OK, OK, OK, the Romo vs. Eli Manning debate has certainly run its course and become utterly-nauseating at this juncture. Lordy, lordy, lordy when does Camp start? Regardless of who you're taking, the Owner of two Championship rings or the owner of a nice backswing, fade and draw, let's get on down to the culprits who brought Romo to the forefront in the first place.
For you NFL pundits and devout Cowboys' fans that have a memory stuffed with amnesia, the responsible parties were both Saints' exiled Head Coach Sean Peyton and HOF one-of-these-days Bill Parcells. Yup, the decision-makers behind the Eastern Illinois University Free Agent pick-up. Pedigree? Not so much. Potential? By the boatloads. Some times you step to the table, push all the chips to the middle, and let it ride. When the rest of the NFL World was saying, "Excuse me?" Parcells and Bounty Boy said time and tutledge will be the determining factors, and when The Big Tuna had seen enough from Drew Bledsoe, it was time to tell the Pit Boss, "We're going with the Relegated Risk."
Now that revisionist history tells us how it started, let's jump ahead and see how it ended. No, #9 continues to toil under Center for Dallas, but when The Tuna swam to South Beach, he did leave behind a list of suggested Romo Do's and Don'ts. Does anyone remember this? If not, I believe it "high time" to revisit Big Bill's Words of Wisdom.
As he cleaned out his desk, he also cleared his mind of "must's" as it related to the QB he was leaving behind who he truly thought had the chance and ability to win it all. If. If he could follow a few simple rules. So he left behind a compilation, presumably for Romo's benefit and knowledge, and the rumors persist that Romo still has the fish wrap hanging in his locker. And this is what the Ball Coach had to say:
Quarterback commandments:
1. Ignore other opinions – Press or TV, agents or advisors, family or wives, friends or relatives, fans or hangers on – ignore them on matters of football, they don’t know what’s happening here.
2. Clowns can’t run a huddle – don’t forget to have fun but don’t be the class clown. Clowns and leaders don’t mix. Clowns can’t run a huddle.
3. Fat QBs can’t avoid the rush – A quarterback throws with his legs more than his arm. Squat and run.
4. Know your job cold – this is not a game without errors. Keep yours to a minimum. Study.
5. Know your own players – Who’s fast? Who can catch? Who needs encouragement? Be precise. Know your opponent.
6. Be the same guy every day – in condition. Preparing to lead. Studying your plan. A coach can’t prepare you for every eventuality. Prepare yourself and remember, impulse decisions usually equal mistakes.
7. Throwing the ball away is a good play – sacks, interceptions and fumbles are bad plays. Protect against those.
8. Learn to manage the game – personnel, play call, motions, ball handling, proper reads, accurate throws, play fakes. Clock. Clock. Clock. Don’t you ever lose track of the clock.
9. Get your team in the end zone – passing stats and TD passes are not how you’re going to be judged. Your job is to get your team in the end zone and that is how you will be judged.
10. Don’t panic – when all around you is in chaos, you must be the hand that steers the ship. If you have a panic button so will everyone else. Our ship can’t have a panic button.
11. Don’t be a celebrity QB – we don’t need any of those. We need battlefield commanders that are willing to fight it out, every day, every week and every season and lead their team to win after win after win.
OK, all you Teachers and Arm-Chair QB's out there, how would you like to go about scoring this? Point by point, Benefit of the Doubt or Pass/Fail? For sake of time, space and your sanity, let's choose the latter of the three. With Writer getting to play Judge and Jury and simply wait for your opinions, here you go: 1. Pass 2. Pass 3. Pass ......straight "A" student so far, 4. Whoops, incomplete and leaning the wrong way 5. Rebound, pass 6. Whoa, slam on the brakes...FAIL 7. Does Romo's locker copy contain "White Out?".....FAILING, miserably 8. See #7, Fail 9. Fail, fail, fail.....stats are nothing without the post season 10. This would be the classic 25 step drop 11. Not a complete failure, but teetering Big Time.
As tends to be the season as a whole for Romo, fast and accurate starter, sub-standard finisher. Seems to think each year contains 11 months and 11 months only. Tony, the annual outings do not end after Thanksgiving!!! Winners close, and they close with a vengence. When will we see December enter your venacular? Can we add a 12th point to the Parcells' Magna Carta? Please. Momentum is vital. Backing into anything is not fun. Well, maybe not everything, but you get the point, right?
What are you two pondering? What was? What is? What will be? There are so many similarities here, but we have no time to chronicle them. Difference(s)? One has done it, and the other only, to date, dreams it. Will the intestinal fortitude to play out the entire slate, regardless of gaudy numbers, ever surface? The "Jerry Window," like it or not, is slowly closing. Fling that damn thing wide open, Tony, and prove all the naysayers wrong. If you can't feel Kyle Orton's breath on your neck, it tells us all we need to know. He and Bill Callahan are here for one reason, and one reason only, to give you the very best chance to put it all to rest.
You have a job to do.......NOW GO DO IT!!!
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