With One Clutch Game, Tony Romo Will Transform Into The Guy Who Will Take Cowboys To Super Bowl

A few days ago I wrote a post about the game on Sunday night between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Jets in which I stated that Tony Romo blew the game.

I still stand by that, but after a few days of consideration I feel that Romo is very close to becoming one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL.

There are some quarterbacks that can have multiple bad games, but their defenses or other players on the team bail them out repeatedly.  Then, when the game is on the line, they deliver mightily and are thought of as great players.  Quarterbacks like Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger in their respective Super Bowls are examples of this.

Then there's those quarterbacks who have yet to show any clutch ability because they haven't yet come through in a huge way for their team.  They are the ones who are most remembered for their failures than any successes they might have had.  Tony Romo is one such quarterback.

Romo's biggest problem is simply being the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys.  It is one of these most visible and looked-at positions in sports.  He tends to get far too much of the blame when things go wrong in Dallas.  However, he's had to deal with things like Roy Williams, Terrell Owens, a terrible defense at times, a former head coach who was far too easy on his team, and many bad decisions in his personal life (although none criminal) that made him a paparazzi target.

I full expect Romo to arrive this year.  When I wrote the blog post comparing Romo's first five years as a quarterback to Drew Brees first five years, I realized that Romo was a lot better than I thought.  With the right players around him, and a defense that could actually stop opposing teams, Romo could finally begin to tap that potential.

When I watched him Sunday night, until the fourth quarter, I thought we were seeing that potential.  Against one of the best defenses in the NFL, Romo went 23-36 for 342 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and one fumble.  That's pretty good.

The mistakes he made in the fourth quarter that led to his fumble and then the interception were completely mental. They were also the moves of a quarterback that was trying to lead his team.  They weren't weak moves, or even desperate moves.  They were the wrong moves, but I'd rather have my quarterback try and fail than not try at all.

With the apparently improved defense, and a team that seems to believe in itself more, the Dallas Cowboys should be much better this year.  I believe that Tony Romo will bounce back from this rough first game, be the better for it, and go on to have a Pro Bowl year.  I actually think the Cowboys have a good chance at winning the NFC East this year, and Romo's prior struggles will serve him well going forward.

I also believe, that once he does have that really clutch game, it will transform him.  Guys that are successful all the time expect success, and that's one of the reason they continue to win.  Their mindset holds them on a course where they make the right decisions that result in wins.  Once he figures it out, Romo will be a top tier quarterback.

And no, Jerry Jones did not write this article.