Jerry Jones believes in Tony Romo. He wouldn’t have forked over a $108 million contract or $55 million in guarantees this offseason if he thought otherwise. Apparently he’s one of the few who believes in Romo’s ability in the clutch, too.
Romo hasn’t exactly earned the reputation as a late-game closer during his eight seasons as the Cowboys’ starting quarterback. His fourth quarter interception against the Denver Broncos two weeks ago, leading to an eventual Cowboys loss, is a prime example of Romo’s issues late in games. Jones is still bubbling with confidence about his quarterback, though, even going as far as to call him the best late-game quarterback in the NFL during an interview with KRLD-FM radio in Dallas on Saturday.
When asked about a hypothetical late-game situation in Sunday’s game with the Philadelphia Eagles — specifically if the Cowboys were trailing by four points with two minutes to go — Jones couldn’t help but express his supreme confidence in Romo.
“I’m expecting to win it,” Jones said via ESPN Dallas. “I hadn’t booked it, but we had ’em against Denver. And we’ve got a quarterback that’s the best in the business in the fourth quarter. He’s the best.
“He can make it happen when it’s not there. Other than being ahead with the ball, there’s no one I’d rather have at this time than to have Romo trying to get us down the field in a short period of time.”
Romo actually deserves more credit than he receives for his prowess in the clutch. He’s led 18 fourth quarter comebacks and 19 game-winning drives during his career, including five each last season. Those numbers may not be quite on par with the record 39 that Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have manufactured, but Romo isn’t a lot better than he seems, too.
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