Archer: Tony Romo close to 100 percent

[Cotton]

Tony Romo close to 100 percent
September, 29, 2014

By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo isn’t ready to say he is 100 percent.

“I think I am getting close,” Romo said after the Cowboys’ 38-17 win against the New Orleans Saints.

Whatever the percentage is, Romo is feeling much better than he did in the first two weeks of the regular season. He has altered his practiced schedule the last two weeks, taking off Wednesday’s workouts to focus on strengthening his core and legs.

In the last two games Romo has completed 40 of 52 passes for 479 yards with five touchdowns and just one interception.

“I think it’s always going to be there. You’re going to have to constantly work on your back, but that doesn’t mean you can’t come back and be what you were,” Romo said. “I think that is part of being a great football player. That is what I’m trying to do and that is what I am going to have to do to be successful.”

For the second straight game, Romo’s legs were a big part of the story. On third and 5 from the New Orleans 49, Romo scrambled for a career-long 21-yard pickup. On the next play DeMarco Murray scored on a 28-yard run to give the Cowboys a 31-3 lead.

“Sometimes they play coverage where they play two-deep guys and man underneath,” coach Jason Garrett said. “Tony had really good awareness recognizing that all the underneath guys had their back to him, so he has to kind of pick his way through the rush, find a lane and run.”

In the Week 3 win against the St. Louis Rams, Romo ran 16 yards on third-and-13 on the Cowboys’ go-ahead drive in the fourth quarter.

Sunday’s run was not even in Romo’s thought process in the first two games.

“I don’t know that I would have attempted it to tell the truth,” Romo said. “I wasn’t in position to feel like I do now. You’re trying to manage the game instead of just going out and doing it. That’s the difference from Week 1 to now.”

 

[ravidubey]

In hindsight I'll bet they all wish they had gotten Romo more preseason work.

That's a very hard call to make in an organization structure like this with everyone worried about being held responsible for possibly re-injuring the back (Romo included) and not only ruining the season but also Jerry's biggest contract.

 

[mcnuttz]

In hindsight I'll bet they all wish they had gotten Romo more preseason work.

That's a very hard call to make in an organization structure like this with everyone worried about being held responsible for possibly re-injuring the back (Romo included) and not only ruining the season but also Jerry's biggest contract.

I suggested something in jest a couple weeks back, but it looks like it could work out this way.

Romo usually performs fine in training camp, preseason, and then comes firing out the gate at the beginning of the season.

It's the end of the year where he seems to give out.

So now he's basically in training camp mode, October will be preseason month, and he'll be hitting his stride fresh and ready for a Super Bowl run.

Point, Jerry.

 

[lostxn]

In hindsight I'll bet they all wish they had gotten Romo more preseason work.

That's a very hard call to make in an organization structure like this with everyone worried about being held responsible for possibly re-injuring the back (Romo included) and not only ruining the season but also Jerry's biggest contract.

I think they brought him along as fast as his back would allow. I think he's still healing from that surgery.

 

[L.T. Fan]

In hindsight I'll bet they all wish they had gotten Romo more preseason work.

That's a very hard call to make in an organization structure like this with everyone worried about being held responsible for possibly re-injuring the back (Romo included) and not only ruining the season but also Jerry's biggest contract.

Some of us felt that Romo would work back to his normal performance in time. We revered to his condition as rust.

 

[L.T. Fan]

I think they brought him along as fast as his back would allow. I think he's still healing from that surgery.

That's part of it, the physical part is the thing that can be evaluated and administered within reasonable limits. The mental part is the area that is difficult. You have to have enough confidence that you are okay physically before that process can begin. It appears that Romo has about got there. After last night his confidence level has appreciated greatly.