Romo Rallies the Dallas Cowboys in Final Minutes to Beat the New York Giants

Posted on November 24, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Tony Romo has a giant(s) second half to lead his team to victory…

The 34-year-old Mexican American Dallas Cowboys quarterback made critical plays in the second half to beat the New York Giants on Sunday night.

Romo threw two touchdown passes to Dez Bryant, the winner from 13 yards with 1:01 remaining, lifting the Cowboys to a comeback 31-28 victory.

“You gain an understanding that you’re never really out of it,” Romo said. “You are comfortable being in uncomfortable situations. That comes from having been through it and going out and finding a way to win. Once you do that a few times, the team can believe in that.”

Romo could’ve written a book on winning drives while staging this one; he never was pressured in leading the Cowboys 80 yards to the winning score.

“Any time you’re afforded the amount of time at the end of the game, it’s huge,” he said. “They (the offensive line) are a special group of guys who work their butts off and deserve a lot of credit for this game and this season.”

Romo threw for two TDs in the third quarter and Barry Church‘s interception helped turn things around for the Cowboys. But the Giants (3-8), trailing 24-21, staged a 93-yard drive capped by Adrien Robinson‘s first career TD catch. That 1-yard score with 3 minutes remaining could’ve snapped New York’s slide that now stands at six losses.

Dallas (8-3) roared back. Romo found Bryant in the back of the end zone to win it, setting up an NFC East showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles on Thanksgiving Day for first place.

“Now we have another challenge coming up real quick,” Romo said. “Philly is playing great football so we’re going to have to play better than we did tonight to win that game.”

Dallas, which was treated to chants of “Let’s Go Cowboys!” in the second half from hundreds of fans in Cowboys garb, is 5-0 on the road. New York was eliminated from division contention.

Romo was 18-of-26 for 275 yards and never appeared bothered by back problems that sidelined him for one of the Cowboys’ defeats this year.

Escobar Shines in the Dallas Cowboys Victory Over the New York Giants

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a memorable NFL Sunday for Gavin Escobar with the Sporting News asking if he could be “the Cowboys next big thing.”

The 23-year-old half-Puerto Rican professional football player – a second-year tight end for Dallas – logged the first two-touchdown game of his NFL career on Sunday in his team’s 31-21 over the New York Giants, including a spectacular grab between defenders on his second touchdown of the day.

Escobar’s first scoring catch came in the first quarter, when he caught a 15 year pass from Tony Romo to give the Cowboys the first points of the game.

No. 89 then followed it up with his second score of the game in the third quarter with a spectacular catch in the end zone to break a 14-14 tie.

By the end of Dallas’ win, Escobar had a more impressive stat line (3 catches, 65 yards, 21.7 average, 2 TDs) than fellow tight end Jason Witten (2 catches, 27 yards, 13.5 avg., 0 TDs). Plus, Escobar was targeted three times, one more than Witten.

After the game, tight ends coach Mike Pope, fired by the Giants’ Tom Coughlin last winter, was given the game ball.

“You know he was loving this,” Escobar told reporters.

Escobar’s improved performance comes after ESPN reported that his role in the Cowboys offense was decreasing. But it looks like the second-round draft pick is stepping up his game in the face of adversity.

In the past couple weeks, Escobar has risen to the occasion in crucial moments for Romo, and has a good chance of becoming a key component of the team’s offense moving forward. He has found the end zone three times in two weeks, and clearly has the trust of Romo.

As a result, the San Diego State University product has been rewarded with more playing time by head coach Jason Garrett, and now he’s being heralded as the Cowboys next big thing.

Romo Helps the Dallas Cowboys Roar Back to Beat the St. Louis Rams

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Tony Romo is Dallas’ “Comeback King”…

The 34-year-old Mexican American NFL quarterback stayed cool, calm and collected in the late stretch to help lead his Dallas Cowboys to a massive come-from-behind win against the St. Louis Rams.

“No one ever comes that wide open,” Romo said of his 68-yard touchdown pass to Dez Bryant that was among the big plays that helped the Cowboys erase a 21-0 deficit and stun the Rams 34-31 on Sunday. “You want to make sure you don’t do anything stupid.”

Romo’s impressive performance down the stretch help the team match its biggest comeback in franchise history, and helped give him his own franchise best record.

The Cowboys (2-1) had plenty of time to chip away, and no one panicked about the cushion they’d spotted the Rams.

“We never blinked, I can honestly say that,” Bryant said.

Romo has 21 comeback victories in the fourth quarter or overtime, a franchise best.

“Tony went out there and did what Tony do,” Bryant said. “He was poised and he knew what he wanted to do.”

Terrance Williams scored the go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter, and Bruce Carter returned an interception 25 yards for a TD on the next snap, capping the rally.

DeMarco Murray‘s 1-yard run late in the first half began the comeback.

Dallas also rallied from a 21-point deficit in 1984 against the New Orleans Saints and 1999 against the Washington Redskins, although both of those wins came in overtime.

It tied the second-largest lead blown by the Rams (1-2), who slowed Murray but got burned everywhere else. Among other breakdowns was a flubbed snap by center Scott Wells, who didn’t realize Austin Davis was in the shotgun, resulting in a lost fumble, and a. They settled for a field goal.

“I feel like I let this game slip through my hands and it’s my fault,” said Jared Cook, who dropped a touchdown pass that could have put the Rams up 28-21

Romo was 4 for 5 for 40 yards and scrambled 16 yards on third-and-13 on the go-ahead drive. His second-half play overshadowed a third costly INT of the year.

“We were able to execute under pressure or whatever you want to say, blah, blah, blah,” Romo said. “We got it done.”

Romo Agrees to a Lucrative Six-Year Extension with the Dallas Cowboys

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Tony Romo is making history in the “Big D”…

The 32-year-old Mexican American NFL quarterback has agreed to a deal with the Dallas Cowboys, a blockbuster six-year extension worth a whopping $108 million, making him the highest paid player in franchise history.

In the first year of the extension, Romo will make $26.5 million, and after two years, he will make $40 million. Romo’s money over the first three years — with the likelihood that Dallas keeps him the next three seasons — will be $57 million.

Romo now has a seven-year deal worth $119.5 million, of which $11.5 million was included as part of a $25 million signing bonus spread over the course of the deal. The $11.5 million is what Romo was set to make in 2013 before the extension.

“In today’s game, every NFL franchise understands the importance of production and continuity at the quarterback position, and, historically, few franchises have enjoyed those benefits more than the Dallas Cowboys,” Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said in a statement. “We are very confident in this investment and commitment.”

Romo’s salary-cap number was $16.8 million in the final year of his current deal, but he now will count $11.8 million against it, saving the Cowboys $5 million. His average salary for six more years will be $18 million. For 2013, Romo receives a base salary of $1.5 million.

As part of the deal, Romo will receive $55 million guaranteed from the Cowboys.

“I am excited about the year ahead and some of the changes that we have made to allow us to be a better team going forward,” Romo said in a statement. “This is an organization that always gives us a chance to win, and that is always the main focus here. We haven’t had the type of success that we have all wanted the last few years, but I do know that we are on the verge of doing that.”

The Cowboys had hoped to sign Romo to an extension last summer, but the quarterback put the contract talks on hold so he could concentrate on the season.

Negotiations heated up this week, when the Cowboys submitted their first proposal before Romo’s side countered with its own. Negotiations continued at a feverish pace once a framework for the deal was established and middle ground was eventually reached.

This is the fourth contract Romo has signed with the Cowboys since joining the organization in 2003. He signed a six-year, $67 million deal in 2007.

Romo is the Cowboys’ all-time leader with 174 touchdown passes and holds the franchise’s single-season records for passing yards and touchdowns.

Cowboys Looking to Sign Romo to Long-Term Contract

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Is Tony Romo the integral part of the Dallas Cowboys’ game plan to returning to the Super Bowl?

The franchise’s executive vice president Stephen Jones says the Cowboys believe that to be the case; and the team wants to sign the 32-year-old Mexican-American quarterback to a long-term contract.

“Tony is a key piece of what we’re about going forward,” said Jones. “We’re certainly going to be looking at his situation (in) time.

“We’ve historically (extended contracts) with quarterbacks for the Dallas Cowboys ahead of time. We did it with Troy (Aikman) and we certainly want to look at that with Tony so we can all move forward in terms of how we want to play around our salary cap with our team. Tony is the key piece in terms of how your cap is represented.”

Romo, who is currently in the last year of his contract, is scheduled to earn a base salary of $11.5 million in 2013. His salary cap figure is a team-high $16.8 million.

The Cowboys, like all NFL teams, have until March 12 to get under the expected $121 million cap. The Cowboys are roughly $20 million over that figure, so lowering Romo’s cap number by extending his contract is an important part of that process.

“I don’t feel pressed,” said Jones. “I don’t think we’ve ever felt pressed with Tony. He’s been a great partner. As I said, your quarterback, even when you have a good one and we’re certainly lucky to have one of the best, is going to represent a good piece of your salary cap. How you manage that is important. He understands that and we do, too.”

Jones wouldn’t get into specifics about how much the team wants to pay, but Romo could command a three- to five-year deal with an average salary of at least $12 million, slightly more than what he received in his last contract.

Romo & the Dallas Cowboys Still in the Playoff Hunt Despite Loss

Posted on December 24, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Despite a heartbreaking loss to the New Orleans Saints, Tony Romo still has one last chance to lead the Dallas Cowboys to the playoffs.

Garrett Hartley‘s winning 20-yard field goal in overtime on Sunday propelled the Saints past Cowboys by a final score of 34-31. But the game turned out to be meaningless to America’s Team’s postseason hopes.

Despite the Cowboys loss in a third straight game decided on the final play, the New York Giants 33-14 loss against the Baltimore Ravens later Sunday left Dallas in essentially the same position. Beat the Washington Redskins in next weekend’s finale and the Cowboys go to the postseason as NFC East champions.

“Even if we would have won today, we would have needed that game next week obviously,” said Dallas’ 32-year-old Mexican American quarterback, who threw for 416 yards and four touchdowns, including a 19-yarder to Miles Austin that tied the score with 15 seconds left in regulation.

For the third time in five seasons, Dallas (8-7) can get to the playoffs by beating a division rival on the final day of the regular season. The Cowboys lost such games to the Giants last New Year’s night and to Philadelphia in 2008.

“I welcome that challenge,” said Romo. “I think we’ve improved in some areas since those two years.”

With just 1:29 remaining in the game, the Cowboys pulled within a touchdown on a 16-yard pass from Romo to Dwayne Harris. Romo led the Cowboys 64 yards in seven plays, capped by the tying toss to Austin, who caught the ball on his knees in the end zone. It was Dallas’ third overtime game in the past five at home.

“There was no panic,” said Saints quarterback Drew Brees. “It was almost like we knew the game would come down to something like this. We just wanted that opportunity and the defense gave it to us.”

Romo also had a pair of 58-yard scoring passes to Dez Bryant, who had a career-high 224 yards receiving. Romo was 26 of 43 and broke his own franchise record for passing yards in a season. He has 4,685.

Dallas Quarterback Romo Exceeds Career Passing Milestone

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

It’s turning out to be Lucky No. 7 for Dallas Cowboys star Tony Romo…

Along with leading America’s Team to an overtime win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, the 32-year-old Mexican-American quarterback broke the 25,000 yards passing milestone during the game. And he achieved that feat by doing something to a Pittsburgh defense that hadn’t been done in 21 games — throw for 300 yards.

The Steelers hadn’t allowed more than 200 yards passing in their previous eight games before Sunday.

Romo completed 30-of-42 passes for 341 yards with touchdown passes to Jason Witten and Dez Bryant to continue his hot December days. In three wins this month, Romo has six touchdown passes and one interception with 912 yards passing.

In his last seven games, Romo has 13 touchdowns and only three interceptions.

“I think as the season progresses you understand what your team needs, what we’re good at, what we’re struggling at,” Romo said. “I said it earlier in the year, we made some mistakes that cost us (and those are) things we haven’t made lately.”

It’s the latest feat for Romo, a three-time Pro Bowl selection.

Earlier this season, the first-time father passed Troy Aikman‘s career mark to become the franchise’s new career touchdown passes leader.

During Sunday’s game, Cowboys cornerbackBrandon Carr helped seal the victory for the Cowboys when he intercepted a pass from Ben Roethlisberger and returned it 36 yards to the 1 yard line in overtime.

Dan Bailey‘s 21-yard field goal gave the Cowboys the 27-24 winover Pittsburgh in front of thousands of Steelers fans at Cowboys Stadium.

The winning kick came after Romo took a knee to put Bailey in better position.

The Cowboys (8-6) moved into a three-way tie for the NFC East lead with the New York Giants and Washington Redskins. The Cowboys have won three straight and five of their six games.

Romo Surpasses Aikman’s Franchise Record in Cowboys Victory

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

The Dallas Cowboys have a new career touchdown passes leader… And, his name is Tony Romo.

The 32-year-old Cowboys quarterback threw for three touchdowns to pass Troy Aikman‘s career mark of 165 TD passes and claim Dallas’ franchise record as the Cowboys beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-33 on Sunday night.

The Cowboys (6-6) trailed 27-24 when Romo led an 86-yard drive that was sparked by a 35-yard pass to Dez Bryant on third down. Bryant gave Dallas the lead when he took a screen pass from the 6 and got inside the pylon with 5:40 remaining.

The Eagles (3-9) lost their eighth straight game despite 169 yards rushing and two touchdowns from rookie Bryce Brown a week after he set a team rookie record with 178 yards.

After Romo’s go-ahead touchdown pass, Dallas went up by 11 when Morris Claiborne returned a fumble by Brown 50 yards for a touchdown.

Brown’s fumble snapped a streak of eight straight scoring drives by both teams.

Philadelphia had a chance for an improbable rally when Damaris Johnson returned a punt 98 yards with 31 seconds left. After a failed 2-point conversion kept the score at 38-33, the Cowboys recovered the onside kick.

“It’s about winning games,” said Romo, who was 10 of 10 in the second half and completed his last 12 passes. “We desperately had to have this win tonight, and our team fought like heck to get a win.”

Romo completed 22 of 27 for 303 yards with no interceptions and a passer rating of 150.5. He’s the fifth QB since 2000 with three touchdowns and no incompletions in the second half of a game.

Romo & Crawford Introduce Son Hawkins to the World

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Call this the family’s “first photo”…

Following the birth of their son Hawkins on Monday night, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo joined his wife Candice Crawford and his newborn son—perfectly wrapped in the traditional hospital blanket and hat—for their first family snapshot.

The photo opportunity came some moments after Crawford delivered Hawkins, who weighed in at 8 lbs., 8 oz.

And, Hawkins has already been named “a part of the Dallas Cowboy family” by a spokesperson from the team.

The Dallas Morning News reports that on Wednesday morning, the new parents packed their bags and headed home from Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano with their beautiful son.

Romo: First-Time Father

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

There’s a new(born) Cowboy in Dallas…

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and his wife Candice Crawford welcomed their first child on Monday, according to People.

“Hawkins Crawford Romo is now a part of the Dallas Cowboys family,” a Cowboys spokesperson said in a statement. “All is well with mom.”

Hawkins weighed in at 8 pounds, 8 ounces.

The 31-year-old Mexican American football star and Crawford—the 25-year-old younger sister of Gossip Girl’s Chace Crawford married last May after dating for nearly a year and a half.

Romo was previously linked to Jessica Simpson and Carrie Underwood.

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