QB No. 12: Tony Romo

Yes, Tony Romo is my number 12 quarterback. I fully acknowledge that I'm a little uneasy with this spot.

After all, Tony Romo has just one playoff win in seven years starting for the Dallas Cowboys. One! He's a guy wildly renowned for failing in the biggest moments. You can go right down the list. Last year, in Week 16, Romo and the Cowboys lost by three at home versus the Saints. Now, keep in mind that a win in either week 16 or 17 would've given the Cowboys the NFC East title. The loss set up a "winner take all" game versus the Redskins in Week 17. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, Romo played awful at the worst possible point in the season, throwing 3 interceptions, throwing for only 218 yards, and completing only 54% of his passes, as the Cowboys lost 28-18. Same scenario in 2011. On the final day of the season, the Cowboys and Giants vied for the NFC East crown. Romo again played poorly and the Cowboys were blown out 31-14. And of course there's the "botched snap game" against the Seahawks in the playoffs years ago.

Right or wrong, that's all that fans choose to remember about Tony Romo. The bad. But for much of every regular season Tony Romo is actually impressive. First off, he is a 3-time pro-bowler. Something that can't be said for any of the quarterbacks below Romo on my list, with the exception of Philip Rivers. But in that case, if we're looking at "what have you done for me lately", Rivers has regressed over the last two years, whereas Romo has stayed pretty much at the same level.

Of course, people remember the final games of the season, when everything is on the line. But look at what the Cowboys went through last year. They started the season 3-5. Panic was setting in for America's team. But then Romo led the team to five wins over a six game stretch to propel them to 8-6. Romo threw 12 TD to only 3 INT during that stretch. Of course, we know the rest. I also believe however, that the Cowboys have had a string of bad luck over the last few years. Injuries to key players hindered the chemistry with the team. They never seem to have a healthy running back. Demarco Murray has missed significant games in his first two years, as did Felix Jones. Plus, Miles Austin, once a favorite target for Romo, dealt with hamstring issues and they still seem to dog him to this day.

The bottom line for me is that yes, this guy has seemed to fail too many times in big games, but I think the talent he has is unquestioned. I think it's a mental barrier preventing Romo from being better than he already is. This must be the year that he delivers for the Cowboys. He just got paid. Now go show us why you were paid.

Projections: 4,400 yards, 30 TD, and 14 INT.