Was Tony Romo really a better quarterback than Dak Prescott? Comparing the careers of two Cowboys quarterbacks
The Dallas Cowboys have cycled through Tony Romo and Dak Prescott this millennium without getting anywhere close to the Super Bowl. Both have been hailed as saviors and castigated as failures when they have ultimately failed to achieve the objective. As hard as they have tried to break the drought, both of them have been unsuccessful. Prescott, however, will get another chance this season.
Irrespective of future chances, though, where do the two quarterbacks stand now and how do they compare? Can we say that Tony Romo was the better quarterback or has Dak Prescott already surpassed him?
Comparing Tony Romo's career stats with Dak Prescott's
Tony Romo made it to the Pro Bowl four times in his career and was the NFL's passer rating and completion percentage leader in 2014. He achieved that with a decade of playing in the Cowboys quarterback position. Dak Prescott has already made two Pro Bowls in his career that began in 2016.
Overall, Romo had 34,183 yards in 156 games at 219.1 yards per game. Passing averages have been increasing across the board in recent times. Therefore, it is not a surprise to see Prescott at 257.3 yards per game in 93 games for 23,930 yards. In terms of average yards per attempt, Romo is better at 7.9 than 7.6 for Prescott.
However, Prescott edges out Romo in the touchdown count. Romo had 248 in 156 games at 1.59 touchdown per game. With 157 touchdowns in 93 games, Prescott has 1.69 touchdowns per game. Also, Romo had 117 interceptions in his career at 0.75 per game and Prescott has only had 59 till now at 0.63 per game.
So, in passing yards, touchdowns and lesser interceptions, we see Dak Prescott doing better than Tony Romo. Hence, it is difficult to say that Tony Romo was a better player. If anything, Prescott has been more consistent than Romo. While there is a sentimentality attached to the former quarterback, Prescott is playing at a higher level than Romo ever did.
However, the elephant in the room remains the same as it has been for the Dallas Cowboys for more than two decades now. While both players have been very good, they have never been able to take the team back to the Super Bowl. It's an itch that persists, especially for a storied franchise like "America's Team." Ultimately, both Dak Prescott and Tony Romo are still living in the shadow of better Cowboys quarterbacks who hoisted the Lombardi Trophy.