2003 - BP's best coaching year ever?

[burmafrd]

When you look at how much GARBAGE was on that team- you have to wonder how in the world we made it to the playoffs?
Just how many of those players are out of the game totally now?
We had some really top guys sure- Laroi, Roy, Dex, Dat, Ellis.
But we had the abomination of Hambone, Q, and others too vile to be named.

 

[Doomsday101]

I'm thinking this season will be his best coaching job ever. No doubt Bill has not achived what he was brought here for which is to make Dallas a championship caliber team but I do think this team is a much more talented team than in the past and moving in the right direction and I think before all is said and done Bill will get this team competing for a championship.

 

[noshame]

When you look at how much GARBAGE was on that team- you have to wonder how in the world we made it to the playoffs?
Just how many of those players are out of the game totally now?
We had some really top guys sure- Laroi, Roy, Dex, Dat, Ellis.
But we had the abomination of Hambone, Q, and others too vile to be named.

It is also a testiment to how far the NFL has slipped, all you really need to do is play disciplned ball for sixty minutes and there's a good chance you'll come out on top. Todays teams just don't consistently execute.

Twenty years ago the team you referenced would have won 2 games, no matter who was coaching.

 

[Colo]

I'm thinking this season will be his best coaching job ever. No doubt Bill has not achived what he was brought here for which is to make Dallas a championship caliber team but I do think this team is a much more talented team than in the past and moving in the right direction and I think before all is said and done Bill will get this team competing for a championship.

This is why I think JJT and company are wrong about Parcells retiring after the season, unless we win the superbowl. Surely Parcells has too much pride to be remembered as a quitter that gave up before getting the job done on the biggest stage in his coaching career.

 

[Clove]

I still think talent wins in this league, you may slip and get into the playoffs with mediocre talent. But you will not win it all without great talent on your team, and great coaching.

 

[Doomsday101]

This is why I think JJT and company are wrong about Parcells retiring after the season unless we win the superbowl. Surely Parcells has too much pride to be remembered as a quitter that gave up before getting the job done on the biggest stage in his coaching career.

I think Bill will coach here as long as he wants too I think Jerry has that much faith in Bill. I think as long as Bill is enjoying what he is doing and his health remains good he will continue to coach. That could be this year only or a few more. I think anyone in the media who is trying to read Bills mind is making a mistake.

 

[Gent]

It was an excellent coaching job, but the real reason the Boys went 10-6 was a remarkable lack of injuries. The same applies to the 2005 Commanders.

-Gent

 

[yesfan]

I think Bill will coach here as long as he wants too I think Jerry has that much faith in Bill. I think as long as Bill is enjoying what he is doing and his health remains good he will continue to coach. That could be this year only or a few more. I think anyone in the media who is trying to read Bills mind is making a mistake.

I agree with that.Btw,if they just had a kicker, last year wouldn't have
been considered a bad season.

 

[Doomsday101]

I agree with that.Btw,if they just had a kicker, last year wouldn't have
been considered a bad season.

Maybe, but I still don't think this team was ready to make a big jump last season and I do feel disappointed that we failed to make the post season. Depending on the play of the O-line I think this could be the season that Dallas takes the big jump as a true contender.

 

[yesfan]

Maybe, but I still don't think this team was ready to make a big jump last season and I do feel disappointed that we failed to make the post season. Depending on the play of the O-line I think this could be the season that Dallas takes the big jump as a true contender.

You make a very good point,the O-line scares me.I do believe
Parcells would coach beyond this year if the team makes a good
run into the playoffs.

 

[Reality]

When you look at how much GARBAGE was on that team- you have to wonder how in the world we made it to the playoffs?
Just how many of those players are out of the game totally now?
We had some really top guys sure- Laroi, Roy, Dex, Dat, Ellis.
But we had the abomination of Hambone, Q, and others too vile to be named.

That team was all about Zimmer's defense. The difference was we had Darren Woodson then controlling the defense on the field. Without that defense, the Cowboys would have ended the season well under .500 ..

-Reality

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Last year was actually a great job of coaching for the most part by Parcells.

- Signs Marco Rivera who gets injured on a treadmill a week later and wasn't able to lift weights until December.

- Loses starting RT Jacob Rogers to injury in August.

- Marcus Spears injures his groin, ankle, and knee in the first week of training camp and that slows his progress and he doesn't start to play well until late November.

- Has 5 LB's go on I-R (Thornton, Burnett, Singleton, Shanle, and Nguyen) with 3 of them having started at one point in the year.

- Jay Ratliff becomes the starter in week 5 and goes on I-R in week 8.

- Loses Pro Bowl LT Flozell Adams in week 6 (so now both of his projected starting OT's are on I-R)

- Loses #3 WR Patrick Crayton in week 6 for five games. Before the injury, Crayton is 2nd in the league for WR's in YAC.

- Anthony Henry gets injured in week 8 and barely plays afterwards. Essentially, he went on I-R.

- Julius Jones misses 3 games due to a high ankle sprain.

Combine that with having to totally revamp the defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4, working on his third starting QB in three seasons, relying on the play of SIXTEEN players with 2 years experience or less, combined with the atrocious field goal kicking.......it's a bit of a wonder how they went 9-7 in a tough NFC East.


Rich.......

 

[Yakuza Rich]

When you look at how much GARBAGE was on that team- you have to wonder how in the world we made it to the playoffs?
Just how many of those players are out of the game totally now?
We had some really top guys sure- Laroi, Roy, Dex, Dat, Ellis.
But we had the abomination of Hambone, Q, and others too vile to be named.

One of the things people disregard about that team was they were very good against the blitz, especially early on.

Teams thought they could just blitz that team. For Quincy's faults, he was good at avoiding pass rushers and threw a great deep ball. Combine that with some solid pass protection from the O-Line (Flozell was superb that year) and Hambrick walloping any other blitzer coming through, they really punished teams early on when they tried to blitz them.

It wasn't until they faced the Bucs who just laid back in the Cover 2 and forced Dallas to beat them with the run and intermediate passes that they started to struggle on offense.


Rich...........

 

[Pottsville Maroons]

I agree with that.Btw,if they just had a kicker, last year wouldn't have
been considered a bad season.

I agree, as well. A reliable kicker and an healthy Flozell would have made a dramatic difference last year. Even with Petitti, our offense was moving in the right direction before Flozell got hurt. I am encouraged by the fact that, in addition to those pieces in place, we've also upgraded WR, OT, LB, FS, and TE while at least adding depth at the OG position.

If we can get a Jean-Giles or a Joseph in Rd 2, a young FS (Watkins/A. Smith/D. Manning) in Rd 3, DT (Fifita) in Rd 5, WR, FB, OL, DL or QB in 6 and 7 (Gradkowski*) to go along with Wimbley/Lawson/Carpenter in Rd 1, I think we'd have a very solid foundation to be competitive, both now and in the future.

*I don't see us going 4 deep at QB, nor do I see us trading Romo or Henson, but I like that Gradkowski guy as a developmental QB. We'd probably be better served in getting a DE, ie Ratliff, or OL, ie Petitti, if we couldn't get a decent FB in that area, since players at those positions would have a realistic chance of making the final roster moreso than at QB.

​

 

[Pottsville Maroons]

Last year was actually a great job of coaching for the most part by Parcells.

- Signs Marco Rivera who gets injured on a treadmill a week later and wasn't able to lift weights until December.

- Loses starting RT Jacob Rogers to injury in August.

- Marcus Spears injures his groin, ankle, and knee in the first week of training camp and that slows his progress and he doesn't start to play well until late November.

- Has 5 LB's go on I-R (Thornton, Burnett, Singleton, Shanle, and Nguyen) with 3 of them having started at one point in the year.

- Jay Ratliff becomes the starter in week 5 and goes on I-R in week 8.

- Loses Pro Bowl LT Flozell Adams in week 6 (so now both of his projected starting OT's are on I-R)

- Loses #3 WR Patrick Crayton in week 6 for five games. Before the injury, Crayton is 2nd in the league for WR's in YAC.

- Anthony Henry gets injured in week 8 and barely plays afterwards. Essentially, he went on I-R.

- Julius Jones misses 3 games due to a high ankle sprain.

Combine that with having to totally revamp the defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4, working on his third starting QB in three seasons, relying on the play of SIXTEEN players with 2 years experience or less, combined with the atrocious field goal kicking.......it's a bit of a wonder how they went 9-7 in a tough NFC East.


Rich.......

wow. great post. points like that give me a lot of reason for optimism for this season and our future.

​

 

[Yakuza Rich]

wow. great post. points like that give me a lot of reason for optimism for this season and our future.

​

Well, I could point out other things as well.

Dallas hasn't been able to stay healthy, especially in the last two seasons. And in 2003 and 2005, they haven't been able to keep the right side of the O-Line healthy.

And in the last three years Dallas has gotten off to good starts on offense and defense, especially with sacking opposing QB's. But all of those have fizzled towards the end.

Part of it has to do with the injuries, but part of it has to do with not making the proper adjustments as well.


Rich.........