Cowboys' Linehan unlocks best version of Romo
One of the worst things that happened to Tony Romo was getting paired with a man who didn't have any conviction in running the football. Jason Garrett can say whatever he wants now about his commitment to the ground game, but he rarely showed it with his actions.
Had Bill Parcells not resigned after the 2006 season, maybe Romo's career would've taken a different trajectory. Instead, he spent the next seven seasons working with Garrett. It's been a solid relationship for the most part, but I'd argue that it became too much of a friendship. Because of his contract and stature in the organization, Romo gained more power and influence than his head coach. That's not a recipe for building a championship contender.
Owner Jerry Jones made the disastrous decision to turn over the playcalling duties to Bill Callahan last season, and it wasn't fair to anyone involved. Following the season, Jones allowed Garrett to handpick his own playcaller. That's where former Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan entered the picture. He didn't come here to be attend SMU and Mavs games with the star quarterback. Linehan has served as an important buffer between Garrett and Romo.
Not realizing how it might sound to Garrett and even Callahan, Romo has gushed about how he's never played for anyone like Linehan. He's found someone who isn't trying to indulge him throughout the season. Now, Garrett can still have his back in public. But during games, Linehan is calling the shots on offense. There's a calm, almost detached manner that allows him to establish a great rhythm. It's remarkable to see the Cowboys offense become the envy of the NFC.
It's Linehan's playcalling and the consistency of this talented offensive line that is limiting the exposure of the Cowboys' improved defense. This is not anything like the Seahawks' defense that swallowed Peyton Manning whole in the Super Bowl. The Cowboys lost their three best players on defense -- Sean Lee, DeMarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher -- via injury and free agency. And thanks in large part to a change in offensive philosophy, this unit has improved.
Ware and Hatcher have combined for 10 sacks in Denver and Washington. That's four more sacks than the Cowboys' defense has this season. But being 30th in sacks in the NFL hasn't hurt this team. It's a unit that has benefited from the redemption of former first-round pick Rolando McClain. Even after a full season away from the NFL, he's the best player on this defense. Cornerback Orlando Scandrick, a former fifth-round pick, is the unit's emotional leader.
The thing that stands out most about this team, though, is the fact that not everything's on Romo's shoulders. I think he used to enjoy having to carry the offense at times. That's how Garrett set things up. More often than not, Romo was asked to win or lose games in the fourth quarter.
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Linehan certainly recognizes Romo's rare ability to extend plays, but he doesn't lean on him constantly. Romo is completing 69.2 percent of his passes, which ranks best in the league. Those numbers continue to rise, in part because opposing defenses are so concerned about the running game.
Romo told everyone in training camp that he felt like his best years were ahead of him. It seemed like a bit of a reach for a 34-year-old quarterback coming off major back surgery.
"I feel personally like I've just started to come into the player that I wanted to be six, seven years ago," Romo said during training camp. "But I think over the course of the next four or five years, you'll see the best version of me that I've had throughout my career."
Romo didn't mean that to be an indictment of Garrett. He's certainly benefited from Garrett's offense and overall approach. But it took a someone like Linehan to change the offensive approach. He's the one who's unlocked the "best version" of Romo.
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