NFL QB Rankings: Top 10 signal-callers of 2014
By Will Osgood
3. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
I’m not the first person to express the following opinion, still I expect to get blasted a bit for it: Tony Romo is actually a clutch quarterback. This past postseason, he completed a very healthy 68 percent of his throws with zero picks and four touchdowns and completed a, albeit controversial, fourth quarterback comeback game-winning drive against the Detroit Lions.
He nearly did the same at Green Bay, if not for a pretty egregious overrule of Dez Bryant’s miraculous catch along the sideline on a fourth down chuck and throw. I pray thee does not take those small sample sizes as proof that Romo is clutch. Take instead a more spread out sample size.
In fact, for his entire career, Romo plays his best football in the second half of games. Just check his splits here. In 2014, Romo was remarkably consistent regardless of situation. There isn’t a situational statistic you find on Romo’s chart that screeches the momentum of his 2014 MVP candidacy—which he obviously did not win.
It should be noted that Romo was aided by a greatly improved offensive line and almost unknown commitment to the running game in 2014. But those things should not be held against him. It should simply reiterate that when Romo has tools around him he is capable of producing an amazing season.
Romo led the league in standard QB Rating, at 113.2.
Next: The greatest to ever play the position comes in at No. 2