 1 perfect team.
STOOPID, GT.
Romo is referring to the shell one must have to deal with all of the bullsh!t that the fans and press in Dallas sling. If you hear the press there, they are either on the verge of total collapse or one a one way ticket to the Super Bowl. There is no perspective from either group, and Cowboys fans believe it is their god-given right to be the best team in the NFL.
If I were a betting man, I think Romo would welcome a trade to another city.
Chapnasty:
If we're counting rings, we all know the only starting QB in the division that has one!
"men lie, women lie, and numbers dont" - Stats are for losers. It's all about the wins.
ClapSlappy, Yes, you are right the Cowboys are the best thing since sliced bread. Tony Romo is plenty good enough to keep you on the hook and Jerry Jones will own this team till he dies.
For a preview of your future, look at Oakland , Happy Christmas season!
It's December, SD on deck and the commentary in the Dallas Morning News should be tittilating.
I love how people think history only applies to Dallas in Decemeber but not super bowl rings. That doesnt make much sense to me. Then again nothing Eagles fans ever say makes sense to me.
# Popeye says: December 7, 2009 10:44 AM
Maybe you can explain how Romo blew it when he was blitzed....the minute he feels pressure, he gets scared....the 4th and 3 pass was a joke, the intentional grouding was a joke and he screwed up again when the game was on the line....its classic Romo......Just for the record, I am the biggest Dallas fan in the country
Doesn't stop there, Sailor Man.
How about the "Jim Everett" job IN THE FIRST HALF?
Wasn't even touched and he quiefed.
Pathetic.
"If we're counting rings, we all know the only starting QB in the division that has one!"
That doesn't mean squat. The second and third stringers also have them, and I'm guessing the towel boy got one too. Having a ring doesn't mean there aren't two qbs better than Eli in that division.
This is kind of like in Germany how you aren't allowed to talk about the Holocaust, right?
Romo played a hell of a game, the D needed to step up in key situations and didnt. Basic tackling drills are whats needed i think....The pass rush went away for the most part....The bottom line is the G men made plays and dallas didnt. Could dallas have won, sure as shit coulda, but that doesnt make it any easier to deal with. just dont blame Romo for this one. What a great game by the kid. The D has to step up or the kind of home games the boys have this jan and feb will be back yard games with the neighbors kids...at home....get it....home games....god dallas sucks in december. WHY!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
and man, that guy flozell is a total bitch....
I will give you a shred of credit, ClapSlappy, At least you tried to defend your team. Most of your compadres have jumped under their rock (Vox?)
It's like Tony said last week, this whole winning in December thing will take care of itself.
all the cowboy haters come out especially the eagirl fans, who beat a chris redman led falcons team, too bad you couldnt do that to the raiders. and as far as looking 2 decades back to a superbowl win, how far back do eagirl fans have to look? oh yeah they never won a superbowl, but their QB did throw up on himself in the superbowl, do you get a trophy for that?
romo did a great job, the running game was horrible. the cowboys didnt even reach 100 yds rushing total yesterday. if your gonna talk crap at least get it right
emoser:
The point of the NFL season is to win the Super Bowl - nothing else. I know it's been a while for the Cowgirls. 4,000 + days without a playoff win, so it's easy to forget that winning is the most important thing. Romo is not a winner. you'll never win a Super Bowl with him. He's not a leader, no character, no charisma, he's a front runner and he folds when the going gets tough..
"Having a ring doesn't mean there aren't two qbs better than Eli in that division." I'll concede that McNabb has had a better career than Eli, but I won't give you Romo.
I'll take Eli over Romo in any situation. Down by 4 with 2 minutes left in a Super Bowl against an unbeaten team what would Romo do? He'd crap his pants.
Here's all you need to know about NFC East QBs. One of them, in the biggest game of his life, drove his team the length of the field, against the NFL's best team ever, to win the Super Bowl. Another one, also in the Super Bowl, puked his guts out in the middle of the field. A third, in his most imortant games (i.e., playoffs) has yet to win one. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
I love how people think history only applies to Dallas in Decemeber but not super bowl rings. That doesnt make much sense to me. Then again nothing Eagles fans ever say makes sense to me.
Sorta like how idiot Dallas fans only use that type of "history" when it works for their argument?
So wait...the performance of your QB and team in the month of December (given their lack of success in the postseason for the last 14 yrs) doesn't apply, ...
..but all the history PRIOR to that does?
See, this is why clowns like yourself are thought of as the typical clueless, arrogant and obnoxious Dallas drone fans they are. Trying to manipulate past history because your present SUCKS, will SUCK, and will continue to SUCK for the forseeable future.
Enjoy the collapse.
I know I will.
The only way to stop this December talk is to Beat the Charges and Saints. Go Cowboys! Time well tell. If they don't beat these teams then bring on Shannahan.
Note to Cowboys fans:
This "winning in December" thing is all over rated, if they simply should try to get in the CFL I'm sure they would be welcomed, and they don't play in December!! See, there is always a solution!!
Romo (and the rest of the team's) problem for the next couple of games is that the HC and OC will still be Laurel and Hardy. This team doesn't get the preparation nor discipline (cheap shot in the back comes to mind) to go or play at the next level.
"I'll await some moron Eagles fan to post the December record for Dallas in a few seconds. Then we can post all of McNabbs let downs in the playoffs and such. People forget McNabb has as many rings as Romo."
And Tony Romo has as many playoff wins as Derek Anderson and JaMarcus Russell.
Hey Kravon, isn't that a fun little statistic? I love it, personally
I think most you guys can have all of your questions answered in the comment section of the Adams/Tuck article. It clearly shows the Eagles and Cowboys record over the past ten years in December. It also outlines the complete lack of respect shown for the NFL pre-1967. Some idiot actually said the Real NFL didn't start until 1960, when the Cowboys entered the league. That guy failed to realize that the Eagles won the Championship that year. And the Eagles won the first ever game played between Dallas and Philly......which happened to be played in Dallas.
Now if you'll excuse me, Vox is on abduction watch. Seems this time every year he gets abducted my aliens until about mid February. It's not that he falls off the face of the earth in December, he is removed from the planet all together. I'm on my way Vox. I won't let any aliens abduct you this year!!
Dallas Cowboys move to 2-0 in season-saving games! They've now saved the season for GB and NY. Way to go, Boys!
They had the Giants on the ropes and ready to pack it up for the day when the Cowboys collapsed in spectacular fashion.
I've been a fan of Marion Barber, but he is done. Nothing left. He can't break tackles, and in the open field, he's become worthless. He was probably the single biggest goat of the game with that fumble. It's time to start Tashard.
The December thing is overblown by the media (going into the game, NY was only 6-8 in December the last 3 seasons), but what's most disturbing is that the Cowboys gave away a very winnable game on a schedule that really doesn't have any winnable games on it.
I'm a fan and I'll continue to root for them, but they cannot be trusted until they actually accomplish something.
This is truly pathetic. Dallas fans can't admit that they took a tough loss yesterday, relinquished the lead in the division, and are beginning to experience a December that is eerily familiar to the past 5. Just shut up and take it on the chin.....or in the ass or mouth, whichever you bumbledicks prefer.
Chapnasty:
There's a big difference between history of the relevant variety, like how a Dallas team consisting of mainly the same slobs who haave consistently shat the bed when the winter winds begin to swirl, and history of the ancient variety, like Dallas winning some superbowls years ago without a single thing in common, including their stadium, as the aforemention slobs.
So yes, it makes complete sense to dismiss The Cowboy's ability to win games when Troy Aikman and Emmit Smith were able to walk around unassisted. It also makes complete sense to continue judging Tony Romo and Wade Phillips on their current streak of not being able to get so much as a whiff of real postseason play.
Still not registering? Let me dumb it down for you: Did Barack Obama and General McChrystal win World War II? Because Wade Phillips and Tony Romo sure as hell didn't win Super Bowl 30.
Dan Snyder will trade Campbell, Cooley, and 6 first round picks for Romo, and hire Jim Fassel to coach the team. betcha
@mattitude
You're the hater with no credibility that said last week that "Romo=Quincy Carter" right?
Check the standings, Dallas is still in 1st place in the NFC East.
@stevemcguigan
As much as it pains me as a fan, you're right. The 1990's championship teams are not relavant in a discussion of today's group. They have to stand or fall on their own merits. It's been a very rough 10 years for Cowboys fans--actually the worst stretch in team history.
Funny how all you chuds are reciting the same stats. Dallas and the december swoon...blah blah blah.
I think we all know the superbowl winner will not be coming out of the nfc east so why don't y'all shut your friggin pie hole.
It's so pathetic how much hate the cowboys get. I bet some of you, or even all of you, couldn't wait to rip into them today on pft. Obsessive maybe? I hope it was everything you wanted because the Cowboys are tied for first place, hold a tie-breaker over the Eagles and the Eagles get to play the Giants this weekend. I've got my money on the Eagles and that will be it for that POS team in NY.
same old folding dallas..........same old tony romo excuse time. welcome to december cowgirls........oh amd lets not forget the cowgirls old reliable...how many superbowls have you won......yeah keep living in the past. that ought to help things.
Tony, your star is falling. At this rate you won't be able to get a date with Lindsey Lohan.
can you stop making the romo excuses how he threw for 392? He threw the ball 55 times, thats two games worth. Find me a qb in this league who wont get 392 yards throwing close to 66 times. That Marion Barber excuse is BS also. I cant find any articles that mention bradshaw fumbling in cowboys territory, he handed you guys points but since barber fumbled the giants snuck away with something. Cowboys blew a 10-0 lead and the giants had more turnovers. the run game was atrocious and romo compiled those yards oon two games worth of pass attempts. Barber fumbled but so did bradshaw and when eli got picked the giants were about to score......again
smith dropped two wide open 3rd down catches and a very easy TD which resulted in a FG, this game was not as close as it looked.
Dallas will fold. And the whole tiebreaker with the Eagles won't matter in week 17 when McNabb gets a week off as the game won't matter. Philly will have wrapped up the division. Perhaps Kevin Kolb will sign the visiting locker room wall with the final score....
@ steven
Touche... But history is relevant and that seems to be a big problem with people on this site. No respect for history.
I'll await some moron Eagles fan to post the December record for Dallas in a few seconds. Then we can post all of McNabbs let downs in the playoffs and such
McNabb's playoff record 9-6
Romo's playoff record 0-2
Bedhead says:
December 7, 2009 12:31 PM
@mattitude
You're the hater with no credibility that said last week that "Romo=Quincy Carter" right?
-------------------------------------------------
I do believe my credibility is very much intact, but thank you for voicing your opinion. Please enlighten me as to the post-season success that Tony Romo has provided the Cowboys with that Quincy Carter did not. Romo's vast playoff accomplishments that diminish Carter's must have slipped my mind.
Ok, enough with the sarcasm. At least try to convince me that my point isn't valid when it comes to winning in the post-season?
Too funny. LOVE it when the girls lose. Especially when we in AZ get force fed yet another game of theirs. And complete with Aikman doing the show. It's even better when Aikman is the announcer and they lose. 2 for 1.
@mattitude
You cannot be taken seriously. Your comment was simply asinine and anyone who knows anything about football knows it.
"Dan Marino and Quincy Carter have the same number of Super Bowl rings, therefore Quincy must be in Dan's league as a QB." See, it's easy to make up something ridiculous that no one takes seriously.
Tony needs to care about a whole lot more than he does.
He probably gave his standard Cheshire Cat grin after making that statement. Basically telling everyone "Hey, I get paid no matter what so get off my back... when does Golf season start?"
When will he complete puberty?
I didn't come to argue Romo's stats, or how many times he went down on J Simpson. I just wanted to break out my broom for a little December house cleaning. SWEEP!
cowboys will lose this weekend.. theyll be lucky to win 2 more games... its december again... maybe theyll trade half their draft picks when the season is over for another overrated wide receiver
I was hoping for the Cowboys to go one and done in the post season (yet again) so we can remind Vox what a loser he is for defending this mess.
Now it looks like the Cowboys aren't even going to make it, they will lose the tie breakers to the Giants, Packers and likely the Eagles so they basically need to win the division to get into the playoffs.
ah vox, 17-7
@emoser, who wrote, "I'll take Eli over Romo in any situation. Down by 4 with 2 minutes left in a Super Bowl against an unbeaten team what would Romo do? He'd crap his pants."
One of the funniest comments I've ever read on PFT.
After the season they will fire Wade, then promote Garrett to the HC job. He will claim that he will lead the team differently.
Jerry will talk about a new start. Tony will get a pass, because he is too good to let go (not good enough to really win though) They will cut loose and trade about 1/3 to 1/2 of the roster and proclaim a "new direction"
Jerry will still own the team and call all of the shots with no GM to set him straight. They will try to get a big name player in free agebcy and they will over pay him. He will not work out. Then they will trade up, down or sideways and waste a bunch of draft picks, again
Rewind the failure clock, set it on the mantle and repeat in three years.
" You're never as great as they think you are when you play great."
Really Homo? How 'bout that smirk on your face post-game last week when you seemed so pleased with the team after lightin' up the scoreboards with a whopping 7-burger for the 2nd straight week - I guess you are as great as you think you are when you're horribly-inconsistent and taught Tom Brady a thing or two about choking in the new millenium.
Romo's career stats 63.2 completion % 101 Td's 53 Int's 95.1 passer rating
Mannings career stats 64.8% 358 Td's 176 Int's 95.3 passer rating
Brees career stats 64.4% 197 Td's 109 Int's 91.5 passer rating
Brady's career stats 63.3% 219 Td's 96 Int's 93.3 passer rating....
Mcnabb career stats 59.0% 210 Td's 96 Int's 86.5 passer rating
Eli Mannings career Stats 56.4% 118 Td's 85 Int's 78 passer rating
hmmm see where im going with this?? how long did it take manning brees mcnabb to all win playoff games or SB games?? Romo is amoung the best of the best.. keep on hating.. the numbers show....
chapnasty says:
I love how people think history only applies to Dallas in Decemeber but not super bowl rings. That doesnt make much sense to me.
You are talking about ANCEINT HISTORY,
Is there ANYBODY still in the League that was on the roster of the last cowboys team to win a Playoff game ????
that is a great and very mature attitude by romo
i like the guy, he's good, he's a tad inconsistant, but overall he has put up some nice numbers in his career
You forgot Dan Marino 59.4% 420TD 252INT 86.4 passer rating.
Made it to playoffs his first year, but lost to Seattle in their first game. Went to Superbowl in his second year and lost to San Francisco.
My point is that stats mean nothing if you don't have the hardware to go along with it and I don't think Romo will ever win a Superbowl while he is in Dallas. Heck, he may never win a playoff game.
bobbled snap on a game winning field goal, throwing into triple coverage and being intercepted in first playoff game. Yeah Romo's has fudged it up a few times in the playoffs/december. He may not be responsible for yesterday (though during the game many Giants fans were blaming Eli for a loss that hadn't happened) but he shares a good part of the responsibility for their December issues.
hmmm see where im going with this?? how long did it take manning brees mcnabb to all win playoff games or SB games?? Romo is amoung the best of the best.. keep on hating.. the numbers show....
Matt:
McNabb won a playoff game in his first season as a starter. Then went to the NFC Championship game the next three years in a row, the third of which resulted in a trip to the Super Bowl in 2004. Since then the Eagles have been back to the playoffs two out of four times, the most recent of which McNabb led the team to the NFC Championship game *again*.
Matt "the numbers show"
Stats are for losers. Win Games. Win Championships. Win Super Bowls.
Hell, just win a game in December.
i love all these number being thrown out about romo's greatness, lets not forget their schedule has alot to do with it and when you dont make the playoffs or finish down the rung in your division you get the cake teams the following year. plus when you are behind all the time of course you are going to throw the ball to win and get that prevent defense....give me a break..talk about it all you want he still cant win a playoff game and the best was when he saw the blitz sunday night he just got into his fetal postions and fell to the ground..please don't hurt me.....lol china doll tony romo...........i think he chipped his nail, may be out 2-4.....
# Mr. Blue says: December 7, 2009 11:45 AM
Here's all you need to know about NFC East QBs. One of them, in the biggest game of his life, drove his team the length of the field, against the NFL's best team ever, to win the Super Bowl. Another one, also in the Super Bowl, puked his guts out in the middle of the field. A third, in his most imortant games (i.e., playoffs) has yet to win one. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
-----------
Don't bother knowing that the QB with the ring pretty much threw a moonball up for grabs and - if not for divine intervention and the helmet of a WR who can't get work two years later - no QB in the NFCE has a ring.
Keep trying, greaseball. McNabb > Eli > Romo > Campbell.
stevemcguigan
so stats dont matter?
... how many SB's has Mcnabb won?? because thats really all that matters correct?? So romo's stats are better neither have won SBs?? Mcnabb has played longer.. who has the edge here??and who chokes more??
dont worry romo has a few more years of choking til he is backing up jamarcus russell in oakland and the cowgirls finally draft a qb worth something. it is so odd everyone on every network says the same thing about romo yet dallas fan cant see it. i mean when warren sapp is ripping on you, basically saying you suck... come on..take a team to the playoffs, win a game give your team a chance to go to the superbowl, say what you want about mcnabb but he gets us there almost every year with a chance to win. i guess you dont recall last years asswhipping on national tv in philly either.....win and in is all you had to do , but i guess that is not chocking huh??? those 2 field goal drives we things of beauty, things of legend...lol
"cowboys will lose this weekend.. theyll be lucky to win 2 more games... its december again... maybe theyll trade half their draft picks when the season is over for another overrated wide receiver"
@phillybirds, must be nice being able to talk smack since your team has all those Lombardi's...oh wait.
I dont see why people are putting the blame on Romo for this game. That douche bag Petros Papadinkos??? was on the local NBC news here in soCal and kept saying "it's december and Romo was in Vegas and sure enough can't win a game" Anyone with half a brain could see that Romo played a hell of a game and that stupid Vegas thing is just that, stupid.
*sniff sniff* That's my QB man!! *sniff sniff*
At least when that idiot Owens was in Philly he was doing situps in the driveway( NEXT QUESTION), in Dallas he:
1) tried to commit suicide
2) ran off Parcells(a HUGE mistake there by Facelift Jones)
3) created the love triangle between Romo/Witten
4) was reduced to tears
I actually feel sorry for the guy!! What a complete Sh$thole Dallas must be!
Matt:
If, as you say, SBs are the only thing that matters, then McNabb and Romo have the exact same stats. Since SBs aren't the only thing that matters, the thing that matters next in order of importance is SB appearances and playoff success. Care to do the comparison yourself, or should I draw it out for you with a big red crayon?