IRVING, Texas - It was a very special Thanksgiving for Tony Romo in 2006, his first as the starting quarterback of the Cowboys. In a lot of ways it was his coming out party.
For many people it was the day Romo proved he was a franchise quarterback. He went 22-of-29 passing, with 306 yards and five touchdowns, still a career high. Quite a game, and though the opponent that day was having a down year, the 38-10 loss dropping them to 3-8 on the season, the game was still a measuring stick for the young Cowboys quarterback.
The Buccaneers were the opponent that day, Romo conquering their famed Tampa 2 defense in just his fifth game as a starter, the nationally-televised performance likely playing a big role in his election to the Pro Bowl that year. His legend grew with each passing score, the first two going to Terry Glenn, then Marion Barber adding a couple, and finally Terrell Owens closing it out.
Much has changed since then, obviously. Glenn and Owens are long gone and Barber is now the team's starter. Doubters remain about whether Romo is truly a franchise quarterback, but few reside within the walls of Valley Ranch anymore. It's Romo's team, now more than ever.
Romo himself is changing, the quarterback vowing to improve this off-season by being more careful with the ball, securing it better when under pressure and making better decisions about where to go with it.
So eastbound go the Cowboys for Sunday's noon (CST) season-opener at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium, with plenty of new faces on the Buccaneers' roster and coaching staff, a lot of the turnover coming just since last season. But the Tampa 2 is still there, the system Tony Dungy installed when he took over as the Buccaneers head coach in 1996 a mainstay all these years later.
According to new coach Raheem Morris, though, the Tampa 2 is more a mindset on that side of the ball for the Buccaneers than it is a good description of the scheme. The Bucs don't run much more than a Cover 2 shell.
"Tampa 2, whatever you want to call it, we've been running a lot of coverages for years," Morris, who served as the team's secondary coach the last two seasons, said. "When you look at our team it's a mixture of all different coverages. Football is football. It's just our core belief. It's the hustle and hitting, it's the flying around and tackling, it's the people doing it, it's the people who have been through this building."
Most of the people who made Tampa's defense a success over the years are gone. Dungy has retired from coaching, and longtime Bucs coordinator Monte Kiffin moved on to the University of Tennessee this season.
Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks and John Lynch are gone, replaced by talented youth in guys like defensive end Gaines Adams and linebacker Barrett Ruud. Starting corner Ronde Barber is still there, though, and Morris' experience on the defensive side of the ball suggests the team will expect nothing less.
"I think they're good," Romo said in his conference call. "I think they fly around to the ball. I think they're well-coached; I think they have a good staff over there that puts them in the right spots and allows them to make plays. We're going to have to try and minimize mistakes and do what we can offensively to hopefully move the ball, but it'll be a good test for us and we're excited about the challenge."
It will be the first meaningful action we will have seen of the Cowboys offense this season, some of the adjustments they have made, including the institution of the Romo-friendly plan. Against a new and varied defense we will begin to see Sunday if the quarterback will be able avoid the mistakes the offense can't afford.
Former Cowboys assistant head coach Jim Bates is in his first year as defensive coordinator for the Buccaneers, so it will be up to him to confuse Romo. With just preseason tape to go on, Romo and the Cowboys have had to look in the past a bit to prepare for Sunday.
"We look at everything," Romo said. "I want to be ready for just about all the possibilities, so I think I look at the history of the Buccaneers last year, I think I look at their preseason, I look at old tape of their coordinator. So we do a little bit of everything."
The Cowboys' defense may have a tougher chore trying to prepare for Tampa's offense with new players at a few key positions and a new offensive coordinator (Greg Olson promoted from quarterbacks coach just last week, actually). At least the Cowboys have some familiarity with Bates' tendencies, even if he doesn't have much history with his current team.
"We know his background, certainly, and some of the things they're playing that he's played before," Wade Phillips said. "So we kind of researched in the past and knowing what he does gives you an idea, but we don't know all the things they're going to do. But you have to be sound in what you're doing offensively and defensively. Our offense has got to be sound protection-wise, sound on your hots. Your running game's got to be strong no matter what front you're going against."
While the Cowboys continue to get ready for Tampa Bay's defense this week, Morris knows one player for whom his team has its work cut out in preparing against.
"I don't know if you gameplan for Tony Romo," the Buccaneers coach said. "You're talking about a guy who creates big plays down the field because he's always looking down there. You're talking about a guy who doesn't feel pressure. You're talking about a guy who will stand in the pocket and deliver the football. . . . You're talking about a guy who has go-to men. You're talking about a guy who's smart, he's dynamic."
Romo has made quite an impression on people around the league in just over two and a half seasons as the Cowboys starter. A lot of them began taking notice when he rolled over the Bucs in 2006.
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