Time To Panic

Time To Panic

By Davon Hil

I guess the rush of adrenaline is gone. Just like the several previous years, the Redskins are discouraging their many fans to even bother watching them. Now that the redskins have to actually play football and execute as the season progresses, they have struggled terribly to string together any wins. After stating off the season with an impressive 3-1 record, the Redskins named John Beck the starting quarterback after the awful performance by Rex Grossman. The Redskins now stand at 3-5, after losing 4 consecutive games; their most recent loss being to the San Francisco 49ers (6-1). I wonder if the Redskins are regretting their “beneficial,” as Shanahan called it, change at quarterback.
The Redskins offensive woes are to blame for this past week’s lost. Scoring only 11 points, Mike Shanahan, the Redskins head coach, tried to reassure the fans that the offense is a working progress and is going to take time. Following the game, Shanahan said “Right now you take a look at the offense and it’s tough to take. It’s tough to take for me, but I understand how this thing works. We’ve got a lot of young guys with talent, and we’re not all collective on the same page right now. . . . Everybody wants wins. . . . Everybody wants the answer. I wish I had the answer, but that’s as close as I can get. “Trailing 19-3 in the fourth quarter, with about 8 minutes remaining, herds of fans began to exit the stadium, once again disappointed.
If the ordinary fan looked at John Beck’s, the starting quarterback for the redskins, statistics, he would think that Beck played an exceptional game. Completing 30 out of 47 attempts, Beck threw for 255 yards and a touchdown. For some reason however, the Redskins fail miserably to put points on the board. Watching the Redskins play is similar to watching paint dry. There is no fun and excitement. There aren’t those plays that make you spill your drink because you got up to fast too cheer for a big play. When I watch teams like the New England Patriots, or the Green Bay Packers play, I can only sit back in admiration, and wish that one day my Washington Redskins would play at that level. When I watch Tom Brady(quarterback for the Patriots) and Aaron Rodgers (quarterback for the Packers) play, although I am not a fan of their respective teams, I love the way they score the ball. They constantly take chances, by throwing long passes down field, and they make plays. They will never have to worry about loosing their fan base because even if they lose, because the games are exhilarating to watch.
If the Redskins are going to lose week in and week out, I would much rather see a shootout (when teams score on each other over and over again) than a boring 19-11 loss. It seems as if the Redskins are playing not to lose rather than to win. Last week the Redskin’s offense did not get into the end zone at all, and this week they were only allowed to score once. How can you consider yourself an NFL team, if in a league now that is predicated on offense, you only average seven points in two games? That’s not much production if you ask me.
The struggle offensively started when Shanahan made John Beck the starting quarterback. Although Rex Grossman, the former starting quarterback, turned the ball over at a much higher rate, he threw at least one touchdown per game, and had several games when he passed over 250 yards. Beck on the other hand, is down in turnovers, but has only thrown two touchdowns in three games. Grossman’s record is also much better than Beck’s. While the starting quarterback, Rex Grossman obtained a record of 3-2, versus John Beck’s 0-3 record as a starting quarterback. I thought it was a mistake to bench Rex Grossman after his loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. I am well aware that he had a terrible game, but after all, it was just one game. His future with the Redskins organization should not have been based off of just one game.
Shanahan thought he was making a decision that benefitted the future of the team, but as a Redskin fan myself, I think I can speak for everyone when I say, I want to win NOW! It’s time to make decisions that are going to benefit the organization now. The Redskins have been planning for the future for the last five years, and the last five years, the Redskins have lost. Hopefully Shanahan will recognize the fans desire for production and success, and get the Redskins back on track.

Enough Is Enough

Enough Is Enough

By Davon Hill

Based on their pitiful records, the Sunday game featuring the Washington Redskins (3-6) and the Miami Dolphins (2-7) would obviously not be one that many people desired to see. The Dolphins managed to escape with a 19-10 victory over the struggling Redskins. However, things did not get interesting until after the game when Karlos Dansby, the middle linebacker for the Dolphins, was interviewed. During the interview, Dansby let the world know what he thought about his abilities and how he compared to the rest of the linebackers in the NFL.

Dansby’s dominating performance led the strong defensive play of the Dolphins. Dansby finished the game with 10 tackles and an interception that clinched the win for the Dolphins. He followed his performance by telling the media “I feel like I’m the best, and now I just have to prove it. I’ve been saying it for the last couple of years, and I’m just now getting my opportunity to be on the stage to show it.” In order to be a good player in the NFL, you must have confidence in your abilities and you have to actually believe you can play at this elite level. So, this quote wasn’t that bad, however Dansby kept on telling the reporter how good he thought he was. He went on to say ““That’s why I chose the Miami Dolphins. That’s why I came down here. That’s why I chose the AFC East, because everyone said it was the best [division]. I want to play against the best guys. I want to see how I measure.” I guess Dansby forgot that his former team, the Arizona Cardinals, went to the Superbowl. Was that enough competition for him? If it wasn’t enough competition for him, I’m not sure who he wants to play against.

There is no doubt that Dansby is a good player, but when you start comparing yourself to future NFL Hall of famers, Brian Urlacher and Ray Lewis, you are taking it a step to far. When asked how he thought he compared to Ray Lewis, he said “I’m better than everybody. Everybody. Period. Point blank. I just haven’t had the recognition, man.” How can he say that he is better than Ray Lewis, when so far this year Ray Lewis has 68 tackles, and Dansby has 66. Although Lewis doesn’t have many more tackles, its safe to conclude that Dansby is not better than him. Dansby even took his praise of himself a step further when he compared himself to Brian Urlacher. Dansby said ““Aging,” Dansby said. “He’s aging fast, man. He’s a great linebacker, but he’s aging fast. I respect all the linebackers. But I’m better. That’s just how I feel.” Comparing Urlacher’s and Dansby’s stats, although Dansby has 2 more tackles, Urlacher has two more interceptions. Once again, it’s safe to conclude that Dansby isn’t better than Urlacher.
At this point it just got tiresome to hear Dansby keep going on and on about how good he thought he was. Dansby later said “I’m more versatile than everybody, Period. Pont blank. I’m more versatile than everybody. Hands down. I can do it all.” Dansby wasn’t quite done yet. The interview seemingly lasted longer than the game. Next Dansby said “I can take the tight end,” he said. “I can check the running backs. You don’t have to put me in one hole, I ain’t no hole guy. You can play man-to-man all over the field, man. I can do it all. I can do it all. I can hit guys. I can drop in coverage. I can blitz the quarterback. I got, what, 28 sacks, almost 30 sacks.” Dansby would make one more comment and say “I can do it all. Nobody else can say they’ve done that and played at a high level. Nobody else. Everybody plays weak-side or play under at the Mike. I’ve done it all. I can press the guard. I watch film. I know how good I am.” This is where he stopped with his self-adulation.

It’s shocking that Dansby believes he is so good, when in fact; he has only led his team to two wins. Being a great player involves more than just your personal accomplishments. Ray Lewis said “A leader puts himself last and then he sticks out.” This is not at all what Dansby is doing. Dansby is clearly looking for personal recognition and notoriety. Dansby will never be considered in the elite category of linebackers if he can’t help his team attain more than two or three wins. So in all, it is time for Dansby to stop all the talking, and start producing some wins. Enough is enough.

Disaster For Tebow

Disaster For Tebow

By Davon Hill

After the Bronco’s embarrassing loss to the Detroit Lions, 45-10, one thing is certain; you should be careful what you ask for. Resulting from pure desperation and a need for wins, Denver Bronco’s head coach, John Fox, decided to start Tim Tebow, the third string quarterback. There was no question that Tebow was a fan favorite, when Kyle Orton dropped back to take his last few snaps as a starting quarterback, the crowd passionately chanted, “We want Tebow!” After his dismal performance against the Detroit Lions, who now stand at 6-2, Bronco’s fans and critics are beginning to reconsider their desire for Tebow to start at quarterback.
Tebow is often criticized for his slow throwing release and his inaccuracy, but sometimes Tebow is given a pass because he has such a strong will to win, and he is truly passionate about football. Tebow has emerged into a favorite amongst the media, the locker room, and the millions of fans who watch football. Although his first start in the 2011-2012 season was not a great performance, he was able to pull out a heroic win versus the Miami Dolphins, who are now 0-6. Tebow completed less than half of his passes in that game, but he did answer the thousands of critics who said Tebow could not win in the NFL. The question now was, could Tebow consistently play well enough so that his team had a chance to win? In this past week’s loss, Tebow not only showed the world that he is not worthy of a starting quarterback position, but he proved that he is among the worst quarterbacks in the NFL.
One of the most important things a quarterback must possess is the ability to throw accurate passes, and on Sunday against the Lions, Tebow completed 18 for 39 passes, which is 46.2%. That is well below the average completion percentage for Quarterbacks in the NFL, which is 59.3%. Another important ability a starting quarterback must have is good footwork. In the game against the Lions, on several of his passes, Tebow showed poor footwork. He failed to get his feet set the majority of his passing attempts which led to his inaccuracy throughout the game. Next, Tebow proved to many critics that his pocket presence is poor. Tebow fails to recognize when there is pressure around him, and does not do a good job of avoiding sacks. This past week, against the Lions, Tebow was sacked seven times. That is entirely to high for any quarterback. Sacks kill an offensive possession and lessen the likelihood that you will get any points on the particular drive. Now there’s the issue of turnovers. When a quarterback is not a good decision-maker, naturally they tend to have a lot of turnovers. In the game against the Lions, Tebow fumbled the ball three times, and threw an interception. The only thing positive was that the Broncos recovered two of the three fumbles. However, the one fumble that the Lions recovered, was returned for a touchdown. Tebow also threw an interception that was returned 100 yards for a touchdown. Come on Tebow! It was bad enough that he threw the interception for the touchdown, but his team was in a great position to score at least three points. So not only did he account for 14 of the opposing teams points, but he took his team out of position to score on several drives. His lack of ball security should be enough to get him put right back on the bench.
Tebow does possess some positive qualities, which is why the coach decided to start him. Tebow is a great running quarterback. When all else fails, he shows the ability to put his head down, and make a play for his offense. Also Tebow is a natural leader, and his charisma and resiliency has one over his coaches and teammates. I understand that Tebow is a very good leader, but let’s be honest, he is not a college player anymore. In order to be a starter in the NFL, you have to have a unique skill set, one in which the other million want-to-be quarterbacks lack. You can’t win in the NFL on just pure desire and work ethic, two things in which Tebow undoubtedly possess, but you have to posses all of the attributes I previously mentioned, like pocket presence, ball security, footwork, and accuracy.
Regardless of my or anyone else’s opinion, John Fox, Broncos head coach has already announced that Tebow will be the starting quarterback in next week’s game against the very strong Oakland Raiders (4-3). I hope Tebow can bounce back from his embarrassing performance against the Lions, and reassure his position as starting quarterback.

Boxing Gone Wrong

Boxing Gone Wrong

By Davon Hill

6…7…8…9…10! After just 12 minutes (4 rounds) of boxing, Victor Ortiz, the current WBC welterweight champion of the world, laid in the middle of the ring stunned and defeated by Floyd Mayweather, the undefeated fighter who had just come out of retirement 16 months earlier. What had become the fight of the year quickly became one of the biggest disappointments in boxing history.
After several months of intense training, childish antics, and trash-talking by both boxers it had all come to an abrupt controversial ending. In just 4 rounds, Mayweather kept his unblemished record of 41-0 and 25 KNO’s and bragging rights of being the best boxer in the world, while Ortiz had to submit his championship belt and suffer the brutal criticism of the media and press. During the final interview before the fight between the two boxers, Ortiz stressed why he thought he would win the fight. To him it was his youth (24 years old), quickness, and strength that he thought the seasoned 34 year old fighter had now lacked. Ortiz was convinced that after several months of studying Mayweather’s moves and boxing style, he had come up with the perfect strategy and scheme in order to defeat him. After listening to Ortiz, Mayweather sat back in his chair and simply laughed. He proceeded to tell Ortiz that “it’s different when you’re on the outside looking in,” which meant that only once Ortiz was actually in the ring with him would he finally realize how hard it would be to execute his game plan. Over the course of time the tension between the two boxers only grew, and the trash talking only became more personal.
Sitting at home, anticipating the great fight, I began to become more and more excited. I couldn’t wait to see if Ortiz could actually beat the undefeated Floyd Mayweather. I ordered the pay per view fight for $70 and to my surprise it wouldn’t work because too many people were trying to order it. As you could probably imagine, not being able to watch the fight was a major disappointment. After trying several times more to order the fight I realized it was not going to work, so I quickly got on facebook because I knew people would be updating their statuses as the fight took place. Shortly after the fight started I began seeing statuses “Mayweather is just too quick,” “Ortiz is definitely going to win,” and “ I can’t believe letterman (a judge) gave round 2 to Ortiz.” It was clear that there were fans who favored either Ortiz or Mayweather. After several more biased posts of people showing favoritism towards one of the fighter, I read one post that completely stunned me. It said “Ortiz, keep your hands up. Fight over in 4 rounds!” I immediately thought to myself, what happened? Could the fight really be over that fast? I then felt a moment of relief because I was not one of the many fans who wasted $70 ordering the fight. I could imagine the disappointment of the many celebrities and fans who paid money to go see the fight, the tickets ranging anywhere from $150-$1250. Not including the money people spent on plane tickets in order to fly to Vegas, which is where the fight took place. Was all of the effort and money invested worth a 12 minute controversial finish?
The bell had finally rung, and in round one both fighters landed a few good shots. However, by the end of the first round, Mayweather was on top 10-9. In the start of the second round, Ortiz came out a little more aggressive, but the speed of Mayweather would prove to be too much, and Mayweather would also take round two 10-9. With his confidence building, Mayweather came out in round 3 aggressive. He lands jab after jab and once again his speed and experience was proving to be too much for the young and powerful 24 year old Victor Ortiz. Everything was going as planned for the Invincible Mayweather, and he takes round three 10-9. Showing signs of desperation, Ortiz comes out in round 4 swinging wildly. He backed Mayweather into a corner, ducked his head low and exploded forward with a powerful head butt. For this illegal move he would be deducted one point. Immediately following, Ortiz tries to hug Mayweather as to apologize for the head butt. With his hands down and extremely vulnerable, Mayweather punches Ortiz twice in the head and ends the fight with a knockout.
Some call the final 2 blows given by Mayweather cheap shots, while some say once the referee breaks from between the two contestants it’s a live game, but one thing is for certain, the boxing world was extremely disappointed with the finality of the fight and hopes to one day see a rematch between the two very gifted fighters.

 

Valuing Life

Valuing Life

By Davon Hill

Should one’s life be more valuable then another’s? Approximately 12,900 people are murdered every year. Being raised in a catholic home, I was brought up knowing every human being is equal, and for another person to diminish life by violent means is simply wrong. I was taught that every man should treat the next as they would want to be treated. Who knows what another person can or will contribute to society. You may be taking the life of a homeless man, a family man, or even our next President. To take life is an act of God or other supernatural power and a single man should not be allowed to make that decision.
The wife of Kwang Sup Hur found him dead in their household on September 1st. The sheer terror and shock brought on by the unexpected death of her husband must have been unexplainable. People go through life looking for a purpose and the reason for living, and some come up with the simple answer of becoming a productive citizen and procreating. Fear, depression, and insecurity may now burden this woman and prohibit her from doing these basic things. Not only may this death have ruined her life, but who knows the amount of family Kwang Sup Hur had. Who is to say that he was not the one bringing money in for their entire family and keeping them fed and provided them with the basic necessities for life? The potential disaster that one death causes is unsure, but the possibility of tearing and destroying an entire family surmounts any cause for taking the life of another human. Imagine going home on an ordinary night and finding a loved one dead. The mourning and grievance would be unimaginable. Dealing with a family death is no simple task. Aside from mourning, with death comes the task of several things. First the family has to make funeral arrangements, contact close and distant family members, find the will, and many other things. After the mourning process for this woman, the hardships of dealing with everyday life and having to adjust financially to one income would take its toll.
As Matt Jablow reported for WUSA9 news he sounded almost stunned that someone would murder a “75 year old Korean man” and when speaking on the motive of money his tone went to seemingly disappointed. Members of the police department reported next, and one officer said “we believe it was pre-meditated murder, and it’s horrible really, particularly when you have family members who are willing to commit a murder for any reason.” When the officer speaks the magnitude and seriousness of the situation is made evident by the tone and sincerity of his voice.
As police officers and forensic teams work numerous hours on the case they finally come to a conclusion that the cause of death was strangulation, a seemingly painful death. The motive was then determined to be over insurance fraud and the payout of a million dollars. Three of the victims family members were charged with accessory to murder; Jung Min Jun, the brother in-law of the victim, Ho Young Jun, nephew of the victim, and Jung Ok Jun, sister in-law of the victim. The three suspects are being held in New York and New Jersey and are expected to be extradited back to Virginia within the next few weeks. Its hard to imagine that your sibling would kill one you loved over money, and this is just what the three relatives did. As previously stated death ruins families, however not just the family of the victim but also the family of the accused. Not only did the three suspects possibly ruin their own lives but they have scarred the reputation and integrity of their entire family. It is not stated whether the 3 accused had kids or not, but assuming that one kid is involved, imagine the disconnect they must feel from having their mother or father taken from them, or the embarrassment having to have to live with people looking down at you because of a crime another family member committed. It’s selfish to put your family or other families through complete tragedy in order for a personal gain. I guess it’s safe to assume that the 3 relatives charged with the murder believe that a human life is worth one million dollars. No one’s life should be worth any amount of money.
We go through the world unaware and unappreciative of the basic things like life in its self. A tragedy of this manner should surely wake one up and make them more grateful for what he or she has.

A Controversial Fresh Start

A Controversial Fresh Start

By Davon Hill

Carson Palmer, Former Bengals Quarterback, has finally got what he has been whining for. Before the Tuesday 4 p.m. deadline, Palmer was traded to the Oakland Raiders, and in return the Bengals acquired a first and second round pick in the upcoming 2013 draft.
At the end of the 2010 season with a record of 4-12, Palmer publicly announced that he would not play another game as a Cincinnati Bengal, and he even went as far as to threaten retirement if they did not trade him in the off-season. After weeks of childish bickering from Palmer and the Bengals organization, Palmer decided to retire. Mike Brown, the Bengals president, refused to release Palmer’s contract because he felt “Palmer was reneging on his contract,” and with much animosity towards the quarterback of seven years, Brown announced that he would not “reward him by shipping him to another team.” The immaturity shown by both sides is unbelievable. The Bengals could have gotten something extremely valuable for Palmer much earlier, and this whole conflict could have easily been avoided. Brown knew Palmer wasn’t coming back, and he should have traded him immediately, because it would have been a good business decision. To many, it is unclear why Palmer had been so unhappy with the organization when in fact he has received every one of his wishes.
Palmer was no underpaid NFL quarterback, and in fact his most recent contract was one with a base salary of seven million dollars a year, and a signing bonus of a shocking 15 million dollars. His base salary increased depending on his performance, and to top it off, he received a one million dollar roster bonus for each of his past three seasons. All of the different aspects of his contracted totaled to a 118.75 million dollar nine-year deal. That’s enough money to stay anywhere, regardless if you’re winning or losing if you ask me. Throughout his many years with the Bengals, Palmer has also gotten every player he has rallied for, first with the signing of Terrell Owens, an elite wide receiver in the NFL, in 2010, and next with another talented wide receiver, Antonio Bryant. Once these two signings backfired at the organization, Palmer came to the conclusion that he simply needed a fresh start. He figured there was no future for him in Cincinnati. Although Palmer’s contract extends to the 2014 season, he has elected to not play, but instead retire and return once his contract with the Bengals expires.
Being a competitor myself, I understand that losing is no fun, and doing everything to remove yourself from an awful situation is usually a good idea, but what Palmer did was completely unprofessional. Palmer made a promise with the Bengals organization to play through the 2014 season, and he should have honored that promise. Palmer, a leader and captain of the Bengals for the past several years handled himself in an embarrassing manner, because he turned his back on his teammates, and made a decision that only benefited him. When looking at his stats, Palmers play has declined over the past few years, and in fact he has thrown 33 interceptions in just two seasons. It is safe to say that Palmer, once a top 5 quarterback in the NFL, has fueled the fire to some of the underachievement by the Bengals. Who is to say that Palmer won’t do this again if things don’t go his way? Palmer has stained his reputation, and now many look at him as disloyal and a quitter. Hopefully, Palmer has a great year with the Raiders in order to get some of the fans and sports-critics off of his back.
Regardless of the disgust and bitterness the Bengals fans and organization may feel towards Palmer, the deal is done, and he is now an Oakland Raider. Filling in for the injured Jason Campbell (broken collarbone), Palmer has already began taking snaps with the starting offense, and is projected to be the number one quarterback. When asked how he plans on starting after several months of not playing football, he answered “it will be tough, but the only way to get into football shape is to play football.” Palmer has proved himself before, but it will be interesting if he can do it again at the age of 31.
At the end of all the drama and back and forth action between Palmer and the Bengals organization, Palmer has gotten what he has wanted all along, a fresh Start. What he does with it is up to him. His first test will be this Sunday, October, 23 2011, against the Kansas City Chiefs (2-3).

Too Much Hype

Too Much Hype

By Davon Hill

When asked to describe the Philedalphia Eagles, Vince Young, the second-string quarterback, confidently said “We are a dream Team.” He went on to talk about key additions to the already talented Eagles; Nnamdi Asomugha, the 60 million dollar cornerback, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Jason Babin, and finally himself. Many fans and critics wondered, exactly how much of this was hype? The Eagles horrific start to the 2011 season proved those with doubt right. The Eagles are all talk.
Young may not have realized the significance of his statement at the time, but I am sure he is regretting saying it now. He attracted much unneeded attention and put a bulls-eye on their back as if they had already won the Super bowl. Young also attracted a lot of media attention. One sports commentator said “the eagles are in complete disarray and don’t know where to go.” He added that they are “beating themselves and need to get back to the basics and fundamentals of the game.” The eagles are a poor tackling team and they turn the ball over entirely too much. In actuality the Eagles are a sub-par team with many talented pieces who maybe in a year or two will be in contention for a super bowl title. In all sports it has been proven that a manager cannot simply buy high profile players and expect to win championships the following year. For example, The Miami Heat added 2 of the top players in the NBA (Lebron James and Chris Bosh) and failed to win the title. A championship team takes dedication, hard work, and most importantly time. It may take several years to assemble the right guys to fit in a system and work together. It is also impossible to achieve the very necessary chemistry that a championship team must have. Why did the eagles think they could be the rare exception? I’m not sure.
The Eagles now stand at 1-,4, last in their division (the NFC East) after their most recent loss to the Buffalo Bills (4-1). After the loss, eagles head coach, Andy Reid may have just been trying to give the Eagles confidence when he said “I thought the effort was good. I thought as the game went on we continued to get better in most phases of the game. There are some good things we can take out of this game.” Come on! It’s time to take ownership and hold the team accountable. This is professional football and millions of fans pay to see their team win. No one wants to hear excuses or that the team put out a good effort. At some point and time it has to be about production and results, two things the eagles are failing miserably to put forth. Just as the Philedalphia fans are becoming frustrated and agitated, so are some of the players.
Michael Vick, the 100 million dollar quarterback for the Eagles, is letting his frustration with the league referees known. In his press conference he said he was “tired of taking so many shots (tired of being tackled).” Vick attributes some of his questionable decisions to the fact that after the whistle he is getting hit a lot more often than other quarterbacks in the NFL. It’s hard to understand why he isn’t getting these calls when in fact he is one of the highest paid NFL players, and a top 10 quarterback. If you watch quarterbacks like Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, arguably the two best quarterbacks in the NFL, you see referees pay special attention to them getting hit. Two years ago, Tom Brady suffered a season ending knee injury on a low hit, and immedialtly following that season the rule on hitting the quarterback change. Now, defensinve players are not allowed to hit the quarterback below the waiste. Although Vick is not playing his best, all of the disappointment cannot be put on his shoulder. The Philadelphia Eagles defense can also be credited with some of the seasons frustrating losses. The “lockdown corner” Nnamdi Asomugha has been somewhat of a disappointment to the team.

Asomugha, with the Oakland Raiders, his team before the trade, took away half of the field with his speed and athleticism, however this year Asomugha has allowed several passes (some for touchdowns) to be completed on him. We all know the old cliché “offense wins ball games, but defense wins championships,” and in order for the eagles to be a competitive team their defense must be able to stop the opposing offense.

With a little more than a quarter of the season gone, the eagles are in desperate need for wins in order for their season not to be considered a bust.

Tony Not-So-Great Romo

Tony Not So Great Romo

By Davon Hill
There is no doubt that Tony Romo has been the most criticized player in the Cowboys organization for the past couple of years. However, after his most recent collapse against the undefeated Detroit Lions, it is safe to say that Romo has become the most targeted and scrutinized quarterback in the NFL. Some people believe he lacks focus throughout the game, while others believe Romo simply cannot perform in pressure situations. Exactly why can’t Romo close out games? There is no simple one word answer to this question.
Romo’s inconsistency did not just start in this season, but in fact, his troubles date all the way back to his 2006 season following the benching of their former starting quarterback, Drew Bledsoe. Immediately after his promotion to starting quarterback, Romo led the Cowboys to four straight wins. This impressive streak included a win over the defending Super Bowl Champions, the Indianapolis Colts. However, Romo proved that all hot streaks must come to an end, and in the following week the Cowboys suffered a disheartening loss to the Philadelphia Eagle, 23-20. Romo would finish that game with two interceptions and zero passing touchdowns. However, he would not be heavily criticized because It was only in fact his first loss. Romo would follow up on this dismal performance by loosing 2 out of the next 3 games. These two losses included one to the worst team in the NFL, the Detroit Lions who were 2-13. These would prove to not just be two ordinary losses, but they would cost the Cowboys the division championship. Although their regular season ended miserably, the Cowboys would earn a wild-card spot to the play-offs where they would go up against the Seattle Seahawks. This game was very competitive and as the Cowboys trailed 21-20 with second’s remaining, the season for the Seahawks seemed to be over, as the cowboys lined up for an easy 19-yard field goal. However, with a guy named Tony Romo on your team, you can never quite say the game is over. Most kickers live for the chance to kick a game-winning field goal in the play-offs, and I am sure Nick Folk, the Cowboy’s kicker at the time was just as excited. However, seconds later he would be just as disappointed because Tony Romo would fumble the snap and cost the Cowboys the play-off win. This very memorable loss and disappointing season in the Cowboys history would foreshadow the struggles of Romo for years to come.
The cowboys have just come off a motivating victory against their historic rivals, the Washington on Redskins 18-16. The following week, going against the young and confident Detroit Lions would be no easy task. The fact that the Cowboys were missing their top receiver, Miles Austin, would not help their chances in getting a much needed victory. However, Tony Romo and the Dallas cowboys jump out to a quick lead. Romo finished the game with 331 yards passing and 3 touchdowns, in what some would call a great game for a NFL quarterback. Up 24 points going into the second half, it was almost certain that the Cowboys would win the game. All they had to do was run the clock down and play a conservative style game for the entire second half. However the cowboys had something else in mind. They continued to play aggressively, and the problems surmounted drive after drive. Romo would throw two interceptions that would be returned for touchdowns. Then on a key drive, Romo threw another interception, which the Lions would capitalize on and score a touchdown. That’s right. Tony Romo, an offensive player, accounted for 21 of the 34 points scored by the Detroit Lions by himself.
Let’s make no mistake, Romo is very good and effective, and is a starting quarterback in the NFL. His stats rank among the best in the NFL year in and year out. Over his career he has accumulated a 95.3 quarterback rating and has thrown 125 touchdowns to 67 interceptions. Statically this is very good. Also, Romo is tied for most games in Cowboy history with at least 3 touchdown passes. So, it’s no surprise that Romo still starts for the heavily talented Dallas Cowboys.
So why can’t Romo close out games? It may be that he lacks focus, or that he can’t perform under pressure. There is no concrete answer to that question, but one thing is for sure, if Romo doesn’t get it together soon and become a more consistent and winning quarterback, the question will be why can’t Romo find a job?

http://www.nj.com/times-sports/index.ssf/2011/10/bottom_line_romos_inconsistenc.html

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/98221-tony-romo-the-biggest-choker-in-nfl-history