Romo, Defense Learn Difference Between "Great" and "Elite"

All that, and it didn't even snow. What a truly wasted afternoon. As if the Cowboys' loss to Pittsburgh wasn't already bad enough, it also clinched the NFC East for the New York Giants for the first time since 2005. As expected, this was not a fun game to watch. Although there were some strong defensive efforts, the contest also featured plenty of awful plays on offense by both teams. The only real "excitement" came during the final 7:25--and that was only fun for Steeler fans. The Cowboys came into the game needing to make a strong statement--to themselves, the Steelers, and to the rest of the NFC--that this wasn't the same team that had gone a paltry 18-31 in December and January since 1997. They needed to show that they aren't cowards, that they have the "toughness" to beat perhaps the AFC's strongest team in brutal weather conditions. And, for three and a half quarters, they showed precisely that. Dallas was great for nearly the entire game; Pittsburgh was elite at the most important parts of the game. Despite the ground this loss caused the team to lose in the NFC playoff hunt, it can be a strong experience if the team--especially Tony Romo and the defense--finally recognize the difference between "great" players who win Pro Bowl berths and "elite" players who earn Super Bowl berths. Without question, the most important player on the Dallas roster is Romo; he is a great NFL quarterback. However, his inability to avoid making critical turnovers separates him from the tier of elite quarterbacks in the league. Until Romo significantly decreases his interceptions and fumbles, he won't be an elite passer, and the Cowboys won't have sustained success, especially in the postseason. Yes, he has the gaudy stats of a great player, but he doesn't have the indicator of the elites: Super Bowl wins. The man who beat him Sunday afternoon, Ben Roethlisberger, is an elite quarterback. Eli Manning, of the world champion Giants, is an elite quarterback. Before you howl about the less-than-thrilling stats of both (as I have done with Manning), look at the most important figure: wins. Neither of these guys routinely throws for 300 yards or tosses 36 touchdown passes in a season. But, neither of these guys routinely turns over the football, and, as a direct result, both have Super Bowl rings. By himself, Romo frittered away four (FOUR!) possessions by losing the football (three interceptions and a fumble). Also, they continued Romo's trend of making mistakes at the most critical junctures of the game. Beginning with The Snap in Seattle a few years ago, Romo has developed a horrifying ability to give the football to the other team at the precise moment when Dallas most needs to score. I realize that Romo's turnover rates are due in some part to his attempts to create big plays for the Cowboys. I appreciate that his ability to scramble, make tough throws, and keep composed under pressure (usually) is a significant part of why he is a great quarterback, and why the Cowboys have won so often with him. However, he is 0-2 in the playoffs because he is a poor game manager. Rather than do what is best, overall, for the team on any specific play, he always tries to make the tough throw or gain an extra half-yard instead of throwing away the football. When it works, fantastic; when it doesn't, the other team gets a huge momentum shift and, sometimes, steals the game from Dallas. Roethlisberger is an excellent manager for the Steelers. He makes the play his team needs at that time. Although this results in often unimpressive stats--as was the case Sunday--he usually gets win. (By the way, his rating from Sunday's game was nearly double Romo's.) Until Romo learns to become more of a manager of the game than someone trying to win the game by himself, he won't become an elite quarterback in the National Football League, and he'll continue losing to those who are. The Dallas defense entered play ranked ninth in the NFL, and they played perhaps their best football of the season for 52.5 minutes. Jay Ratliff, DeMarcus Ware, and Bradie James, in particular, had outstanding performances. The unit sacked Roethlisberger five times and held the Steelers to just 70 rushing yards (238 total). Of course, NFL games are not 52.5 minutes long; they're 60. While the Cowboys were great for 52.5 minutes, the Steelers were elite for 60. With the notable exception of Tashard Choice (who played exceptionally in his first career start), Pittsburgh completely shut down every Dallas offensive player. They put constant pressure on Romo and frustrated every receiver with their smothering coverage. Again, while the Cowboys played great defense--getting sacks, stopping the run--Pittsburgh showed them what makes a defense truly elite: forcing turnovers and not committing penalties. The Steelers forced five turnovers and committed only two penalties (for just 10 yards). Despite improvement in the penalty area lately, the Dallas defense had several unnecessary ones on Sunday, including offsides and 12 men on the field. Elite, disciplined teams don't make those kinds of fouls. Also, the true mark of an elite defense is an ability to force turnovers; the best units do more than simply force punts (like Dallas does)--they go and get the football from the other team. Forcing turnovers (as opposed to forcing punts) has a substantial impact on a team's field position, and it also gives the defenders a chance to win games for the team (case in point: Deshea Townsend). When an offense is struggling--as both were Sunday--a team needs its defense to not only keep the other team from scoring, but also to score points on its own or give the offense a 10- or 20-yard field. Of course, elite defenses also play 60 minutes of football per week. Here, the fault--and credit--lies with the coaching staff. Despite the cold and wind, the Steelers' staff kept the defense fired up and prepared for each possession. The Dallas coaches simply did not get the team ready to play a whole game this week. Play 60 minutes and win; play 52.5 and lose. For the Cowboys, it really is that simple. That the Cowboys lost wasn't unexpected, and the stellar individual performances of Choice, James, and Ratliff certainly should not be dismissed. This team definitely proved how tough it is during the game. The Cowboys played great, but they lost because they aren't, yet, elite. Brian Smith can be reached at BLSmith@mail.utexas.edu