CASPER
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IRVING, Texas (AP) — All that time off watching from the sideline last season, all those offseason practices he led, even getting married — none of it could shake Tony Romo from his habit of reckless gambles that turn into costly late-game mistakes.
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."
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."
