Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo says his leadership approach will be different in 2009, the Dallas Morning News reports.

"I think leadership sometimes comes with your ability to perform and your personality," Romo told the newspaper. "And some of it comes with experience. In a lot of ways, I think I've gotten to the point where I've gained experience.

"I'm definitely going to take a more active approach with that as we move forward from last year to this season. I'll be very excited to get back out there and be with the guys and figure out a way to improve and get better and do the things we need to do to win. Period."

The Cowboys' poor chemistry has been blamed for the team's late-season collapse, which ended in a loss to the Eagles. In reports earlier this week, teammates anonymously criticized Romo for sloppy practice habits.

Romo says he treats practices like games and that his coaches have never questioned his work in practice. He also said he talked with offensive coordinator Jason Garrett since the season-ending loss.

"We met after the football game and went into what went pretty good and what we could've done differently," Romo said. "Going forward, I'm pretty excited about some of the things we're going to be doing."

Though still disappointed about the 2008 season, Romo told the newspaper, "I promise you, this football team is going to be a good football team next year."

Hall of Famer and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman criticized Romo for creating a bad "perception" for himself, ESPN reported Wednesday.

"I think maybe things happened so quickly for Tony in terms of obscurity to all of a sudden national spotlight that he hasn't fully grasped what being the Cowboys quarterback is all about," Aikman told former teammate Michael Irvin on Irvin's radio show. "And you don't go to Cabo the week before a playoff game. You just don't do it.

"It didn't take away from his preparations. I know that. I mean, everything he says is I think accurate. I don't think that had any bearing.

"But to say, 'I don't worry about perception,' you better worry about perception, because it's a big part of making it through some very difficult times."

Before last year's NFL playoff game against the New York Giants, Romo went to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico with his girlfriend Jessica Simpson.

According to a Dallas Morning News report on Tuesday, Romo's teammates had "lost respect" for offensive coordinator Jason Garrett for how Romo prepared and played in games.

Five sources told the newspaper that Romo's inconsistency in practice "affected the way he played in games and could have factored into the offense's problems."

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