NFL playoffs: Jerry Jones is willing to use Tony Romo against the Packers on Sunday
Would the Cowboys consider going to their backup quarterback? The owner confirms it could happen
By
Will Brinson
•
2 min read
The Dallas Cowboys are preparing to open up their postseason on Sunday afternoon with a home matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Somehow the specter of Tony Romo continues to linger.
Sunday is the first playoff game for both rookie quarterback Dak Prescott and rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott. Many believe if the Cowboys got down to the Packers, they would consider throwing Romo in there and, in an NFL Network feature with Michael Irvin, Jerry Jones confirmed it's a possibility.
"Dak [Prescott], you see a quarterback that plays to the strengths and to the best of our team," Jone said. "Should that not be there, then we have a backup quarterback that's got a good chance to do some good things out there too."
Add that with what Jones said about the 2007 playoffs -- basically a loss to the Giants still stings him badly -- and it's not surprising he might be willing to break glass in case of emergency when it comes to Romo.
"In [2007], we let the Giants come in here and beat us with the same home-field advantage throughout that we have now," Jones said. "We have not only looked at that tape 15 or 20 times, I don't think I'll ever forget it. Being that close to touching it and letting it get by you. If it'ÂÂs going to hurt you that bad, then you better circumcise the mosquito in terms of your thinking to get ready to go again."
The Cowboys probably won't get down 21-0 or 28-0 or some variation of three scores or more. But if they do, it wouldn't be surprising at all to see Jones see what Romo can pull off. Prescott led the team to a 13-3 record, losing only two games that actually counted this season.
But the Cowboys dream season can go up in smoke at any moment because of the single-elimination nature of the NFL playoffs.
Jones has been all over the place in terms of who he supports for the Cowboys quarterback gig and has even admitted he has no problem stirring the pot to generate more interest in his team.
In a bizarre quote, Jones also said he struck a deal with his higher power, willing to take a third Super Bowl (the one Barry Switzer won) in exchange for never winning another one.
"The third Super Bowl that I had a chance to be involved in, I made a deal with the man upstairs and said 'If you'll just do it for me, I'll never ask again. This will be it, if you let me win this third Super Bowl, I won't ask again,'" Jones recalled. "I've been trying to re-trade that deal for the last 20 years. And I've put a lot on the line. I'm going to shove almost every bit of it out there this time if he'll make this deal with me and let me go one more time."
Whoops. Talk about premature. It's 1996, you've owned the Cowboys for seven years, you've already won two Super Bowl titles, you're only 54 and you're swapping one more Super Bowl win for an eternity without any more titles?
That's a terrible gamble! But it's also insight into how badly Jones wants to win a Super Bowl. He knows he has a chance this year, which is why it shouldn't be surprising he's willing to use Romo to get there.
