Cowboys’ Romo continues drive for self improvement

Count Tony Romo among those who couldn’t care less about external expectations, whether people are predicting the Dallas Cowboys to win the Super Bowl or fall apart after losing the league’s leading rusher.

Romo needs to look no further than last year when just about everyone pegged the Cowboys to be more in contention for the No. 1 overall draft pick than a championship.

“Last year, we were ranked fifth in the NFC East going into the season ... for those who aren’t familiar with our division, there’s only four teams,” said Romo, who missed Friday's practice with a stye in his left eye. “This year, I don’t know what it is — first, second, third, whatever. I think we understand none of it matters. You’ve got to build it on this field.

“Our team has to go figure out who we are going to be this year, and really go dig it out of the dirt. You’ve just got to act like a rookie every single year you play, that’s the only way you get better.”

That’s a similar mindset Romo took into last season, although it rang hollow at the time. Most scoffed when Romo declared a year ago at training camp that his best football years were ahead of him.

That seemed to rank among the more outlandish statements in camp, up there with former Baylor safety Ahmad Dixon tweeting about being a future Hall of Famer after playing one preseason game.

But unlike Dixon, who didn’t make the roster, Romo delivered on his strong statements by having the best season of his career and leading the Cowboys to the second round of the playoffs.

Romo set franchise records and led the league with a 69.9 completion percentage (more than 4 percent higher than his career average) and 113.2 quarterback rating (15 points higher than his career average). He threw 38 touchdown passes with only nine interceptions, including the playoffs, and garnered votes for league MVP.

Romo capped his stellar season by winning his second career playoff game in the wild-card round. Then came the infamous Dez Bryant non-catch against the Packers that possibly wrecked his chances of advancing to his first career NFC Championship game.

The “catch” that wasn’t proved to be the last throw of Romo’s 2014 season.

“Obviously, any time it ends like that — a playoff game when you have an opportunity to be where we were — that’s tough,” Romo said. “Once again you have to deal with it, you have to figure out how to get better, because it wasn’t good enough, and figure out how to take that next step.

“I don’t know that you totally ever forget those types of games. They’re always there. But at the same time you move on and you’re just ready to play in those again and make sure the outcome is different.”

At 35, Romo, the coaching staff and front office fully believe he’ll continue to get better. He found something in his mechanics last off-season that led him to proclaim his best years where ahead, and now he believes he knows how to manage his surgically repaired back better than he has.

“Tony is definitely better than he was in the past,” owner Jerry Jones said. “I would say to you that he’s physically better at executing than he was a year ago or two years ago. It has everything to do with his savvy, in my mind.”

Added quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson: “He made super decisions last year, was great with the ball. We were good in situation football, but you can still go back and look at plays we could have made. There’s always room for improvement.”

Romo echoed those sentiments, and believes better days are still ahead for him. There’s no question that Romo is among the top quarterbacks in the league, and playoff success is all that is missing from his résumé.

A Super Bowl title, or even an appearance, would go a long way in solidifying Romo’s career. He surely doesn’t want to be remembered as a great regular-season quarterback who didn’t get it done in the playoffs.

Romo, though, vows to stick with what he’s done his entire career.

“I’ve always felt like the No. 1 thing I’ve wanted to do my entire career more than anything else is just improve,” Romo said. “Figure out a way to be better the next week. It isn’t always going to a produce a win, it isn’t always going to produce the best results or production statistically, but you will become the best version of yourself eventually.

“That’s what your goal is for each coach, each player is to get out there and eventually realize your potential and be the guy that you can be. Whether it’s in two years, three years or 13, you can get there and that’s always been my goal through each off-season, training camp, season.”

This story was originally published July 31, 2015 at 4:16 PM with the headline "Cowboys’ Romo continues drive for self improvement."