The biggest reason the Dallas Cowboys even had a shot at making the playoffs was quarterback Tony Romo. But in a game that will further reinforce his reputation for flopping at the worst possible moments, Romo came up woefully short.
The Cowboys survived his two interceptions in the first half, but they couldn't overcome his back-breaking mistake late in the fourth quarter that ended what could've been a game-winning drive. With the Cowboys on the move and trailing the Washington Redskins by three, Romo threw perhaps the worst interception of his career. With pressure coming up the middle, he decided to throw a swing pass to DeMarco Murray in the left flat. But Redskins outside linebacker Rob Jackson peeled back and made a relatively easy play on the ball. Some would suggest that Romo was fooled by the blitz, but it looked like he simply threw a lazy pass toward Murray. For a quarterback who's been so solid late in games for much of the season, it was a stunning decision.
But anyone who's followed Romo's career knows that his failures in elimination games have overshadowed his prolific numbers. As the Redskins drove toward the Cowboys' end zone, Romo stared at pictures of the play. And when defensive end Jason Hatcher was penalized for roughing the passer deep in Cowboys territory, the game was pretty much over.
Romo fell to 1-6 in win-or-go-home games for his career. He looked like a beaten man at the postgame news conference. From a statistical standpoint, this one was one of the best seasons of his career. But that only seems to spotlight how hollow his career seems at this point. Losing Sunday night's game probably won't prevent Romo from receiving a lucrative contract extension, but it's obvious that Jones is enamored by another team's quarterback. It was the guy who led the Redskins on a seven-game winning streak to finish the season 10-6 and earn the NFC East title. And Robert Griffin III won the last two games of the regular-season while playing on a bum knee. He didn't have his usual burst Sunday, but Redskins running back Alfred Morris was able to shred the Cowboys for 199 yards and three touchdowns.
"I'm impressed with the way the Redskins are put together across the board," Jones told reporters after the game. "They're going to be formidable as the Cowboys look to the future, and we have to look where we are within our division and we'll look and see just exactly how to approach a team that has some of the players they've got and good coaching they've got.
"We've got a big challenge ahead of us. They're of course in the tournament and we get to sit at home and start thinking about how to get in the tournament. This is very disappointing."
With all the injuries the Cowboys suffered against the Redskins, perhaps the Cowboys would've been in trouble against the Seattle Seahawks. But we'll never know because the player who did more to keep this season alive than anyone made a horrible decision late in the game. Romo said he expects the play to "eat at him" for a good while, and it should. But in that moment, Romo reinforced what has plagued him for years. A lot of the blame for his 1-6 record is misplaced, but even the most ardent Romo apologists can't deny that he came up small in Sunday's game. And it makes sense that Jerry's in awe of Griffin. The Redskins have been awful for much of the past decade, but with one bold trade, they are once again relevant. With some help from his backup Kirk Cousins, Griffin just brought this season back from the dead.
He wasn't nearly as sharp against the Cowboys on Sunday as he was on Thanksgiving. But he continued to avoid turnovers and he put his team in position to win, with an enormous assist from Morris.
Jerry looks at the impact that Griffin's had on the Redskins, and you have to wonder if his patience with Romo is starting to wear thin.
Romo's a solid NFL quarterback. But on this night, he added another chapter to one of the most enduring storylines in the league.
If this story has a happy ending, it better happen in a hurry.
