cowboyjoe
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Do the Cowboys Know what Killer Instinct is & do they need to regain that lost killer instinct?
We all have seen teams that go to the super bowl have that killer instinct that put teams away after that team got the lead. The Cowboys had it in the early 70’s, then the early 90’s, the Steelers in the 70’s, the Dolphins in the 70’s, and the Patriots in the early 2000’s. As you all know the Dallas Cowboys wanted no part of their finale game in Philly. Boy, talking about a total disaster!
Wade came back at the end of that season and said changes need to be made and it all starts with Wade. The first game of the season against Tampa Bay showed maybe some dents in the cowboy’s armor that Wade wasn’t prepared for. So, does it start with the head coach to show that killer instinct when he sees things on the field during preseason? But wade doesn’t do what he should have possibly due to not playing the run blitz defense enough during training camp. Mainly because wade said that he didn’t want to get players hurt. Is that laid back attitude being instilled in the players this year?
We saw the Cowboys come out and run with abandon, while throwing here and there with touchdown passes. Yet at times the big bad team that won 13-3 season in 2007 hasn’t shown up since. At times we see a tentative and unfocused team this year or at times a lost confused team. Like in the Tampa bay game, the Cowboys blitz defense was suspect, then in the Giants game the pass defense was suspect. However in those games the running game was hitting all strides. Then for some strange reason the Cowboys deviate from the running game to try to get cute with some passes.
or trying to put a killer instinct in the players to put the game away by Jason Garrett? So, which is it, does the coaches need to instill the killer instinct in the game to put a team away or should the killer instinct come for the players? After the first 3 games the Cowboys had scored over 30 points per game, while losing a heart breaker to the Giants in Cowboys stadium. The Cowboys were basically running at will in the first half against the Broncos but penalties and withdrawing from the running game to throw, with an average of 7 runs versus 24 passes in the 2nd half probably doomed the Cowboys. Yet, when a killer instinct was needed to put the game away in Denver the Cowboys fizzled. Why?
"Basically, I didn't get our team ready to play," Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips matter-of-factly stated afterward. How many times have we heard that? First, wade didn’t get the blitz run defense packages ready for the opener in Tampa Bay. Second, sure enough, because wade didn’t prepare the team when he should have in training camp the pass defense suffered against the Giants. In the Denver game seemed like to me that the cowboys abandoned the running game 2nd half, and the 2 minute offense wasn’t prepared for the Denver game. We should have seen this coming in the week of practice. On the Cowboys radio show, Larry Brown and an announcer said that Wade wasn’t too pleased with the Cowboys effort in practice that week. So, Wade made practices tougher with more hitting and wearing pads. Yet, the cowboy’s offense looked lackluster, why? Is it really the players, and not so much the players?
Or does this lay deeper seated into the Cowboys from the head management starting with owner Jerry Jones. Jerry Jones made a statement after the game that stunned some fans. Jerry Jones quote just really throws me, here is the report from Matt Mosley on espn; “Jerry Jones even attempted to attribute the loss to the Cowboy’s change in philosophy. That’s part of the plan, 'Jerry said. “There’s more running and less depending on the pass.” Yet, was that statement really accurate. Remember now, in the 2nd half the cowboys passed 24 times and ran 7?
There certainly have been teams throughout the history of the league that have been able to turn it on at will, and Dallas may indeed be one of those teams. But right now, no one really knows that for sure. Maybe that’s part of the problem that the Cowboys think they can turn it on and off like a switch. What we do know is that the Cowboys don't currently have that rhythm that made them one of the most dangerous opponents in the game, and they've got this week to get it back.
It's funny how perceptions can turn around so quickly in the NFL. Phillips' easygoing demeanor led to his firing at previous head coaching stops in Denver and Buffalo despite having moderate success at both places, but was viewed as a welcome change to the no-nonsense approach of Bill Parcells when the Cowboys were 12-1 just a few weeks ago. But if Dallas falls short of expectations in the upcoming postseason, you can bet that Phillips' coaching style will be held against him once again. So, what is it, the coaches needing to instill the killer instinct or the players finally saying enough is enough, no more excuses, all players must toe the line. Get mean and nasty and finish! It’s like Brad Sham said last night covering the Cowboys Denver game, if more players played as hard and with intent like Jay Ratliff this team would be unbeatable. The same thing could be said for the Cowboys on offense when Marion Barber plays with reckless abandon. So, how do the Dallas Cowboys players get that killer instinct?
We all have seen teams that go to the super bowl have that killer instinct that put teams away after that team got the lead. The Cowboys had it in the early 70’s, then the early 90’s, the Steelers in the 70’s, the Dolphins in the 70’s, and the Patriots in the early 2000’s. As you all know the Dallas Cowboys wanted no part of their finale game in Philly. Boy, talking about a total disaster!
Wade came back at the end of that season and said changes need to be made and it all starts with Wade. The first game of the season against Tampa Bay showed maybe some dents in the cowboy’s armor that Wade wasn’t prepared for. So, does it start with the head coach to show that killer instinct when he sees things on the field during preseason? But wade doesn’t do what he should have possibly due to not playing the run blitz defense enough during training camp. Mainly because wade said that he didn’t want to get players hurt. Is that laid back attitude being instilled in the players this year?
We saw the Cowboys come out and run with abandon, while throwing here and there with touchdown passes. Yet at times the big bad team that won 13-3 season in 2007 hasn’t shown up since. At times we see a tentative and unfocused team this year or at times a lost confused team. Like in the Tampa bay game, the Cowboys blitz defense was suspect, then in the Giants game the pass defense was suspect. However in those games the running game was hitting all strides. Then for some strange reason the Cowboys deviate from the running game to try to get cute with some passes.
or trying to put a killer instinct in the players to put the game away by Jason Garrett? So, which is it, does the coaches need to instill the killer instinct in the game to put a team away or should the killer instinct come for the players? After the first 3 games the Cowboys had scored over 30 points per game, while losing a heart breaker to the Giants in Cowboys stadium. The Cowboys were basically running at will in the first half against the Broncos but penalties and withdrawing from the running game to throw, with an average of 7 runs versus 24 passes in the 2nd half probably doomed the Cowboys. Yet, when a killer instinct was needed to put the game away in Denver the Cowboys fizzled. Why?
"Basically, I didn't get our team ready to play," Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips matter-of-factly stated afterward. How many times have we heard that? First, wade didn’t get the blitz run defense packages ready for the opener in Tampa Bay. Second, sure enough, because wade didn’t prepare the team when he should have in training camp the pass defense suffered against the Giants. In the Denver game seemed like to me that the cowboys abandoned the running game 2nd half, and the 2 minute offense wasn’t prepared for the Denver game. We should have seen this coming in the week of practice. On the Cowboys radio show, Larry Brown and an announcer said that Wade wasn’t too pleased with the Cowboys effort in practice that week. So, Wade made practices tougher with more hitting and wearing pads. Yet, the cowboy’s offense looked lackluster, why? Is it really the players, and not so much the players?
Or does this lay deeper seated into the Cowboys from the head management starting with owner Jerry Jones. Jerry Jones made a statement after the game that stunned some fans. Jerry Jones quote just really throws me, here is the report from Matt Mosley on espn; “Jerry Jones even attempted to attribute the loss to the Cowboy’s change in philosophy. That’s part of the plan, 'Jerry said. “There’s more running and less depending on the pass.” Yet, was that statement really accurate. Remember now, in the 2nd half the cowboys passed 24 times and ran 7?
There certainly have been teams throughout the history of the league that have been able to turn it on at will, and Dallas may indeed be one of those teams. But right now, no one really knows that for sure. Maybe that’s part of the problem that the Cowboys think they can turn it on and off like a switch. What we do know is that the Cowboys don't currently have that rhythm that made them one of the most dangerous opponents in the game, and they've got this week to get it back.
It's funny how perceptions can turn around so quickly in the NFL. Phillips' easygoing demeanor led to his firing at previous head coaching stops in Denver and Buffalo despite having moderate success at both places, but was viewed as a welcome change to the no-nonsense approach of Bill Parcells when the Cowboys were 12-1 just a few weeks ago. But if Dallas falls short of expectations in the upcoming postseason, you can bet that Phillips' coaching style will be held against him once again. So, what is it, the coaches needing to instill the killer instinct or the players finally saying enough is enough, no more excuses, all players must toe the line. Get mean and nasty and finish! It’s like Brad Sham said last night covering the Cowboys Denver game, if more players played as hard and with intent like Jay Ratliff this team would be unbeatable. The same thing could be said for the Cowboys on offense when Marion Barber plays with reckless abandon. So, how do the Dallas Cowboys players get that killer instinct?
