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Phillips' defense pointing the way for Dallas Cowboys
09:35 PM CST on Saturday, January 2, 2010
Column by GERRY FRALEY / The Dallas Morning News | gfraley@***BANNED-URL***
Gerry Fraley
Philadelphia comes into today's make-or-break NFC East game at Cowboys Stadium with the third-highest scoring offense in the NFL.
Just another day at the office for the Cowboys' defense.
The defense has taken on high-scoring teams and brought them back to earth. The Cowboys have held each of the league's top four in scoring – New Orleans, San Diego, Philadelphia in November and Green Bay – to at least nine points fewer than their season averages. New Orleans (17), Green Bay (17) and San Diego (20) all had season lows in points against the Cowboys.
The common denominator?
Coach Wade Phillips.
Back in charge of the defense, Phillips has demonstrated why Marty Schottenheimer called him "a coach's coach." Phillips fixed the problems that ailed last year's group, which had Brian Stewart as the coordinator.
"What Wade did, taking over the play-calling duties, was very hard," said former coach Steve Mariucci, an analyst with the NFL Network. "He's under more pressure than any coach in the league, and he's done an outstanding job. His [defense] is always ready to play."
The Cowboys have allowed an NFC-low 250 points. They will be the conference's only playoff team that is based on defense. If Phillips returns as head coach next season, an increasingly likely possibility, it will because of the skill he showed in handling the defense.
This will be his fourth consecutive season with a top-10 defense and 14th season with a top-10 group in 27 years overall. In a league full of supercharged offenses, a defensive coordinator who can throw up roadblocks is invaluable.
"The idea was to take his expertise over his career and let it completely be what we're about on defense," owner-general manager Jerry Jones said. "Use that as a springboard to get him the credibility to be the head coach. I think we're sensing that and seeing that. I think our team does."
To understand what makes Phillips an elite defensive coordinator, look at these pieces:
BACKGROUND
Phillips grew up around the defensive side of football. His illustrious father, Bum, was a renowned defensive coach at the collegiate level before advancing to the NFL.
Wade Phillips played for his father and coached 12 seasons with his father, learning every aspect of the 3-4 defense. Others helped the son form his identity.
At Denver and Atlanta, Dan Reeves helped Phillips' growth by sharing with him insight on defense from an offensive coach's perspective. At Buffalo, Phillips received graduate-level teaching in the art of handling people from Bills coach Marv Levy.
Phillips' first NFL job away from his father was important to his development, too. He joined Buddy Ryan as Philadelphia's defensive coordinator in 1986.
Phillips learned Ryan's famed "46" defense, which featured a four-man line to create pass-rushing mismatches. Phillips would incorporate those principles into the 3-4. He also has the Ryan-like ability to find weak links in pass protection.
Phillips also picked up Ryan's philosophy of doing everything to make life miserable for quarterbacks. In the last 20 years, Phillips' defenses have led the NFL in sacks four times.
"Aggressive" was the first word Philadelphia coach Andy Reid used when asked to describe a Phillips defense.
"He has a well thought-out plan," Reid added. "Players play hard for him. He is a challenge."
COMMUNICATION
Schottenheimer employed Phillips at San Diego from 2004 to '06. Schottenheimer, sixth all time with 200 regular-season wins, considered Phillips the best defensive coordinator he ever worked with and puts him in a class with acclaimed coaches Joe Collier and Bill Arnsparger.
Schotteheimer said "there's a lot of defensive knowledge in that head" of Phillips, but what separates him is the ability to reach players and command player respect without being a tyrant.
"He has all the skills of a good coach, with communication at the top of the list," Schottenheimer said. "He's able to say the same thing in different ways, because he knows players don't comprehend at the same level. He can find ways to get through to them."
Said Reeves: "If a player can't play for Wade Phillips, he can't play for anybody."
Phillips knows how to make a defense simple and advanced at the same time.
The complications come as the Cowboys react to myriad offensive alignments. Phillips keeps that from paralyzing a defense by making the adjustments "player-friendly." That allows newcomers to make smooth transitions and lessens the chance of embarrassing botched assignments.
"We wouldn't be able to shut people down if it wasn't for Wade's scheme," inside linebacker Bradie James said. "He makes the adjustments. If they don't work, he keeps it vanilla and turns us loose. That's the key."
PUTTING PIECES TOGETHER
When Phillips joined Reeves at Denver, the defense included an underachieving outside linebacker, Simon Fletcher. In his first season with Phillips as the coordinator, Fletcher had nine sacks. That started a run of 75 sacks in six seasons.
Phillips saw what Fletcher could do – and could not do – and put him in the proper position to be successful.
"Wade does a good job of evaluating talent," Reeves said. "If you don't have talent, it doesn't matter what system you have. He knows what kind of people fit into his system and how to make them fit in."
Reeves said Phillips has an uncanny ability to identify players who can rush the quarterback from the edge. A year ago with the Cowboys, Greg Ellis had a career year as an outside rusher. With this season's team, DeMarcus Ware was an easy call for the role, but there were doubts about Anthony Spencer on the opposite side.
No more. Mariucci said Spencer and Ware give the Cowboys the best set of outside pass rushers in the league. They fit in with another top-flight defense from Wade Phillips.
HOW THE NFC's STINGIEST PERFORM IN PLAYOFFS
The Cowboys have allowed 250 points, fewest in the NFC. A look at how the NFC team with the top scoring defense has performed during the playoffs in this century:
Season Team Pts. allowed Postseason result
2000 Philadelphia 245 Lost in divisional round
2001 Chicago 203 Lost in divisional round
2002 Tampa Bay 196 Won Super Bowl
2003 Cowboys 260 Lost in wild-card round
2004 Philadelphia 260 Lost Super Bowl
2005 Chicago 202 Lost in divisional round
2006 Chicago 254 Lost Super Bowl
2007 Tampa Bay 270 Lost in wild-card round
2008 Philadelphia 289 Lost in title game
09:35 PM CST on Saturday, January 2, 2010
Column by GERRY FRALEY / The Dallas Morning News | gfraley@***BANNED-URL***
Gerry Fraley
Philadelphia comes into today's make-or-break NFC East game at Cowboys Stadium with the third-highest scoring offense in the NFL.
Just another day at the office for the Cowboys' defense.
The defense has taken on high-scoring teams and brought them back to earth. The Cowboys have held each of the league's top four in scoring – New Orleans, San Diego, Philadelphia in November and Green Bay – to at least nine points fewer than their season averages. New Orleans (17), Green Bay (17) and San Diego (20) all had season lows in points against the Cowboys.
The common denominator?
Coach Wade Phillips.
Back in charge of the defense, Phillips has demonstrated why Marty Schottenheimer called him "a coach's coach." Phillips fixed the problems that ailed last year's group, which had Brian Stewart as the coordinator.
"What Wade did, taking over the play-calling duties, was very hard," said former coach Steve Mariucci, an analyst with the NFL Network. "He's under more pressure than any coach in the league, and he's done an outstanding job. His [defense] is always ready to play."
The Cowboys have allowed an NFC-low 250 points. They will be the conference's only playoff team that is based on defense. If Phillips returns as head coach next season, an increasingly likely possibility, it will because of the skill he showed in handling the defense.
This will be his fourth consecutive season with a top-10 defense and 14th season with a top-10 group in 27 years overall. In a league full of supercharged offenses, a defensive coordinator who can throw up roadblocks is invaluable.
"The idea was to take his expertise over his career and let it completely be what we're about on defense," owner-general manager Jerry Jones said. "Use that as a springboard to get him the credibility to be the head coach. I think we're sensing that and seeing that. I think our team does."
To understand what makes Phillips an elite defensive coordinator, look at these pieces:
BACKGROUND
Phillips grew up around the defensive side of football. His illustrious father, Bum, was a renowned defensive coach at the collegiate level before advancing to the NFL.
Wade Phillips played for his father and coached 12 seasons with his father, learning every aspect of the 3-4 defense. Others helped the son form his identity.
At Denver and Atlanta, Dan Reeves helped Phillips' growth by sharing with him insight on defense from an offensive coach's perspective. At Buffalo, Phillips received graduate-level teaching in the art of handling people from Bills coach Marv Levy.
Phillips' first NFL job away from his father was important to his development, too. He joined Buddy Ryan as Philadelphia's defensive coordinator in 1986.
Phillips learned Ryan's famed "46" defense, which featured a four-man line to create pass-rushing mismatches. Phillips would incorporate those principles into the 3-4. He also has the Ryan-like ability to find weak links in pass protection.
Phillips also picked up Ryan's philosophy of doing everything to make life miserable for quarterbacks. In the last 20 years, Phillips' defenses have led the NFL in sacks four times.
"Aggressive" was the first word Philadelphia coach Andy Reid used when asked to describe a Phillips defense.
"He has a well thought-out plan," Reid added. "Players play hard for him. He is a challenge."
COMMUNICATION
Schottenheimer employed Phillips at San Diego from 2004 to '06. Schottenheimer, sixth all time with 200 regular-season wins, considered Phillips the best defensive coordinator he ever worked with and puts him in a class with acclaimed coaches Joe Collier and Bill Arnsparger.
Schotteheimer said "there's a lot of defensive knowledge in that head" of Phillips, but what separates him is the ability to reach players and command player respect without being a tyrant.
"He has all the skills of a good coach, with communication at the top of the list," Schottenheimer said. "He's able to say the same thing in different ways, because he knows players don't comprehend at the same level. He can find ways to get through to them."
Said Reeves: "If a player can't play for Wade Phillips, he can't play for anybody."
Phillips knows how to make a defense simple and advanced at the same time.
The complications come as the Cowboys react to myriad offensive alignments. Phillips keeps that from paralyzing a defense by making the adjustments "player-friendly." That allows newcomers to make smooth transitions and lessens the chance of embarrassing botched assignments.
"We wouldn't be able to shut people down if it wasn't for Wade's scheme," inside linebacker Bradie James said. "He makes the adjustments. If they don't work, he keeps it vanilla and turns us loose. That's the key."
PUTTING PIECES TOGETHER
When Phillips joined Reeves at Denver, the defense included an underachieving outside linebacker, Simon Fletcher. In his first season with Phillips as the coordinator, Fletcher had nine sacks. That started a run of 75 sacks in six seasons.
Phillips saw what Fletcher could do – and could not do – and put him in the proper position to be successful.
"Wade does a good job of evaluating talent," Reeves said. "If you don't have talent, it doesn't matter what system you have. He knows what kind of people fit into his system and how to make them fit in."
Reeves said Phillips has an uncanny ability to identify players who can rush the quarterback from the edge. A year ago with the Cowboys, Greg Ellis had a career year as an outside rusher. With this season's team, DeMarcus Ware was an easy call for the role, but there were doubts about Anthony Spencer on the opposite side.
No more. Mariucci said Spencer and Ware give the Cowboys the best set of outside pass rushers in the league. They fit in with another top-flight defense from Wade Phillips.
HOW THE NFC's STINGIEST PERFORM IN PLAYOFFS
The Cowboys have allowed 250 points, fewest in the NFC. A look at how the NFC team with the top scoring defense has performed during the playoffs in this century:
Season Team Pts. allowed Postseason result
2000 Philadelphia 245 Lost in divisional round
2001 Chicago 203 Lost in divisional round
2002 Tampa Bay 196 Won Super Bowl
2003 Cowboys 260 Lost in wild-card round
2004 Philadelphia 260 Lost Super Bowl
2005 Chicago 202 Lost in divisional round
2006 Chicago 254 Lost Super Bowl
2007 Tampa Bay 270 Lost in wild-card round
2008 Philadelphia 289 Lost in title game
