Here we go again with this media noise. Here comes the Dallas we are all forced to hate. Here comes another final stretch of ineptitude and failure that will be replayed for months.

How could the Cowboys possibly succeed with such a late-season train wreck? I mean, have you seen Tony Romo’s record in December? It’s probably the worst thing since Mark Sanchez’s.

Okay, that last bit might be a tad rough even for America’s team, but can we please stop this nonsense?

Romo is, for the most part, not the issue, he’s never been the issue, and quite frankly I find it hard to believe he will ever be the issue as to why the Dallas Cowboys won’t reach the promise land of the Super Bowl.

Now that’s not to say the former Pro Bowl quarterback hasn’t had his share of HUGE gaffs later in the season when the team needed him the most –— I’m looking at you, Washington, New York, Pittsburgh — but just think of how awful the Cowboys record would be in December without him.

In the time that Romo’s been starting at quarterback for Dallas, he’s produced 11 wins to 15 losses. On the surface, that’s simply not going to cut it. This is the time that high-profile players make high-caliber plays, and the only ones most media outlets, specifically the ones with four-letter acronyms, seem to only dig up the ones Romo didn’t make.

Well how about a little truth serum for you Romo haters? Any idea how many 1,000-yard running backs Romo’s played with since becoming a full-time starter in the league? Try zero.

Marion the Barbarian wasn’t exactly at his healthiest around the Holidays, Felix Jones was about as useful around here as a snowplow, and DeMarco Murray can’t seem to keep his ankles appropriately attached to the rest of his legs.

Now Murray does have the opportunity to become the first member on that dubious list to rush for at least 1,000 yard since Julius Jones did it nearly a decade ago, but the point stands that Romo has lacked any real offensive help in his career.

What about the other side of the ball? When was the last time the Cowboys defense stepped up to the plate and made a few more plays when the thermometers start to drop around the country?

The only time the Dallas score stoppers have heavily contributed to Romo’s cause was when they helped the team reach the second round of the playoffs in 2009. Almost every other year, that group has been just as big of a contributor to the losing ways in Big D as anyone else.

Finally, the statistics for Romo do him justice, but it seems like that’s another area that is lightly glossed over in the media.

Although the standard passer rating for quarterbacks in the NFL doesn’t take many of factors into account, it is still a decent gauge for throwing success. Romo is the league’s second best passer to only Aaron Rodgers with a 106.3 rating since 2009.

Romo is also one of the best quarterbacks at protecting the football, throwing only seven interceptions in that same time frame.

Dallas will have to overcome much in order to get back to the playoffs for the first time in four seasons, but the problems of the Cowboys are so much more than on their quarterback. Even though Romo hasn’t been perfect with the money on the line, it’s time everyone else in Dallas cashed in.

Costa is a senior majoring in journalism.