Depending on what fan base you support and how you feel about Tony Romo, this ranking may shock and awe quite a few people. I’m going to put myself out there on the limb, and I’m sure I’ll catch pure hell for this.
I am a Tony Romo apologist. I spend my days during the NFL season trying to explain why Romo is a really good quarterback, who gets a raw deal at times.
NFL.com’s Bucky Brook hopped on my Romo bandwagon when he ranked Romo as one of the NFL’s top 10 “clutch” quarterbacks.
Romo came in at No. 6 to the surprise of many.
6) Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys: The sight of Romo’s name on a list of clutch performers will make some Cowboys fans cringe, but the three-time Pro Bowler doesn’t get enough credit for coming through in crucial situations. Romo is one of the most efficient fourth-quarter quarterbacks, completing 69.6 percent of his passes and compiling a 105.6 passer rating in the final period last season. Critics, of course, will point out some memorable interceptions with the game on the line, but the fact that he has orchestrated 11 fourth-quarter comebacks in the past three seasons suggests that he routinely comes through for the Cowboys when it matters. Now, I know these truths won’t absolve Romo from the harsh criticism of some unrealistic football fans, but this should shed some light on why NFL evaluators hold the quarterback in high regard as a clutch playmaker.
The rest of the list included reads like this.
10. Cam Newton
9. Russell Wilson
8. Philip Rivers
7. Ben Roethlisberger
5. Andrew Luck
4. Tom Brady
3. Peyton Manning
2. Aaron Rodgers
1. Drew Brees
New York Giants fan can now start to raise hell because Brooks left two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Eli Manning off the list.
To be fair, Brooks does his list on a year-to-year basis, and Manning absolutely stunk it up last season. Here is the non-playoff comparison for the two.
Career fourth quarter QB rating (Romo has played in 140 career games, and Manning has played in 160):
Romo: 101.1
Manning: 82.8Career fourth quarter interceptions:
Romo: 27
Manning: 56Career fourth quarter touchdowns:
Romo: 66
Manning: 78