EastDallasCowboy
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As a general rule, I'm a pretty even keeled sports fan. Don't get me wrong, during a game I ride the highs and lows like anyone dialed in to a game, but when it's over I'm not the guy that runs to his nearest messageboard (or blog, for that matter) and proclaims the end is nigh. There are going to be ups and downs in a season, there are going to be losses, and there's going to be frustration-it happens. For the last month I've tried to put a positive face on what have been some terrible football games, expecting that this team could right the ship, play up to their paper, and make a playoff run-I've tried to avoid the panic.
Today, consider me officially in a panic.
After a crisp and methodical opening touchdown drive, one that everyone had hoped would be the norm for the game and showed the potential of this team, everything just fell apart and devolved into one of the worst performances by a football team I have ever personally witnessed. St. Louis drives down the field and scores, ok, fair enough...it happens. Then you've got the fluke interception giving the Rams a short field and they score again. It's only seven points, still not panicking. Then Barber fumbles (again!) giving the Rams another short field, and another easy touchdown against a defense that didn't seem terribly interested in stopping them. This was followed by more offensive futility and the bloodletting ensued, with Dallas unable to either muster any offense or look like anything resembling an NFL team on defense.
This team has now played four straight games of below average football, losing three of them. It's clear that this team is soft and unmotivated. Sure, there have been some injuries.....you'd love to have Terrence Newman and Roy Williams 38 out there....but those injuries aren't the reason this defense is looking so god awful. For the past few weeks I'd thought it was the scheme, with a very loose zone coverage being employed that gave the opponents recievers too much room but theoretically prevented the big play. I still think that's a part of it, but ultimately I think the problem is that this defense has Demarcus Ware (who's still a beast), Zach Thomas, and nine guys that look like they'd rather be sitting on the couch next to me drinking a beer and watching the game than actually playing in it.
But what is a GM to do? For the next week you're going to hear people calling for a sacrifice. Be it defensive coordinator Brian Stewart, Head Coach Wade Phillips, or a player a la Bobby Carpenter. The thinking goes, if you fire someone it will get the message across to this team. The problem with this approach is twofold. First, you've got to have someone to replace the sacked party that's equitable if not an upgrade. Short of Bill Cowher coming out of retirement, do you really think you're going to find that? Secondly, if losing to Washington, playing poorly against Cincinnati, and losing to Arizona doesn't motivate a team to show up against an average at best St. Louis team, then is there any reason to think that firing or cutting someone will? I will say this though, in his postgame press conference Wade Phillips had that dear in headlights look of a coach knowing his job security suddenly became less than certain. So what is a GM to do?
I've got no idea. I don't have any answers, I don't think anyone does. Is changing the defensive coordinator going to motivate this defense or change the scheme to make it better? It might. But will that motivate an offensive line that is terribly underperforming? Replacing the head coach might do both, but will it get Barber to stop putting the ball on the turf and Witten and Owens to stop dropping passes? The point is this: there are so many problems with this team, this team is sick in so many areas, that there isn't a panacea.
Owner and GM Jerry Jones has amassed all the talent he can-to the point of making a rare midseason trade for WR Roy Williams-to make this team a contender. He has done all that he can do in my estimation, and yet here they are underperforming. Something has to be done, the question is just what? And will it do any good? http://dtxsports.blogspot.com/
Today, consider me officially in a panic.
After a crisp and methodical opening touchdown drive, one that everyone had hoped would be the norm for the game and showed the potential of this team, everything just fell apart and devolved into one of the worst performances by a football team I have ever personally witnessed. St. Louis drives down the field and scores, ok, fair enough...it happens. Then you've got the fluke interception giving the Rams a short field and they score again. It's only seven points, still not panicking. Then Barber fumbles (again!) giving the Rams another short field, and another easy touchdown against a defense that didn't seem terribly interested in stopping them. This was followed by more offensive futility and the bloodletting ensued, with Dallas unable to either muster any offense or look like anything resembling an NFL team on defense.
This team has now played four straight games of below average football, losing three of them. It's clear that this team is soft and unmotivated. Sure, there have been some injuries.....you'd love to have Terrence Newman and Roy Williams 38 out there....but those injuries aren't the reason this defense is looking so god awful. For the past few weeks I'd thought it was the scheme, with a very loose zone coverage being employed that gave the opponents recievers too much room but theoretically prevented the big play. I still think that's a part of it, but ultimately I think the problem is that this defense has Demarcus Ware (who's still a beast), Zach Thomas, and nine guys that look like they'd rather be sitting on the couch next to me drinking a beer and watching the game than actually playing in it.
But what is a GM to do? For the next week you're going to hear people calling for a sacrifice. Be it defensive coordinator Brian Stewart, Head Coach Wade Phillips, or a player a la Bobby Carpenter. The thinking goes, if you fire someone it will get the message across to this team. The problem with this approach is twofold. First, you've got to have someone to replace the sacked party that's equitable if not an upgrade. Short of Bill Cowher coming out of retirement, do you really think you're going to find that? Secondly, if losing to Washington, playing poorly against Cincinnati, and losing to Arizona doesn't motivate a team to show up against an average at best St. Louis team, then is there any reason to think that firing or cutting someone will? I will say this though, in his postgame press conference Wade Phillips had that dear in headlights look of a coach knowing his job security suddenly became less than certain. So what is a GM to do?
I've got no idea. I don't have any answers, I don't think anyone does. Is changing the defensive coordinator going to motivate this defense or change the scheme to make it better? It might. But will that motivate an offensive line that is terribly underperforming? Replacing the head coach might do both, but will it get Barber to stop putting the ball on the turf and Witten and Owens to stop dropping passes? The point is this: there are so many problems with this team, this team is sick in so many areas, that there isn't a panacea.
Owner and GM Jerry Jones has amassed all the talent he can-to the point of making a rare midseason trade for WR Roy Williams-to make this team a contender. He has done all that he can do in my estimation, and yet here they are underperforming. Something has to be done, the question is just what? And will it do any good? http://dtxsports.blogspot.com/
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