Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman joined The Musers on KTCK-AM 1310 The Ticket to talk Cowboys football. Here are some highlights.
What do you expect from Romo and the entire offense when he comes back Sunday?
Troy Aikman: I expect them to play a lot better. I think that it's safe to say that if Tony had been playing the last seven weeks, I think he's worth at least seven points in a game for the offense. And if you believe that, then there's at least four wins there. So, it'll look different. He's obviously more comfortable with the offense; the players are more comfortable with him. Some of the sacks don't occur. With him in the pocket, he's able to prolong some of the possessions and avoid the rush. I expect that to continue. I've had a number of writers who have reached out like 'OK, well what would be the concern?' The shoulder's not a concern. Could he get injured again? Absolutely. That's just part of it. But after eight weeks, I've gotta believe the bone there is healed. Is there gonna be some rust? Yeah, possibly. I don't think it's gonna be that noticeable. I think the team will have a much different look that what we've seen over the last seven ballgames.
Does his return fuel everybody?
Troy Aikman: I think there's optimism throughout. I do think, however, this notion that 'OK, well now we've got this guy and so we're gonna play better.' These guys are all pros, they don't need to hear that just because one player is coming back somehow that's going to impact what we do. But, having said that, just the nature of the game. If the offense is extending drives and maintaining possession of the ball, then that's going to help the defense. They're gonna be on the field less. I've often said that whatever weakness you may have within your team gets exposed through the quarterback position. What I mean by that is if you defense is struggling and you're playing from behind and you're quarterback constantly is having to throw the ball. Everything kind of comes back to the quarterback. He's the guy who's expected to make up for whatever deficiencies your team may have. If your quarterback is playing well, I think all those other facets of your game benefit.