Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Is Romo Elite? Madden 12 Suggests Not



How good is Tony Romo?  Ask three people, and you will likely get three different answers.  Cowboys' fans love him, experts remain intrigued by him, and countless others hate him.

Though far from scientific, one entertainment source might just have the answer.  Since its inception in 1988, the Madden NFL video game series has sold over 85 million copies worldwide.  On August 30, Madden NFL 12 was released, along with their annual player and team rankings.

Take a look at the chart below to see how the NFL QBs were rated. 

Ranking
Quarterback
Madden Rating
1
Tom Brady
99
2
Peyton Manning
98
2
Aaron Rodgers
98
4
Phillip Rivers
96
4
Drew Brees
96
6
B. Roethlisberger
94
7
Michael Vick
93
8
Matt Ryan
90
9
Joe Flacco
88
9
Matt Schaub
88
9
Tony Romo
88
12
Eli Manning
87
12
Josh Freeman
87
14
Matt Cassel
86
15
Sam Bradford
85
15
Jay Cutler
85

Romo received an overall rating of 88, good for ninth among all QBs.   Does that make him elite?  In my opinion, no.  The word elite is often misused and abused by NFL talent evaluators.  For those in need, consider the following definition.

e·lite (noun /əˈlēt/  /āˈlēt/):  A group of people considered to be the best in a particular society or category, esp. because of their power, talent, or wealth.

If you ran a race and finished tied for ninth in a field of 32, would you consider yourself elite?  No.  Tom Brady is elite.  Peyton Manning is elite.  Aaron Rodgers is elite.

So where does Romo fall?

Is he average?  This adjective probably understates his talent.  Jay Cutler is average.  Josh Freeman is average.

Great?  This is a dangerous adjective for a quarterback with one playoff win to his name.  Great implies that he has acheived greatness.  Perhaps a bit strong.

How about above average?  Though vague, this is the best I can do.  It at least provides an unlimited ceiling for Romo entering the 2011 season.

But have no fear Cowboys' fans.  We could debate for hours the correct adjective to describe Romo.  Or, we could at least be happy with one fact.  At least he's better than Eli.

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