How the Cowboys are following Jimmy Johnson's advice to a T, and it's working

[waving monkey]

I can remember Jimmy Johnson stalking the training camp practice fields in Austin during the pre-dynasty days of the Cowboys, spinning his football philosophies to his players.

One of my favorites is the one he'd spit out after watching an Emmitt Smith fumble or a Troy Aikman interception on those steamy, hot days on the St. Ed's campus.

"Success in the NFL is not the team that makes the most great plays," Johnson would preach. "It's the team that makes the fewest bad plays."

http://sportsday.***BANNED-URL***/d...oys-following-jimmy-johnsons-advice-t-working

 

[Bullflop]

I can remember Jimmy Johnson stalking the training camp practice fields in Austin during the pre-dynasty days of the Cowboys, spinning his football philosophies to his players.

One of my favorites is the one he'd spit out after watching an Emmitt Smith fumble or a Troy Aikman interception on those steamy, hot days on the St. Ed's campus.

"Success in the NFL is not the team that makes the most great plays," Johnson would preach. "It's the team that makes the fewest bad plays."

http://sportsday.***BANNED-URL***/d...oys-following-jimmy-johnsons-advice-t-working

I spent lots of time at St. Edwards myself. In fact, I took a week's vacation on year to see them every time a practice took place. Jimmy was something special in the way he paroled the field, imparting wisdom to his players. Those were surely the good old days, alright!

 

[DogFace]

We have the mistake free part down. Now if we can add just a few key turnovers by our D we win it all.

 

[CCBoy]

How the Cowboys are following Jimmy Johnson's advice to a T -- and it's working

http://sportsday.***BANNED-URL***/d...oys-following-jimmy-johnsons-advice-t-working


I can remember Jimmy Johnson stalking the training camp practice fields in Austin during the pre-dynasty days of the Cowboys, spinning his football philosophies to his players.

One of my favorites is the one he'd spit out after watching an Emmitt Smith fumble or a Troy Aikman interception on those steamy, hot days on the St. Ed's campus.

"Success in the NFL is not the team that makes the most great plays," Johnson would preach. "It's the team that makes the fewest bad plays."

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett wears Super Bowl rings from his playing days during the Johnson era. He obviously was paying attention to what his old coach had to say during those teaching moments on the practice field.

I've been charting negative plays league-wide since the 1990s, when I spent my time at this newspaper as the NFL columnist.

In particular, I've charted the game-changing, momentum-changing plays -- fumbles and interception returns for touchdowns, kickoff and punt returns for touchdowns, blocked kicks and special-teams turnovers. The plays that tilt the field and provide the opposition free yards or points. The mistakes. The bad plays. The Sunday afternoon back-breakers...