Who Will Be The Dallas Cowboys’ Starting Quarterback When Tony Romo Returns?
One of the more enduring dramas in all team sports is the battle to make the starting lineup. Although key reserves have started to get their due over the past couple of decades (eg: the NBA giving awards to the best ‘sixth man’) that doesn’t change the reality that no kid growing up dreams of making the pros to come off the bench. Nowhere is the ‘starter’ designation more significant than in the National Football League and no position more closely followed than that of the quarterback. You can make a compelling case from a NFL betting standpoint that the starting quarterback is the most overrated position on the field at least in terms of line value. Invariably, when a starting quarterback is injured the adjustment in the betting line is greater than his true ‘value’. Even so, among football fans and the mainstream sports media no decision a NFL coach makes is more important than who will start ‘under center’.
DALLAS COWBOYS: TONY ROMO VS. DAK PRESCOTT
The Dallas Cowboys might soon be facing a ‘quarterback controversy’ with their longtime starter Tony Romo nearly ready to return from a back injury suffered during preseason. At the time of his injury, the expectation was that the Cowboys would try to ‘muddle through’ until Romo could return. It didn’t exactly work out that way thanks to the performance of rookie quarterback Dak Prescott. The Mississippi State product wasn’t considered a ‘can’t miss’ prospect when the Cowboys selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 draft but he’s done a remarkable job as Dallas’ starting quarterback. The team is 4-1 and leading the NFC East. More impressively, Prescott’s individual stats have been very strong. He’s thrown for 4 touchdowns, rushed for three more and has shown decision making skills and passing efficiency rare in a rookie. His 155 passes with zero interceptions is a NFL record for a rookie quarterback. He’s got a 69% completion percentage which is tied for #3 in the league with Atlanta Falcons’ veteran Matt Ryan.
The ‘dark cloud’ to the ‘silver lining’ of Prescott’s performance is that the team, owner Jerry Jones and head coach Jason Garrett are now faced with a decision. Who is the #1 quarterback when Romo is cleared to return? The original plan, of course, was to give Romo back ‘the keys’ when he was ready to play. Prescott’s performance might not have changed that but it has raised a number of questions. What does the team do in the short term? Which quarterback gives the team the best chance to win? What sort of loyalty–if any–does the team owe to Romo? The most significant question could be the team’s long term plans for the quarterback position. Does Dallas keep a proven commodity in Romo despite his big contract, being somewhat injury prone and having little to show for postseason success? Or do they hit the ‘reset button’ with a brutally talented young quarterback who despite his impressive showing has only five games on his NFL resume?
There is some division in the media and in the Cowboys’ fan base over the topic. The argument for Prescott is obvious–he’s ‘the future’ at quarterback. With him, the Cowboys definitely get younger and more athletic but do they ‘get better’ in both the short and long term? The argument for Romo is also obvious–he’s been one of the few anchors of stability in a chaotic decade for the team, he’s done nothing to ‘lose’ his job and when healthy is among the best quarterbacks in the league.
TEAM OWNER JERRY JONES WEIGHS IN
Owner Jerry Jones tried to silence the growing ‘quarterback controversy’ by emphatically affirming that Romo will be the starting quarterback when he returns. Jones left plenty of ‘wiggle room’ despite his vote of confidence for Romo as starter:
“Tony is our No. 1 quarterback. We’re going to have the luxury of being able to, I think, see them both. I don’t want to presume that Dak is going to be necessarily healthy, I don’t want to presume anything like that. But I welcome the opportunity of having Dak playing at this level and Tony back in excellent health. It’s going to be really special for the Cowboys. I just know that I do expect a good report Monday(on Romo’s MRI test). I know that Tony is feeling better.”
To be fair, the fact that he spent a paragraph qualifying his ’emphatic statement’ that Romo would start might just be the circular way that Jones’ talks. The verbiage is also interesting–Jones says that Romo is the team’s “No. 1 quarterback” but doesn’t say that he’ll be the “starting quarterback” upon his return. What he’s really confirming is that Romo will get to play and that ‘we’re going to have the luxury…to see them both’. There’s also no time frame in the statement nor is their any affirmation that Romo will be back in the lineup just as soon as he’s cleared to play. Jones just says he wants to see “Tony back in excellent health”.
Jones is an ‘old school’ guy who prides himself on his loyalty. Despite the rambling nature of the paragraph above he likely does plan to give Romo his job back upon his return. The more Prescott succeeds, however, and if they Cowboys keep winning that decision becomes more and more complex regardless of loyalty. Romo got a good report on his MRI test and he could possibly return after Dallas’ bye week which would be the 10/30 game at home against the Philadelphia Eagles. Before the test results were known on Monday head coach Garrett made it sound like the team would bring Romo back slowly which they have the luxury to do with Prescott playing so well.
The SportsBettingExperts oddsmakers have come up with some betting odds on the growing ‘Romo v. Prescott’ quarterback controversy.
DALLAS COWBOYS QUARTERBACK PROPOSITION BETS
Who will start at quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys on 10/16 at Green Bay?:
Dak Prescott:-750
Mark Sanchez: +500
Tony Romo: +1500
Who will start at quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys on 10/30 against Philadelphia?:
Dak Prescott:-600
Tony Romo: +450
Mark Sanchez: +1500
Who will start at quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys on 11/6 at Cleveland?:
Dak Prescott:-550
Tony Romo: +400
Mark Sanchez: +1750
Who will start at quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys on 11/13 at Pittsburgh?:
Dak Prescott:-450
Tony Romo: +300
Mark Sanchez: +2100
Who will start at quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys on 11/20 (Thanksgiving Day) against Baltimore?:
Dak Prescott:-350
Tony Romo: +250
Mark Sanchez: +2400
Who will start at quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys on 12/26 against Detroit?:
Dak Prescott:-250
Tony Romo: +175
Mark Sanchez: +2800
Who will start at quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys on 1/1 at Philadelphia?:
Dak Prescott:-250
Tony Romo: +175
Mark Sanchez: +2800
Who will start at quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in their first playoff game?:
Dak Prescott:-210
Tony Romo: +150
Mark Sanchez: +3500
Who will start at quarterback for Dallas Cowboys in their first 2017 regular season game:
Dak Prescott:-250
Tony Romo: +175
Other: +3500
If Dallas starting quarterback not listed as a betting option bet is ‘no action’. If Dallas does not make playoffs any wagers on playoff games are ‘no action’. Player that takes first offensive snap of the game for Dallas will be the ‘starting quarterback’ for grading purposes.
Will Tony Romo take an offensive snap at quarterback in a game by 11/21/16?:
Yes: +150
No: -210
Will Mark Sanchez take an offensive snap at quarterback in a game by 11/21/16?:
Yes: +450
No: -300
Will Tony Romo take an offensive snap at quarterback in a game by 1/2/17?:
Yes: -250
No: +175
Will Mark Sanchez take an offensive snap at quarterback in a game by 1/2/17?:
Yes: +350
No: -200
How many different players will take a snap at quarterback in game action for Dallas by 1/2/17?:
Over 1.5: -575
Under 1.5: +425
How many different players will take a snap at quarterback in game action for Dallas by 1/2/17?:
Over 2.5: +100
Under 2.5: -150
How many players will start at quarterback in game action for Dallas by 1/2/17?:
Over 1.5: -300
Under 1.5: +250
How many players will start at quarterback in game action for Dallas by 1/2/17?:
Over 2.5: +300
Under 2.5: -450
Will a player other than Romo, Prescott or Sanchez take a snap at quarterback in game action for Dallas by 1/2/17?:
Yes: +600
No: -750
Will a player other than Romo, Prescott or Sanchez start at quarterback in game action for Dallas by 1/2/17?:
Yes: +1100
No: -1750
Will Prescott, Romo and Sanchez all be on the Dallas Cowboys roster at the start of the 2017 regular season?:
Yes: +1750
No: -2100
Will Prescott and Romo both be on the Dallas Cowboys roster at kickoff of the 2017 regular season opening game?:
Yes: +300
No: -450
Which teams will Prescott and Romo play for at kickoff of the Cowboys’ 2017 regular season opening game?:
Romo Dallas Prescott Dallas: +300
Romo Dallas Prescott Not Dallas: +150
Romo Not Dallas Prescott Dallas -250
Romo Not Dallas Prescott Not Dallas +750
Will Tony Romo retire before kickoff of the Cowboys’ 2017 regular season opening game?:
Yes: +350
No: -600