One Simple Reason Why Tony Romo Should Start Over Dak Prescott

The Dallas Cowboys record moved to a sparkling 7-1 after dismantling the listless Cleveland Browns on Sunday. ‘Dem Boys have now won seven straight games, and currently have two game lead in the division and a 1.5 game lead on the entire NFC.

As the weeks and wins roll on, the demands from fans and media members alike for Jerry Jones and Jason Garrett leave Dak Prescott in as the starting quarterback once Tony Romo returns from injury have grown equally in number and volume. The oft-injured Romo broke a bone in his back in the preseason, resulting in his fourth round rookie understudy taking the reigns indefinitely. After dropping the first game of the season, Prescott has played masterfully. He’s won over fans, the locker room and even set an NFL record for most pass attempts without an interception by a rookie to start his career.

But Romo is nearing full strength and the Cowboys will have the decision of the decade on their hands. But the decision shouldn’t be that difficult.

Tony Romo should start for the Cowboys once he returns from injury. The reason is right in front of our faces, except everyone appears to be ignoring it.

People are convinced that upon his return, Romo will gun-sling the Cowboys out of contention, noting his ostensible propensity for turnovers, and in the process passively laying blame for Dallas’ past shortcomings on Romo’s ego. However in his last full season of action (15 games to be exact), Romo took a back seat to DeMarco Murray and the Dallas run game. The Cowboys ranked third in the NFL in rush attempts per contest, with Murray gliding to the NFL rushing title by nearly 500 yards!

This shift in Garrett’s offensive philosophy afforded Romo the opportunity to become far more efficient than ever before. He threw 34 touchdowns to only nine picks (fewest of his career when starting at least eight games). Romo also led the NFL in completion percentage, yards per attempt, quarterback rating and QBR. More importantly, the Cowboys went 12-3 in his 15 starts winning the NFC East, and if not for a highly questionable ruling by the officials, would’ve led Dallas to the NFC Championship game against a Seahawks team whom they had already beaten in Seattle several weeks earlier. Romo’s banner year was rewarded with a third-place finish in league MVP voting.

Amazingly, this was all less than two years ago. But to quote Sonny from A Bronx Tale, “Nobody cares.”

The primary reason Dak has been so successful is he’s executing Garrett’s plan from 2014— a blueprint Romo himself laid. The only difference is Romo did it better.

After dropping the season opener in 2016, Dak’s next seven games have looked like this:

After dropping the season opener in 2014, Romo’s next nine games as a starter looked like this:

Romo is a better passer than Dak Prescott (that much is indisputable), yet for the read option threat that’s lost with #9 under center, the Cowboys gain a much more dynamic aerial attack, one which maximizes the abilities of Dez Bryant. It’s hard to imagine how having the second-highest rated passer in league history (min. 100 starts) in your huddle is a bad thing.

This isn’t lobbying for Romo to return chucking it 40 times a game. This is a reminder that the last Romo we saw for an extended period was an economical one, and that player still exists. With Ezekiel Elliot playing the DeMarco Murray role, the Cowboys have successfully duplicated their 2014 season with a quarterback who proved in the preseason he was more than competent. Having a competent QB contingency plan was the only thing separating the Cowboys from advancement. It’s part of the reason I picked them to win the NFC East despite finishing in last place in 2015 (in fact, I wanted to pick the to reach the Super Bowl, but was scared off by the Romo injury and several negative preseason headlines).

Sidebar: Through eight games, Elliott has rushed for a league-leading 891 yards on 5.0 ypc and seven touchdowns. Through eight games in 2014, Murray rushed for a league-leading 1,054 on 5.1 ypc and seven touchdowns.

What we’re witnessing in Dallas is a reflection of how talented this team is from top to bottom. An offensive line whose dominance rivals that of the mid-’90s Cowboys. A three-down running back who made everyone forget about the decision not to resign DeMarco Murray. A veteran receiving corps that knows their position. An emerging and underrated defense. And an owner and head coach who have learned from past transgressions.

For those troubled by what a Romo return might do to team chemistry, know that chemistry was never an issue when Romo had the Cowboys winning 80% of his starts 22 months ago. Know that if anything, the locker room was more harmonious because the team’s walking time bomb that rocks #88 prefers the savvier pocket passer under center. Lastly, know that rookie quarterbacks don’t win Super Bowls.

In spite of the growing conviction to allow Dak Prescott to formally “Wally Pipp” the greatest statistical passer in franchise history, all that was ever required of Dak was keep the seat warm. We now know Prescott is the quarterback of the future. But with a back that’s finally healed, Tony Romo’s range of motion should allow him to turn, and hand the ball off as much as the Cowboys need.