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If you had to guess which three-time Pro Bowl QB is currently being drafted as a backup in fantasy football, who would you guess? By the looks of the title of this article, you’d guess Tony Romo and would be correct. As to why that is the case, there’s no definitive answer.
Maybe it’s because of a general dislike for the Dallas Cowboys and particularly their quarterback. Or maybe they think his back surgery (or age) will drastically hinder his performance. Or they think his wife will suddenly curse him as his ex-girlfriends had done in the past. Whatever the case, opportunity’s knocking on your door to make sure you land Romo this season and watch as his numbers dwarf some of those drafted above him. But it’s not so much a question about what QBs will do worse than Romo, as much as it is about why Romo deserves more credit.
In response to those that doubt his ability because of his age and return from surgery. I direct you to Exhibit A, Peyton Manning. At 38, Manning is four years older than Romo and has just come off the greatest statistical performance of all time. People started to doubt his play due to his age, as well as questioning the stability of his neck after surgery — his back was against the wall and he pulled away in fine fashion. Like Manning, Romo plays best when his back is against the wall (as much as his faux pas in the past may suggest).
Romo’s output has decreased over the past three seasons, so it makes sense that people aren’t buying into him having a big season this year. The Cowboys have been quite a pass-happy team that you wouldn’t expect him to throw more than he has in years past. But guess who’s calling plays this season? Scott Linehan.
Linehan is infamous for his aggressive pass calling. In 2012, he directed the Detroit Lions to an unprecedented 740 pass attempts. However, even with a record amount of pass attempts, Matthew Stafford had dipped in production — throwing half as many touchdowns and less yards. Like Icarus from Greek mythology, Linehan wanted to fly too high and crashed because of it. So he learned from his mistakes backed off Stafford in 2013, and improved upon throwing a “mere” 634 passes. I expect that to be around the figure Romo will be seeing this season.
But Linehan’s experience extends past Stafford. He also coached Daunte Culpepper from 2002-2004, leading the league in fantasy points in that time period. He ranked first twice, and second another season. He was simply dominant. And Linehan even helped Marc Bulger reach top-five status in the 2006 season. And his efforts with Stafford cannot go unnoticed — ranking fourth in the league since 2011. Linehan is truly a QB whisperer who can help out Romo this season.
However, there’s more than just coaching that will affect Romo. He’s also working with a better offense this season. The offensive line is starting to click, and after adding Zack Martin in the draft, they should be geared and ready to go this season. He’s also dealing with offensive weapons who are in their prime.
Wide receivers and running backs typically emerge in their second or third season. Luckily, Terrance Williams, Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray are all in that sweet spot time slot. They have all proved capable targets and they will certainly improve and help Romo more this season.
With all those factors, to see Romo top 5,000 yards and 30 touchdowns would not be out of the question, in the least. He’ll return to being a QB who can top 300 points this season and you can get him at a fraction of the price of players with similar figures — somewhere near the eighth round.
