National Football League

Tony Romo not the only quarterback struggling in NFC East

Published Sep. 12, 2014 11:46 a.m. ET

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In the aftermath of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo's dreadful performance in a 28-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers last Sunday, I asked Jerry Jones if he was surprised the 34-year-old was still making what appeared to be rookie mistakes in first-and-goal situations.

"I don't think that's a word I would use, surprised," Jones said after a brief pause. "If you had it back, you'd like to try to run it." 

Jones was also quick to point out that Romo checked out of running plays on two different possessions deep inside 49ers territory. You could imagine him in his luxury suite pining away for Johnny Manziel, the player he was talked out of selecting in the draft. 

Maybe Jones can take solace in the fact that two other teams in the NFC East have quarterbacks who have fallen from grace. Even a year ago, it was unfathomable to think that Eli Manning and his two Super Bowl rings could fall off the map. He had a league-worst 27 interceptions in 2013 against only 18 touchdown passes. Longtime New York Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride retired this offseason and was replaced by first-time coordinator Ben McAdoo. The preseason was a mess, and New York's first regular-season game against the Detroit Lions was even worse. McAdoo is preaching patience with his West Coast offense, but Giants head coach Tom Coughlin might not be able to survive another awful season.

"He is the perfect fit for this offense," McAdoo said of Manning during Thursday's media availability "He is very smart. I thought that if there was anything encouraging about what happened in the game, it was the comfort level with his feet and the progress that he is making fundamentally."

Those nurturing quotes probably sound familiar to Cowboys fans who heard coach Jason Garrett's "we're all human" comment regarding Romo on Monday. He wants folks to look at Romo's entire "body of work" instead of getting caught up in the moment. Unfortunately, that's not how this league operates. It's hard to have a healthy sense of perspective after watching your team's quarterback toss three interceptions in one half. Romo has attributed his poor performance to mental rust from missing several practices in training camp and not playing much in the preseason. 

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In Washington, Robert Griffin III has lost the near-iconic status he gained during his rookie season. Like Manning, RG3 is trying to learn a new offense on the fly. And he still struggles with knowing how to avoid big hits. Griffin spent most of last Sunday's game against the Texans peeling himself off the ground. You would think that two ACL surgeries in his career might cause him to protect himself on the field, but in his third season Griffin hasn't even grasped how to slide.

Of the three quarterbacks I've mentioned, Romo has the best chance to bounce back and put up big numbers. I know Manning has more credibility, but he just looks lost right now. And it's not like he's surrounded by weapons. Romo plays behind arguably the best offensive line in the division. 

But for now, Nick Foles has emerged as the top quarterback in the NFC East. There's no way in the world he can duplicate his 27-TD, two-interception, two-fumble season in 2013. He threw an interception and lost two fumbles in a come-from-behind win over the Jacksonville Jaguars last Sunday. Foles holds the ball too long at times and has the tendency to lock in on receivers. That said, he's currently the only quarterback in the division whose arrow is pointed up. 

As much as I hate to say it, Griffin may have been a one-hit wonder in the NFL. Manning and Romo are both on the downhill sides of their careers. Jones' anger over being talked out of selecting Manziel tells you exactly where he stands on Romo. 

This easily could be the worst division in the NFL. And the declining players at quarterback are the biggest reason why. 

Both the Giants and Cowboys have to start thinking about drafting their quarterbacks of the future. At least Jerry has a head start. 

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