ESPN: Jason Garrett's Staying!

[InmanRoshi]

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.

The offense did collapse, and I'm not sold on Garrett either. But there were problems all year with this team (special teams, penalties) that never got better that get attributed to Wade as well. He's not just a defensive coordinator, so you can't just say "The defense pretty much did great (if you think giving up 21 points a game is great), therefore Wade did his job." He's the head coach.

 

[WoodysGirl]

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.

No, the point is that the defense did what it consistently did all season. There was no reasonable expectation for the D to become a shut down defense. It was going to give up points. There was no reason to expect they wouldn't.

It doesn't minimize the defensive mistakes in the game, but the performance they put on was pretty much what they'd done all season long.

The offense OTOH was averaging 30 ppg. There was a reasonable expectation by fans and media alike that they would put up at least 21+. They didn't. There were drops, questionable playcalling, etc. For whatever reason, the offense looked nothing like it did all year long.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I sort of get you, SP, but Wade has gotten as much heat in the last five days as Parcells got in a year.

The difference is that Parcells got four years. Yet somehow people expect things to be perfect with Wade's team after one year. It makes no sense.

And IR, I have no attachment to Wade other than he's the head coach of this team and he deserves more than one year before he's run to the guillotine. That would go for any coach whose team does anything short of falling apart from day one like Cam Cameron's did.

Funny, I didnt' see all this indignation from you with Parcells last year. Then, it wasn't, "The head coach deserves all the heat when he can't win a playoff game, so pile it on." It was, "This guy is a Hall of Famer and you guys will be so sorry when he's gone."

Do I think people have prejudices against Wade because he's fat and has a Texas accent? Yes, I do. Do I think that's fair or right? No, I don't.

 

[superpunk]

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.

Is that what you meant to type?

I'm not sure it makes sense. Should it be "weren't"?

Did Philly make a blueprint for beating Wade's offense? Is Wade too old and stuck in his ways to adjust? : I don't think so. I think the problem this year is the same problem as last year - the players stopped executing, for whatever reason. I'm starting to think (as I did last offseason before I got fooled by "13-3") it's because the team is full of heartless blowhards, but that makes me too sad and so I just think about something else.

In any case, I'm glad to have Wade and Garrett here for at least one more season. Next offseason will take care of itself.

 

[PosterChild]

Do I think people have prejudices against Wade because he's fat and has a Texas accent? Yes, I do. Do I think that's fair or right? No, I don't.

I think people perceive that he's passionless and fear that it trickles down to the team. And it's an emotional game-- there's the rub.

 

[superpunk]

I sort of get you, SP, but Wade has gotten as much heat in the last five days as Parcells got in a year.

I'm not sure that's true.

The difference is that Parcells got four years. Yet somehow people expect things to be perfect with Wade's team after one year. It makes no sense.

The differences go further. Parcells got a roster that was the laughingstock of the NFL. There were only 2-3 ACTUAL "NFL Players" on that roster. Wade got the second most talented roster in the NFL. (ok, so second is debatable - I don't thikn it is - but we'll say "top 5" just to be sure.) People don't like Wade, sure. People didn't like Parcells. Both feelings have led to ridiculous, misguided criticism and demands of both coaches, that I just have to shake my head at.

Welcome to my world, CL.

 

[Chief]

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.

There's a lot to like about Wade Phillips, as a man and a football coach.

But I didn't like how he constantly recited the team's won-loss record in the face of fair questions about some serious flaws on the team (chronic penalties, for example). I don't think I've ever seen a coach continually voice his team's record during an NFL season when he hasn't won anything yet. If you do that, you have to close the deal or you're going to catch all sorts of heat for it.

You would think that a guy who has been in the NFL for 30 years would know that.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I think people perceive that he's passionless and fear that it trickles down to the team. And it's an emotional game-- there's the rub.

So for the millionth time... I guess Tony Dungy can't coach, either.

Or for that matter, Tom Landry.

 

[Dave_in-NC]

No, the point is that the defense did what it consistently did all season. There was no reasonable expectation for the D to become a shut down defense. It was going to give up points. There was no reason to expect they wouldn't.

It doesn't minimize the defensive mistakes in the game, but the performance they put on was pretty much what they'd done all season long.

The offense OTOH was averaging 30 ppg. There was a reasonable expectation by fans and media alike that they would put up at least 21+. They didn't. There were drops, questionable playcalling, etc. For whatever reason, the offense looked nothing like it did all year long.

Care to check what the offense did the last four games? If I'm coaching I'm probably getting my D to understand our offense is not playing to it's abilities. I'm probably going to say we as a D need to step it up.

What I'm not going to say is "we are 13-3" shrug off the teams problems.
What should have been expected is what happened.

 

[Hostile]

There's a lot to like about Wade Phillips, as a man and a football coach.

But I didn't like how he constantly recited the team's won-loss record in the face of fair questions about some serious flaws on the team (chronic penalties, for example). I don't think I've ever seen a coach continually voice his team's record during an NFL season when he hasn't won anything yet. If you do that, you have to close the deal or you're going to catch all sorts of heat for it.

You would think that a guy who has been in the NFL for 30 years would know that.

I definitely lost some respect for him in that PC. I still like him, but he ducked owning up.

 

[theogt]

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.

No, that was a different play.

2nd and 2? That's just irrelevant.

It's not irrelevant. It was a stupid playcall. It put us in a bad position and wasted opportunities.

Is that what you meant to type?

I'm not sure it makes sense. Should it be "weren't"?

Did Philly make a blueprint for beating Wade's offense? Is Wade too old and stuck in his ways to adjust? : I don't think so. I think the problem this year is the same problem as last year - the players stopped executing, for whatever reason. I'm starting to think it's because the team is full of heartless blowhards, but that makes me too sad and so I just think about something else.

In any case, I'm glad to have Wade and Garrett here for at least one more season. Next offseason will take care of itself.

A mirror's reflection creates the exact opposite image. Thus, defensive collapse vs. offensive collapse.

 

[Doomsday101]

I think people perceive that he's passionless and fear that it trickles down to the team. And it's an emotional game-- there's the rub.

Wade is passionless? He does not look like he lacks passion to me. I understand the heat he is taking we lost a playoff game and as HC he is going to take heat. I'm a long time Cowboy fan and can still recall the days when Landry was looked at as a choker because we could not make it to the SB and the cry for his head took place. You win they love you and when you lose they want your head. Wade has been in this business long enough to know what comes with the job

 

[InmanRoshi]

I sort of get you, SP, but Wade has gotten as much heat in the last five days as Parcells got in a year.

The difference is that Parcells got four years. Yet somehow people expect things to be perfect with Wade's team after one year. It makes no sense.

And IR, I have no attachment to Wade other than he's the head coach of this team and he deserves more than one year before he's run to the guillotine. That would go for any coach whose team does anything short of falling apart from day one like Cam Cameron's did.

Funny, I didnt' see all this indignation from you with Parcells last year. Then, it wasn't, "The head coach deserves all the heat when he can't win a playoff game, so pile it on." It was, "This guy is a Hall of Famer and you guys will be so sorry when he's gone."

Do I think people have prejudices against Wade because he's fat and has a Texas accent? Yes, I do. Do I think that's fair or right? No, I don't.

This last offseason I said maybe the reason the Cowboys faded down the stretch is because maybe the team reflects the head coach, and Parcells was just too worn down by the end of the year. I honestly believed that, which makes me all the more angry when this team collapses at the end yet again. I fooled myself, just like everyone else.

By the way, I don't dislike or want Wade fired. I think the players are the ones who should be held accountable, and it's absolutely 100% consistent with what I said last year. All offseason the players blamed everything on Parcells. All of the underachievers under Parcells were going to be superstars this year, wait and see. "We want someone who trusts us. We want someone who treats us like men. Wade's philosophy is just want the doctor ordered. Wade is a breath of fresh air. We'll be a new team this year, wait and see."

And we all said in unison, Okay .. we give you the benefit of the doubt. But no more excuses this year. You don't get to blame the coach next year. It's put up or shut up. We want a playoff win, and anything less is a failure.

So they fail again, and here we are blaming the coach again.

I just think it's funny that people deluded themselves for 8 months convincing themselves that Parcells was the problem. He was too doom and gloom. Too strict. Too much of a hard#@#. So we got the exact opposite direction, and now here we are in the same place .... yet again.

 

[WoodysGirl]

Care to check what the offense did the last four games? If I'm coaching I'm probably getting my D to understand our offense is not playing to it's abilities. I'm probably going to say we as a D need to step it up.

As I mentioned in another thread, there are reports that the team came out and practiced very well throughout the week. The team was prepared as they could be by the coaches. They didn't execute; shockingly so by the offense.

What I'm not going to say is "we are 13-3" shrug off the teams problems.
What should have been expected is what happened.

He might've shrugged it off to the media, but I doubt any HC who wants any credibility would shrug it off to his team. And from what I've read, there were players who mentioned that the Wade constantly brought up the fact that SD were in the same position last year at 14-2 and choked it off in their playoff game. Who knew that Dallas would do it too?

 

[Woods]

I sort of get you, SP, but Wade has gotten as much heat in the last five days as Parcells got in a year.

The difference is that Parcells got four years. Yet somehow people expect things to be perfect with Wade's team after one year. It makes no sense.

And IR, I have no attachment to Wade other than he's the head coach of this team and he deserves more than one year before he's run to the guillotine. That would go for any coach whose team does anything short of falling apart from day one like Cam Cameron's did.

Funny, I didnt' see all this indignation from you with Parcells last year. Then, it wasn't, "The head coach deserves all the heat when he can't win a playoff game, so pile it on." It was, "This guy is a Hall of Famer and you guys will be so sorry when he's gone."

Do I think people have prejudices against Wade because he's fat and has a Texas accent? Yes, I do. Do I think that's fair or right? No, I don't.

The other thing which I think people need to realize is that Wade didn't really know what he had with these players when he initially started.

I think it takes time to get to know your players, how they react to situations, how quickly they can or can't pick up schemes, etc., etc.

It's like that in any job. It takes a bit of time to sift through your employees, co-workers and know what you've got.

At THIS stage, I fully expect him to know this team's strengths and weaknesses. And as important, if the players he has, esp. the young players, can fix those problems. I'm sure he now knows what he can fix from within, and what he needs to get from outside in terms of talent.

I'm not sure how many first year coaches (i.e., coaching a new team not a rookie coach) have won the Super Bowl or even gotten to the Super Bowl. But I doubt Wade is the exception . . . .

I think giving him 1 more year to build on this season is reasonable.

 

[PosterChild]

Wade is passionless? He does not look like he lacks passion to me. I understand the heat he is taking we lost a playoff game and as HC he is going to take heat. I'm a long time Cowboy fan and can still recall the days when Landry was looked at as a choker because we could not make it to the SB and the cry for his head took place. You win they love you and when you lose they want your head. Wade has been in this business long enough to know what comes with the job

I said that's a common perception among people I know. It's also mine. Maybe he's a fiery beast in the locker room but I don't see it. Do you? Listen, I know he's a likable guy by all accounts, but sometimes you must lead with a firm hand rather than stand on the sidelines and cheer.

 

[theogt]

I definitely lost some respect for him in that PC. I still like him, but he ducked owning up.

I think it probably should be obvious that he's personally owned up. I'm sure he talks openly about what went wrong and what needs to be fixed with Jerry and the other coaches. He just isn't going to feed the media. He's not going to throw any under the bus publicly. And that's why the players like him. I don't think there's a single thing to be gained from publicly criticizing his players or coaches.

 

[WoodysGirl]

I think it probably should be obvious that he's personally owned up. I'm sure he talks openly about what went wrong and what needs to be fixed with Jerry and the other coaches. He just isn't going to feed the media. He's not going to throw any under the bus publicly. And that's why the players like him. I don't think there's a single thing to be gained from publicly criticizing his players or coaches.

Well he did kinda throw Crayton under the bus, but it was only a slight shove.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

The differences go further. Parcells got a roster that was the laughingstock of the NFL. There were only 2-3 ACTUAL "NFL Players" on that roster. Wade got the second most talented roster in the NFL. (ok, so second is debatable - I don't thikn it is - but we'll say "top 5" just to be sure.) People don't like Wade, sure. People didn't like Parcells. Both feelings have led to ridiculous, misguided criticism and demands of both coaches, that I just have to shake my head at.

Welcome to my world, CL.

Well of course that roster was crap. Everyone knew it. I'm not saying he should have been run out of town after going 0-1 in the playoffs his first year... No one should be.

But after four years of getting the kinds of players and coaching staff you want in, things change.

Still not sure why people act like this team was guaranteed any success this year. If we're measuring achievement solely on playoff wins, which we apparently are, Parcells never won anything. So was this team really that great that you fire a guy after one year who doesn't do any better with essentially the same team?

Are people in Pitt calling for Mike Tomlin to be fired? He's 0-1 in the playoffs his first year, too.

Anyway, a ton of this isn't even about Wade. It's about everyone's love for the young backup quarterback. Well, not every backup quarterback is a Tony Romo to the head coach's Drew Bledsoe. Sometimes that young backup QB turns out to be no better than the guy he replaced.

 

[superpunk]

This last offseason I said maybe the reason the Cowboys faded down the stretch is because maybe the team reflects the head coach, and Parcells was just too worn down by the end of the year. I honestly believed that, which makes me all the more angry when this team collapses at the end yet again.

By the way, I don't dislike or want Wade fired. I think the players are the ones who should be held accountable, and it's absolutely 100% consistent with what I said last year. All offseason the players blamed everything on Parcells. All of last year's underachievers were going to be superstars next year, wait and see. "We want someone who trusts us. We want someone who treats us like men. Wade's philosophy is just want the doctor ordered. We'll be a new team this year, wait and see."

And we all said in unison, Okay .. we give you the benefit of the doubt. But no more excuses this year. You don't get to blame the coach next year. It's put up or shut up.

So they fail again, and here we are blaming the coach again.

I just think it's funny that people deluded themselves for 8 months convincing themselves that Parcells was the problem. He was too doom and gloom. Too strict. Too much of a hard#@#. And now here we are in the same place, yet again.

Couldn't have said it any better myself.

I'd rather get rid of Flo, Ellis and Roy (as much as Flo and Roy would pain me) in some sort of "voodoo cleansing" ritual to rid ourselves of this game-quitter madness than just bail on the head coach.