We need some of what Tony Romo’s smoking

As the resident Dallas Cowboys fan at Deadspin, I’m as big a fan of Tony Romo as anyone. But Romo’s latest assertion finally has me questioning his judgment the way many fans did during his time as Cowboys quarterback.

During a recent conference call, Romo commented on the Philadelphia Eagles and how he feels they are better than most fans and talking heads think.

“I think the Eagles are going to be a surprise team. If you go in and think they’re really not ready, they could shock a lot of people and go 10-6 or 11-5 very quickly,” Romo explained. “That’s an uphill battle right now, but I still think they have a lot of talented players, and the coaching staff is good. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the Eagles have a great season this year.”

“Jalen Hurts has an opportunity to show his ability, and you’re not afforded that many in the NFL. But he showed a lot of flashes last year, and he has a chance to be very good,” Romo said on the conference call.

We’ll give Romo a pass on the new 17-game schedule for now. But the Eagles winning this many games means they’ll not only make the playoffs but win the NFC East as well. Maybe this is Romo’s bold prediction for the 2021 season, or perhaps he feels this strongly about the Eagles’ chances.

Now, of course, anything could happen during a long NFL season, but I still think this division is the Washington Football Team’s for the taking. Yes, the Eagles dealt with injuries last year, but most NFL teams deal with a truckload of injuries throughout a season. It kind of comes with the territory.

Romo also stated that first-time NFL head coach Nick Sirianni is going to be “great.” Yes, Mr. Rock-Paper-Scissors himself has a fan in Tony Romo. Calling Sirianni’s hiring a “shock” would be an understatement even at his point. Many pundits and fans felt like Sirianni skipped the line ahead of more deserving, more experienced head coaches in landing the Eagles gig. Former head coach Doug Pederson may have been able to turn the team around had it not been for meddling by the Eagles front office. Pederson is the coach that helped bring Philly its first Lombardi trophy. Not Dick Vermeil, Buddy Ryan, or Andy Reid can say that. And that still wasn’t enough for owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman to step back and let Pederson coach his team.

It will be one hell of an uphill battle for Sirianni to live up to what Romo seems to think he can become. The word great gets tossed around as much as an Olive Garden salad these days. Still, if Sirianni can overcome his own front office and their micromanagement, then he’ll certainly have earned the right to be called great by Romo or anyone else.