Aug

Romo focused on protecting the football

By admin

Tony Romo can talk about doing a better job of protecting the football. He can also do certain things in practice to work on that.

Next comes trying to make that translate into games for the Dallas Cowboys quarterback who had 21 turnovers (14 interceptions and seven lost fumbles) in 13 games last season, not counting six fumbles recovered by him or a teammate.

Like he has throughout training camp, Romo on Tuesday deliberately and consciously tucked the ball into his body with two hands during team drills when under pressure from defenders who aren't allowed to hit him.

Surrounded in the pocket on one play, he pulled the ball in tight until just before throwing a completion. Romo did the same thing while rolling out to his right near the goal line a few snaps later, instead of holding the ball away from his body with one hand while running like he so often has done in the past.

The only indication that he might do it in a game came on his touchdown pass in the preseason opener against Oakland. Flushed out of the pocket, Romo moved to his left and pulled the ball into his body before spotting Jason Witten.

"I was wondering during the game and it came true. I was able to protect the ball. ... I started to move to the left and kept it inside my core," Romo said. "It was good to have that instinctful thing happen to see something that you've practiced come to fruition."