The more things change, the more they stay the same for Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys. Drops by Dez Bryant, plenty of INTs by Romo, and stout defense by the Bears all equal a scathing 34-18 Dallas Cowboys loss to the Chicago Bears.
There is very little to say that can be positive for this game. The defense allowed 20 points, albeit 7 in garbage time, and the inept offense continued, as Tony Romo threw 5 INTS, more than he had all season to date. Two of those picks got returned for 6 to account for the other 14 Bears points.
This start to the season for the Cowboys is very, very troubling. Romo now has more INTs on the season (8) than TD passes (5), the receivers can’t seem to hang on to the ball, and the running game is failing, despite the fact that the defense is trying to keep the Cowboys in games. But the defense can’t do it all if the offense isn’t getting off the bus.
This was the worst played game of the season for the Cowboys. By far. At least in Seattle, they were outplayed. But they were pretty evenly matched with the Bears, and they still got walloped. There is no excuse for this performance, and I am tired of hearing all of the Romo cliches about needing to get better. That is said by him all the time, but nobody gets better. Everyone continues to make the same mistakes, with no repercussions in practice or discipline for those mistakes by the coaching staff. This team IS vanilla. This team IS soft.
Blow this thing up. Bench Romo, and put in Orton. There is nothing to lose by doing it. With 4 of the next 5 games on the road, most of which will be losses anyway, it’ll at least be good to see what Orton has to offer. Thank goodness that this next week is the bye week. I don’t think I can handle further offensive ineptitiude by the Cowboys.
Tony Romo was the old turnover-prone version of himself on Monday night, throwing 5 INTs in the 34-18 thrashing by the Bears.
Romo clearly is not the answer, and if Jerry Jones still can’t see that, then it’s time for him to step down as GM, and maybe even as owner. Romo should be glad contract talks ended, and I wouldn’t consider re-opening them if I’m Jerry Jones.
There is a lot of work that needs to be done during this bye week. There needs to be accountability. Instead of generic cliche answers during press conferences, I want to see Romo call out players who aren’t stepping up (i.e. Dez Bryant), and I want him to take accountability for his own play as well.
No more excuses. This was put up or shut up week for the Cowboys, and they clearly didn’t put up. All Cowboys fans should be angry over this result. There is a clear decline with this team, having their best game in the opener against the Giants, and getting worse since then. The only reason they are 2-2 and not 1-3 is that the Tampa Bay Bucs are still too young and inexperienced to have been able to pull off the win last week.
Probably the most disappointing thing about this loss though was that the offensive line finally played well, not allowing a sack, and even though Romo scrambled alot, he was barely touched by Bears defenders. Romo should have been able to capitalize on that. It is also of note to mention that prior to this game Romo had 12 TDs and 0 INTs since 2010 when scrambling out of the pocket. Add one more TD to that, but add 3 INTs, as 3 of his 5 came when he scrambled out of the pocket. Also, Witten didn’t drop any passes, so that was also a positive.
The Cowboys are now 14-12 at home since the opening of Cowboys Stadium in 2009. Mediocrity breeds mediocrity. This team cannot seem to win at home, and with all the Bears fans that were at this game, it was disheartening. And don’t expect the Cowboys to win anytime soon. Their upcoming schedule after the bye is as follows:
@ Baltimore
@ Carolina
vs Giants
@ Atlanta
@ Philadelphia
I see one, maybe two wins in that. The Cowboys have shown that they cannot beat teams with superior defenses (Seattle and Chicago), so I don’t see them winning in Baltimore after the bye. They have never beaten the Giants at home since the opening of the new stadium, and with their mediocre play at home since then, I don’t expect the Cowboys to sweep the Giants. Atlanta is nearly unstoppable this season, especially at home. That leaves Carolina as a win, and maybe (a BIG maybe) Philadelphia, depending on which Michael Vick the Cowboys defense gets to face.
I hope I am wrong, but I don’t think I am. That’s why this bye may be the most important in recent Cowboys memory. It gives them the opportunity to right the ship, be accountable, and finally get some results.
Because it’s now the same old Cowboys, and it doesn’t get easier going forward.
About Mariner Eccles
I completely agree. Jones needs to quit being positive. They stunk before and they stink now. Keep it up and no one will be buying Victoria Secrets at the ballpark because no one will be there. I have been a loyal Cowboys fan for over 30 years, if no changes are made I may reconsider and start playing marbles. It would be more entertaining.
Okay enough ranting… Lose Romo, Dez and every other overpaid athlete and start over. Losing Garrett would be great too. Folks if your holding hope for this year I would lose it fast.
I completely agree with this article! In fact, to FIND this article I simply typed into Google search what was on my mind — “same old Romo” — and Bingo, I am here!
I was an early fan of Tony and posted over and over in Cowboys forums that Drew Bledsoe did not bring enough advantages (that were not outweighed by his poor play) to keep him the QB of the Cowboys. I urged over and over for the Cowboys to simply bench Bledsoe and push Romo into the games, experienced or not. LET Romo get “on field” experience, he could not do any worse than Bledsoe. We were going to lose too many games with Bledsoe to salvage the season anyway!
So, years down the road I see rookie QB’s such as RG III in the same division getting wins right away! He just keeps GOING and Romo just keeps failing.
It has been season after season of trying to get just the right receivers, tight ends, running backs to COMPLEMENT THE UNIQUE GIFTS OF ROMO.
Every season it is the same old refrain: We “just” need to get better, we just need to get more “Romo friendly”.
What I saw Tuesday was just what I saw last year, the year before, the year before, …
Romo cannot string two dominant consecutive winning games together to save his life or the franchise. He is the yoyo of QB’s who is NEVER “on the same page” with his receivers.
Romo quickly falls apart for 3, 4, 5 consecutive downs of 3-and-punt IF he is not simply delivering it to the opponent’s defensive ends, safeties, or corner backs.
What we are SEEING is the whole truth and nothing but the TRUTH, this IS ALL that Tony Romo will ever be or CAN BE!
Tony Romo is DECLINING… pure and simple. He was a better “winner” just a season or two after his starting status than he is now! And he did not get the Cowboys into must post-season action then!
How many games have we lost over the past decade where Romo just cannot buy a touchdown offensive series after series? Games where the Tony was more consistently flubbing and losing games than winning them? Games where the Cowboys did not score through whole halves and then three-quarters?
What I saw was such a familiar Cowboy Pattern. 3-and-punt, 3-and-punt, 3-and punt, send out the defense, send out the defense …. This is a ROMO pattern.
Give it to Orton! RG III was in our backyard. We need to get the QB of the near future!
Tony Romo is NOT going any farther, the evidence is conclusively IN!
The 5 interceptions on Romo are a misleading personal stat. Only two of those five, at the most, are really on him. Two is still a lot, but definitely not as bar as five. What the team neads is a REAL headcoaching change, like bringing back Jimmy J or somebody like him.