split.
Plus, I'm guessing you were fond of this sequence. The Cowboys are up 24-19, and have the ball at their own 33 with 3:08 left in the third quarter. First play, Romo hits Witten on a deep cross for 38 yards, then follows with Barber going 19 off left tackle.
Or this one on the first series of the second half with the Giants deciding to play five guys on the line of scrimmage or at least bring down the safety into the box for an eight-man front: Garrett goes first-and-10 at the Giants 40 with a three-receiver set, Romo hitting Owens for 18 yards on a crossing route to the Giants 22. No backing off, because on the next play it's Romo, facing eight Giants in the box and knowing he's got single coverage to both sides, throwing the 22-yard touchdown pass to Owens.
That's the way to step on the gas pedal.
"It's a matter of having a feel for the game," Romo said of Garrett. "I think he has a good feel for it . . . he understands the flow of a game. Sometimes (play-callers) try to do too much.
"And I'll give Bill credit for that. If we're wearing them out on a power (run) play, we'll just continue to wear 'em out. Jason's got a little of that, too."
Romo, though, can identify with why Garrett might have a good feel for the game. He was in the league for three full seasons before he ever got to step into a game of consequence. So he watched, basically as Garrett watched as the backup or inactive third quarterback for 12 years.
Neither were preoccupied with taking care of themselves on the field. They were watching.
"You analyze the game so much, you gain an understanding of what you would do," Romo said. "And the neat thing is, he's played that position, and while a guy might be thinking, 'Hey, this route looks great,' but he knows from being out there you are not going to get that much time."
And they both admit to doing the same thing on the sideline. Garrett says he would call plays to himself while Troy Aikman was out there getting the calls from Norv Turner and then Ernie Zampese. Romo said he'd do the same thing while he watched for those three years.
"Although, I'd overstep my bounds," Romo said, grinning widely, "because I'd be next to Sean (Payton) and go, 'Hey, you need to think about getting to this,' and he'd yell at me to get away."
Well, nobody is telling Romo to get back these days. And Garrett, he doesn't have to silently call those plays to himself anymore. They've given him a mic and Romo a hearing device in his helmet.
And for one game, but most importantly, the first game, the two were quite a pair out there, assuaging any lingering worries over Romo having a dropped-snap hangover from the playoff loss or that Garrett was in over his head.
Not the case. Not at all - at least for the first game.
And I got 45 huge reasons to back me up this time.
