Chuck 54
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 22,057
- Reaction score
- 14,353
Will Wade Phillips be fired after this season? I'd say it's 95% or better. Should he be fired? Maybe...hard call for me because I don't like firing coaches after one horrible season. I'm not sayng I'm right because I never would have fired Tom Landry after his 3 win season, which means no Jimmy Johnson.
Wade Phillips is the same coach who took the team to 13-3, but tanked in December just as they had under Parcells. Wade is the same coach who took the team to 11-5 last year with a successful December, two great wins over Philly, and the first playoff win in a long time.
Now Wade Phillips is the same coach whose team really sucks. Even when he and the players eliminated most of the dumb mistakes and turnovers and actually took the ball away 5 times, they were still embarrassed.
Fans believe the media hype that Dallas is one of, if not the most talented team in the NFL. NOT ME...I refuse to drink the media kool-aid. And I catch heck for it.
I don't see a talented team at all, and if the NY Giants didn't show you what we really are, if you still think a new head coach could take this bunch of players and win the way you want them to, then you, my friend, may be delusional and in denial.
The sad truth, whether you blame it on Wade, Jerry, Jason Garrett's offense, or the NFL gods, is that The Dallas Cowboys have become a finesse team with no toughness. Don't get me wrong...this isn't about heart or desire...I think some of our players have that...we just aren't tough enough. As Charles Haley said, we "don't have the guys willing to do the dirty work."
Our offensive line is poor, below average...weak at RT, weak up the middle, and inexperienced at LT. We're playing a rookie FB and lost our key blocking HB in the preseason. Physical defensive fronts like Minnesota and the Giants give us fits. When things start to go wrong, unlike the Giants last night, we can't simply slow things down, run the ball a bit, and let everyone calm down and settle in.
On defense, our NT is too light in the pants. I love Ratliff, but he's in the probowl because of his guts, his motor, and his ability to knife through gaps and rush the passer against weaker offensive lines, something most NT's can't do. The bottom line is that he can still be blown off the ball by a double team, and he cannot push the pocket back towards the QB...he has to rely on quickness, which is negated by a good OL. We need a mammoth, powerful NT who cannot be moved out of the gap and who can push the pocket back...QB's routinely have no problem stepping up against us to elude our speed rushers who don't give us much besides rushing upfield.
Our DE's aren't horrible, but they aren't special. As much as we all love Brooking (and I personally like Brady James), our ILBs are not big enough, strong enough, or tough enough to make us an elite defense. They don't make the big hits, create fumbles, or intimidate anyone...oh how I'd love to see a 250-260 Lb beast inside to stop the RBs, punish them, and blitz through the blocks of halfbacks...the type of ILB we really need is the type who has to come off the field in most passing situations...so what?
We are too thin at CB...only 3 guys, and while I'm not as down on Scandrick as most fans (he played that one TD exactly right...an all out blitz, he took away the inside, but the blitz didn't get there and Eli threw a perfect pass behind him...that's not supposed to happen on an all out blitz), but he's not suited to start in case of injury. We have no enforcer, not even a good tackler or ball hawk at FS...our SS is very good at covering TE's and RB's, but he's not a big hitter or enforcer either, not even a good tackler.
So where is this super-talented team that would be in the Super Bowl hunt if it weren't for Camp Cupcake? We have a franchise QB who is still growing; we quickly went from a team that started last year wondering if we had even 1 decent WR to a team this year that has that position as a bonafide strength and on the rise. We may have a RB, but a franchise RB? We don't really know what we have there thanks to Garrett. We have a great TE who suddenly can't remember the snap count, but still delivers.
On defense, we have a good set of starting CBs...we have two good OLBs, though neither one can get pressure on the QB consistently. DWare is not double-teamed as often as many think...he gets doubled when there's a weak OT because he eats them for breakfast, but last night he was blocked 1-1 for most of the night, and he made one play, but never really pressured the QB or hit him...really good OTs seem to control him.
The bottom line is we have some great and above average skill players, but we have no toughness...not one stud on the OL or the DL (I just can't count Ratliff because he's out of position imo...at NT, he's going to make some plays, but he just can't hold up against a good OL). I've been more and more impressed with Felix, but he's not a typical grinder in the NFC East.
Our team is soft because we're not big enough, strong enough, or tough enough where it counts...our OL is big and heavy, but old and playing more of a finesse game than a power game.
The Cowboys have become a finesse team that cannot stand toe to toe with a physical team. That's not about tougher coaching; we don't have the players needed on either line, at ILB, or at Safety.
Wade Phillips will be the first to go at the end of the season, and I won't argue that it's not fair...it is what it is...but what many fans thought was a super talented team with problems on the OL has been shown to be a below average team with just as many issues on defense. The Giants showed us that.
It doesn't take long to fix things in the NFL, but you have to commit to what type of team you want to be. And while the NFL is a passing league now, you'd better still be a tough team on the OL and have a defense that can stand up to a physical offense if you want to do what Cowboys fans want the team to do. It's time to rebuild on both sides of the ball, time to get bigger, stronger, and younger at the "tough" positions.
Wade Phillips is the same coach who took the team to 13-3, but tanked in December just as they had under Parcells. Wade is the same coach who took the team to 11-5 last year with a successful December, two great wins over Philly, and the first playoff win in a long time.
Now Wade Phillips is the same coach whose team really sucks. Even when he and the players eliminated most of the dumb mistakes and turnovers and actually took the ball away 5 times, they were still embarrassed.
Fans believe the media hype that Dallas is one of, if not the most talented team in the NFL. NOT ME...I refuse to drink the media kool-aid. And I catch heck for it.
I don't see a talented team at all, and if the NY Giants didn't show you what we really are, if you still think a new head coach could take this bunch of players and win the way you want them to, then you, my friend, may be delusional and in denial.
The sad truth, whether you blame it on Wade, Jerry, Jason Garrett's offense, or the NFL gods, is that The Dallas Cowboys have become a finesse team with no toughness. Don't get me wrong...this isn't about heart or desire...I think some of our players have that...we just aren't tough enough. As Charles Haley said, we "don't have the guys willing to do the dirty work."
Our offensive line is poor, below average...weak at RT, weak up the middle, and inexperienced at LT. We're playing a rookie FB and lost our key blocking HB in the preseason. Physical defensive fronts like Minnesota and the Giants give us fits. When things start to go wrong, unlike the Giants last night, we can't simply slow things down, run the ball a bit, and let everyone calm down and settle in.
On defense, our NT is too light in the pants. I love Ratliff, but he's in the probowl because of his guts, his motor, and his ability to knife through gaps and rush the passer against weaker offensive lines, something most NT's can't do. The bottom line is that he can still be blown off the ball by a double team, and he cannot push the pocket back towards the QB...he has to rely on quickness, which is negated by a good OL. We need a mammoth, powerful NT who cannot be moved out of the gap and who can push the pocket back...QB's routinely have no problem stepping up against us to elude our speed rushers who don't give us much besides rushing upfield.
Our DE's aren't horrible, but they aren't special. As much as we all love Brooking (and I personally like Brady James), our ILBs are not big enough, strong enough, or tough enough to make us an elite defense. They don't make the big hits, create fumbles, or intimidate anyone...oh how I'd love to see a 250-260 Lb beast inside to stop the RBs, punish them, and blitz through the blocks of halfbacks...the type of ILB we really need is the type who has to come off the field in most passing situations...so what?
We are too thin at CB...only 3 guys, and while I'm not as down on Scandrick as most fans (he played that one TD exactly right...an all out blitz, he took away the inside, but the blitz didn't get there and Eli threw a perfect pass behind him...that's not supposed to happen on an all out blitz), but he's not suited to start in case of injury. We have no enforcer, not even a good tackler or ball hawk at FS...our SS is very good at covering TE's and RB's, but he's not a big hitter or enforcer either, not even a good tackler.
So where is this super-talented team that would be in the Super Bowl hunt if it weren't for Camp Cupcake? We have a franchise QB who is still growing; we quickly went from a team that started last year wondering if we had even 1 decent WR to a team this year that has that position as a bonafide strength and on the rise. We may have a RB, but a franchise RB? We don't really know what we have there thanks to Garrett. We have a great TE who suddenly can't remember the snap count, but still delivers.
On defense, we have a good set of starting CBs...we have two good OLBs, though neither one can get pressure on the QB consistently. DWare is not double-teamed as often as many think...he gets doubled when there's a weak OT because he eats them for breakfast, but last night he was blocked 1-1 for most of the night, and he made one play, but never really pressured the QB or hit him...really good OTs seem to control him.
The bottom line is we have some great and above average skill players, but we have no toughness...not one stud on the OL or the DL (I just can't count Ratliff because he's out of position imo...at NT, he's going to make some plays, but he just can't hold up against a good OL). I've been more and more impressed with Felix, but he's not a typical grinder in the NFC East.
Our team is soft because we're not big enough, strong enough, or tough enough where it counts...our OL is big and heavy, but old and playing more of a finesse game than a power game.
The Cowboys have become a finesse team that cannot stand toe to toe with a physical team. That's not about tougher coaching; we don't have the players needed on either line, at ILB, or at Safety.
Wade Phillips will be the first to go at the end of the season, and I won't argue that it's not fair...it is what it is...but what many fans thought was a super talented team with problems on the OL has been shown to be a below average team with just as many issues on defense. The Giants showed us that.
It doesn't take long to fix things in the NFL, but you have to commit to what type of team you want to be. And while the NFL is a passing league now, you'd better still be a tough team on the OL and have a defense that can stand up to a physical offense if you want to do what Cowboys fans want the team to do. It's time to rebuild on both sides of the ball, time to get bigger, stronger, and younger at the "tough" positions.
