Twice in the final 10 minutes Sunday night, all Romo had to do was throw the ball away, or simply fall down. Had he done the smart, safe thing on either play, the Dallas Cowboys likely would've come away with a stunning start to their season.
Instead, he fumbled 3 yards from the end zone and threw an interception that set up a field goal, leaving the Cowboys with a different kind of stunning finish: a loss to the New York Jets that marked the first time in 248 tries that Dallas couldn't cash in on a fourth-quarter lead of at least 14 points — according to STATS LLC.
"I cost us a football game," Romo said afterward.
Cowboys fans and critics took to the Internet and airwaves Monday to wholeheartedly agree, dredging up all his past mistakes. The tone of the bashings was that this meltdown is further proof Dallas will never win a Super Bowl as long as Romo is playing quarterback, that he's too much of a gunslinger and not enough of a leader.
Inside the locker room Monday, the view was completely different.
Teammates insisted the Cowboys wouldn't have been in position to win had Romo not played so well the first 50 minutes, and that there were plenty of other mistakes that contributed to the loss. They also considered his mea culpa as proof that he is a leader.
"That is him trying to create his identity and show, 'I am going to be responsible for how far this team goes,'" defensive end Marcus Spears said.
"I think that is something he put on his shoulders and I personally like it. ... It will only help him to feel that way."
Linebacker Keith Brooking didn't even know Romo took the blame, or that the quarterback has a reputation for making risky decisions with a game on the line.
"That's not the rap in this locker room," Brooking said. "Who cares what everybody else thinks? ... That wasn't Tony Romo's loss. ... That's not the way this team looks at it."
Brooking said Romo picked apart one of the best defenses in the league. He considered it as Romo continuing a roll that began in training camp.
"I'll take that guy over anybody in this league," Brooking said. "Y'all might think I'm crazy, but I'm telling you right now, he's going to have an all-time year. He'll probably shatter every record. ... I've seen enough football to know the guy's ready for the next level."
Romo is 31 and going into his sixth season as a starter. His storybook rise from an undrafted player to a Pro Bowler has been overshadowed by what he hasn't done (1-3 in the playoffs), and how he hasn't done it. A common theme in all his disappointing losses has been late-game turnovers, usually while trying to force a play he probably shouldn't have tried.
“We did escape,” Revis said. “We did show heart and toughness and we fought back.”
Burress had four catches for 72 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, in his regular season debut for the Jets after the former Super Bowl standout for the New York Giants served nearly two years in prison on a weapon charge.
“I was just telling myself to be patient,” Burress said. “I didn’t have any catches in the first half but I’ve been in games like this in my career. Being down 14 points in the fourth quarter on opening night and rising to the occasion, it shows a lot about our team.”
The Jets scored on a blocked punt to tie the game at 24. Their quarterback, Mark Sanchez, threw for 335 yards and had a first-half touchdown pass to tight end Dustin Keller. But Sanchez also threw an interception that set up a Cowboys touchdown and lost a fumble.
The Cowboys lost their first season opener with Jason Garrett as their coach. Quarterback Tony Romo threw for 342 yards and had a pair of touchdown passes, one to wide receiver Dez Bryant and the other to wideout Miles Austin. Tailback Felix Jones ran for a touchdown. But Romo had a key fumble and threw the interception to Revis that led to the winning field goal.
“We just let it slip away,” Austin said. “You can’t do that. You have to play better from beginning to end. We have to finish better.”
Tony Romo’s two fourth-quarter turnovers put the quarterback in the limelight in all the wrong ways as the Cowboys and coach Jas Garrett looked to set a new tone in Dallas. As Cindy Boren explained:
Things were going nicely for the Dallas Cowboys and then Tony Romo happened.
After managing the game well for most of the Cowboys’ opener against the New York Jets, Romo committed two turnovers as the Jets rallied in the fourth quarter for a 27-24 victory Sunday night.
The Cowboys got another chance, getting the ball at their 41 with 59 seconds left. Romo’s pass, lofted toward Dez Bryant, was intercepted by Darrelle Revis. Nick Folk’s 50-yard field goal with 32 seconds left gave the Jets the win.
“We win that football game if I don’t do what I did,” Romo said. “It’s hard to swallow.”
Romo snatched the headlines from Rob Ryan, whose defense got the better of brother Rex’s Jets for most of the game and finished with four sacks, an interception and two forced fumbles. Afterward, Rob Ryan was furious. “I’m not talking,” he said (via Foxsportssouthwest.com).
The stage for Sunday night’s game could not have been larger for a season opener, and the players and coaches alike felt the pressures of playing on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 in New York. As AP reported:
An emotionally charged day for the Jets ended with an unlikely comeback as Nick Folk kicked a 50-yard field goal with 27 seconds left, giving them a 27-24 victory in the final game of the NFL’s first full Sunday with the commemoration of the 10-year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks as a backdrop.
“It was a draining game,” said Ryan, wearing an FDNY cap. “I am just so proud we were able to pull this thing out, for the town, as well. I probably even feel better about that than I do for our football team.”
Ryan wanted this one badly, and he said early last week that he felt more pressure to win this game than perhaps any other he has coached. And, it wasn’t only the fact it was the home opener: He also wanted to beat his twin brother Rob, Dallas’ defensive coordinator, with their father Buddy in the crowd.
With pregame and halftime ceremonies honoring those affected by the attacks, the Jets felt they were taking on the role of “America’s Team” against the Cowboys in front of a national television audience.
“Oh my goodness, exciting,” Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson said. “It was rocking. I felt like I was at a concert, but we were on stage. It felt great tonight. You could feel the energy in the building, and that was a tribute to the fans.
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