Public Perception of Tony Romo, Wrapped Up in One Play Jonathan Bales breaks down a big play each week of the season. The knock on Tony Romo is that he can't win in clutch situations, particularly late in the season. The truth is that, before 2012, Romo posted the exact same 97.1 passer rating in December and January as he did in prior months. That included a 2011 season in which he quietly recorded a remarkable 115.9 passer rating in the season's final month. In 2012, Romo actually continued his late-season success; even including Sunday night's horrific showing, Romo's passer rating this past December was 101.2. None of that matters much in regard to how Romo will continue to be perceived. With everything on the line against the Redskins - a playoff berth and the N.F.C. East crown - Romo laid an egg. I tracked 8 of Romo's 37 passes as being off-target - about twice his normal rate - and all three of his interceptions were mostly his fault. Despite playing at a near-elite level over much of the second half of the season, Romo will have to suffer through another off-season of torment for failing to perform against the Redskins on national television. More specifically, he's going to have to relive one particular play again and again. With 3 minutes 7 seconds remaining and time ticking away, the Cowboys were in hurry-up mode. Down by 21-18 and fresh off a touchdown drive and subsequent Redskins three-and-out, the Cowboys actually had a bit of momentum. From its 9-yard line, Dallas lined up with "12" personnel - one running back, two tight ends and two receivers - in "Gun Tight End Trips Right." It's a formation the Cowboys use frequently in hurry-up situations and one they used 11 times on the night. Before the snap, the Redskins showed blitz, something they did on 16 of the Cowboys' 61 offensive snaps. Washington had brought pressure on Romo throughout the night, often lining up in conservative base alignments and sending unexpected rushers. All told, the Redskins sent five or more rushers after Romo on an incredible 52.4 percent of the Cowboys' plays. Interestingly, the Cowboys had tight end James Hanna in the slot with receivers Dwayne Harris and Kevin Ogletree split out wide. That's not exactly the same threat as Dez Bryant, a player Romo could potentially target regardless of coverage. Washington ended up rushing six of the seven defenders who were lined up within two yards of the line of scrimmage at the snap. The blitz was an aggressive one, but it at first appeared to be an all-out blitz. Outside linebacker Rob Jackson initially rushed up-field toward Romo before dropping into coverage. Romo saw the rush and anticipated only four defenders being in coverage. With five players going into routes for Dallas, running back DeMarco Murray figured to be open leaking out of the backfield. Jackson was what's known as a "Green Dog" on the play, however, a defender who has coverage on the running back but can blitz if the back stays in for pass protection. That's why we saw Jackson initially rush toward Romo; he really was blitzing the quarterback, not just faking it, but when Murray trickled out into the flat, Jackson followed. It didn't help Romo's cause that the Cowboys' offensive line was unable to pick up the blitz. Left tackle Tyron Smith and left guard Nate Livings were confused by Washington's rush; Smith initially intended to block Jackson when the outside linebacker started rushing, leaving Livings on defensive end Stephen Bowen and allowing inside linebacker Perry Riley to run untouched up the middle. Romo blindly tossed the ball outside, making for an easy Jackson interception. Just like that, the Cowboys' chances of winning dropped from 29 percent to 4 percent, according to Advanced NFL Stats. With the Dallas defense unable to stop Washington on the ground throughout the game, the Redskins pounded the ball into the end zone to secure a 10-point lead and the division title. Romo's stats suggest he's the same quarterback in clutch situations as at other times, but that's not going to do much to alter public opinion. Until he overcomes his demons and leads the Cowboys deep into the playoffs, that perception won't change. It's worth wondering whether or not Romo has what it takes to redeem himself. Jonathan Bales is the author of Fantasy Football for Smart People: How to Dominate Your Draft. He also runs the "Running the Numbers" blog at DallasCowboys.com and writes for NBC, Pro Football Focus, and RotoWire. You can follow him on Twitter @TheCowboysTimes.