America’s team has quickly become America’s most hated team, and it all begins with the guy under center.

Tony Romo is the most criticized player in the National Football League, and he might just hold that same title in all of professional sports.

Critics claim that Romo isn’t clutch, untimely turnovers are his calling card and he simply can’t win the big game.

However, there is much more to Tony Romo than a botched PAT snap-and-hold eight years ago and the quirky interception that is played over and over again on SportsCenter.

Tony Romo has proven, time and time again, that he belongs in the conversation as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and has been for some time now.

Sure, his 1-3 playoff record is discouraging and his 66-46 record is nothing to write home about, but Tony Romo has a long list of statistics and accomplishments that separate him from his peers.

Romo has won 57 percent of his games started, a slightly better percentage than his predecessor, Troy Aikman, a three-time Super Bowl champion, a hall-of-fame inductee and arguably the greatest quarterback to wear the star on his helmet.

These wins, yes, actual victories, are not just coming from his supporting cast either. Romo has consistently put up unprecedented numbers, year in and year out.

Romo holds the Cowboys’ franchise record for career passing touchdowns with 212, which is nearly two per game. This is good for the third highest touchdown percentage among active quarterbacks in the NFL, behind only Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning.

Romo isn’t just blindly throwing the ball either, although some may recklessly argue as such, as he efficiently gets his team to the end zone as well.

He holds the sixth highest completion percentage in NFL history, 64.7 percent, good enough for fourth best among active quarterbacks. Again, behind just Rodgers, P. Manning and Drew Brees.

But, if touchdowns and completions aren’t what you’re looking for from your quarterback, maybe his passer rating will tickle your fancy.

Romo holds a 95.6 career passer rating, the fourth highest among all active quarterbacks and fifth highest all time. This again places him behind Rodgers, P. Manning, Philip Rivers and former 49ers signal-caller, Steve Young.

The passer rating is simply a measure of performance for quarterbacks. The formula used by the NFL accounts for passing attempts, completions, yards, touchdowns and interceptions, as a way to determine the league’s passing leader.

However, ESPN has since created its own measure of quarterbacks, attempting to provide a meaningful alternative to the general passer rating. The statistic is a general scale from 1-100 with an average score of 50, referred to as the Total Quarterback Rating in which certain, more important plays, are graded with greater emphasis.

Tony Romo has a career QBR of 64.74, just a few points lower than Tom Brady’s 71.75 career score.

But enough of what Romo can do; he is sure to find a way to mess it up.

Romo not only gives the ball away, but he always throws the interception at the “wrong time.”

Again, Romo proved this to be a fabrication as well.

He holds a career 93.1 passer rating in the final two minutes of a game, the highest rating among all active quarterbacks. He also holds a passer rating in the entire fourth quarter of 102.1, again, highest among all active quarterbacks and five points higher than second best, Aaron Rodgers.

Romo has just two career postseason interceptions in four playoff games, good for a 1.5 playoff pass-to-interception percentage, fifth best among active quarterbacks.

Regardless of Romo’s undeniable numbers, Romo still isn’t clutch and never will be.

But wait, the lie detector test [or the statistics] determined that too was a lie.

Romo has engineered 24 game winning drives in just 112 games, more than Cowboy greats Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach. Yes, including Staubach, who was often referred to as “Captain Comeback.”

Romo has also accumulated 21 fourth quarter comebacks in his near seven seasons worth of games started. That’s enough for sixth most among active quarterbacks, behind P. Manning, Brees, Brady, Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger, but again, more than Aikman and Staubach.

In addition to the numbers Romo has put forth, he has done so with a lackluster supporting cast.

During the Romo era, the Cowboys have featured the 19th ranked defense and the 23rd ranked rushing attack.

Thus, Romo has repeatedly proven that he is, and will continue to be, one of the best quarterbacks to take the field on Sundays. He has consistently put his team in a position to win games in spite of the talent around him.

You may not think Tony Romo is a great quarterback, but I suppose someone has to be wrong.