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Packers exploit gaping holes in Cowboys' defense
10/25/2004
By JEAN-JACQUES TAYLOR / The Dallas Morning News
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The low point in Bill Parcells' 21-month tenure as the Cowboys' coach occurred on a picturesque autumn afternoon in a city known as Titletown. Green Bay 41, Dallas 20.
It wasn't even that close as the Packers ended a three-game home losing streak before 70,679 cheering Cheeseheads on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
The loss embarrassed Parcells.And it compelled Pro Bowl defensive tackle La' Roi Glover and Pro Bowl safety Roy Williams to issue public apologies.
"There's no excuse for the way we played," said Williams, eyes red and moist. "I want to apologize to Zim [defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer] and his staff, Coach Parcells, the offense and the fans."
Owner Jerry Jones hired Parcells to make America's Team an elite franchise again after three consecutive 5-11 seasons under former coach Dave Campo. There is clearly much work to be done.
The Cowboys are 7-10, including the postseason, since a surprising 5-1 start in 2003 that helped propel the team to the playoffs for the first time since 1999.
The Cowboys (2-4) trail unbeaten Philadelphia by four games in the NFC East, and they have lost three consecutive games under Parcells for the first time. It doesn't get easier this week, when the Cowboys host the surprising Detroit Lions (4-2), who have won three consecutive road games.
"We don't have a chance right now," Parcells said. "This is definitely the low point of my time here in Dallas. I'm embarrassed to put a team on the field that looks like that."
Parcells was embarrassed by a defensive unit that gave up seven consecutive scoring drives to start the game. And allowed Green Bay to gain 480 yards (220 rushing and 260 passing). And allowed a 90-yard scoring run by Ahman Green – the longest by an opponent in franchise history – in the third quarter. The performance prompted at least one player to suggest his teammates quit.
"The frustrating part is that we show spurts of fighting, but sometimes we don't fight," Williams said. "There's no excuses for the way we played today."
Parcells preaches unity.
He spends hours talking to the players about not letting fans, friends, agents, spouses or the media divide the team. He doesn't let his assistant coaches speak with the media during the season because he wants the Cowboys to have one voice. His voice.
But Parcells didn't spread the blame around after the game.
He blamed the defense.
"I can only talk about one side of the team," he said. "Offensively, we executed pretty well. Defensively, we don't tackle. We don't look like we know what we're doing. That was a bad beating. We didn't slow them down. They manhandled us in every way."
Green Bay's Brett Favre completed 23 of 29 passes for 258 yards. Green rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns, and Javon Walker caught eight passes for 129 yards and one score.
"It's probably the worst defensive game that I've ever been involved in," Glover said. "Every person on this team has to look in the mirror and decide what he wants to become, because this isn't getting it done."
Williams also blamed the defense but said it's important for the Cowboys to stick together.
"We can't let ourselves be broken up," he said, "or we're going to be back like we were when Campo was the head coach and we were just playing for kicks."
Parcells' first three teams showed significant improvement in their second seasons. Each won at least nine games and made the playoffs. That streak appears to be in jeopardy.
"If we don't play better defense," he said, "we don't have a chance to win another game."
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Packers exploit gaping holes in Cowboys' defense
10/25/2004
By JEAN-JACQUES TAYLOR / The Dallas Morning News
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The low point in Bill Parcells' 21-month tenure as the Cowboys' coach occurred on a picturesque autumn afternoon in a city known as Titletown. Green Bay 41, Dallas 20.
It wasn't even that close as the Packers ended a three-game home losing streak before 70,679 cheering Cheeseheads on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
The loss embarrassed Parcells.And it compelled Pro Bowl defensive tackle La' Roi Glover and Pro Bowl safety Roy Williams to issue public apologies.
"There's no excuse for the way we played," said Williams, eyes red and moist. "I want to apologize to Zim [defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer] and his staff, Coach Parcells, the offense and the fans."
Owner Jerry Jones hired Parcells to make America's Team an elite franchise again after three consecutive 5-11 seasons under former coach Dave Campo. There is clearly much work to be done.
The Cowboys are 7-10, including the postseason, since a surprising 5-1 start in 2003 that helped propel the team to the playoffs for the first time since 1999.
The Cowboys (2-4) trail unbeaten Philadelphia by four games in the NFC East, and they have lost three consecutive games under Parcells for the first time. It doesn't get easier this week, when the Cowboys host the surprising Detroit Lions (4-2), who have won three consecutive road games.
"We don't have a chance right now," Parcells said. "This is definitely the low point of my time here in Dallas. I'm embarrassed to put a team on the field that looks like that."
Parcells was embarrassed by a defensive unit that gave up seven consecutive scoring drives to start the game. And allowed Green Bay to gain 480 yards (220 rushing and 260 passing). And allowed a 90-yard scoring run by Ahman Green – the longest by an opponent in franchise history – in the third quarter. The performance prompted at least one player to suggest his teammates quit.
"The frustrating part is that we show spurts of fighting, but sometimes we don't fight," Williams said. "There's no excuses for the way we played today."
Parcells preaches unity.
He spends hours talking to the players about not letting fans, friends, agents, spouses or the media divide the team. He doesn't let his assistant coaches speak with the media during the season because he wants the Cowboys to have one voice. His voice.
But Parcells didn't spread the blame around after the game.
He blamed the defense.
"I can only talk about one side of the team," he said. "Offensively, we executed pretty well. Defensively, we don't tackle. We don't look like we know what we're doing. That was a bad beating. We didn't slow them down. They manhandled us in every way."
Green Bay's Brett Favre completed 23 of 29 passes for 258 yards. Green rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns, and Javon Walker caught eight passes for 129 yards and one score.
"It's probably the worst defensive game that I've ever been involved in," Glover said. "Every person on this team has to look in the mirror and decide what he wants to become, because this isn't getting it done."
Williams also blamed the defense but said it's important for the Cowboys to stick together.
"We can't let ourselves be broken up," he said, "or we're going to be back like we were when Campo was the head coach and we were just playing for kicks."
Parcells' first three teams showed significant improvement in their second seasons. Each won at least nine games and made the playoffs. That streak appears to be in jeopardy.
"If we don't play better defense," he said, "we don't have a chance to win another game."
Link
