My Tony Romo Blog

Quarterbacks: C+

Drew Bledsoe: D+

Tony Romo: B

Bledsoe simply wasn't getting the job done. He was holding on to

the ball too long, and making too many mistakes. While I'm being

cautious, Tony Romo appears to have what it takes to be a quality

starting quarterback. He seems to know what he is doing out there

already, and the scary part is that he will only get better. His grade

could be higher, but there is still a chance some of the mistakes like

he made in the Giants game will come back at some point this

season. He has looked like a seasoned vet in his two starts, but I'm

sure there will are some forgettable moments yet to come.

Running Backs: B+

Julius Jones: B+

Marion Barber: B+

Oliver Hoyte: B

You can't complain about the performance of the two running

backs. They aren't making big plays all by themselves, but with a

hole they will get the job done. Jones has stayed healthy and ran

pretty well. Barber is the perfect No. 2 back with his power, hands,

and blocking skills. Hoyte, the former LB, is doing a good job as the

lead blocker. He has actually stolen a lot of playing time from

Fasano in recent weeks. He has plenty of power in his blocks, and

he is a great special teams player.

Receivers: B-

Terrell Owens: C+

Terry Glenn: A-

Patrick Crayton: C+

Jason Witten: B-

Anthony Fasano: C

This receiving corp has been underachieving a bit in my opinion.

Terrell Owens has been good, but he hasn't really had a major

impact in any of our games. Not to mention the dropped passes

have absolutely killed us. Terry Glenn had an excellent first month,

but his numbers have tailed off since. I give him an A-, because I've

watched the tape and the defenses are respecting him as much or

more as Owens. That being said, we really could use a few big

plays from him in the 2nd half.

The tight ends have played decent. Witten's numbers have

improved since Romo became the starter. Fasano has been solid

as a blocker, but his receiving skills haven't been used as much as I

would have hoped for a 2nd round pick. Although, there are only

so many balls to go around. Fasano's impact will probably be felt

more in the post Owens/Glenn era when we won't have near the

WRs we have now and we will need to rely more heavily on both

tight ends.

Offensive Line: C+

Flozell Adams: C

Kyle Kosier: B-

Andre Gurode: B-

Marco Rivera: C+

Marc Colombo: B

This unit is doing a fairly good job this season. The have been

superb at opening up running lanes for Jones and Barber. The

pass blocking has been a little shaky, but nothing like last season.

The insertion of Tony Romo seems to have off-set any

weaknesses this unit has in that area.

Flozell Adams has had an up and down season. He seems to be

getting his footing back under him though. Kyle Kosier has been a

solid upgrade at LG. He makes a few mistakes, but he was

definitely a good addition. Andre Gurode has done a good job at

center. His mental mistakes have been minimal, and there is no

doubt he has more power behind his blocks than Al Johnson ever

did. Marco Rivera is better than he was last season, but he isn't the

Pro Bowl guard he once was. He is no better than an above

average starter. Marc Colombo is probably the team's biggest

surprise. He has done an excellent job this season both run and

pass blocking. The great thing is that he is only 27, and he will only

get better the stronger he gets.

OFFENSE TOTAL: B-

It is hard to be too hard on this offense when you consider we have

averaged nearly 28 points a game. You definitely can't complain

with that point production, but the amount of turnovers from the

Bledsoe led offense made that group a lot less attractive than one

might think. We have only turned the ball over once in Romo's two

starts. If we can continue to put up the same amount of points,

while limiting the turnovers then we will have a truly elite offense.

COACHING: C+

I haven't been too impressed with the Cowboys coaching staff this

season. I know Terrell Owens is a distraction, but this team is too

good to be 4-4. The penalties and lack of discipline are partly the

responsibility of the coaches. I also think the defensive play calling

has been too conservative. We need to start blitzing more. I know

you can't blitz every play, but considering our safeties can't cover I

would probably be sending them after the QB as much as possible.

I would also like to see a few trick plays from the offense as well.

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