Rankings

DAL QB Depth Chart

1. Tony Romo
2. Kyle Orton
3. Stephen McGee

Similar Players by ADP

• Kenny Britt
• Reggie Bush
• Beanie Wells
• Jeremy Maclin
• Steve Johnson
• Antonio Brown

Similar QBs by ADP

• Eli Manning
• Peyton Manning
• Philip Rivers

2012 Strength of Schedule - DAL

Schedule difficulty based on schedule-adjusted, positional defensive ranking. Top DEF = 1, bottom DEF = 32.

2011 Game Stats

Most Recent News

April 8, 2012, 5:24pm

The Kansas City Star - [Full Article]

The Chiefs have Cassel, Brady Quinn and Ricky Stanzi at quarterback, making it one of the thinnest positions on their roster. Cassel missed the last half of last season because of a broken hand and is still trying to establish himself as a dependable NFL starter. Quinn is a former first-round pick, but the Broncos thought so little of him that he didn’t play in a game in his two seasons in Denver. Stanzi was a fifth-round draft pick last year and didn’t play as a rookie.

Because their roster is so complete, the Chiefs believe they have built a team that can reasonably compete for the AFC West championship for the foreseeable future. If that vision comes true, they won’t be in position again to draft a franchise-type quarterback for years.

All of that makes for a perfect storm when it comes to drafting a quarterback, and the Chiefs appear to be at least examining the possibility. They met with Tannehill at the combine and he said he had a private workout for them last week.

“He has everything you look for,” ESPN analyst Todd McShay said recently. “He belongs in the top 10 and has a chance to be an elite quarterback in the NFL.

The Chiefs haven’t seemed sold on Cassel during the offseason. At the least, they’re giving off mixed signals.

“That consistency … I think that’s the biggest thing with Matt,” Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel said. “I think he’s excited about this year, about having Brian Daboll as our offensive coordinator, because he knows Brian and he knows the system Brian brings, and I’ve talked to Matt several times in the offseason and … he’s ready to go to work. He can’t wait for April 16th (start of the Chiefs’ offseason program) to get here so he can start getting into the playbook.

“If he can develop that consistency like we had part of the time in 2010, where we weren’t turning the ball over — we were moving the ball offensively and we were scoring some points — if we can get back to that, that’s what I’m looking for from him.”

The Chiefs started the offseason by saying they intended to find competition for Cassel, then watched as their best possibility for that, Kyle Orton, left as a free-agent for Dallas, where he will back up Tony Romo.

They settled instead for Quinn, but there’s still room for another quarterback, particularly one with Tannehill’s potential.

2011 Pre-Game Scouting

Posted by Scout Jeff Owens
December 30, 2011, 8:22 am

Week 17 - Romo @ NYG

Romo's early exit to injury no doubt killed many fantasy playoff runs. He didn't register a single fantasy point, leaving with a right hand contusion on the Cowboys opening possession.

Romo faces a Giants defense that he lit up for 321 yards and four touchdowns just three weeks ago. Overall the Giants are one of the league's worst pass defenses, giving up 255.4 yards and 26TDs on the season.

Romo is 5th in our rankings this week and has practiced all week long. With the Cowboys in a winner-take-all game, expect to get Romo's best this week.

Posted by Scout Jeff Owens
December 23, 2011, 10:34 am

Week 16 - Romo vs. Philly

Romo played as good as possible for one half last week and that's all he needed in the blowout of Tampa Bay. He recorded 4TDs (all in the first half) for the second straight game, passing for 249 yards and scoring on a one-yard sneak.

Romo faces a Philly defense that only gives up 213.8 yards per game but has been torched for 25TDs this season, 4th worst in the NFL. Romo's worst game in the last eight weeks occured in Philly on October 30, where he passed for only 203 yards and a TD while being blown out by LeSean McCoy and the Eagles.

Romo is 7th in our rankings and on a roll with 17TDs in his last six games. He's one of four players with a QB Rating over 100 and averages 278.2 yards per game (7th) and 29TDs (5th). Romo is certainly capable and has the matchup to lead you to a fantasy title - keep him in your lineup.

Posted by Scout Jeff Owens
December 16, 2011, 12:20 am

Week 15 - Romo at Tampa Bay

Romo put together his first 300-yard game in eight weeks as he lit up the Giants for 321 yards and four touchdowns. He's moving up the list of league leaders in TDs with 26 (5th among quarterbacks) and averages 280.5 yards per game.

Romo will face one of the league's worst pass defenses in Tampa Bay, which gives up 248.8 yards per game (6th worst) and 22TDs (8th worst). They made Jacksonville's Blaine Gabbert look average last week (217-2TD) so just imagine what a guy like Romo will do to them.

Romo is 5th in our 4for4.com rankings and on fire with 13TDs over his last five games. While Dallas should have success running the ball as well, don't worry about Romo in this one. He's a must start.

Posted by Scout Jeff Owens
December 9, 2011, 12:08 pm

Week 14 - Romo vs. NYG

For the first time in five weeks, Romo failed to record multiple touchdowns but his yardage (299-TD) was his highest total since Week 6. Romo's 277.1 yards per game rank 7th in the NFL and his 22TDs are 6th.

Romo faces a Giants defense that is truly terrible across the board, ranking in the bottom 10 in both passing yardage allowed (260.3-4th worst) and TDs (20-9th worst). They were lit up for 369 yards and 4TDs last week by Aaron Rodgers.

Romo is 6th in our 4for4.com rankings and has some nice matchups down the stretch for the fantasy playoffs. He's also likely to get the often-injured Miles Austin back this week. Look for a huge game from the must-start Romo Sunday night.

Posted by Scout Jeff Owens
November 30, 2011, 11:16 pm

Week 13 - Romo @ Arizona

Romo recovered from two early picks to throw for 226 yards and two TDs, giving him 10 in the last four games. Despite the early season collapses, Romo has turned it up a notch with a QB Rating of 97.5 (ranking 4th behind Rodgers/Brady/Brees).

Romo faces an Arizona defense that's getting torched for 250.2 yards per game, 8th worst in the NFL. However they've only allowed 12TDs on the season, ranking in the top-five.

Romo is 6th in our 4for4.com rankings and is averaging 275.1 yards per game with 21TDs (5th in the NFL). He's a weekly must-start with an extremely weak schedule the remainder of the season.

Posted by Scout Jeff Owens
November 23, 2011, 6:06 am

Week 12 - Romo vs. Miami

Romo is one of the hotter QBs in the NFL right now, having thrown for at least 270 yards and eight touchdowns over the last three weeks without an interception. He's averaging 280 yards per game and his 19TDs rank fifth in the NFL.

Romo will face the weak spot of the Miami defense that is allowing 251.1 yards per game - 8th worst in the league. They also have given up 14TDs through the air this season.

The Cowboys always play well on Thanksgiving and seem to have hit their stride. Romo is 7th in our 4for4.com rankings and should continue to roll vs. a Dolphins defense that is only content on stopping the run. He's a must-start in this one.

Posted by Scout Jeff Owens
November 18, 2011, 12:21 am

Week 11 - Romo @ Washington

Romo put together one of the better games in his career, completing a ridiculous 23-of-26 passes for 270 yards and three first-half touchdowns in the blowout of Buffalo. He's averaging 278.7 yards per game and has 16TDs (6th in the NFL) on the season.

Romo faces a Washington defense giving up just 216.7 yards per game and eight touchdowns (2nd best in the NFL). He did have his only game of the season without a touchdown back in Week 3 vs. Washington (255-INT) but he was fresh off some broken ribs suffered the previous week.

Romo is 6th in our 4for4.com rankings on the strength of 549 yards and five touchdowns the last two weeks - he's on a roll. Despite the poor numbers back in Week 3, Washington has completely rolled over. Romo is a must-start each week especially with the emergence of a running game that gives him more one-on-one matchups.

Posted by Scout Jeff Owens
November 10, 2011, 10:08 pm

Week 10 - Romo vs. Buffalo

Romo was solid last week with 279 yards and two touchdowns vs. Seattle. Those numbers almost mark his averages with his 279.8 yards per game and 13 TDs on the season - both numbers rank 8th in the NFL.

The Buffalo pass defense gives up 260.4 yards per game. Brady (387-4TD), Vick (315-2TD), Eli (292) and Andy Dalton (298-TD) gobbled up plenty of yardage.

Romo is 4th in our 4for4.com standings with an excellent matchup at home. Even with Miles Austin expected to miss time, Romo still has the weapons in Dez, Witten, Robinson, and now Murray. He's a solid No. 1 option this week.

Posted by Scout Jeff Owens
November 2, 2011, 11:26 pm

Week 9 - Romo vs. Seattle

Romo has used the last two weeks to put up his worst performances of the season. Following last week's 166-yard effort, Romo finished with 203 yards and a touchdown, most of it late, in the blowout loss to Philly.

You hear the word "Seattle" and assume they are terrible on defense but they have been lit up only once: Eli (420-3TD). Andy Dalton (168-2TD) is the only other QB to have multiple TD passes while guys like Big Ben (298-TD) and Matt Ryan (291-TD) were kept at bay.

Romo has been victimized by overly conservative play-calling as of late as the Cowboys have all but refused to go deep the last three games. He still ranks in the NFL's top 10 with his 279.9 yards per game and 11TDs. He's No. 7 in our rankings this week and is still a must-start with his weapons but the leash on trusting him each week is getting shorter. Keep him in the lineup for now.

Posted by Scout Jeff Owens
October 28, 2011, 12:00 am

Week 8 - Romo @ Philly

Romo's game looked pretty pedestrian last week (166-2TD), but not sure anyone expected the Cowboys to run for almost 300 yards. It was by far his lowest total of the season.

The Philly defense only allows 217.3 passing yards per game but has been roughed up for 11 touchdowns. The majority of the damage was done in a 3-week span where Ryan (195-4TD), Eli (254-4TD), and even Alex Smith (291-2TD) lit up the secondary.

Romo, No. 8 in our 4for4.com rankings, is still 6th in the NFL with 292.7 yards per game and has 10TDs on the season. This Eagles secondary has major holes and Romo's matchup is solid. He's a must-start each week with his array of weapons.

Posted by Scout Jeff Owens
October 20, 2011, 7:59 pm

Week 7 - Romo vs. St. Louis

Romo was mistake-free for the most part (that's saying alot) in last week's game at New England but his numbers (317-TD) were kept in check by an overly conservative game plan by HC Jason Garrett. He also rushed once for 17 yards.

The Rams have been lit up for 11TDs this season, fourth worst in the NFL while allowing 240.4 passing yards per game. Four QBs have double-digit touchdown efforts: Vick (187-2TD, 11-97), Eli (200-2TD), Flacco (389-3TD), and Rodgers (310-3TD).

Romo's numbers are a little confusing. He's fourth in the NFL in yards per game (318) but has only eight touchdowns. He's No. 5 in our 4for4.com rankings and should tear up the Rams defense like others before him. Look for Dallas, and Romo, to breakout in this one. With a new running back taking over for an already dreadful rushing attack, Romo will throw early and often in this blowout. He's a must-start in this one.

Posted by Scout Jeff Owens
October 14, 2011, 12:15 pm

Week 6 - Romo @ New England

The Cowboys were off last week but Romo had solid fantasy numbers two weeks ago vs. Detroit (331-3TD). He did collapse under pressure again with a pair of pick sixes and three interceptions overall. Unless you're in a league that deducts for choke jobs - Romo is still a top fantasy option with 318.3 passing yards per game (5th in the NFL).

Dallas travels to New England this week where Romo will face the league's worst pass defense. The Pats give up a league-worst 326.6 yards per game and have allowed 9TDs on the season.

Romo is 5th in our 4for4.com rankings but could even exceed those rankings with this matchup. Factor in that Miles Austin returns for the first time since Week 2 and Romo's outlook is even greater. The Pats defense allowed over 340 yards passing and at least TD each to Henne/Rivers/Fitzpatrick/Campbell. He's a must-start this week.

Posted by Scout Jeff Owens
September 30, 2011, 11:34 am

Week 17 - Romo vs. Detroit

As expected, Romo was shaky and protective of his fractured rib in a very conservative effort against the Redskins on Monday Night (255-INT). He took a few hits and dumped down most of his passes - some due to the terrible routes run by his receivers. They clearly weren't on the same page.

Romo faces a top-tier passing defense in Detroit, who has allowed just 188 yards per game (4th) and 2TDs (best in the league). It doesn't hurt to check out the spares they've faced so far this season: Freeman, Cassel, and McNabb.

Romo is 17th in our QB rankings based purely on health and his weapons. The rib still bothers him and Miles Austin still won't be back in the lineup until Week 6. Dez Bryant's thigh injury has kept him from practicing some this week as well. Kevin Ogletree (no excuse) looked absolutely lost last week along with newcomer Laurent Robinson. This could be a rough one for Romo, who will have his hands full with the Lions front four. Sit him again this week until his full arsenal of weapons returns.

Posted by Scout Jeff Owens
September 23, 2011, 11:43 am

Week 3 - Romo vs. Washington

Romo was pretty decent last week (345-2TD-broken rib-punctured lung) while taking an absolute beating. He's eclipsed 340 yards in both games with 4TDs on the season.

The Washington pass defense allows 235.5 yards per game. Eli had 268 yards and Kevin Kolb had 251 yards and a pair of TDs. But they are good at putting pressure on the QB with seven sacks (4th in the NFL) which is why I think Jason Garrett would be crazy to play him.

Romo is 19th in our 4for4.com standings but should already be removed from your lineups. Romo is part of the walking wounded with just about every weapon on the injury report. If he does play, it only takes one hit to knock him right back out. Neither he or Kitna is an advised play this week. I repeat: KEEP ROMO ON THE BENCH.

Posted by Scout Jeff Owens
September 16, 2011, 1:58 am

Week 2 - Romo @ San Fran

Romo was excellent for 51 minutes last week against what's supposed to be a fantastic Jets defense. His final numbers (342-2TD-INT-FL) on the road was an impressive fantasy debut for Romo. It will only get better if Cowboys fans don't kill Romo first.

The matchup this week is the 49ers and the numbers are misleading (they played Seattle). They allowed 197 yards and a pair of TDs to Tarvaris Jackson and you don't need me telling you how terrible he is.

Romo is ranked 8th in our 4for4.com rankings and he should light up the 49ers defense this week. They proved against the Jets vaunted defense that noone can stop their array of weapons.

Posted by Scout Jeff Owens
September 9, 2011, 12:20 pm

Week 1 - Romo @ NY Jets

Romo's return after missing the final 10 games in 2010 won't be an easy one. He faces the Jets defense that allowed just 200.6 ypg passing (6th in the NFL) and recorded 40 sacks (8th). With three new starters on the O-Line this year, Romo could be seeing a lot of turf.

Romo sits at No. 12 in our rankings which will probably be his lowest of the season. He's expected to be a top-five fantasy producer this season. The Jets, who are more known for their rushing defense, did allow 24TDs passing last year so Romo will have his chances as the Cowboys play catch-up in this game (the Dallas defense is terrible). Romo is a must-start this year with guys like Witten/Austin/Bryant/Jones catching the ball.