ESPN: Jason Garrett's Staying!

[theogt]

You don't have faith in Stewart, but you do in Phillips. Phillips, the guy who has always had good defenses, but his defenses have always had flaws and tend to breakdown as the year goes on. They did this year, and they did last year with the highly touted Chargers defense who was #1 for a long time and then drop to 10th in the blink of an eye then took a one and gone in the playoffs just like the Cowboys did.

This is just factually incorrect. Get back to me when you find a clue.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

If the Cowboys gutlessly choked in the playoffs like they did this year, there would be hell to pay no matter who is coach. Wade said the Cowboys were his dream job ... well, it's not all traveling on Lear Jets and shooting Pepsi Commercials.

Yeah, Wade really seems like the type who craves the glitz and glamor of the job, doesn't he?

We get it, you don't like Wade.

Anyway... If it's as you say and the "gutless choking" happened on the side of the ball head coach RJ specialized in, what would the "hell to pay" be? Fans calling for firing the guy you just hired?

 

[WoodysGirl]

Well there was that 45 or so seconds at the end of the first half.

In this case, Spags was right. The cowboys defense did what they did all year, gave up 21 pts. The offense didn't do what it did all year and that was score.

 

[PosterChild]

Jason Garrett's well publicized maneuvers here and subsequent decision to stay effectively signify he decided to take the HC job from Wade, likely after next season. Everyone knows this. Add to that the Dec meltdown and ultimate failure in the post season which Wade has to accept responsibility for and you have the makings of a HC in trouble. Anyone buying Wade Phillips stock right now? If things go south next yr- especially early on- you will understand what I mean about Wade's now diminished status because it will be crystal clear. Media and fans will question/criticize him more openly than they already do, and maybe the team (including Jerry) begin to doubt his abilities or approach to the game. The JG countdown, then, will ensue.

But I can appreciate how it may not be so obvious right now. I guess. Now I have half-joked earlier about a WP resignation and such but I'm serious about this deal.

 

[theogt]

Well there was that 45 or so seconds at the end of the first half.

They both choked. One did it at the end of the first half. Allowing a TD in 43s, 7 plays, in 70+ yards at the end of the first half exemplifies choking. One did at the end of the game, which is a much more difficult situation to not choke in. Some people wouldn't consider it choking at all.

There was that. And you can blame Wade for keeping Reeves instead of Glenn. I do. But when the game was on the line, the offense had three opportunities to score and win the game. Three! Why did they have those opportunities? Because the defense came up with the big stops in the final minutes of the game. And the offense came up with squat. Not a single point in the fourth quarter when the game was on the line, largely because of a lack of adjustments. That's choking.

 

[YosemiteSam]

This is just factually incorrect. Get back to me when you find a clue.

I make a claim (though didn't show proof). You claim it's not true without showing proof.

Well, Here is your clue. The Chargers led in defense for a long time last year. (2006 with Phillips) This is where they finished. 10th overall.

 

[theogt]

I make a claim (though didn't show proof). You claim it's not true without showing proof.

Well, Here is your clue.

Great. Now show me where they were #1 all season and fell to #10 because they wore down.

 

[SultanOfSix]

There was that. And you can blame Wade for keeping Reeves instead of Glenn. I do. But when the game was on the line, the offense had three opportunities to score and win the game. Three! Why did they have those opportunities? Because the defense came up with the big stops in the final minutes of the game. And the offense came up with squat.

Yeah, but you can't always blame that on the OC. So many things went wrong in the last five minutes, penalty wise, and player execution wise. I personally think the players were more at fault than Garrett. Several plays signify this. The sack for 13 yard loss by Tony on the rollout when he should have thrown it away. Of course, there was the intentional grounding that really wasn't. The call to Austin where he blew by the defender (he was the primary target), but unfortunately, the defensive line of the Giants blew by the offensive line. The stopped route by Crayton. What was he thinking?

I'm sure there was more, but I can't think of them off the top of my head.

 

[Dave_in-NC]

In this case, Spags was right. The cowboys defense did what they did all year, gave up 21 pts. The offense didn't do what it did all year and that was score.

So we should just have spotted 21 every game and hope the opposing team got worse instead of better as the season wore on? In the Playoffs?

Sounds about right for spags.

 

[superpunk]

The difference is that people don't like Wade, and they love Jason.

I wonder, if Jason had been named head coach this year and we'd gotten exactly the same results, would everyone want Jason's head on a platter? Or would they see that in fact this was the best team we've had in years here and say we're on the right track?

Pretty sure I know the answer.

Welcome to last year's world of being a Parcells fan. I think alot of people who were in that line of thinking resent the fact that those who were killing Parcells for the same (or at least very similar) things that happened this season aren't holding Wade's feet to the fire in the same way - because they hated Bill, but they like Wade.

Just the way it goes. As someone who likes both, I'm just sitting back and laughing at all the people surprised at the flack Wade's taking from certain people.

 

[InmanRoshi]

Yeah, Wade really seems like the type who craves the glitz and glamor of the job, doesn't he?

We get it, you don't like Wade.

Anyway... If it's as you say and the "gutless choking" happened on the side of the ball he specialized in, what would the "hell to pay" be? Fans calling for firing the guy you just hired?

And we get it. You're president of the Wade fanclub. You even hold it against Garrett because he didn't publicly kiss Wade's butt enough.

Gutless choking includes team discipline. 11 penalties falls under the realm of the head coach in the fan's eyes. You may think that's unfair, but that's the way it is. The head coach is the face and the voice of the franchise, and in this case the face and voice was indignant all December that anyone could have the audacity to doubt how great his team is and assured everyone that it was all going to be okay in playoffs. When it's not okay in the playoffs, that causes the HC to lose face.

 

[theogt]

Yeah, but you can't always blame that on the OC. So many things went wrong in the last five minutes, penalty wise, and player execution wise. I personally think the players were more at fault than Garrett. Several plays signify this. The sack for 13 yard loss by Tony on the rollout when he should have thrown it away. Of course, there was the intentional grounding that really wasn't. The call to Austin where he blew by the defender (he was the primary target), but unfortunately, the defensive line of the Giants blew by the offensive line. The stopped route by Crayton. What was he thinking?

I'm sure there was more, but I can't think of them off the top of my head.

The Giants blitzed us like crazy in the 2nd half. And we did nothing to make them pay for it. No screens, no quick slants. Nothing.

And that deep bomb on 3rd and 20 was remarkably stupid. The draw play on 2nd and 2? Laughable. The players made their mistakes, but the playcalling was also horrid.

 

[superpunk]

The Giants blitzed us like crazy in the 2nd half. And we did nothing to make them pay for it. No screens, no quick slants. Nothing.

And that deep bomb on 3rd and 20 was remarkably stupid. The draw play on 2nd and 2? Laughable. The players made their mistakes, but the playcalling was also horrid.

I completely agree. A screen - any screen - would have been devastating to the Giants. With the defensive backs playing with their backs to Romo, Marion might have housed it - who knows? We did nothing to adjust to that pressure. It was embarassing.

But I am still pleased Garrett is coming back. He can only get better. Hopefully we can keep him and Wade around for as long as they both want to coach here.

 

[Dave_in-NC]

There was that. And you can blame Wade for keeping Reeves instead of Glenn. I do. But when the game was on the line, the offense had three opportunities to score and win the game. Three! Why did they have those opportunities? Because the defense came up with the big stops in the final minutes of the game. And the offense came up with squat. Not a single point in the fourth quarter when the game was on the line, largely because of a lack of adjustments. That's choking.

I'm not arguing our offense chocked when we needed it most. The same has to apply when our offense had to saved our defense most of the season though.

 

[theogt]

Welcome to last year's world of being a Parcells fan. I think alot of people who were in that line of thinking resent the fact that those who were killing Parcells for the same (or at least very similar) things that happened this season aren't holding Wade's feet to the fire in the same way - because they hated Bill, but they like Wade.

Just the way it goes. As someone who likes both, I'm just sitting back and laughing at all the people surprised at the flack Wade's taking from certain people.

But last year and this year were mirror images. Last year it was the defense that collapsed and this year it was the offense that collapsed.

 

[Dave_in-NC]

Welcome to last year's world of being a Parcells fan. I think alot of people who were in that line of thinking resent the fact that those who were killing Parcells for the same (or at least very similar) things that happened this season aren't holding Wade's feet to the fire in the same way - because they hated Bill, but they like Wade.

Just the way it goes. As someone who likes both, I'm just sitting back and laughing at all the people surprised at the flack Wade's taking from certain people.

Amen!

 

[theogt]

I completely agree. A screen - any screen - would have been devastating to the Giants. With the defensive backs playing with their backs to Romo, Marion might have housed it - who knows? We did nothing to adjust to that pressure. It was embarassing.

But I am still pleased Garrett is coming back. He can only get better. Hopefully we can keep him and Wade around for as long as they both want to coach here.

Absolutely. 1000%. I like the guy a lot. He's obviously capable and should only improve. But if it came down to him or Wade, I'd pick Wade every time.

 

[SkinsandTerps]

I still don't really understand how so many feel this is a certain end to Wade's tenure in Dallas.

 

[SultanOfSix]

The Giants blitzed us like crazy in the 2nd half. And we did nothing to make them pay for it. No screens, no quick slants. Nothing.

And that deep bomb on 3rd and 20 was remarkably stupid. The draw play on 2nd and 2? Laughable. The players made their mistakes, but the playcalling was also horrid.

Perhaps the reason why we didn't do slants is because of the same reason that the Giants blitzed. They knew that TO and Glenn couldn't run them effectively because of their injuries. A pretty safe assumption seeing that it worked.

I'm not sure why we didn't run any screens. Perhaps we just suck at them like we have in past years.

If I'm not mistaken, the 3rd and 20 playcall was the Crayton pass. It doesn't mean he was the primary target, but he was open and Tony made a decision, but Crayton was stupid.

2nd and 2? That's just irrelevant.

 

[Duane]

I still don't really understand how so many feel this is a certain end to Wade's tenure in Dallas.

What was it like when Greg Williams signed on to do pretty much the same thing?