There are Romo-haters, and Romo-lovers. Most Romo-haters are pedestrian, part-time fans, who don’t watch the games from a position of knowledge of the game or players they criticize. Most of the time their arguments are way off base…but not this time. At least they aren’t completely wrong.

Being the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys means that you will be criticized. It means that fans will always find something to complain about your performance.
From the moment Tony Romo took over for Drew Bledsoe in week six of the 2006 season, he did so on the biggest stage of the NFL in the regular season — Monday
Night Football.

The Cowboys lost that game 22-36 and Romo threw for 227 yards, two touch downs and three picks.

The initial reaction was that he was a loose cannon; electric but he takes too many risks.

Despite a shaky first performance, Romo won the starting gig and became the face of America’s team. He finished the regular season with 2903 yards, 19 TD, 13 INT, his first Pro-Bowl selection and a playoff birth for Dallas.

Then came the slippery ball in Seattle and Romo was stamped with the label “choker.” After that playoff lost, the criticism for Romo was relentless, especially when he seemed cool and unfazed by the loss. His cool demeanor has been as criticized as his style of play.

Growing up in Wisconsin, Romo idolized the Packers gunslinging quarterback, Brett Favre. Romo modeled his style of play after Favre’s early in his career and was successful early on.

But a lack of post season success prompted the Romo-haters to cry, “he takes too many risks!” That’s been their rallying cry until now.

In 2013, Romo has thrown eight touchdowns and only one pick, but has amassed only 1015 yards in four games, and is averaging 9.2 yards per completion
(a career low).

Now the criticism on Romo is that he is too cautious, he doesn’t take any risks. This is true, Romo has become a game manager. Maybe it’s out of fear that he will throw a pick or loose a fumble and cost Dallas a game, I don’t know. But I don’t like it.
I want the old Romo back, the gunslinger, the Favre incarnate Romo, the devil-may care Romo, the Doc Holiday Romo, I want the run-n-gun, scrambling out of the pocket, throwing down the field Tony Romo. That’s the Romo that is having fun and playing the game with passion. That is a Romo that isn’t holding anything back.
On Sunday, the Cowboys face what is probably the most potent offense the NFL has seen since the “Greatest Show on Turf.” The outlook isnt good for Romo and the Boys. What’s that Jimmy Johnson, former head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, “When you go up against an 800 pound gorilla, you don’t hit him lightly…You give him everything you got!”

Agreed, Jimmy!

The Cowboys need to hit the Broncos with everything they got, that means Romo can’t be holding back out of fear of losing. Chances are, you are going to lose anyways. Why not go out in a blaze of glory?

So this is what I have to say to Romo: “Age quod agis,” which is latin for do what you do best- skin that smoke wagon and see
what happens.