Tony Romo is not the Cowboys' problem

Go ahead, point out Tony Romo's record in December again.

By Matthew Fairburn Dec 10, 2013, 8:19am EST

Let the Tony Romo narrative continue.

Forget the fact that Romo has the second highest passer rating in December over the last four season or the fact that his defense has been pitiful, because on Monday Night Football, the Cowboys lost to the Bears 45-28 and the Romo's career record in December dropped to 11-16.

People will continue to pile on Romo for that record, as if he is personally responsible for the record of an entire team. He's played well in December in recent years, and the numbers reflect that. Still, until he gets the wins, the narrative will continue. Romo is a choker. Romo doesn't get it done when it counts. Rinse and repeat.

But the narrative doesn't always reflect the truth, and it certainly didn't reflect the truth on Monday night. Romo threw for three touchdowns in the bitter cold and helped the Cowboys put up 28 points. But the Cowboys' defense was again dreadful. Josh McCown looked like a Pro Bowl quarterback, throwing for 348 yards and four touchdowns while adding a rushing touchdown. McCown played well, but Dallas hardly put up a struggle on defense.

The rest of the offense didn't do Romo a ton of favors, either. He was sacked twice and didn't get much help when the offense really needed to move the ball. Case and point, this pass in the fourth quarter:

There was no Romo interception on Monday night, but that doesn't matter to those spinning the narrative. Even when Romo isn't the one screwing up for the Cowboys, he's the one taking the blame. Maybe it's the nature of being a quarterback. But when a defense gives up nearly 500 yards of offense in a game, it's tough for any quarterback to keep pace.

The Cowboys' failures are well-documented. It's time the narrative shifts from Romo to the organization. With a front office that often appears dysfunctional, and an on-field product that reflects that at time, how can one player -- even if he is the quarterback -- be subject to all the blame?

Because it fits the narrative.