Romo's Cowboys and the 2001 Pats

[Seymour93]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9824901

Vic, looking at the resurgence of the Cowboys under Tony Romo, I can't help but think of the success the Patriots had when Tom Brady replaced Drew Bledsoe due to injury. Of course, it is too soon to tell whether the Cowboys will go all the way this year, but do you see any parallels between the 2006 Cowboys and the 2001 Patriots? -- Jim H.; San Luis Obispo, Calif.

I see some.

There's signs that Drew Bledsoe might be watching another Super Bowl run from the sidelines.


I think the mentality of the rest of the Cowboys players has changed with Romo at quarterback the way the mentality of the rest of the Patriots players changed after Brady took over. With Bledsoe under center, it seemed that everyone else often waited for him to make a play. He was viewed as a security blanket, as someone who was always there to bail the team out of any jam. That undoubtedly caused Bledsoe to feel additional pressure, which sometimes had a negative impact on his play. However, with Brady at quarterback, the other players knew they had to step up and help him rather than wait for him to do something. To a great extent, I see other Cowboys players doing the same for Romo.

I also think, as the Patriots coaches did after Brady replaced Bledsoe, the Cowboys coaches are asking the other players on offense to accept more of the responsibility, which they have. Some of that comes in the form of a direct message the coaches regularly deliver to the players in meetings and practice, and some of it comes indirectly through the design of game plans that don't place too much pressure on the quarterback.

Another similarity between the '01 Patriots and the '06 Cowboys can be found on defense. Both play schemes that involve enough variety to cause confusion and frustration for opposing quarterbacks

Benching Bledsoe is basically the only thing '01 had in common with these guys. Before the season, even with Bledsoe at the helm, the Cowboys were one of the favourites to go to the SB whereas the '01 Pats were expected to be the whipping boys of the AFC East. They have superstars like TO, while we were just a boring "Get the job done" team. During SB week nobody paid any attention to us, we were fodder for the Rams. If they Cowboys were to make it the media would be drooling over them. And do you really think, if they had the choice (which they no longer do), TO, Glenn, J. Jones, Roy Williams and the rest would choose to come out as a team in the introductions or would they each like the be personally recognized just like the Rams and everyone else before us did?

I can't wait until they lose in the playoffs. Whether this current crop of Pats will meet them there is undetermined, but at least we'll get the chance to shut the Cowboys up next season.

 

[ironwasp]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9824901

I can't wait until they lose in the playoffs. Whether this current crop of Pats will meet them there is undetermined, but at least we'll get the chance to shut the Cowboys up next season.

I don't doubt that they will lose in the play-offs, but at the moment I don't see it being before the NFC Championship game. The NFC is a weak conference and the Cowboys, for all they've lost games to bad teams, are for real as a contender. They have very few weaknesses and now that they are playing with coinfidence and behind a QB they very clearly trust, the earliest those weaknesses will be exposed is when they get to Chicago.

 

[Seymour93]

I don't doubt that they will lose in the play-offs, but at the moment I don't see it being before the NFC Championship game. The NFC is a weak conference and the Cowboys, for all they've lost games to bad teams, are for real as a contender. They have very few weaknesses and now that they are playing with coinfidence and behind a QB they very clearly trust, the earliest those weaknesses will be exposed is when they get to Chicago.

Considering that they could be facing NFC West champs SF 49ers or 8-8 Atlanta after the bye, you're probably right. I'm not going to buy into the Bears either until I see them do something in the playoffs, so the Cowboys look like they're the current favourites in the NFC.

 

[SVN]

i dislike the cowboys but i dont think the article talks about having superstars or no superstars on the pats vs cowbowys or if they would do team intros. its about how similar the teams have been after the QB's got changed and i agree...we all pats fans will sneer anyone compared to brady but fact is romo has played well...cowboys have a legitamate shot at getting to the SB...they beat the colts, which a lot of teams said they couldve,shouldve but didnt ..they have a good off/def...special teams with vanderjerk might be the biggest hole...

 

[BradfordPatsFan]

I don't see a whole lot of similarities either, aside from the fact that both teams played better after the change.

Some differences:

1. "Star quality". The Cowboys have more talent at the skill positions than the 01 Pats did. TO, Glenn, J. Jones, Whitten, etc are better than just about anyone the Pats ran out there. I'm not saying Brown, Patten, Smith, etc didn't play great but based on pure football talent, the Boys are better than the 01 pats.

2. Expectations. As pointed out, 8-8 would have been a collosal accomplishment for that Pats squad, or so we thought. 11-5 was almost enough for most people. Everything beyond that was gravy. There were rumblings of Super Bowl for the Cowboys this past summer.

3. Game plans. The Cowboys are really letting Romo chuck it around the field. Brady was slowly integrated into the offense. It wasn't really until the playoffs that BB let Brady go out and sling it.

 

[edgecy]

Not to mention Romo had been learning the offense for 4 years. It's really mind-boggling why Tuna didn't make the switch earlier.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Not to mention Romo had been learning the offense for 4 years. It's really mind-boggling why Tuna didn't make the switch earlier.

I blame BDS, 'Bledsoe Derangement Syndrome'.
Kraft had it in spades. So did Parcells, then Pete Carroll and Tom Donahue in Buffalo and then the senile Tuner redux.
Fell in love with the 'He's Tall and Has a Strong Arm' mantra of the worshipful Bledsoe Krishnae.

Fortunately BB had a perspective as the Jets DC, having designed Ds that neutralized His Drewness so that his association with 'The Coach Killer' was fortunately short lived.

Time for Thanksgiving for **** Rehbein and Moe Lewis, true hereos of the franchise.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

"I think the mentality of the rest of the Cowboys players has changed with Romo at quarterback the way the mentality of the rest of the Patriots players changed after Brady took over. With Bledsoe under center, it seemed that everyone else often waited for him to make a play. He was viewed as a security blanket, as someone who was always there to bail the team out of any jam. That undoubtedly caused Bledsoe to feel additional pressure, which sometimes had a negative impact on his play. However, with Brady at quarterback, the other players knew they had to step up and help him rather than wait for him to do something. To a great extent, I see other Cowboys players doing the same for Romo. "

What a crock of poor Drew hooey. It was Bledsoe's own entitled ego and gunslinger mentality that demanded he make that play and be the hero. And if he didn't it was always somebody elses fault. If anything the mentality of these teams changed once the guy with the uncanny ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory was replaced with an unheralded kid who finds ways to do what it takes to allow his team to win.

And whether Romo can do it for more than part of a season remains to be seen. Drew lost another starting job to JP Losman, and that hasn't exactly worked out. Maybe his teamates didn't step up and help him, or maybe unlike Brady (and maybe Romo TBD) he functionally sucked just like Drew.

 

[PatsSteve1]

From what I've seen of Romo he looks like he could be a good QB. He certainly seems very sure of himself and he throws well. Someone I dogged a lot when he and BB obviously didn't work out was Terry Glenn, but I like watching him play. If da Boys QB's didn't seemingly have to throw to TO 10+ times a game I think TG would have some pretty impressive numbers.
On a different note while watching the Chiefs/Bronco's game a lot of people didn't see, they kept saying during the broadcast that if Plummer wasn't real impressive he was going to lose his job to Cutler next game. Plummer has his problems, but he's QB'd the Horses to a pretty good record in his time there.
Don't know if it's desparation, being feed up with Plummer or both or something else. Supposedly Cutler looks great in practice and also did in PS games, but he's still never faced anything but vanilla D's in the NFL. I don't like the Bronco's so I hope whatever they decide, it doesn't work out -

 

[patsfaninpa]

I think the 06 Cowboys have a better chance of winning the Super Bowl this year. Than the 01 Pats had that year.

 

[DarrylS]

If they do go all the way imagine the legacy for Drew, will he always be remembered as the QB who was replaced by a newer player who won the SB?? He will never be remembered as a QB who will probably finish in the top 10 in most categories.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

If they do go all the way imagine the legacy for Drew, will he always be remembered as the QB who was replaced by a newer player who won the SB?? He will never be remembered as a QB who will probably finish in the top 10 in most categories.

Stats are for losers and for MLB fans.
Excuse the redundancy.