As the Cowboys begin their 52nd season in franchise history, none of them have ever started with two rookies on the offensive line. Depending on Phil Costa's injured knee, there is a chance three different rookies open the season Sunday night against the Jets. Either way, Tony Romo doesn't seem worried.
"I have confidence in the guys we put out there," Romo said. "I think we've got a good group of guys. Guys are going to work hard and give it their all out there and that's all that you can ask."
As it stands on Tuesday, it looks like Romo will be playing behind a line that consists of Doug Free and Kyle Kosier, rookies Tyron Smith and Bill Nagy, and then either Costa or rookie Kevin Kowalski at center.
For two of them, and maybe three, it will be quite the welcome to the NFL, having to face the defensive-minded Jets on the biggest stage of all – *Sunday Night Football.
- With the MetLife Stadium crowd expected to be at a fever pitch, Romo knows it won't be easy to communicate, especially in the passing game.
"I think a lot of times the calls, depending upon the week and who we're playing and a lot of stuff," Romo said. "I'm going to make a lot of the calls in the pass game. In the run game, we're all going to be on the same page, it's pretty easy. But that's why you have a whole training camp. You do all these things so that when it comes to the game, you don't have to do 20 different things at the line of scrimmage. We need to be thinking the same thing. I think these guys do a good job. They handle it well."
And if they don't Romo said he'll do his best to keep them in line. But he'll give praise when it's warranted, too.
"At different times you get on them. You have to," Romo said of the linemen. "I think that's part of the position, part of what some guys need. Other times they need encouragement. They're getting ripped three times by a coach, right in a row, they need you to come over and let them know that, `Hey, you're working hard, doing right, you're going to make mistakes. You just have to understand now that you can't make that same one again. You learned it, boom, move on, don't let it happen again.' It's just a process that happens with the guys. You develop it. Sometimes you have to get on them and do it."
