I'm not going to delve too deeply into the Jaws/Gruden slobfest for Tony Romo last night, largely because NBC won't let me swear. Suffice it to say, ESPN's Monday Night Football team enjoys heaping praise upon QBs who launch ill-advised floaters down the center of the field, and they go out of their way to absolve said QBs of any on-field gaffes that might just possibly by their fault.
Tony Romo was indeed working with a lousy hand last night. Just ask Gruden and Jaworski. They'll happily drone on for the next seven hours about just how miserable Romo's supporting cast is. And while my first instinct is to always disagree with anything an ESPN analyst has to say, we need to take a closer look at the three young players last night who nearly cost the Cowboys a win versus the hated Redskins, and what we should do with them.
Kevin Ogletree
WHAT HE DID: Two things. First, he fumbled the ball on that LaRon Landry hit in the first quarter. And there's something so terribly aggravating about a wideout fumbling, as opposed to a running back doing likewise. I understand a running back fumbling, to a certain extent. They get the ball a lot, and they've got to run through the gauntlet. Oh, but you naughty fumbling wideouts always find a way to turn a positive play into something horrible, don't you? But the more controversial mistake Ogletree made was when Romo got picked off in the beginning of the second half on that idiotic throw downfield. Then, Jaws and Gruden explained that Ogletree sold out Romo with his pattern and absolved Romo of all wrongdoing, which I think is insane. You can have a bad route AND a bad throw, and that perfect storm of lousiness is what happened on that play.
WHAT WE SHOULD DO WITH HIM: Well, he did have that nice 20-yard reception on the game-winning drive. But otherwise, Ogletree remains just a filler wideout. The Cowboys should work out a few more free agents just to see if they can find someone to give Ogletree a run for his money.
Phil Costa
WHAT HE DID: Snapped the ball at random. SO EXCITING! You never know what's coming when Phil Costa is snapping the ball! Could be a high snap! Could be a low snap! No boring, functional, timely snaps for him!
WHAT WE SHOULD DO WITH HIM: Well, he's got the blocking part down okay. That's important. But you can't have that many botched snaps when you're playing a freakin' home game. Costa should be forced to practice snapping at all times this week, even when passing condiments.
Tashard Choice
WHAT HE DID: You fool! How do you let yourself get pushed out of bounds on 3rd and 9 after the two-minute warning? You nearly ruined EVERYTHING! And every time I pick you up off of waivers, you do NOTHING.
WHAT WE SHOULD DO WITH HIM: Have Phil Costa snap a gasoline-filled water balloon at him. STAY IN BOUNDS. It's all I ask of my spare part running backs.
