Cowboys owner Jerry Jones throwing Tony Romo's name into MVP conversation
IRVING, Texas — Tony Romo has played just one game since returning from a broken collarbone, yet Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is already touting his quarterback as a league MVP candidate if they win out.
Over Tom Brady.
Over Cam Newton.
“Maybe that goes over in that dream category, but you saw (Sunday) the difference Tony made to his team,” Jones said Tuesday on local KRLD-FM radio in Dallas. “Now the definition of most valuable player has to do with the impact that you have made on your team.
“If a player comes in, wins the first two, is out seven and you lose all of those, and then for whatever the reason, (he) comes back, and you win big and are a heck of a football team, that is going a long way toward that definition and probably the most dramatic example of it in the NFL. If it happens …”
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Big "if."
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The Cowboys (3-7) are unbeaten this season with Romo as a starter and winless in all seven games without him. But now comes arguably the stiffest challenge Romo faces the rest of the regular season: Thursday’s home game against the Carolina Panthers, who have 31 sacks (22 in the past six games).
And Romo, 35, must face the defense just four days after returning to the field for the 24-14 victory at the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
“He has played in this (Thanksgiving) game a lot,” Cowboys tight end Jason Witten said. “He knows what he needs to do. He’s the best at that. He knows what it takes mentally and physically.”
When asked if he has concern about Romo playing two games in five days, Jones said after Sunday’s game, “No, no, I do not. ... This helped knock the rust off today.”
On a short turnaround last season, Romo threw for 199 yards and no touchdowns and two interceptions in the 33-10 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thanksgiving.
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Asked if he learned anything from his preparation last year, Romo said Tuesday: “In some ways, just some of the decisions I made were not conducive to me being ready in that short period of time. It happened. You learn. You move on. I think I’ll be better this year because of it.”
While he was sidelined this season, Romo said, he did advance research on the Dolphins and Panthers, taking notes on each team to “give me a little bit of a head start.”
Against the Dolphins, Romo completed 18 of 28 passes for 227 yards. He threw two touchdown passes and two interceptions. Some rust was evident, and challenges still loom physically and mentally after a long layoff.
“I think it can be physical just in the sense of the long layoff, some of the small, little things,” Romo said. “It takes time to catch up mentally, too. I think they both take a bit of time.”
Maybe enough time to win MVP if Jones gets his way.
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Follow Eric Prisbell on Twitter @EricPrisbell
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