Romo might not be the answer

I've defended Tony for a long time now. I've always thought he was talented, more talented in fact, than a majority of the quarterbacks in the league and certainly more than any in the NFC East. I've cited his progress and statistics as the bases for my arguments. Now, however, I think I am nearing the end of the road of patience for Romo. I've never appreciated his silly smirks that he makes when he screws up and I've always wanted him to assert more leadership but I figured that  as he progressed into an elite quarterback the leadership would follow. We are now 5 years into the Tony Romo era and he has not  progressed over the proverbial hump into an elite quarterback. Statistics don't mean too much when the endgame is always failure.

He has consistently proven that he can rack up huge numbers but let us not forget that the talent that has surrounded him throughout his career is much better than most teams in the NFL. At times he can make phenomenal plays and often proves his critics wrong but this season he has done everything he can to prove them right. I thought getting his first playoff victory last year would be the final piece to the puzzle but he seems to have regressed. He is throwing silly interceptions as if his ability to read coverages has diminished. He has failed to raise his team to the level of intensity that is needed with the adversity they are constantly facing. As a quarterback it is your job to dictate the way your offense plays. If your backs are against the wall (which the Cowboys backs have been against the entire season) then you must lead them forward with composure, assertiveness and confidence.

Romo has yet to take control of his team and he probably never will. I don't see the Cowboys replacing Romo as their quarterback any time soon but it is certainly feasible that Romo is never going to be the great Quarterback that he was touted to be. He has all the Cowboys passing records but he has not brought this team even close to sniffing a ring. Troy Aikman's passing numbers at times may seem pedestrian to Romo's but I'll tell you one thing; that guy won and won when it counted.