cowboyjoe
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Two weeks notice? Dallas Cowboys' coaching situation could change
06:13 PM CDT on Tuesday, October 21, 2008
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I know Jerry Jones said Wade Phillips will absolutely finish the season. And he probably believed that statement when he made it.
My suggestion: Wait another two weeks before you take that promise to the bank.
If the Cowboys lose to Tampa Bay and then get blown out by the New York Giants, then I could see Jerry giving Phillips a pink slip.
That's because Dallas would've lost three consecutive games, five of six and be under .500 at 4-5 for the first time since losing the opener to Jacksonville in 2006, a span of 40 games.
At that point, Jerry will be looking for something dramatic to change the team's fortunes and build some momentum going into his billion-dollar stadium in 2009. He might decide Jason Garrett is the answer.
Garrett is not the sexy pick he would have been even a month ago because the offense is struggling, the team is losing and it's not like he has a dynamic stage presence.
Desperate times, however, call for desperate measures.
No one knows what the owner is going to do no matter what he says. The next two weeks, though, should reveal some answers.
COWBOYS Q&A
Q: assume you have seen the Cowboys practice, so tell me, do they practice as sloppy and undisciplined as they play?
Joe Taylor
TAYLOR: Actually, Wade Phillips does not allow the media to watch practice. We get to see the first 20 minutes ? individual drills and stretching ? and then we're ushered out. That said, you can't tell too much from practice. We've all heard stories about teams that have great weeks of practice and then play poorly just like teams can practice terribly and play great.
???
Q: This defense, with the current personnel, might better maximize the talent with the 4-3 front. Greg Ellis and DeMarcus Ware at defensive end, Jay Ratliff and Tank Johnson at tackle, Anthony Spencer at strongside linebacker, Kevin Burnett at weakside linebacker and Bradie James and Zack Thomas sharing the middle linebacker slot. I would move Anthony Henry to free safety and put Ken Hamlin at strong safety.
Derryl Perry
TAYLOR: Derryl that all sounds great, but football is a game of repetition. You can't scrap everything you've worked on the entire off-season and training camp and implement a whole new defensive approach and expect it to work. That's not going to happen. It took the Cowboys three seasons to get all of the 3-4 personnel, you can't change it overnight. Besides, your coach and defensive coordinator are experts in the 3-4 whether the team is playing like that or not.
???
Q: Is Jason Garrett ready to be a head coach in the NFL or is the Cowboys starting to see how important Tony Sparano was to this organization?
Wendell Stewart, Ohio
TAYLOR: That's two different questions. I'm still a Garrett fan, but he's having a tough month. We'll see how good he is over the next couple of weeks. You have to be able to succeed without stars at every position. It's time for him to prove that.
???
Q: Didn't we have a chance to bring in Dom Capers at one point this past off-season? I understand that he didn't want to overshadow Brian Stewart, but do you think it would have made any difference?
Chris Davis
TAYLOR: Capers would be better than Stewart because he has so much more experience than Stewart. Jason Garrett wanted Capers to join the staff, but Stewart didn't want him because he thought it would've usurped some of his power. Capers, who once hired Stewart, didn't want any drama, so he joined New England's staff.
???
Q: I know the defense is pitiful, but I think we now all realize just how good Tony Romo is. I will say this about Tony, I don't think he hates losing nearly as much as Troy Aikman or Roger Staubach did. I am not saying he likes it, by no means; however I don't think he loses sleep for a few days after a loss like Troy was said to have.
Emil Calomino, Kingston, Pa.
TAYLOR: I don't know why you would've been surprised that the offense looks considerably different, when Romo is not at the helm? He's one of the top quarterbacks in the league. You can tell because he's struggling some this season and his stats are still among the best in the league. Stats never tell the whole story, but you can't act like they don't exist at all. I have seen nothing to indicate the losses don't bother Romo. I wouldn't make that assumption. I certainly wouldn't make it based only on what you see while he's standing on the podium after a game.
???
Q: Could Jerry Jones be planning to wait until the end of the season to see if he wants Jason Garrett or Bill Cowher?
Mark Young, Topanga Canyon, Calif.
TAYLOR: I don't know that Jerry gets his choice of Jason Garrett or Bill Cowher. I have a hard time believing Cowher, who wants total control, would coach for the Cowboys. Of course, I didn't think Bill Parcells would ever be here either.
???
Q: A friend and I were discussing the issue, and I suggested that with the exception of Ware, there is not another starter on the defensive side of the ball on the 2008 Cowboys that would start for the defense of the 1992 Cowboys.
Here are Dallas' '92 defensive starters: Tony Tolbert (LE), Russell Maryland (NT), Tony Casillas (RDT), Charles Haley (RE), Ken Norton (Linebacker)
Robert Jones (Linebacker), Vinson Smith (Linebacker) Larry Brown (Cornerback), Kevin Smith (Cornerback), Thomas Everett (SS), James Washington (safety).
Glenn Korbel
TAYLOR: I think you're letting you're frustration get to you. I would take Jay Ratliff over Tony Casillas,and Kevin Burnett or Anthony Spencer over Vinson Smith. And Terence Newman over Larry Brown, and I might take Ken Hamlin over either of those safeties.
???
Q: How do the Cowboys win 13 games last year, and now it seems Wade has lost this team. Is it too late to turn this season around?
Chris Isidori
TAYLOR: It's not too late because all the Cowboys need is one quality victory to turn this season's momentum around. It has happened before. The Cowboys have talent but lack confidence. If they can find it, they can be a terrific team again. If not, they will implode and finish 7-9 or 8-8.
???
Q: After the first three games, they thought they were already the new Super Bowl champs. They're arrogant and sloppy and play without heart. Who will step up and lead the team?
Markus Milius, Heppenheim, Germany
TAYLOR: I don't know where the leadership is coming from. Leadership is about more than giving pep talks and being a team spokesman. Leadership is shown during the week and displayed during the off-season, when you work as hard as you can to improve. I don't know where it's coming from, but they have to find it quickly.
???
Q: I think you protect Brad Johnson too much. It appeared most of Johnson's throws were either high or behind the receivers. Any thoughts?
John R. Whatley
TAYLOR: I wouldn't draw any conclusions from Johnson based on that game. First, he hadn't played since training camp, so he was expectedly rusty. Secondly, the Cowboys fell behind so quickly (21-7 in first quarter) that Johnson never had a chance to execute the game plan. We all know Johnson has to manage the game to be effective. The score prevented him from doing that.
???
Q: Did we just witness safety Roy Williams' last game as a Cowboy?
John Trovato, New Jersey
TAYLOR: It wouldn't shock me if that was the case. He's going to count quite a bit against the salary cap next season, and I don't know if the Cowboys want to spend that much on a first-and second-down runstopper.
06:13 PM CDT on Tuesday, October 21, 2008
I know Jerry Jones said Wade Phillips will absolutely finish the season. And he probably believed that statement when he made it.
My suggestion: Wait another two weeks before you take that promise to the bank.
If the Cowboys lose to Tampa Bay and then get blown out by the New York Giants, then I could see Jerry giving Phillips a pink slip.
That's because Dallas would've lost three consecutive games, five of six and be under .500 at 4-5 for the first time since losing the opener to Jacksonville in 2006, a span of 40 games.
At that point, Jerry will be looking for something dramatic to change the team's fortunes and build some momentum going into his billion-dollar stadium in 2009. He might decide Jason Garrett is the answer.
Garrett is not the sexy pick he would have been even a month ago because the offense is struggling, the team is losing and it's not like he has a dynamic stage presence.
Desperate times, however, call for desperate measures.
No one knows what the owner is going to do no matter what he says. The next two weeks, though, should reveal some answers.
COWBOYS Q&A
Q: assume you have seen the Cowboys practice, so tell me, do they practice as sloppy and undisciplined as they play?
Joe Taylor
TAYLOR: Actually, Wade Phillips does not allow the media to watch practice. We get to see the first 20 minutes ? individual drills and stretching ? and then we're ushered out. That said, you can't tell too much from practice. We've all heard stories about teams that have great weeks of practice and then play poorly just like teams can practice terribly and play great.
???
Q: This defense, with the current personnel, might better maximize the talent with the 4-3 front. Greg Ellis and DeMarcus Ware at defensive end, Jay Ratliff and Tank Johnson at tackle, Anthony Spencer at strongside linebacker, Kevin Burnett at weakside linebacker and Bradie James and Zack Thomas sharing the middle linebacker slot. I would move Anthony Henry to free safety and put Ken Hamlin at strong safety.
Derryl Perry
TAYLOR: Derryl that all sounds great, but football is a game of repetition. You can't scrap everything you've worked on the entire off-season and training camp and implement a whole new defensive approach and expect it to work. That's not going to happen. It took the Cowboys three seasons to get all of the 3-4 personnel, you can't change it overnight. Besides, your coach and defensive coordinator are experts in the 3-4 whether the team is playing like that or not.
???
Q: Is Jason Garrett ready to be a head coach in the NFL or is the Cowboys starting to see how important Tony Sparano was to this organization?
Wendell Stewart, Ohio
TAYLOR: That's two different questions. I'm still a Garrett fan, but he's having a tough month. We'll see how good he is over the next couple of weeks. You have to be able to succeed without stars at every position. It's time for him to prove that.
???
Q: Didn't we have a chance to bring in Dom Capers at one point this past off-season? I understand that he didn't want to overshadow Brian Stewart, but do you think it would have made any difference?
Chris Davis
TAYLOR: Capers would be better than Stewart because he has so much more experience than Stewart. Jason Garrett wanted Capers to join the staff, but Stewart didn't want him because he thought it would've usurped some of his power. Capers, who once hired Stewart, didn't want any drama, so he joined New England's staff.
???
Q: I know the defense is pitiful, but I think we now all realize just how good Tony Romo is. I will say this about Tony, I don't think he hates losing nearly as much as Troy Aikman or Roger Staubach did. I am not saying he likes it, by no means; however I don't think he loses sleep for a few days after a loss like Troy was said to have.
Emil Calomino, Kingston, Pa.
TAYLOR: I don't know why you would've been surprised that the offense looks considerably different, when Romo is not at the helm? He's one of the top quarterbacks in the league. You can tell because he's struggling some this season and his stats are still among the best in the league. Stats never tell the whole story, but you can't act like they don't exist at all. I have seen nothing to indicate the losses don't bother Romo. I wouldn't make that assumption. I certainly wouldn't make it based only on what you see while he's standing on the podium after a game.
???
Q: Could Jerry Jones be planning to wait until the end of the season to see if he wants Jason Garrett or Bill Cowher?
Mark Young, Topanga Canyon, Calif.
TAYLOR: I don't know that Jerry gets his choice of Jason Garrett or Bill Cowher. I have a hard time believing Cowher, who wants total control, would coach for the Cowboys. Of course, I didn't think Bill Parcells would ever be here either.
???
Q: A friend and I were discussing the issue, and I suggested that with the exception of Ware, there is not another starter on the defensive side of the ball on the 2008 Cowboys that would start for the defense of the 1992 Cowboys.
Here are Dallas' '92 defensive starters: Tony Tolbert (LE), Russell Maryland (NT), Tony Casillas (RDT), Charles Haley (RE), Ken Norton (Linebacker)
Robert Jones (Linebacker), Vinson Smith (Linebacker) Larry Brown (Cornerback), Kevin Smith (Cornerback), Thomas Everett (SS), James Washington (safety).
Glenn Korbel
TAYLOR: I think you're letting you're frustration get to you. I would take Jay Ratliff over Tony Casillas,and Kevin Burnett or Anthony Spencer over Vinson Smith. And Terence Newman over Larry Brown, and I might take Ken Hamlin over either of those safeties.
???
Q: How do the Cowboys win 13 games last year, and now it seems Wade has lost this team. Is it too late to turn this season around?
Chris Isidori
TAYLOR: It's not too late because all the Cowboys need is one quality victory to turn this season's momentum around. It has happened before. The Cowboys have talent but lack confidence. If they can find it, they can be a terrific team again. If not, they will implode and finish 7-9 or 8-8.
???
Q: After the first three games, they thought they were already the new Super Bowl champs. They're arrogant and sloppy and play without heart. Who will step up and lead the team?
Markus Milius, Heppenheim, Germany
TAYLOR: I don't know where the leadership is coming from. Leadership is about more than giving pep talks and being a team spokesman. Leadership is shown during the week and displayed during the off-season, when you work as hard as you can to improve. I don't know where it's coming from, but they have to find it quickly.
???
Q: I think you protect Brad Johnson too much. It appeared most of Johnson's throws were either high or behind the receivers. Any thoughts?
John R. Whatley
TAYLOR: I wouldn't draw any conclusions from Johnson based on that game. First, he hadn't played since training camp, so he was expectedly rusty. Secondly, the Cowboys fell behind so quickly (21-7 in first quarter) that Johnson never had a chance to execute the game plan. We all know Johnson has to manage the game to be effective. The score prevented him from doing that.
???
Q: Did we just witness safety Roy Williams' last game as a Cowboy?
John Trovato, New Jersey
TAYLOR: It wouldn't shock me if that was the case. He's going to count quite a bit against the salary cap next season, and I don't know if the Cowboys want to spend that much on a first-and second-down runstopper.
