The Doubters Are Disappearing

The Tony Romo nay-sayers and doubters are dwindling, if not disappearing entirely, and they should be. When the 7-1 Dallas Cowboys faced off against the red-hot 6-2 New York Giants in Jersey on Sunday, the only tangible difference between the two teams was the QB position.

In every facet of the game, the Giants match up well with the Cowboys. Just take a look at each side of the ball.

Let's start with defense:

• Defensive line. You have to give the edge to the Giants. They have perhaps the most feared pass rush in the NFL.
• Linebackers. The edge here goes to Dallas, if for no other reason than DeMarcus Ware; although, James Brady and Greg Ellis are difference-makers, too.
• Secondary. This seems to be a wash. Both are capable of making and giving up big plays.

What about offense?

• Offensive line. Again, a wash. While Dallas' line is big, strong and effective, the Giants are no slouches. It seems whomever they line up at running back plays effectively, and they usually give Eli Manning more than ample time to read the defense and make plays.
• Receivers. Each team has an elite tight end, capable of taking over a game. Witten did it to the Giants in week one; Shockey did it to the Cowboys on Sunday. Each team has an elite receiver and a good package of complementary receivers.
• Running back. You might give the edge to the two-headed tandem of the Cowboys. But the Giants' backs run with power and authority and can chew up yardage and the clock while doing so.

How about special teams? Again, pretty much a wash. You have to give the Giants the edge in returns and kick coverage. The Cowboys have one of the best punters in the game, but so do the Giants. Both kickers are effective.

That leaves but one position to discuss: the quarterback. The Giants have Eli, their first-round franchise savior. He is a Manning, a blue-blood, a chip off of the NFL's royal QB family. The Cowboys counter with their undrafted free agent phenom. He hasn't the pedigree of a Manning. He wasn't the darling of his draft. In fact, he wasn't even a consideration in his draft. Seven times he was passed over by all thirty-two teams.

But you tell me, when the game is on the line and you need your field general to make one play or lead one drive to secure victory, which do you want? The blue-blood or the bloodhound? You want Eli with his deer-caught-in-the-headlights look or Romo with his possum-eating-peat-seed grin? You want the man who costs his team with indecisive play, leading to three delay of game penalties at home, for crying out loud, or the one who evades a sack, rushes toward the line of scrimmage, ducks a defender, and pops up to float a TD pass to the corner of the end zone?

Coaching aside, there was one difference between the Giants and the Cowboys on Sunday. One! The signal-caller. Go ahead and reserve judgment, sit on the fence, wait and see all you want. Jerry's money was well spent...and what he bought is worth every penny.

So, step back nonbelievers, for the rain will surely come!

The Bledsoe Understudy Bowl: Romo vs. Brady

"Be not afraid of greatness; some are born great, some achieve greatness, and
others have greatness thrust upon them." ~ William Shakespeare

Who are the top quarterbacks currently playing in the NFL? The beginning of that list - that is, the top two names - is easy. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are pretty much consensus choices for 1 and 2, or 1a and 1b, or however you separate them. Along with these guys, you have to throw in Brett Favre, right? His career achievements make him a shoo-in first ballot hall of famer. After that, names like Carson Palmer, Drew Brees, Phillip Rivers, and now, Tony Romo pop up.

The road to greatness is as varied as it is difficult. Peyton Manning, the son of a legendary NFL quarterback and older brother of Eli, who seems to be emerging into at least "good QB" status, appears to have been born to greatness. Peyton has the pedigree, the numbers, and now the hardware to prove his greatness. He certainly seems to fall into the first of Shakespeare's three categories of greatness.

Brett Favre is one who has achieved greatness. His fearless gunslinger style has catapulted him into the rare air of NFL legends. He has endured setbacks, losses, horrible decisions resulting in losses, but he has persevered and planted himself squarely in Canton. It's just a matter of time.

But tomorrow's game features two quarterbacks who seem to fit into category three. Tom Brady was a sixth round draft pick, the 199th player taken in the draft! Who could have envisioned what he would become? Certainly not Drew Bledsoe, the much bally-hooed first round draft choice, hand-picked by the genius himself, Bill Parcells.

Then it happened, the unthinkable. Bledsoe suffers an injury, the ball is handed to Brady, and he never gives it back. Three Super Bowl victories later and Brady's name is mentioned in the same breath with the all-time greats. Moreover, many experts claim him as the single greatest draft-day steal in league history. And that is tough to argue.

Hold on, though. The hottest young QB in the league, Tony Romo, has yet to play a full sixteen-game season in the NFL, but is already called by some the third or fourth best at his position in the league. He, too, was found by Big Bill Parcells. But he wasn't drafted by him. In fact, he wasn't drafted by anyone. Seven times all thirty-two NFL teams picked someone else. So, The Tuna signed him as an undrafted free agent. Could Romo unseat Brady as the biggest steal ever? Time will tell.

Ironically, it was a faltering Bledsoe who gave Romo his break, too. Last year, at half time of the Giants game, Parcells pulled Bledsoe and inserted Romo into the starting lineup. Like Brady before him, the kid took the ball and didn't give it back.

So, tomorrow's meeting between the undefeated Cowboys and unbeaten Patriots may not feature the two best QBs in the league, but it damn sure features the two most unlikely "great" quarterbacks we have seen in awhile...maybe ever.

Peyton may have been born great, Favre may have achieved greatness, but these boys had greatness thrust upon them. Seeing them on the same field, leading their respective unbeaten teams is going to be...well, great!