Dallas Cowboys And Tony Romo Return To Seattle

By Ben Grimaldi on September 13, 2012

This weekend it finally happens, Tony Romo leads the Dallas Cowboys back into Seattle for the first time since he fumbled the snap in the 2006 playoffs against the Seattle Seahawks. That game feels like forever ago, when Romo was a young quarterback trying to find his way in the league and leading Dallas into the playoffs after taking over for Drew Bledsoe.

We all know what happened so there is no use in going back to it but I’d like to point out a few things that routinely gets lost in all the hoopla over the fumbled snap.

One is that Bill Parcells and his conservative gameplan had plenty to do with how that game turned out. The Seahawks were so banged up at cornerback, they actually signed a free agent off the street during the week of the game. Yet the Cowboys gameplan consisted of run after run and short passes, they never challenged the Seattle corners down the field with Keyshawn Johnson or Terry Glenn.

Speaking of Terry Glenn, it was his fumble which allowed the Seahawks to score a safety when the Cowboys had the ball up by seven points with under seven minutes to play. The Seahawks got great field position after the safety and scored a touchdown to take the lead 21-20.

Next, and the biggest thing nobody ever mentions, even if Romo didn’t fumble the snap and the Cowboys made the field goal, there still would have been 1:14 left to play. Who says the Seahawks wouldn’t have moved the ball into field goal range and kick the winning field goal themselves? A minute and fourteen seconds is a long time in a game, even with the Seahawks having no timeouts.

History never remembers what didn’t happen though, it only recalls what did happen. If the Cowboys kick the field goal and then Seattle comes right back to kick the winning field goal, does Tony Romo still have this label on him? One of not being able to win when it counts the most?

Who knows and who cares, that angle is played out. However, Tony Romo and the Cowboys finally return to the house of horrors this weekend and people want to know how he’ll handle it?

My guess, he’ll handle the same way he’s dealt with any disappointments he’s had in his career; by playing well. He led the Cowboys to a 13-3 record the season after the botched snap so I’m guessing the memory is long gone. Until, you know, we bring it up again.

The reality is not many of these Cowboys were on the field for that game over five years ago so it won’t bother this team at all.

As for Tony Romo, I’m sure the only thing on his mind is leaving with a win. Like all the Cowboys under Jason Garrett, he’s trying to be great today.

you can follow Ben on twitter @BenGrimaldi