As analysts were debating the severity of his injury and bracing fans for a significant visit from the Jon Kitna show Tony Romo reappeared on the Cowboys sideline at the end of the third quarter.
It has been a long week for Romo. Rarely spared from media criticism The QB was Taking a great deal of heat for his inability to close out the Jets (despite the fact that it took a well designed special teams play and a fortunate blocked punt for the Jets to lead).
We all very quickly forgot the 350 yards Romo posted against the league’s top secondary (ask Luke McCown who managed 59 yards and 4 picks against them today… I know it’s like comparing prime rib to cat food, but it’s still a dominant performance) and are ready to lambast him for failing in crunch time.
Romo plays it all off. He’s not bothered, he’ll play his game, mr even keel, but, perhaps he pays more attention than he let’s on, perhaps it was the motivation Romo needed to return to the game despite a cracked rib and prove the naysayers wrong.
And, that he did. Against a San Francisco defense that played well in week 1, posted a solid first half, and plucked 2 Kitna passes out of the air in less than a quarter; Romo posted an outstanding quarter plus of action.
From hitting Miles Austin through a tight window to bring the game within 3, to setting up the tying field goal on his next drive, to going 11/14 in the final frame Romo was the definition of clutch for the Cowboys who couldn’t have afforded to go 0/2 any more than Romo could have.
And then there was OT. While it was likely a scripted play, Romo continued to play the part of franchise quarterback, preparing Jesse Holly on the sideline to be ready, as the receiver hadn’t caught a professional pass in 4 years coming into the day, to properly baiting the 49ers defense before floating in a strike to his outstretched hands behind the aecondary.
Admittedly, The win comes against an inferior team, but Romo apologists (of which I am one) will revel in it, while haters must admit, this week at least, Romo got it done when t counted.