CBS continues to move on without Tony Romo, and Dan Patrick isn’t sure the network has much incentive to bring him back.
Patrick asked Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo whether CBS should bring Romo back. And since Russo has never been a fan of Romo as an analyst, he volleyed the question back to Patrick.
“I thought, Tony, the further he got away from the game as far as a player, the worse he got because that’s when you have to do your homework,” Patrick admitted. “And it didn’t feel like he was doing his homework. We bought into his schtick, his style, but that doesn’t work when you actually need to break down.”
There’s no question Romo’s lure as an analyst faded the further he moved away from his days as a player. Whether CBS told Romo to stop predicting plays, or Romo lost the ability to predict plays because he was less in tune with what was happening on the field, he was stripped of his superpower. And without that superpower, Romo seemed less prepared and sounded more annoying at times.
“I think Watt gave Jim Nantz an enthusiastic boost in that game,” Patrick said of Sunday’s Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys call from Rio de Janeiro. “Jim had energy in that game because of J.J. Watt, and he’s just learning now. So, I think he’s doing okay, and I think they like that you have J.J. Watt. You got a Hall of Famer in there with the great Jim Nantz, but I would not bring Tony back. And if I did, I would make him earn his way back. And I don’t know if he’s willing to do that.”
Patrick seemed to be echoing a popular sentiment from Sunday. Many fans believed Nantz seemed rejuvenated alongside Watt Sunday afternoon. But did Watt give Nantz a boost? Or is Watt just less enthusiastic than Romo, which allows Nantz to sound more enthusiastic?
Even at his worst, Romo’s energy level was never a question mark in the booth. And as solid as Watt has been this season, he hasn’t shown anything close to a Romo-level of enthusiasm. Naturally, Nantz will sound more enthusiastic when he’s with an analyst who isn’t as excitable as Romo.
Nantz also may have sounded more enthusiastic Sunday because that Cowboys-Ravens game will end up being one of the best of this regular season. The week prior, Nantz and Watt were subjected to putrid offensive performances by the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots. Cowboys-Ravens was probably refreshing coming off their Week 2 call.
CBS might still be looking to use Romo’s OWI arrest from July to rid themselves of his big contract. But what’s the rush? If they announce they’re moving on from Romo, and Watt proceeds to have a subpar performance alongside Nantz, it will look like the wrong decision. Romo isn’t going anywhere right now. Which means CBS can use this time to continue evaluating Watt before deciding whether they’re ready to commit to him as their future lead analyst.