When the Dallas Cowboys rolled into Lambeau last Sunday, many thought they’d see the Packers walk away with the victory. The Cowboys had other plans, though, and finished the game, 30-16 while the Packers continued to struggle. While the Cowboys might not be the NFC favorites just yet, the team is already doing better than they ever could have expected without Tony Romo.
Romo has been the Cowboys starting quarterback since 2006. His legacy for Cowboys fans has been cemented but lately, he has been on a slow decline. Romo has sustained injuries constantly especially last season that have continued to keep him off the field. His health has always been the number one priority for the club, but as much as I hate to say it, the Cowboys have to be realistic here.
Romo doesn’t really travel outside of the pocket and if he does, there’s obviously a huge chance of him getting sacked. While the offensive line is stellar, sometimes they do miss the mark. Actually, the reason why Romo got injured last year was because the pocket collapsed during the Eagles game and Romo was sacked, leading to a collarbone injury. He sustained a shoulder injury against the Carolina Panthers later that season and wouldn’t take the field for the remainder of the season. During a preseason game, Romo was injured and said to be sidelined for 6-10 weeks which has now turned into an open timetable.
Romo is pretty susceptible to turnovers and interceptions which Dak Prescott has kept at bay thus far. During the four games he played last season, Romo threw five touchdowns to seven interceptions. In Prescott’s first four games, he threw three touchdowns. In terms of pass attempts, Romo was 83 for 121 and Prescott was 89 for 131 which are almost identical stats. The only stat that’s really telling is interceptions because Prescott has limited his while Romo is known for turnovers that ultimately have cost the team games.
Last week, Jerry Jones assured everyone that Tony is the guy in Dallas but now the tune has started to change. Â Coach Garrett announced that Dak will be their starting quarterback against the Philadelphia Eagles after the BYE. Â That game was already going to be big game, especially if Romo played, but maybe actually be even more exciting with Dak playing. Bring on the Prescott-Wentz comparisons again…well not really.
If the Cowboys continue on this path with Prescott, then they might want to rethink the structure of the team. I’m not saying get rid of the older guys but right now, Dallas is a relatively young team. Dak Prescott is 23, Ezekiel Elliott is 21 and most of the offense is under 30 minus Jason Witten and Tony Romo. At age 34, Witten is still as consistent as ever but moves a lot slower than he used to which isn’t always great especially for making first downs. Â Romo is 36 and obviously an injury magnet, but the one thing Romo has is experience which Dak does not.
If the Cowboys do decide to change up the team and build around their younger players, then some trading might be in order. The one person I’m surprised the Cowboys haven’t dealt is Darren McFadden because he’s an aging running back with an injury-plagued history. Plus he has yet to play a snap this season despite rushing for over 1,000 yards this season. Regardless of what the Cowboys decide to do, Dak Prescott is their future right now and they should try to bank on that.
If the Cowboys go back to Romo, then it might only be temporary depending on his performance. No matter what Coach Garrett decides, it’s clear the Cowboys are working on their future now and everyone else needs to step up. If not, then they might be left behind.
Jeffrey Henderson II contributed to this article.Â
