Vela: How Strong Was the “Wade Phillips Effect?”

[khiladi]

The only problem I have with Wade is that the defense started to move away from the exotic blitz packages as well as aggresiveness it was using in the beginning of the year. For example, the trio of Ellis, Ware, and SPencer on the field suddenly stopped being deployed, though it caused major havoc, especially for a guy like Manning in the second game. In fact, I remember Breer analyzing the game and talking about how confused Eli was. Eli had plenty of delay of game penalties because of the way Wade was attacking.

When Dallas played Green Bay, they assaulted Favre, but as soon as he went out of the game. Wade just put the hounds back in the cage.

I seriously didn't know what happened. I thought Wade was just holding some things back, and even Bradie alluded to this. But when the Giants game came around, it just seems that Wade had basic 4-man rushes.

 

[khiladi]

BTW, comparisons with Dungy I don't think are fair, considering the amount of time he has had within each of the ogranizations he has been head-coach. FOr whatever reasons, Wade's normal stint has never been that long.

I don't think there has been any organization where Wade has been able to lay his 'stamp' on a team. I also think he is a great evaluator of talent.

 

[TheCount]

BTW, comparisons with Dungy I don't think are fair, considering the amount of time he has had within each of the ogranizations he has been head-coach. FOr whatever reasons, Wade's normal stint has never been that long.

I don't think there has been any organization where Wade has been able to lay his 'stamp' on a team. I also think he is a great evaluator of talent.

Oh I'm not comparing them, I just find it silly to say Wade is somehow a better coach because he happens to be coaching our team.

If we're going to say Dungy is an average coach because he has Peyton, then we can just eliminate some of the leagues legendary coaches who happened to also have terrific players, including a few that coached the Cowboys. It's juvenile.

Brian Billick won a superbowl with Trent Dilfer at QB, does that make him the best coach ever?

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

BTW, comparisons with Dungy I don't think are fair, considering the amount of time he has had within each of the ogranizations he has been head-coach. FOr whatever reasons, Wade's normal stint has never been that long.

I don't think there has been any organization where Wade has been able to lay his 'stamp' on a team. I also think he is a great evaluator of talent.

Well, I am hoping that Dallas does not become his proving ground for longevity or his playground for experimentation with this superb group of athletes Jerra has assembled.

And maybe there were reasons for his not staying long as a HC at those places, reasons like not advancing the team or its play.

 

[Doomsday101]

I like Wade and think he did a very good job in his 1st season as HC of the Cowboys. I'm not going to defend him to his critics after all it is up to Wade to shut his critics up. I'm looking forward to him doing just that.

 

[InmanRoshi]

Wade and this cast of player's reputations are completely intertwined. They face the same stigma. The reason why Wade doesn't get more respect, locally and nationally, is the same reason this particular team doesn't get more respect ... they both come up short down the stretch when things count the most. Wade's career September-November record as a full time head coach is 46-25 (65% winning perct), which is excellent. Unfortunately, his record is 12-16 in December and January (43%). Not only has he never won "the big one" he never really even makes a strong playoff push. That's why he's never mentioned among the upper tier of HC's. Fairly or unfairly, head coaches and quarterbacks in particular are are judged heavily on their playoff records. When Wade bucks that trend and his teams start dominating down the stretch and in the postseason, or at least play as well as they do earlier in the year, he'll get more respect.

If you want to just look at Wade as a defensive coordinator, that's fine ... but he's almost universally respected as a defensive coordinator, so there's really not much to debate. Wade himself said he doesn't want to just be known as a defensive coordinator. He wants to be known as a great head coach. It's no secret what's holding him back from being known as a great head coach. There's no sense in trying to spin it or be indignant about it, it is what it is. The good news for Wade is that one great year can wash away a lot of sins, as it did for Dungy and Cowher and Coughlin in the last three years. So this year instead of worry about how much "respect" we're getting from the media , or how we're ranked too low on this power ranking, or how a bye is as good as a playoff win .... can we please just get the job done?

 

[khiladi]

Wade and this cast of player's reputations are completely intertwined. They face the same stigma. The reason why Wade doesn't get more respect, locally and nationally, is the same reason this particular team doesn't get more respect ... they both come up short down the stretch when things count the most. Wade's career September-November record as a full time head coach is 46-25 (65% winning perct), which is excellent. Unfortunately, his record is 12-16 in December and January (43%). Not only has he never won "the big one" he never really even makes a strong playoff push. That's why he's never mentioned among the upper tier of HC's. Fairly or unfairly, head coaches and quarterbacks in particular are are judged heavily on their playoff records. When Wade bucks that trend and his teams start dominating down the stretch and in the postseason, or at least play as well as they do earlier in the year, he'll get more respect.

If you want to just look at Wade as a defensive coordinator, that's fine ... but he's almost universally respected as a defensive coordinator, so there's really not much to debate. Wade himself said he doesn't want to just be known as a defensive coordinator. He wants to be known as a great head coach. It's no secret what's holding him back from being known as a great head coach. There's no sense in trying to spin it or be indignant about it, it is what it is. The good news for Wade is that one great year can wash away a lot of sins, as it did for Dungy and Cowher and Coughlin in the last three years. So this year instead of worry about how much "respect" we're getting from the media , or how we're ranked too low on this power ranking, or how a bye is as good as a playoff win .... can we please just get the job done?

Interesting factoid that I never bothered to pay attention to. Thanks...

Maybe that is the answer for 13-3. Wade went pretty conservative down the stretch in terms of the aggressiveness on defense. Maybe he gets softer than he should.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

Would you think more or less of Wade if he had performed back-up vocals for Duran Duran?

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Wade and this cast of player's reputations are completely intertwined. They face the same stigma. The reason why Wade doesn't get more respect, locally and nationally, is the same reason this particular team doesn't get more respect ... they both come up short down the stretch when things count the most. Wade's career September-November record as a full time head coach is 46-25 (65% winning perct), which is excellent. Unfortunately, his record is 12-16 in December and January (43%). Not only has he never won "the big one" he never really even makes a strong playoff push. That's why he's never mentioned among the upper tier of HC's. Fairly or unfairly, head coaches and quarterbacks in particular are are judged heavily on their playoff records. When Wade bucks that trend and his teams start dominating down the stretch and in the postseason, or at least play as well as they do earlier in the year, he'll get more respect.

If you want to just look at Wade as a defensive coordinator, that's fine ... but he's almost universally respected as a defensive coordinator, so there's really not much to debate. Wade himself said he doesn't want to just be known as a defensive coordinator. He wants to be known as a great head coach. It's no secret what's holding him back from being known as a great head coach. There's no sense in trying to spin it or be indignant about it, it is what it is. The good news for Wade is that one great year can wash away a lot of sins, as it did for Dungy and Cowher and Coughlin in the last three years. So this year instead of worry about how much "respect" we're getting from the media , or how we're ranked too low on this power ranking, or how a bye is as good as a playoff win .... can we please just get the job done?

That's all perfectly fair.

What gets me is when people want to hang the last several years on Wade when the truth is that he just got here. They're projecting their own frustrations of not winning a playoff game for x number of years onto a person who just arrived, and that doesn't make sense.

And one more thing... People use the fact that we had 13 Pro Bowl players as a reason to bash him for our not winning more, when everyone knows that Pro Bowl players in large part are chosen because they play for winning teams. If Jerry had hired Rich Kotite out of retirement and we'd gone 8-8, several of those guys wouldn't have made the Pro Bowl and no one would be saying how uber-talented this team was. So it's a bit of a circular argument.

 

[Doomsday101]

That's all perfectly fair.

What gets me is when people want to hang the last several years on Wade when the truth is, they're projecting their own frustrations of not winning a playoff game for x number of years onto him, when the fact is that he just got here.

And one more thing... People use the fact that we had 13 Pro Bowl players as a reason to bash him for our not winning more, when everyone knows that Pro Bowl players in large part are chosen because they play for winning teams. If Jerry had hired Rich Kotite out of retirement and we'd gone 8-8, several of those guys wouldn't have made the Pro Bowl and no one would be saying how uber-talented this team was. So it's a bit of a circular argument.

I agree. I think many are hanging years of frustration at the feet of Wade Phillips. Not many were predicting Dallas to put up the season they did this past year. For anyone getting down on any HC after his 1st season is rediculas. As for Garrett I love that we have him but if given the job of HC does he get more than 1 year to win before fans start calling for his head?

 

[playmakers]

Interesting points.

But I will pose this question.

Was there any game last year where our defensive strategy was impressive to the point anyone could point to it as the reason for the victory?

I can't say there was.

Id say our defense was ok but not great last season. I have to agree our d didnt win many games for us last season. Once our offense went out the defense really showed its colors.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

So it's a bit of a circular argument.

No, Choculah, it would be like circular logic.

 

[Alexander]

That's all perfectly fair.

What gets me is when people want to hang the last several years on Wade when the truth is that he just got here.

Who exactly is doing that? They are two different things and unfortunately, he doesn't have a single playoff win. Anywhere. That is his problem but it just adds to the frustration. No one is "hanging the last several years" on Wade Phillips.

They're projecting their own frustrations of not winning a playoff game for x number of years onto a person who just arrived, and that doesn't make sense.

Perhaps you are going on the way things "strike you" or the way they "seem" to you, despite evidence to the contrary.