Dallas Cowboys: The Playoff Conundrum of Tony Romo

The Dallas Cowboys and quarterback Tony Romo are designed to win now. Can Romo remain healthy and lead the Cowboys back into the playoffs and possibly their first Super Bowl appearance since 1995?

A 2-4 record and no conference championship appearances. That’s the postseason record of one, Tony Romo, of “America’s Team,” the Dallas Cowboys.

The oft-injured Romo has entered the back end of his career and although he holds a majority of the passing records for a franchise that has had its fair share of Hall of Fame quarterback play (Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman), Romo hasn’t quite lived up to the bit.

Romo is arguably one of the most valuable players in this league, and no question the most valuable to the Cowboys. The Cowboys owned a 3-1 record with Romo in the lineup and were 1-11 without him. The term “Most Valuable Player” is still being interpreted properly, and one can argue, that Tony Romo is the most valuable player.

The Cowboys are 7-20 without Romo under center since he became the starter back in 2006. He holds the team’s all-time records for all-time passing yards, passer rating and passing touchdowns, so for him not to win a Super Bowl and cement his legacy among the Cowboys greats would be somewhat of a travesty.

So what are we getting at here? The problem is, Romo is always injured.

ARLINGTON, TX – OCTOBER 11: Quarterback Tony Romo /

In 2014, finishing the season 12-4, and an NFC East title, they were locked and loaded (with now Tennessee Titans running back) with the NFL rushing champ, DeMarco Murray and elite Pro Bowl wide receiver, Dez Bryant (and also an offensive line that is tier one in the NFL) that fell short against the Green Bay Packers, 26-21 on a controversial call on a Dez Bryant‘s catch-or-no-catch.

Although he did not play 16 games, 2014 was relatively (serious) injury free for Romo. Dallas had a monumental chance to reach the Super Bowl with such a high powered offense until they collapsed against the Packers who knocked Dallas out of the playoffs.

Prior to the 2014 devastating loss was in 2007, when the New York Giants defeated the ‘Boys in Dallas 21-17 to end Romo and the Cowboys season in a brutally painful home playoff loss to a division rival. Both losses were brutal.

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The question now is can the Dallas Cowboys withstand a mediocre NFC East division and find similar success they forged in 2014? The offense has two of the three pieces from that team in Romo and Bryant, but DeMarco Murray will soon be two seasons removed, now the featured back for the Tennessee Titans.

I feel like Dallas may have added a potentially huge offensive piece this off season but the name escapes me…..

Oh yeah, that’s right! The NFL Draft happened and somehow the best running back prospect in possibly a decade fell into their laps with the fourth overall pick – and with that selection they took Ezekiel Elliott out of The Ohio State University.

With a younger, aggressive back in Elliott, it’s almost as if they reversed time on a position that certainly does have a clock on it. Elliott will most certainly boost the running attack and add a scary threat out of the backfield.

As far a comparing quarterback legacies go for the Cowboys, Romo is third on the list behind Hall of Famers Staubach and Aikman.

Staubach was two time Super Bowl champion (VI, XII) including MVP of VI, and was a six time Pro Bowler (1971, 1975-79). Aikman was a three time Super Bowl champion (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX) including Super Bowl MVP of XXVIII and six time Pro Bowler (1991-96).

Romo is currently a four time Pro Bowler (2006, 2007, 2009, 2014) and coincidentally, all years the Cowboys made the playoffs.

With still has a few (healthy) years to catch and compare to the Pro Bowl selections of Staubach and Aikman, Romo does however, (for accolade purposes) hold the most important records for the franchise in respect to career passing records, but none of it will have him leap above either legendary quarterback without at least one Super Bowl title to his name.

Romo still has some years left in that often surgically repaired body of his, and for that gun slinging right arm. It would be quite a fulfilling legacy for Romo who was undrafted and clearly not highly thought of coming into the league.

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He has been one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the last ten years and a perennial Pro Bowler.

If Romo does not at least get to, let alone win a Super Bowl, he may go down as one of the leagues most valuable players to never win one.

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