Travis Johnson (Who?): The Latest Idiot to Irrationally, Illogically Jump Tony Romo's Case
First and foremost, consider the source.
Travis Johnson? Exactly. There's a reason you're Googling him this morning.
Because, despite being the 16th overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans, he's a nobody. Just another faceless, merit-less Johnson in a league of Johnsons. A colossal first-round bust that - as a defensive lineman - produced a whopping three sacks during an anonymous six-year career littered as an overpaid underachiever (to the tune of a guaranteed $7.7 million in his rookie contract).
Out of the blue - better known as Houston - Johnson has inexplicably gone all medieval on Tony Romo's ass. During a TV round-table he called the Cowboys' quarterback a "loser," a "thief who should be brought up on federal charges," and a player who "has not earned one dollar he's been given."
Oh, I dunno, a guy who signed as an undrafted free agent for $10,000 and blossomed into the franchise's all-time leader in touchdown passes seems like a decent bargain. But forgive me, for I use common sense.
Scary part of this whole episode. There are a lot of Travis Johnsons among us.
You know one. Or - cringe - you might be one? It's the so-called Cowboys' fan who spreads and strengthens the stupid stigma of Romo as a "choker." It's illogical. It's irrational. It's prevalent. Is Romo 1-6 in win-or-go-home games? Yep. So too are the Cowboys. Weird, I know.
Unlike basketball, football is a team sport where games can be won and lost with the best players on the sideline. Romo led the NFL in fourth-quarter comebacks last season. Despite an embarrassingly inferior supporting cast - Doug Free ring a bell? - Romo has constantly been good enough to drag 6-10 talent to the brink of the playoffs.
He's an above-average quarterback, with more streaks of greatness than spells of gruesome.
But Johnson is a bottom-line bumpkin. He's the narrow-minded, linear-thinking dolt who - when it's convenient - just lazily sees the bottom-line, the whole bottom-line and nothing but the bottom line. He's the sort that arrives at a car crash and immediately issues a shallow, blanket opinion that everyone involved is a horrible driver. No room or regard for malfunctioning brakes, an innocent victim being rear-ended while stopped at a light, or perhaps a car unexpectedly swerving into another's lane. Romo, deftly maneuvering Dallas' wobbly vehicle through the potholes, actually deserves credit for minimizing the damage during the continuous accident.
It happens to the best drivers. And the best quarterbacks.
They're not excuses for the Cowboys' wreck of one lone playoff win. They're reasons.
Among his most ridiculous errors when criticizing Romo, Johnson called Romo a loser. His winning percentage as the Cowboys' starter is .591 (55-38), better than Troy Aikman's .569. Johnson also claimed Romo played behind five Pro Bowlers on the offensive line, which of course is inaccurate. Only lineman to reach the Pro Bowl the last three seasons was center Andre Gurode in '10.
Johnson's criticism of Romo is about as deep and thoughtful as Lindsay Lohan's regard for societal rules. It goes like this:
He's a choker who's won only playoff game.
There is no second verse.
Of course, applying that shallow philosophy also leads you to believe that Trent Dilfer was a better quarterback than Dan Marino because he won a Super Bowl. That Scott Williams surely was a better NBA power forward than Karl Malone. And that Greg Norman totally sucked at golf because he blew a back-nine lead that one time at The Masters.
Life isn't black and white, and you - but maybe not Johnson - know better. There are countless hues of gray. There are varying degrees of success. "If you ain't first, you're last" may work for "Ricky Bobby," but tell that to your wife when the grilled Tilapia she made this week isn't quite as good as the grilled Tilapia she made last week. To rate your dinners on a scale of only "good" or "bad" is lazy, irresponsible and, yes, dangerous.
So too with all aspects of your existence, especially sports. Here's betting that in your opinion there aren't merely two types - winners or losers - of women, or cars, or bands, or beer, or sex, or days. Then why should it be that way with your quarterback?
The problem with painting using only two contradictory colors is that, in this case, you're underrating the third-best quarterback in the 53-year history of the Cowboys and one of the Top 10 currently in the NFL. You're so busy grumbling and dismissing Romo's failures that you've forgotten a time when you were infected with Anthony Wright and Clint Stoerner and Ryan Leaf and Drew Henson and Quincy Carter and ... Vomit.
My argument for Tony Romo goes like this:
He's had less support around him on offense than Roger Staubach and Aikman, and I can prove it.
In 10 seasons Staubach made six Pro Bowls, won two Super Bowls and 11 playoff games. How? Because, just on offense, he played alongside 11 players who made Pro Bowls and two – Rayfield Wright and Tony Dorsett – who wound up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
In 12 seasons Aikman made six Pro Bowls, won three Super Bowls and 11 playoff games. How? Because, on offense, he played with 10 players who made Pro Bowls and three - Larry Allen, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin - who would up in the Hall of Fame.
In Romo's seven seasons he's made three Pro Bowls and won only the lone playoff game against the Eagles in the '09 season. How? Because he's played with only seven players who have made Pro Bowls, three of which - Terrell Owens, Marion Barber and Miles Austin - were selected just once. Though Owens and tight end Jason Witten have impressive statistical credentials, Romo isn't assured of playing alongside anyone that will wind up in Canton.
Behind Witten, Romo has consistently been his team's second-best player. Staubach had at least one Pro Bowl offensive linemen every year while in '95, for example, Aikman was protected by Pro Bowlers Mark Tuinei, Nate Newton, Ray Donaldson and Allen. The other lineman – Erik Williams – made four Pro Bowls in his career.
Romo's offensive line? He's played behind 0 Pro Bowlers the last two seasons and only two - Gurode and Leonard Davis - since '09.
Said Aikman recently:
"I'm a big fan of Tony's and I've said it all along. He's a special player. Unfortunately, not enough people recognize that. … I know that people keep asking, 'Hey, can Tony Romo lead this team to a Super Bowl?' And I believe that he can."
There is public outcry over the $55 million guaranteed to Romo as part of his contract extension signed in March. I don't get it. So because your car needs a new oil pan you stop buying the best tires you can afford? Fortunately, Jerry Jones doesn't think that way, either.
He's locked up Romo, because he knows that's the Cowboys' best chance to win. Stats don't mean everything, but bad quarterbacks don't sneak their way to good quarterback ratings. Nor vice-versa.
Romo's career rating is 95.6 and he's thrown 86 more touchdowns than interceptions in 93 career starts. You don't want to hear this, but both those numbers are better than Staubach (83.4, +44) and Aikman (81.6, +24). And you also don't want to hear this, but Romo is not the Cowboys' problem.
If Romo the holder wouldn't have bobbled the waxy, slick ball in Seattle in '06 he'd have only two playoff wins. But I know, he led the NFL with 19 interceptions last season and his horrible-decision-worse-throw with the NFC East on the line in Washington last Dec. 30 is inexcusable and indefensible. No way around that.
Truth is, Tony Romo consistently plays at a level higher than his offensive teammates.
But if you see the world without depth, perception, relativity, circumstances and a color TV - only in black-and-white - you'll likely continue to consider him a choker and a loser ... while giving credence to guys like Travis Johnson.
Posted by Richie Whitt at 9:00 AM
Labels: Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Matt Schaub, NFL, quarterbacks, Tony Romo, Troy Aikman
Good points Richie, especially with the O-line, and I totally agree with your assessment. And you touch on the differences on the offensive side of the ball with the three Dallas QBs (and I would add special consideration to the running game with Aikman and Roger and the lack thereof with Romo), but neglect to mention the defense. Having a suffocating, physical, turnover-forcing, constant-pressure defense that the Cowboys had in the '70s and '90s is really an offense's, and specifically a QB's best friend. Keeping the scoring down for the opposition, forcing turnovers and giving the offense better field position and more scoring opportunities just simply leads to more victories and success. The D in Dallas has been average at best and horrific at worst during Romo's tenure as the starter. The Romo bashers have a limited view and even more limited knowledge of the game in general. QB has been an actual plus for this team since Romo's ascension in '06. However, at least some of us know that it takes more than a handful of guys to succeed at the highest level in the NFL, and in fact it takes solid play in all phases and an actual team to succeed, which the Cowboys have lacked for many years now.
the only problem with your post is that you gave Johnson some pub. I am reminded of a Simpson's episode where they have to stop advertisements from destroying Springfield by not looking at them.
Richie Whitt August 14, 2013 at 11:38 AM
Fair point.
I was thinking what David was thinking. any publicity for this spare is good. too many talking heads these days.
Might be some of the most rational thinking I've heard come out of the DFW area in sometime. Slow clap for you sir. This is the reason I enjoyed RAGE...in a market that is filled with TMZ -esque "journalism" by the likes of DMN and ESPN Dalllas, it was nice to hear on the radio someone with an ounce of common sense ( you and Fish). Keep on keeping on sir, your blog has become a morning reading staple in my house.
Richie's lover?
That is not nice and certainly not classy. Bil2455
Thanks Andrew. Radio is more glamorous. But I undoubtedly enjoy writing more.
I think you have a very narrow minded view of Mr. Romo.
That doesn't make sense. And, for what it's worth, narrow-minded should be hyphenated.
It doesn't make sense to you again because you are narrow--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------minded. There's your fucking hyphens bitch.
...well that escalated quickly
nascar dennis August 14, 2013 at 11:45 AM
Richie,
you really are a little pip squeek douche, aren't you?
TheRealDirtyP1 August 14, 2013 at 1:24 PM
nascar dennis,
you really are a white trash redneck, aren't you?
nascar dennis August 14, 2013 at 2:45 PM
'Bout time someone in the media has told these Romo haters the truth. But just like all ignorant asses, it falls on deaf ears.
@RealFogarty August 14, 2013 at 1:10 PM
Richie, your article is well thought out and you give a voice to all the Cowboy fans out there like me that appreciate the good that Romo does despite some of the bone-headed mistakes. Don't stoop to Gregg--- err, uh, Anonymous' level by pointing out his punctuation errors. Stay on topic and keep on writing.
Are you guys lovers?
Bill Ratcliff August 14, 2013 at 9:36 PM
I agree with your assessment that the Cowboys would still be drifting thru the rejects looking for a capable QB. Romo is more than capable, he's a game changer.
One statement in your article 'but bad quarterbacks don't sneak their way to good quarterback ratings.', if you edit that to 'bad quarterbacks sneak their way to good contracts' Romo no way qualifies. Rypien does, Flaco does, Tommy Maddox does (hometown favorite), how about Bad Johnson does, did Kordell Stewart get a big contract? does, how bout Matt Cassel?
Kicking It Around. August 15, 2013 at 12:01 PM
Richie looks like a down's syndrome Pat Green. What's up with that Richie?
So, because I disagree with you on your assessment of Tony Romo, I'm considered an idiot? What happened to respecting each other's perspective regardless of whether or not we agree on it?
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