Tony Romo: The Game Manager
DALLAS (105.3 THE FAN) -- Tony Romo is a game manager. Or, at least, that is what he should be.
When people refer to a quarterback as a 'game manager' in the NFL, they immediately draw comparisons to guys like Trent Dilfer and Alex Smith...Two particular players who, in large part, were incapable of winning a game on their own, but if given the proper defensive support, are more than capable of leading your team to a victory.
But perhaps 'game manager' should be defined in a different light...as a player whose skill set is best utilized through efficient, mid-range passing, combined with a limited number of mistakes. And not one who, albeit talented, is constantly over-exposed to the pressures of having to produce a victory with spectacularly aggressive, and ultimately risky, plays.
If you need some evidence to show just how dangerous Tony can be when precision and efficiency are the underlying emphasis of a game plan, consider these numbers in games that Romo has played from start to finish...
- When Romo passes at a clip of 70% of higher, the Cowboys are 24-8 (75% WP)
- When Romo failed to throw an INT, the Cowboys are 27-10 (72.9% WP)
- In 57 wins, Romo averaged 31 pass attempts per game.
- In 35 losses, Romo averaged 40 pass attempts per game.
- In games that Romo attempted 30 or fewer passes, the Cowboys are 27-5. Including 21-2 since November of 2007. And 8-0 since 2010.
Some people believe that Tony Romo is at his best when he has the freedom to improvise. While he does possess probably the quickest no-look spin move in all of professional football, the numbers suggest that Tony Romo is at his best when he mitigates his own risk. If the Cowboys can provide even a little bit of consistency in the running game, then Tony won't need to be a gun-slinger
And guess what? All he needs to be is a game manager.
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