In a development that seems to smell of poetic justice, quarterback Tony Romo has been named the NFC Player of the Month for the month of December.
In the five games since the calendar turned to December, Romo has led Dallas to a 3-2 record, including three consecutive wins to finish out the regular season. He's completed 68.6 percent of his passes over this span for 1,550 yards.
Romo also threw nine touchdown passes and just two interceptions; and we would be remiss not to mention that both of these interceptions came when the ball was tipped. His quarterback rating over these games is a lofty 104.4.
More importantly, though, Romo's late-season proficiency thus far seems to hint at the oft-discussed growth of the 29-year-old into an elite quarterback. Romo has twice won Player of the Month awards--November 2006, September 2007--but had developed a reputation for poor December stretches.
In fact, his nickname, Mr. November, was a dubious one when held up to this reputation.
Saying that 2009 has seen a brand new Tony Romo would be no great stretch, an idea supported by the fact that he has been honored--rather than being harangued or derided--for his play down the all-important final stretch of the regular season.
Now, about that playoff win...
