If Tony Romo is available week eight, who is the starting quarterback?
In a room full of Dallas Cowboys fans yesterday, I heard this question arise and spark intense discussion. The casual fan seemed to be convinced Dak Prescott should not hand over the job. Then, the Romo supporters weighed in.
As Prescott has stated, this is still Romo's team. I tend to agree.
In the coming weeks, I fully expect to hear all sides of the argument. A lot of it, of course, depends on the record of the team over the course of the next four games. With Chicago, San Francisco, Cincinnati, and then Green Bay on the schedule, a record of 3-3 is realistic. 4-2 is optimistic.
If the team is in fact 5-1, and Prescott is continuing to develop and improve, then a conversation can be had. But overall, it depends on the play of Prescott.
He has executed the team's game plan thus far this season. Limit mistakes, manage the game, and throw to the right guy. But as a rookie, his potential still seems slightly bottled up. Until he displays some consistent production on passes over 20 yards, I'm convinced Tony Romo is still the better option.
Not to say that it won't come in due time however.
Either way, this story line will dominate headlines in the coming weeks. Proponents of Prescott will say he has done enough to keep rolling with him. Others will say there is no sense in disrupting team chemistry and stunting his growth by going with the injury prone Romo.
Besides the outside noise this quarterback “controversy” will bring, this is actually a good problem to have. I see no damage in going back to Romo. Sure he'll be rusty at first, but he is still the better option. Tony Romo can stretch the field and help open up the run. He can make plays and throws that only a select number of starters can make in this league.
I also don't buy the chemistry argument. Romo has played for years with everyone on this offense, minus some of the running backs. Also, if Dak Prescott came in week one on short notice and looked poised, who's to say he won't if Romo gets hurt again.
If he gets injured again, the team goes back to the rookie, who has shown poise and promise. No harm, no foul. I don't buy into this hurting the team in any way, even though I suspect many will suggest otherwise. Tony Romo deserves another shot, knowing all too well, this could be his last.
For the first time in the decade plus Romo era, Dallas finally has something here in Prescott. Instead of putting a negative spin on things, fans need to just be happy with the situation and realize just how nice it is to be in this spot. It is officially a good problem to have.
This is Tony Romo's team, but Dak Prescott knows it can be his too.
If Romo goes down again, I'll cringe, yell, and feel horrible for a guy who just doesn't want to hang it up. But I won't mope. Instead, I'll get right back up and cheer for Prescott.
