Missing Rings: The 2007 Dallas Cowboys – Non Primetime Players Come Up Short

When we listen to Tony Romo in the booth as an analyst for CBS, you can tell he has more than a passing knowledge of the game of football. Now removed from the live fire of competition, he’s totally at ease describing play possibilities based on down and distance or personnel deployed in front of a viewing audience. Yet along with all Dallas fans, everyone finds themselves thinking “Where was this in the final minutes of games when he played?” As a series of last minute errant throws that plagued his career dance in our minds.

Travel back to 2007 and Romo was the “aw shucks” rags to riches former backup who appeared to be the surprise savior of a once proud Dallas franchise.

They thought they had a legitimate quarterback in place when they plucked Drew Bledsoe from the Buffalo Bills in 2005. The beleaguered former franchise QB had been supplanted by Tom Brady during the Patriots Super Bowl run in 2001 & now was trying to resurrect his career on his 2nd team since.

Dating back to the last time the Cowboys made the playoffs (1996), Dallas struggled mightily as a team as they looked far and wide for Aikman’s replacement. Names like Chad Hutchinson, Anthony Wright, Clint Stoerner (who?), Quincy Carter, and Drew Henson (who?) graced the marquee in Texas.

A major contributor to the mediocrity came from a series of 5-11 and 6-10 seasons that doomed Dallas from being bad enough to draft the best talent in a given round. Then also reaching for players who didn’t have star potential. Once Bill Parcells returned to the sideline replacing Dave Campo as coach he filled the roster with veterans with low tread on their tires. Most had played for Parcells a half decade earlier with the Patriots and Jets. Remember when Keyshawn Johnson, WR Terry Glenn, RB Richie Anderson, Vinny Testaverde and then Drew Bledsoe donned the star on their helmet?? Dallas became a half way house for soon to be retiring players.

However in 2005 Parcells seemed to have broken the spell when he coaxed a 9-7 record out of this team. Bledsoe had his best season in 5 years when he completed 300 of 499 pass attempts for 3639 yards 23 TDs and 16 interceptions. The late Terry Glenn had his best season in 7 years. He caught 62 passes for a career best 7 TDs and 1,136 yards.

Yet how long could this team keep winning this way. They had to find some young talent as Bledsoe and Keyshawn Johnson were both 33 and Glenn 31.

In the past, great teams in Dallas were built around blue chip 1st round draft picks. The 90’s squad was anchored by ’88 1st round pick Michael Irvin, ’89 1st round pick and #1 overall in Troy Aikman. Then in ’90 thanks to a series of trades landed RB Emmitt Smith, later in the 1st round than Troy and Irvin but just as deserving. These three were bred for success and the Cowboys won 3 Super Bowl championships with these Hall of Famers in their prime.

Going into 2006 this team needed a prime time performer and one fell to them through the hole in Texas Stadium. Hall of Fame receiver Terrell Owens.

A transcendent talent who battled with Donovan McNabb and wore out his welcome the year following a Super Bowl run in ’04 in Philadelphia. At the time he was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team, he had 753 yds and 6 scores in just 7 games. In fact his consecutive 1,000 yard seasons had just been snapped at 5, and during those years he averaged 13 TD receptions each season. He was definitely going to be an upgrade from Keyshawn Johnson but the consensus feeling is how long before his antics would get in the way in Dallas??

Wade Phillips succeeded Parcells as Head Coach and began to put his stamp on the team with good but not great talent. Leading the way was QB Tony Romo who had a 6-4 record the year before replacing Bledsoe. His play earned the team a playoff berth and Romo Pro Bowl status. With Bledose retired it became #9’s team. He was an undrafted free agent vaulted to starting quarterback status in the NFL. Unique when it came to the fact this was a playoff outfit not an expansion team.

All of a sudden Romo had fame and stature beyond his wildest dreams. He was dating America’s Sweetheart in singer Jessica Simpson where he was fighting to just make an NFL roster the year before. His dating prospects were 5 pegs below a gorgeous national celebrity.Yet from an athlete’s own perspective there was a psychological underpinning Tony Romo of suffering from “Imposter Syndrome” that would plague his career when he faced top flight competition.

Romo replaced Bledsoe and became a Pro Bowl player after completing 220 of 337 for 2,903 yards 19TDs with 13 interceptions in leading the Cowboys back to the playoffs. However Parcells had not replaced Romo as the place holder and when Dallas lined up to kick the winning field goal #9 fumbled the snap to kill the play. Seahawk CB Justin Babineaux caught Tony before he could scramble with the football over the goal line. He had to live with it the entire offseason and the lasting impression from that game as the Seahawks ran off the field was an exasperated #9 lamenting letting his team down.

Coaching circles including Hall of Fame Coach John Madden discussed utilizing the backup QB as the holder to keep them mentally in games. Where the starter will have their mind on the failed 3rd down play which could result in a botched hold. So this one was on Parcells for not replacing #9 as holder once determined the starter for the rest of the season.

Going into the 2007 the Cowboys had 1 ready for Primetime Cowboy in Terrell Owens but had an emerging TE Jason Witten to pair with Romo. Could they keep the momentum of 2006 going? Owens exploded for 81 rec. 1,355 yds and 15 TDs while Witten led the team with 96 rec. 1,145 yds and 9 scores. Romo joined them in Hawai’i completing 335 of 520 for 4,211 yds 36TDs with just 19 interceptions.

In the running game smallish Julius Jones (2nd round pick) started 16 games yet had to be split backfield carries with Marion “The Barbarian” Barber III.  Jones was the younger brother of Chicago’s RB Thomas Jones who ran with the thunder that had Julius replaced in tough yardage situations in Dallas. So much so Barber III outrushed Jones 975 / 10TDs to Jones 588yds / 2TDs and became a fan favorite although Jones started all 16 games. He was a poor man’s Marshwn Lynch who was an effort runner who fought for every inch. His most famous run was when he broke 8 tackles when almost trapped for a safety in a 48-21 loss to the undefeated Patriots. You just had to see it…

They fielded the NFL’s 10th best defense with future Hall of Famer OLB DeMarcus Ware 84 tackles 14 sacks across from fellow All Pro & Pro Bowler OLB Greg Ellis with 12.5 sacks. They combined for another 37 hits on quarterbacks with SS Roy Williams & CB Terrence Newman joining them in the Pro Bowl. This was a team brimming with star talent on the defensive side of the football but weren’t too sure on the offensive side.

Across from OWens #81 was 1st time starting receiver Patrick Crayton who like Romo was a surprise starter who had a career highs in rec (50) yards (697) & TDs (7) who had come to the Cowboys in ’04 as a 7th round draft pick. So an undrafted Romo, a 7th round Crayton started opposite a 3rd round TO although he had been established as one of the league’s best receivers.

They ran through the season 13-3 after racing out to a 12-1 record with their lone early blemish to the undefeated Patriots. With whom they were eyeing a Super Bowl rematch once they got through the NFC playoffs. They had swept their NFC East brethren from New York 45-35 in the opener & a 31-20 triumph in The Meadowlands in early November. Now here they sat with homefield advantage through Super Bowl XLII where thanks to a 37-27 defeat of Brett Favre’s charges earlier in the season at Texas Stadium. They were one win away but had to get through the nagging New York Giants to make it to their 1st NFC Championship Game in 12 years…

The play that haunted the Cowboys following this colossal playoff upset this time was the drop by Patrick Crayton. Who could have broken it for 80 yards and a TD that would have had the Cowboys up 10 with minutes to go in the game. So a team with a franchise record 13 Pro Bowl players shockingly sat home and watched two teams they defeated soundly during the season (3-0) face off in Lambeau Field for the NFC Championship Game.

Instead of Free Agent Tony Romo registering his 1st playoff win, 1st round overall selection Eli Manning won his 2nd on his way to his 1st Super Bowl triumph. Giants 2nd round pick Amani Toomer scored 2 crucial TDs, where Crayton failed to reach to the heavens and pull in crucial catches that could have put the game away. Barber III who had been a 4th round selection wore out where most power backs would have been gaining momentum. It was an epic flameout for Head Coach Wade Phillips haunches as his Pro Bowl QB threw a game sealing intercepiton to Nickle Back RW McQuarters to seal the underdog Giants win.

When it came to the “Imposter Syndrome” sinking in on Tony Romo in back to back playoff losses, it would take years to recover from this one. The mental makeup would dog Tony Romo the rest of his career. There were other games but this one is what cemented his legacy.

Dedicated to the memories of Marion “The Barbarian” Barber III, & Terry Glenn.

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