Greatness in football is best defined not by the ability to outhit or outrun or even outthink, but by resiliency — the ability to get back up after absorbing a blow that would debilitate others.
And so the teams in the NFC East this season could be separated by their resiliency.
The Eagles will go as far as Donovan McNabb can take them in his comeback from a serious knee injury. The Redskins will be able to play with anyone if Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs can figure out what he has been doing wrong and rebound from a miserable season. The Giants could be a surprise team if they can bounce back from losing Tiki Barber, who accounted for a greater percentage of his team’s yards from scrimmage than all but two other players in the NFL last season.
And then there are the Cowboys. Tony Romo’s team.
Last we saw Romo (not counting when he was escorting songbird Carrie Underwood or judging the Miss Universe pageant), he was fighting back tears in Seattle after mishandling a perfect snap for what would have been an easy 19-yard field-goal attempt by Martin Gramatica. The mistake cost the Cowboys a playoff victory and an opportunity to play the Bears in the second round, and ultimately set the wheels in motion for coach Bill Parcells to retire.
That was how the fairy-tale season ended for Romo. The year had been a trip through wonderland for the undrafted free agent from Eastern Illinois. After three seasons on the fringes of the Cowboys’ roster, Romo became a cult hero in Dallas, prompting fans to call themselves “Romosexuals” and Parcells to call him, “my little renegade.”
He led the NFL in yards per attempt, led the NFC in completion percentage and earned a Pro Bowl berth. He even sang “Don’t Stop Believing” on YouTube with Metal Skool and found comfort in the arms of Jessica Simpson after she split with Nick Lachey.
Perhaps she provided some wisdom on the art of the rebound.
Romo seems to have a healthy perspective on all that has happened.
“Really, I knew I would be OK,” Romo said. “I felt for my teammates, the organization and the fans. … I knew it would take time. But I’m an upbeat guy. I always look at the glass half-full. Where my faith is, I always figured if that’s the worst thing that happens to me in my life then I’ve lived a pretty good life.”
Initially, friends were somber with Romo, treating him almost as if he had lost a loved one instead of a game. He received keep-your-chin-up phone calls from Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman and even Terrell Owens. Some of his teammates might have felt worse for Romo than they did about losing the game and having their season end. But those days are past.
Now, the fumble is the subject of levity in the locker room. Said tight end Jason Witten: “A couple of guys joked he has a new job — dropping the ball on New Year’s Eve.”
Romo isn’t trying to forget what happened that day in Seattle. He’s trying to use it to make him better.
“It shows your character how you respond to something like that,” he said. “It can spur you on to work a little harder with a chip on your shoulder. This off-season you think about that from time to time when you’re sweating your butt off and you don’t really want to go any longer.”
Room for improvement surely exists in the 27-year-old’s game. In his first five starts, he had a 115 passer rating and a 9.11 yards-per-attempt average while the Cowboys went 4-1. In his last six, including the playoff game, he had a 79.1 passer rating, a 7.72 yards-per-attempt average and a 2-4 record.
Motivation for improvement surely exists as well. Romo is in the final year of his contract. So far he has been willing to let his 2007 performance determine his value and hasn’t been eager to sign an extension.
Thus far, Cowboys coaches have been very pleased with Romo, who says he will be more consistent after learning from his mistakes. But no one knows for sure if he’ll be more like the quarterback he was in his first five starts or the quarterback he was in his last six.
All we can say definitively about Romo’s future is this: You won’t see him lined up with the field-goal team.
IMPRESSIONS
Eli Manning is beyond the point where the Giants can expect dramatic improvement from him. He has thrown 1,276 passes — or more than twice as many as Rex Grossman. What Manning has been is probably what he’s going to be. …
Shawn Andrews may be the best guard in football, and the Eagles’ offense is completely different without him. The Eagles need a healthy Andrews to be all they can. …
Expect the Cowboys to run right often behind a right side of a line that’s big enough to eclipse the sun. Andre Gurode is one of football’s biggest centers at 6 feet 4 inches, 316 pounds. Right guard Leonard “Big” Davis almost certainly is the largest man in the game at 6-6, 354. And right tackle Marc Colombo is one of the tallest at 6-8, 315. …
The signing of London Fletcher-Baker was a smart one for Washington. Fletcher-Baker will give the Redskins leadership and a ton of tackles from the middle linebacker position. …
Anthony Spencer was an underrated pass rusher at Purdue, but you have to wonder if he can make the transition to linebacker in Dallas. There are many NFL scouts who wonder whether Spencer would be better off at defensive end. …
If Michael Strahan wants to play, he’s still one of the elite defensive ends in football. And he’s as good against the run as he is rushing the passer — which makes him a rarity. The Giants should be doing everything within reason to get this guy on the field. …
Once upon a time, Jevon Kearse had the quickest first step of any defensive end in the NFL. But that first step isn’t as quick anymore. …
This could be Tom Coughlin’s last chance with the Giants if he doesn’t get the team turned around. …
The Redskins have some intriguing talent and some outstanding coaches. But they still don’t look like they are ready to capitalize on it. They are the enigma of the NFL.
BREAKOUT PLAYER
ROCKY McINTOSH, REDSKINS
There was good reason for the Bears to be interested in linebacker Rocky McIntosh during off-season trade talks with the Redskins concerning Lance Briggs. And, it appears, there was good reason the Redskins were not interested in parting with McIntosh, their second-round pick from last year.
The book on McIntosh coming out of Miami was that he was an explosive, big hitter who tackled well and ran fast. Some scouts ranked him as the second-best linebacker in a linebacker-rich draft.
But McIntosh got off to a slow start in Washington and never earned the confidence of then-linebackers coach Dale Lindsey. McIntosh hardly was used at all on defense as a rookie. The Redskins subsequently replaced Lindsey with Kirk Olivadotti in the off-season, and McIntosh was given a clean slate.
He has taken full advantage, spending as much time at Redskins Park in the off-season as any defensive player and getting a better grasp on his assignments. It also has helped McIntosh that assistant head coach Gregg Williams has simplified the defense.
So far, it looks like McIntosh is going to be able to think less and hit more.
SCOUT’S TAKE
An NFL scout gives his views on the division.
“The NFC East is down. Dallas is the team to beat. They are the most talented.
The Cowboys are solid up front, and they should be able to get some pass rush with DeMarcus Ware. Offensively, they should be physical up front, and Tony Romo will improve with another year.
“Philly would be next. But a lot of what happens with them is predicated on how Donovan McNabb comes back from injury. Kevin Curtis gives them a dimension they haven’t had at receiver. Defensively, they could be getting a little old, but their defensive coordinator, Jim Johnson, really helps them.
“The other two teams aren’t worth much. The Redskins should be steady on offense. Jason Campbell could have a breakout year. He has the talent, and he came on at the end of last season. He has some receivers to throw to, and they should be able to run the ball. They are old on defense and they don’t have a pass rusher. They have two really talented safeties in Sean Taylor and LaRon Landry. Both play with a headhunter mentality, but one of them will have to be more of a center fielder.
“The turmoil with Michael Strahan was the last thing the Giants needed. That could affect their locker room. They’ll miss him because Osi Umenyiora is their only other consistent pass rusher. Eli Manning hasn’t shown he can be a franchise guy, but they haven’t helped him a lot either. They don’t have a lot of speed at receiver unless Sinorice Moss comes on. Jeremy Shockey needs to have a big year. Moving Dave Diehl to left tackle could be a stretch.”
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dpompei@tribune.com
