It’s inevitable that when a team loses, whether in game two of the preseason, the regular season, or the post season, people are going to start talking about how the coaches did this wrong or the players didn’t execute—they just weren’t focused.
It’s a bunch of baloney.
But the truth is people have opinions. Everyone watching a football game has got his or her own idea of what’s going on and certainly a perspective as to why something is being done wrong. Say hello armchair quarterback.
Hi.
I watched every Cowboys game this season and I can tell you just as surely as the next guy, they did something wrong.
But at least I’m not afraid to admit it. I’ll go on and on about Dallas did some stupid thing and offer a variety of colorful reasons as to why their heads were too far up their own…
Okay, so I shouldn’t go there now. But the things I’ve been reading about my beloved ‘Boys since that blowout Divisional routing are just irritating. And I’ve had my last nerve poked one too many times by that sharp stick known worldwide as the Dallas media.
Maybe it should make more sense to me since the Dallas media is a worldwide organization—everybody and their momma has a broadcasted or syndicated opinion of the ‘Boys. But wait a minute…the Cowboys aren’t America’s Team anymore, are they? I say once again it’s justified.
So down to the meat of it here, the Vikings tried running up the score.
It’s true and everyone should just deal with it. It doesn’t matter that the Cowboys defense had all but laid down by that point. This wasn’t just another toss downfield for a score. It was fourth down inside the final two minutes of a game with a huge lead within field goal range. Going for it on fourth down in that situation makes it so unbelievably clear that they were running up the score. Get over it.
Maybe Keith Brooking let his emotions get the best of him by yelling at Favre and Children on the sideline, but I certainly can’t blame him for being upset. I just hope this leader turned it toward his half-assing teammates too.
Wade Phillips is back, and he will be here for two more years. Why is everyone so hung up on the notion that it’s a bad thing? Let me make this real simple for everyone out there doubting his effectiveness as a head coach.
But first something to chew on.
Throughout most of aughts the Ravens have been known as a dominant defensive team. But Jim Harbaugh wasn’t there that whole time to spearhead their defensive effort. Instead it was Rex Ryan who coached the Baltimore D for 10 seasons, and made his coach look good while doing it, at least defensively.
Okay, retaining Wade Phillips does not signify the end of the Tradition of Excellence. Yes, he hasn’t gotten us to a Super Bowl and he got us one playoff win in three years, and not much else. Last I checked, though, he isn’t the Dallas Cowboys.
Roy Williams failed miserably at being a professional wide receiver.
Jason Garrett took three games, at least, to make adjustments.
Injuries have been a factor at key positions.
Terrell Owens divided the locker room.
That’s some of the bad that is being handed over to Phillips as if he had some sort of mischievous plan from day one to ruin the Cowboys. People love Felix Jones and Miles Austin and they were both around for at least two of those three years—why not pass the buck on to them as well?
The Cowboys won the NFC East title two out of three years.
Dallas had three consecutive winning seasons.
Two of those seasons had double digits in the win column.
Those are some of the good things that should be going into Phillips’ corner along with the bad. Once more people, as with anything in life, you must take the good with the bad.
So no, bringing back Phillips for two more years is not a bad thing. He got this team playing hard, and playing their best at the right time. Sure it’s only been one season where that was true, but as they it’s a “what can you do for me now” league and so 2009 is what should be given the most weight.
Since we’re on coaches, can we figure out who Jason Garrett is bending over for to keep his job?
Opposing defenses stopped falling for the draw play by mid-season, and yet there I was watching draw after draw after draw after draw late in the season. Hey Jason, you’re supposed to stick with what works, not keep pounding on it until it works.
And what is it with Marion Barber lately? Has he already started to wear down or what? He is a bruiser. It’s what got him a big contract with a good team. But he hasn’t been that bruiser consistently since 2007, and only in glimpses since then, don’t deny it.
Felix Jones stepped up late this year and sort of took over as the feature back in Dallas. I don’t know if such a strong word as featured is right for him yet, but he certainly gave the most production.
Finally, where was Jason Witten this year? I know he led the team in receptions, but he was near the other end in touchdowns. This is something I think is best attributed to Jason Garrett. Witten is considered a future hall of famer because he makes the most of his size and strength on every play.
But let me ask, what good is it to have a player like him if you don’t overuse him? That’s a gift that just keeps on giving, why not take advantage.
Well there you have it. My notes on 2009 and a look at what we have going into 2010. I know I left out a lot. It’s going to be a long and slow ride to training camp though.
'Since we’re on coaches, can we figure out who Jason Garrett is bending over for to keep his job?"
If he is still there come Pre-Season I will find it hard to get excited for the big games later on in the regular season, because I know if we start off slow and get behind he doesn't have what it takes to make quick adjustments and get the team rolling again. I think most of what went on this season was Romo improvising and moving the ball. Someone needs to start a petition to fire Garrett just like they have one going for JJ. Shit has gone on for long enough now!
Joe, I must disagree with you here. Jason Garretts offense has been a top 5 offense every year that he has been the OC, and it did not get that way simply because of Tony Romo. It is amazing to me how for years now all I have heard is how bad Romo is, and how he has made sooooo many mistakes, yet now it is his skills that have kept this offense afloat? While I agree that Garrett has made some bad decisions in his tenure (as everyone does) can you name an OC out there who could take this team the way it stands and make it that much better? This team has deficiencies and it is those deficiencies that held them back, it is not all on the OC.
It's not all on Garrett. What's on Garrett is having a top 5 offense each year and still being unable to convert on third and fourth and short repeatedly while having the most well-executing and successful offense he's had to date. If you're trying to vindicate Garrett you'll need more than stats. Offense is about points, and while we've gotten plenty of those, we've missed the ones that count. Calling an ineffective Barber over and over doesn't make him effective. It's Garrett's job to recognize what's not working and find something else.
You and I talked the other day and I mentioned the O-Line needs work, and has for several years now. Romo has done an amazing job of keeping the heat off of Adams, Kosier, Gurode, Davis, and Colombo, or as many have stated it, he has made the line look good with his ability to scramble and make a play.
Romo has done as much as Austin has to help keep Garrett out of the fire. Maybe it's time people look past the talent and see what, or who, is holding them back.
I don't know if he should be fired or not. As you point out, he has done something right or the stats wouldn't be part of the argument. But he needs help calling the plays better because we're getting killed by defenses who watch film and know what plays we'll call before we do. The players have executed very well. Even when the play was spotted they still made it happen many times. Sometimes you need a scheme that the defense didn't get a copy of.
Of course after the Vikings game the focus will be the O-Line. For good reason too, who knew such a reckless pass rush would totally shut us down.
Like I said before name an OC that would come in and be so much better than Garrett? I do not think people actually see how bad our O – Line is, screens, and delayed hand offs are gimmick plays or change speed plays, they are not plays that you build an offense around. If that last statement is true, then why do you think we run those plays over and over again? Because they are not good enough up front to run between the tackles! Yes he made some bad decisions this year, but he also made some spectacular play calls. In that Chargers game the offense was unable to establish anything on the ground running outside the tackles, that is why he went to dive plays with Barber, and to be real honest with you, if coach calls "32 Dive" from the 1/2 yard line four straight times, you should be able to man up and get a 1/4 of a 1/2 of a yard per carry and get in the end zone! Be mad, be angry that they lost, but do not stop looking for the real issue just because you do not like Garrett.
I'm not abandoning the real issue because I don't like Garrett. I'm simply saying that if an 1/8 of a yard per carry from what is widely considered a top ground unit is what you're hoping for, then maybe as a coach, you shouldn't be trying it on the ground. That's where my problem lies with Garrett.
He didn't really pick bad plays, and he didn't fail to make things work. He did fail to recognize that an incompletion is worth more than an 1/8 of a yard. At least throwing it he could've had a chance. Something that obviously wasn't there by trying to run between an under-performing line's blocks.
I am not saying he is totally bad, but like I said when it comes to the big games and big plays he simply can't compete or doesn't know how to adapt to get the O rolling. If your content with 100 draw plays, constant stops when all we need is 1 yard, pitches to Barber (when Felix is obviously the outside threat), or drawing up plays to throw against the top corner on the opposing D on the goal line (Look what Peyton did Sunday with Garcon for example) then by all means Garrett is your man. You say name some one who could take his place, I am sure there is someone out there that could, we don't HAVE to keep him for next year. I tried to give Garrett the chance the past 3 years and for the past 3 years he has turned me against him, and for that I bid him farewell.