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How to fix the Cowboys
By Albert Breer - SportingNews
For all the lowlights and threats to the jobs of many, the Dallas Cowboys are in a spot you might be surprised to see them.
The Cowboys are just a game back of a three-way tie for the NFC’s two wild-card spots.
So, from a mathematical standpoint, the Cowboys still have every chance to pass the exam that is the NFL’s regular season. But right now, they’re failing the look test miserably and circumstances won’t get much more forgiving for the fallen sweethearts of September.
With their return to health, the Cowboys face a trip to Washington on Sunday night to face a team that beat the Cowboys 26-24 on Sept. 28, when everything was going swimmingly. The Cowboys also have brutal slate looming in December, a month that’s been unkind of late.
Can the ‘08 Cowboys be fixed? Maybe.
When Bryan Broaddus, who helped build this team as a scout during the Bill Parcells years and now works in the Dallas media, looks at the roster, he finds no clear answer.
He sees a club that clearly misses Tony Sparano, both as the bad-cop assistant head coach and the offensive line coach. He was replaced by Jason Garrett, who also leaned on Sparano in play-calling last year, in the former role and Hudson Houck in the latter, and both men have disappointed after carrying big reputations into the jobs.
Houck’s offensive line is at the heart of the Cowboys’ problems. Somehow, a line that provided the foundation for the 2007 offense’s wild success has become a liability. But the offensive line isn’t the only group that has regressed.
The defense, as a whole, is a mess, too. The defensive front seven isn’t shedding blocks. The secondary has been even more of a problem, with Anthony Henry in need of a full-time move to safety, both because of his own aging and the team’s problems at the position, that can’t be made until rookie Mike Jenkins can be counted on as a starting corner.
Then, there’s a lack of big plays across the board. The sacks are there, but a good chunk of those have come in garbage time and the pass rush has been far from consistent. The big-play element that fueled the offense in ‘07 has been stripped as opponents have beat up Terrell Owens at the line of scrimmage and rookie running back Felix Jones has been shelved with a hamstring problem and the defense isn’t taking the ball away.
In short: The Cowboys are a mess. As the Cowboys come off their bye, time is running short to find an elixir.
“They’ve got a lot of problems to addressed,” Broaddus said. “I don’t think this is something that gets fixed with a few guys getting healthy.”
Good health, though, would provide a start. Jones, quarterback Tony Romo, guard Kyle Kosier and cornerback Terence Newman all could play Sunday at Washington.
Here are a few things coach Wade Phillips & Co. can do, too:
1. Get the ball to Felix Jones
For one, this will help get your bellcow Marion Barber rest, and that might count for a lot. “The Barbarian” is on pace for 306 carries, 102 more than last year’s career high of 204, and after averaging 4.8 yards per carry in ‘06 and ‘07, he is running at a 3.9-yard clip this year. Barber has been under 3 yards per carry in three of his last four games.
Perhaps more important, Jones can bring a missing big-play element to the offense. Owens isn’t as much of a game-breaking as last year, and it’s hard to count on wide receiver Roy Williams too much after being thrown in the mix in midseason.
This isn’t to advocate forcing the ball to Jones, although when a guy’s averaging 8.9-yards per carry he probably should be getting more touches. Just having Jones back on the field and presenting the big-play threat will have an impact.
2. Stop somebody on first down
Everyone knows Phillips can dial up a pass rush, and he has a three-headed monster of edge rushers—DeMarcus Ware, Greg Ellis and Anthony Spencer—to lean on down the stretch. But the coach can’t dial up exotic pressure packages unless that defense stops the run, a product of shedding blocks better, and can cover receivers out of its base package on early downs. Dallas needs to put more opponents in long-yardage, late-down situations.
If you want to know the root of the problem, well, that’s where it is. All the defensive wizardry in the world means nothing if an opposing offense stays out of third-and-long situations on a consistent basis.
3. Deliver on special teams
The Cowboys’ coverage units have been among the worst in the league, which isn’t doing much to help the offense or defense. And the return teams, despite having weapons, have been wildly inconsistent.
The offense and defense need to be put in better positions to start drives. And missteps like the blocked punt, which cost the Cowboys the Arizona game, must stop for a team with little margin for error.
It’s easy to place the blame on Bruce Read, the special teams coach, but these problems have long plagued Phillips’ teams because he puts little emphasis on the kicking game.
4. Be accountable
There’s no measure for this one, but it’s clear that the Cowboys haven’t been held to a high enough standard by those calling the shots. It’s costing the team big time.
Phillips isn’t the step-on-your-throat type, and Sparano had been the staff’s bad cop before becoming the Dolphins’ head coach in the offseason.
Team leaders like Jason Witten and Ware are important. But even more important is their teammates responding to the outstanding approach guys like that take and holding themselves accountable, rather than following Wade’s “The Mistakes Are Mine” way of dealing with players.
By Albert Breer - SportingNews
For all the lowlights and threats to the jobs of many, the Dallas Cowboys are in a spot you might be surprised to see them.
The Cowboys are just a game back of a three-way tie for the NFC’s two wild-card spots.
So, from a mathematical standpoint, the Cowboys still have every chance to pass the exam that is the NFL’s regular season. But right now, they’re failing the look test miserably and circumstances won’t get much more forgiving for the fallen sweethearts of September.
With their return to health, the Cowboys face a trip to Washington on Sunday night to face a team that beat the Cowboys 26-24 on Sept. 28, when everything was going swimmingly. The Cowboys also have brutal slate looming in December, a month that’s been unkind of late.
Can the ‘08 Cowboys be fixed? Maybe.
When Bryan Broaddus, who helped build this team as a scout during the Bill Parcells years and now works in the Dallas media, looks at the roster, he finds no clear answer.
He sees a club that clearly misses Tony Sparano, both as the bad-cop assistant head coach and the offensive line coach. He was replaced by Jason Garrett, who also leaned on Sparano in play-calling last year, in the former role and Hudson Houck in the latter, and both men have disappointed after carrying big reputations into the jobs.
Houck’s offensive line is at the heart of the Cowboys’ problems. Somehow, a line that provided the foundation for the 2007 offense’s wild success has become a liability. But the offensive line isn’t the only group that has regressed.
The defense, as a whole, is a mess, too. The defensive front seven isn’t shedding blocks. The secondary has been even more of a problem, with Anthony Henry in need of a full-time move to safety, both because of his own aging and the team’s problems at the position, that can’t be made until rookie Mike Jenkins can be counted on as a starting corner.
Then, there’s a lack of big plays across the board. The sacks are there, but a good chunk of those have come in garbage time and the pass rush has been far from consistent. The big-play element that fueled the offense in ‘07 has been stripped as opponents have beat up Terrell Owens at the line of scrimmage and rookie running back Felix Jones has been shelved with a hamstring problem and the defense isn’t taking the ball away.
In short: The Cowboys are a mess. As the Cowboys come off their bye, time is running short to find an elixir.
“They’ve got a lot of problems to addressed,” Broaddus said. “I don’t think this is something that gets fixed with a few guys getting healthy.”
Good health, though, would provide a start. Jones, quarterback Tony Romo, guard Kyle Kosier and cornerback Terence Newman all could play Sunday at Washington.
Here are a few things coach Wade Phillips & Co. can do, too:
1. Get the ball to Felix Jones
For one, this will help get your bellcow Marion Barber rest, and that might count for a lot. “The Barbarian” is on pace for 306 carries, 102 more than last year’s career high of 204, and after averaging 4.8 yards per carry in ‘06 and ‘07, he is running at a 3.9-yard clip this year. Barber has been under 3 yards per carry in three of his last four games.
Perhaps more important, Jones can bring a missing big-play element to the offense. Owens isn’t as much of a game-breaking as last year, and it’s hard to count on wide receiver Roy Williams too much after being thrown in the mix in midseason.
This isn’t to advocate forcing the ball to Jones, although when a guy’s averaging 8.9-yards per carry he probably should be getting more touches. Just having Jones back on the field and presenting the big-play threat will have an impact.
2. Stop somebody on first down
Everyone knows Phillips can dial up a pass rush, and he has a three-headed monster of edge rushers—DeMarcus Ware, Greg Ellis and Anthony Spencer—to lean on down the stretch. But the coach can’t dial up exotic pressure packages unless that defense stops the run, a product of shedding blocks better, and can cover receivers out of its base package on early downs. Dallas needs to put more opponents in long-yardage, late-down situations.
If you want to know the root of the problem, well, that’s where it is. All the defensive wizardry in the world means nothing if an opposing offense stays out of third-and-long situations on a consistent basis.
3. Deliver on special teams
The Cowboys’ coverage units have been among the worst in the league, which isn’t doing much to help the offense or defense. And the return teams, despite having weapons, have been wildly inconsistent.
The offense and defense need to be put in better positions to start drives. And missteps like the blocked punt, which cost the Cowboys the Arizona game, must stop for a team with little margin for error.
It’s easy to place the blame on Bruce Read, the special teams coach, but these problems have long plagued Phillips’ teams because he puts little emphasis on the kicking game.
4. Be accountable
There’s no measure for this one, but it’s clear that the Cowboys haven’t been held to a high enough standard by those calling the shots. It’s costing the team big time.
Phillips isn’t the step-on-your-throat type, and Sparano had been the staff’s bad cop before becoming the Dolphins’ head coach in the offseason.
Team leaders like Jason Witten and Ware are important. But even more important is their teammates responding to the outstanding approach guys like that take and holding themselves accountable, rather than following Wade’s “The Mistakes Are Mine” way of dealing with players.
