The 2010 portion of the Dallas Cowboys lauded history can be summed up in one word: underwhelming. A roster usually filled with talent constantly underperformed, a description that has become the hallmark of the bygone Jason Garrett era. The club was only able to reach the divisional round three times in 10 years, once by virtue of a wild-card bye, but was never able to reach a championship game.
The NFC East beat writers at ESPN voted on an all-decade divisional team. and it is littered with Cowboys. Of the 25 available spots, 10 of them hail from Dallas. The one player missing is former quarterback Tony Romo, who misses out on the top spot to Eli Manning of the New York Giants.
The difference is in the ring.
Manning captured a Lombardi trophy in 2011 while Romo and the Cowboys made the playoffs in just one season before injuries took over and Dak Prescott ascended. But outside of the improbable 2011 playoff run for the Giants and Manning, there’s no question who played the position at a higher level.
In terms of efficiency, Romo outshines Manning in every respect, boasting superior numbers across the board, image and numbers courtesy of Pro Football Reference.
But while Romo was undoubtedly better when he was available, the problem is he just wasn’t for the last half of the decade. Manning’s pure volume numbers lay waste to Romo, one of the most snake-bitten players of his time. With the Super Bowl acting as a cherry on top, it’s tough to argue against the Manning taking that spot.
The Dallas Cowboys who did make the list:
- Running back Ezekiel Elliott
- Wide receiver Dez Bryant
- Offensive tackle Tyron Smith
- Center Travis Frederick
- Guard Zack Martin
- Tight end Jason Witten
- Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence
- Linebacker Sean Lee
- Linebacker DeMarcus Ware
- Kicker Dan Bailey
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