04/18/24
October 06, 2013
Romo Throws for 506 Yards in 51-48 Loss to Denver: Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo threw for 506 yards and five touchdowns, but it wasn't enough in a 51-48 loss to the Denver Broncos at home Sunday. Peyton Manning threw for 414 yards and four touchdowns and ran for another in the most unexpected bootleg in NFL history. The teams combined for 1,039 yards of total offense.
That was still an incredible performance, regardless of the late pick. He was 48 passing yards from the all-time NFL record.
Dallas has shown the NFL what it takes to (almost) beat Denver. Good luck, rest of NFL.
posted by rcade at 07:50 PM on October 06, 2013
Dallas has shown the NFL what it takes to (almost) beat Denver.
"Score a lot of points at home and hope that Peyton Manning breaks his neck" is not the best blueprint.
posted by Etrigan at 08:32 PM on October 06, 2013
The pick was a bad decision brought on by the pressure up the middle, about the only pressure the Broncos got all game. He still had a window, but it was small, he missed, and Trevathan made an amazing play on the ball. I'm trying to think of any other bad throw that Romo had all game and coming up empty. Amazing performance by Romo, just a horrible time for his one mistake of the game.
The naked bootleg by Manning was hilarious. Has a cameraman ever been faked out so badly?
posted by tron7 at 08:40 PM on October 06, 2013
Question: does anyone in the NFC East play defense?
Philly: 159 points/5 games, Dallas 136/5 (though today massively skewed that), Giants 182/5, Washington 112/4; and the way my Eagles play offense, they're capable of 400 points this season ... while allowing 500.
posted by jjzucal at 08:46 PM on October 06, 2013
After games like that it's hard to believe Romo isn't an elite quarterback. If the Dallas o-line plays like that the rest of the season, the Pokes ought to be a playoff team.
posted by rcade at 08:49 PM on October 06, 2013
The pick was a bad decision brought on by the pressure up the middle, about the only pressure the Broncos got all game.
There was that one play in the first half where Romo was nearly sacked about 4 times before threading the needle to Witten upfield for 15+ yards. It was astonishingly accurate for the amount of pressure he dealt with on that play.
After games like that it's hard to believe Romo isn't an elite quarterback.
He is an elite QB - it's just that he has the most inopportune timing for his mistakes, and people have long memories about them.
posted by dfleming at 08:58 PM on October 06, 2013
Romo isn't an elite quarterback. He's generally around the 10th best in the league, statistically, and he's won only one playoff game in eight seasons with the team.
posted by rcade at 09:02 PM on October 06, 2013
Last year, he was third in yardage, tied for fourth in completion percentage and 6th in TDs. He had an abnormally high pick rate, but that wasn't normal for him, and it left him 10th in passer rating.
In 2011, he was seventh in yardage, third in completion percentage and 5th in TDs. He was third in passer rating behind Rodgers, Brady and Brees.
His career passer rating is behind only Aaron Rodgers, Steve Young, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. All of those guys would get called elite, regardless of how imperfect a stat passer rating is. He's been consistently a great quarterback who loses it in the clutch, which is the point of me saying this game is more or less his career - long bouts of very good quarterback play tainted by how it ends.
posted by dfleming at 09:37 PM on October 06, 2013
That Manning bootleg was unbelievably beautiful. Every single person on the field fell for it, and the camera guys, too.
posted by grum@work at 10:23 PM on October 06, 2013
He is an elite QB... long bouts of very good quarterback play tainted by how it ends.
Sorry, but "how it ends" is the point of the games. We don't add up passer ratings or 40 times or total points scored over the course of the season to determine the champions. You have to get closer to the Lombardi than a single playoff win to be in the same conversation as Rodgers, Young, Brady or Manning.
posted by Etrigan at 10:56 PM on October 06, 2013
Dallas has shown the NFL what it takes to (almost) beat Denver.
Denver reminded me of the Keegan-era Newcastle United, though: you can only go so far on 5-4 victories. The chasm between the LBs and safeties was jaw-dropping. I'm not saying that that padded Romo's numbers, but it felt like Denver was willing to give up (or simply unable to prevent) a lot of pass yardage in the middle of the field.
That Manning bootleg was unbelievably beautiful.
It was gloriously ridiculous. And the weird thing about it is that every D-line playing Denver this year will now have to second-guess it, because no way will he do it again, but you can't just assume that any more, because if you're the second D in a season to give it up, you have no excuse.
posted by etagloh at 11:39 PM on October 06, 2013
You have to get closer to the Lombardi than a single playoff win to be in the same conversation as Rodgers, Young, Brady or Manning.
Or Brees, Ryan, Eli Manning, Wilson, Kaepernick, Luck ... there are a lot of quarterbacks people would rather have running their team over Romo. I used to argue he was elite, but it requires a definition of elite that includes around one-third of the starting quarterbacks in the league.
The Cowboys have been to the playoffs three times in the past seven seasons, so he's had chances to establish himself in the postseason. He's a good quarterback who shows fleeting glimpses of greatness.
posted by rcade at 06:51 AM on October 07, 2013
That Manning bootleg was unbelievably beautiful.
The only way it could have been better is if zoomed-in video showed that he had his hands in his pockets and the audio from his helmet mike had him whistling nonchalantly.
posted by Etrigan at 07:06 AM on October 07, 2013
The pick was a bad decision brought on by the pressure up the middle, about the only pressure the Broncos got all game.
Romo had pressure all game long. That O line is brutal and had Romo scrambling for his life but kept he making some absolutely beautiful passes.
Dallas had Denver on the ropes but the Broncos showed why they are the best team in the league. They keep winning.
posted by BornIcon at 10:07 AM on October 07, 2013
Romo had pressure all game long. That O line is brutal and had Romo scrambling for his life but kept he making some absolutely beautiful passes.
Romo held the ball on some plays and let the rush eventually get to him, one at a time, and Romo made some nifty escapes. I wouldn't call that pressure. The pass rush was miserable pretty much all day. You don't throw for 500 yards if there's a good pass rush.
posted by tron7 at 11:04 AM on October 07, 2013
I don't think the Dallas O-line did a bad job Sunday. Romo was sacked four times, but considering the number of passing attempts it was amazing how much time he had. He wasn't getting rid of the ball as quickly as Manning. A lot of the Cowboys long passes took a long time and some scrambling to develop.
That was one of the most amazing NFL games I've ever seen.
posted by rcade at 11:26 AM on October 07, 2013
I don't think the Dallas O-line did a bad job Sunday. Romo was sacked four times
But it could've been more if not for Romo's Whodini act.
That was one of the most amazing NFL games I've ever seen
That it most definitely was. Great game. Bad ending.
And they need to run the ball more. They gave the ball to DeMarco Murray 12 times!!
/sorry I had to get that off my chest
posted by BornIcon at 12:27 PM on October 07, 2013
Romo's Whodini act.
I'd think you meant "Houdini" except Romo's career seems to follow the theme "Freaks come out at night".
posted by yerfatma at 01:44 PM on October 07, 2013
Dammit fatty! My rant doesn't have the same effect to it now that I have this on the brain.
posted by BornIcon at 02:01 PM on October 07, 2013
I'd fork over a modest sum to hear Ron Burgundy work through the pronunciation of "Whodini".
posted by beaverboard at 02:28 PM on October 07, 2013
Tony Romo's career, envisioned in one game. What a performance, only to be busted up by a pick in his own territory with a little over two minutes remaining.