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Cowlishaw: The most important throw of Tony Romo's career shows he's no longer playoff liability
ARLINGTON — Through it all, even in the worst moments when his team was falling behind by two touchdowns and when he was taking more than he has endured in more than two years, Tony Romo kept his eyes on the prize.
Don’t give them anything to let this game get out of reach.
That’s what Romo told himself when the score was 14-0 Detroit at the end of the first quarter. It’s what he kept reminding himself after another sack and a missed field goal squandered a wonderful scoring chance in the third quarter.
And he never did.
Romo got knocked around just like his team did Sunday afternoon at AT&T Stadium. But on the game’s last meaningful snap, it was Highland Park’s Matthew Stafford taking a fourth-down sack and fumbling the Lions’ upset hopes away in a 24-20 Cowboys victory.
Yes, the Cowboys are still alive. Yes, Dallas is going back to Green Bay for the first time in the postseason since the infamous Ice Bowl in 1967.
And, yes, Romo was the winning quarterback Sunday because even while being sacked six times (he fumbled on one, but Cole Beasley recovered), he never turned the ball over while Stafford did three times.
Romo said he even threw balls at receivers’ feet to avoid the risk of interceptions.
“I felt like if we didn’t give them the ball,” Romo said, “they could never run away.”
The Lions led by 14 after one, by 10 at halftime and by six after three quarters. The Cowboys didn’t take their first lead until Romo guided the team 59 yards for a touchdown — an 8-yard, third-down, back-of-the-end zone toss to Terrance Williams.
It was Romo’s second touchdown pass of the day, and both went to Williams. The Lions kept Dez Bryant bottled up for most of the game. He got loose on a short crossing route for a 43-yard gain to produce almost all of his yards (three catches, 48 yards).
But there was no more important throw on this day — actually Romo has never had a bigger one in his career — than a 21-yard pass on a curl route to tight end Jason Witten on a fourth-and-6 at the Lions’ 42 with six minutes to play.
“You can punt there and try to get a stop,” Garrett said. “But I’ve got a lot of belief in the quarterback and the weapons around him.”
On the previous possession, the Lions had decided to punt on a fourth-and-1 at the Dallas 46. Coach Jim Caldwell either lacked faith in his offense or had too much belief in his defense, and the Lions — after failing to draw the Cowboys offsides — punted. In fact, Sam Martin punted all of 10 yards to give Dallas great field position for the winning touchdown drive.
The Lions kept the pressure on Romo as they had most of the afternoon, but even he knew things were getting a little easier in the fourth quarter. “Ultimately, people do get a little bit tired,” he said.
So the Cowboys kept grinding, converting the fourth-and-6 with the pass to Witten, converting a third-and-7 on a defensive holding call. They kept moving until on one last third-and-8, Romo bought time in the pocket, got a nice block from Tyron Smith to keep the Lions fiercest pass rusher, Ezekial Ansah, from securing a seventh Detroit sack and then hit Williams at the edge of the end zone.
“In critical moments, sometimes you just gotta do it,” Garrett said. “I think Tony just did a fantastic job. You’ve heard me say this a lot; he’s about the most physically and mentally tough guy I’ve been around, and he demonstrated that today.”
Romo is 2-3 now as a playoff quarterback but he didn’t want to dig too deeply in the memory banks to reflect on the other victory against Philadelphia five years ago. In fact, with the Lions in his face so much of the day, Romo said, “This felt eerily similar to the ’09 game against the Vikings.”
That, of course, was the playoff game after the win over the Eagles and the only other time in the postseason that Romo took six sacks.
We don’t know what comes after Sunday’s win other than a trip to Green Bay. We do know that the Cowboys’ quarterback position is not a hot topic as a playoff liability any more.
ARLINGTON — Through it all, even in the worst moments when his team was falling behind by two touchdowns and when he was taking more than he has endured in more than two years, Tony Romo kept his eyes on the prize.
Don’t give them anything to let this game get out of reach.
That’s what Romo told himself when the score was 14-0 Detroit at the end of the first quarter. It’s what he kept reminding himself after another sack and a missed field goal squandered a wonderful scoring chance in the third quarter.
And he never did.
Romo got knocked around just like his team did Sunday afternoon at AT&T Stadium. But on the game’s last meaningful snap, it was Highland Park’s Matthew Stafford taking a fourth-down sack and fumbling the Lions’ upset hopes away in a 24-20 Cowboys victory.
Yes, the Cowboys are still alive. Yes, Dallas is going back to Green Bay for the first time in the postseason since the infamous Ice Bowl in 1967.
And, yes, Romo was the winning quarterback Sunday because even while being sacked six times (he fumbled on one, but Cole Beasley recovered), he never turned the ball over while Stafford did three times.
Romo said he even threw balls at receivers’ feet to avoid the risk of interceptions.
“I felt like if we didn’t give them the ball,” Romo said, “they could never run away.”
The Lions led by 14 after one, by 10 at halftime and by six after three quarters. The Cowboys didn’t take their first lead until Romo guided the team 59 yards for a touchdown — an 8-yard, third-down, back-of-the-end zone toss to Terrance Williams.
It was Romo’s second touchdown pass of the day, and both went to Williams. The Lions kept Dez Bryant bottled up for most of the game. He got loose on a short crossing route for a 43-yard gain to produce almost all of his yards (three catches, 48 yards).
But there was no more important throw on this day — actually Romo has never had a bigger one in his career — than a 21-yard pass on a curl route to tight end Jason Witten on a fourth-and-6 at the Lions’ 42 with six minutes to play.
“You can punt there and try to get a stop,” Garrett said. “But I’ve got a lot of belief in the quarterback and the weapons around him.”
On the previous possession, the Lions had decided to punt on a fourth-and-1 at the Dallas 46. Coach Jim Caldwell either lacked faith in his offense or had too much belief in his defense, and the Lions — after failing to draw the Cowboys offsides — punted. In fact, Sam Martin punted all of 10 yards to give Dallas great field position for the winning touchdown drive.
The Lions kept the pressure on Romo as they had most of the afternoon, but even he knew things were getting a little easier in the fourth quarter. “Ultimately, people do get a little bit tired,” he said.
So the Cowboys kept grinding, converting the fourth-and-6 with the pass to Witten, converting a third-and-7 on a defensive holding call. They kept moving until on one last third-and-8, Romo bought time in the pocket, got a nice block from Tyron Smith to keep the Lions fiercest pass rusher, Ezekial Ansah, from securing a seventh Detroit sack and then hit Williams at the edge of the end zone.
“In critical moments, sometimes you just gotta do it,” Garrett said. “I think Tony just did a fantastic job. You’ve heard me say this a lot; he’s about the most physically and mentally tough guy I’ve been around, and he demonstrated that today.”
Romo is 2-3 now as a playoff quarterback but he didn’t want to dig too deeply in the memory banks to reflect on the other victory against Philadelphia five years ago. In fact, with the Lions in his face so much of the day, Romo said, “This felt eerily similar to the ’09 game against the Vikings.”
That, of course, was the playoff game after the win over the Eagles and the only other time in the postseason that Romo took six sacks.
We don’t know what comes after Sunday’s win other than a trip to Green Bay. We do know that the Cowboys’ quarterback position is not a hot topic as a playoff liability any more.
