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It took New York Giants' quarterback Eli Manning three trips to the playoffs before he finally won a game. Manning wasn’t the only passer to earn his first post-season victory. Jacksonville’s David Garrard also came through in his first playoff start to lead his team out of the Wild Card round.
But there’s no time to enjoy the moment. As soon as the celebration started, preparations for the next opponent began. Winning a first playoff game is nice, but there are other firsts Manning, Garrard, and others can achieve. Aiming for a first Divisional win is short-sighted.
For Manning to get his first divisional win, Eli and the Giants will have to keep another passer from his first playoff win. Dallas’ Tony Romo is out to erase the memory of last year’s fumbled snap on a potentially game-winning field goal against Seattle. That play led to Romo being removed from holding duties and focusing on playing quarterback.
That move paid off like a bull stock market. Romo led the NFC in passing touchdowns and finished second in yards as he directed the Cowboys to the best record in the conference and home field throughout the playoffs. The question is will Romo help the ‘Boys enjoy home cooking for more than one game?
The idea is to build momentum heading into the playoffs. The stretch run for Dallas resembled going from pavement to off-roading in a Lamborghini. Things got rough quickly as the Cowboys lost two of their last three games.
What was clear in those games is that the Cowboys' offense goes as far as Romo takes them. After averaging 281 yards and throwing 35 touchdowns in 13 games, Tony threw one TD against five picks in the final three.
Opponents took wide receiver Terrell Owens out of the game and challenged Romo to beat them using his other weapons. Despite throwing from behind a rock solid offensive line and having targets like Pro Bowler Jason Witten and receiver Patrick Crayton, Romo constantly misfired.
Will Romo bounce back and find his mid-season form? Owens is questionable for Saturday’s game with a high ankle sprain, but WR Terry Glenn will be back. How well Romo adapts to what defenses give him will determine the Cowboys’ fate.
Randolph Charlotin can be contacted at lordrc@netzero.net
