Parcells stresses urgency to win
Jean-Jacques Taylor: Parcells stresses urgency to win
Coach pushes team that hasn't been as easy to turn around as others
OXNARD, Calif. – The old man has a nasty edge to him these days.
It shows when he makes his team run the same play over because a running back missed a hole or a guard made a mental mistake. And it shows when he orders his coaches off the field, leaving the players to fend for themselves during team drills.
And it showed Thursday morning, when he launched into a profanity-laced tirade at the first-team offense about 90 minutes into practice after it allowed four sacks in six pass plays. A few minutes later, he gathered players around him and gave them a tongue-lashing before ending practice a few minutes early.
Coach Bill Parcells, who turns 65 on Tuesday, doesn't like to talk about his expectations for any team.
In this case, he doesn't need to talk. It's clear from his actions and disposition that Parcells expects to return to the playoffs after a two-year drought.
It's time.
All but four players have been acquired since owner Jerry Jones signed him to a four-year contract in 2003. Only six starters remain from 2003, and two of them – Greg Ellis and Andre Gurode – are playing different positions.
Parcells, 25-23 with the Cowboys, didn't need this much time to turn around the New York Giants, New England or the New York Jets.
"In mini-camp he told us that it's never taken him this long to win in his life. We all took that personal," inside linebacker Bradie James said earlier this week. "He's been killing us in training camp. He always saying it."
That's why he often works out twice a day – weights and stretching in the morning, cardio in the afternoon – to keep his energy level high, so he can continue pushing this team harder than other Cowboys teams he's coached.
Parcells wants players who can execute when they're fatigued and stressed. He wants players capable of winning pivotal NFC East games on the road in December.
That type of mental toughness is built in training camp.
That's one of the reasons Parcells has his coaches stand on the sideline during 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 passing drills. He doesn't want them helping the players too much. After all, players are going to be on their own during games.
"The whole point is at the end of the day they have to execute on their own under duress. Hopefully they have a good design to execute and they are in good condition to do it," Parcells said. "That is my job. There is nothing else I can do as a coach.
"I am trying to create independence on my team. That is why I want the coaches out of the way and why I want the players to be able to function by themselves. If it doesn't go the way I want it to, I try to call it to their attention."
Parcells, always a stickler for attention to detail, has demanded precision from his team in training camp. Several times, he has made players run the same play twice because he didn't like the execution.
"I'm not usually a guy who would do that," said Parcells. "I like to coach off the film better. In training camp you have to provide instruction. When some things happen, you repeat them to put an emphasis on it and make sure it doesn't happen again."
Dallas will play six of its first nine games on the road, including three of its first four. There is little margin for error.
So he pushes and prods.
The old man is not ready to sell his Backyard Drills video as a full-time job.
Coach pushes team that hasn't been as easy to turn around as others
OXNARD, Calif. – The old man has a nasty edge to him these days.
It shows when he makes his team run the same play over because a running back missed a hole or a guard made a mental mistake. And it shows when he orders his coaches off the field, leaving the players to fend for themselves during team drills.
And it showed Thursday morning, when he launched into a profanity-laced tirade at the first-team offense about 90 minutes into practice after it allowed four sacks in six pass plays. A few minutes later, he gathered players around him and gave them a tongue-lashing before ending practice a few minutes early.
Coach Bill Parcells, who turns 65 on Tuesday, doesn't like to talk about his expectations for any team.
In this case, he doesn't need to talk. It's clear from his actions and disposition that Parcells expects to return to the playoffs after a two-year drought.
It's time.
All but four players have been acquired since owner Jerry Jones signed him to a four-year contract in 2003. Only six starters remain from 2003, and two of them – Greg Ellis and Andre Gurode – are playing different positions.
Parcells, 25-23 with the Cowboys, didn't need this much time to turn around the New York Giants, New England or the New York Jets.
"In mini-camp he told us that it's never taken him this long to win in his life. We all took that personal," inside linebacker Bradie James said earlier this week. "He's been killing us in training camp. He always saying it."
That's why he often works out twice a day – weights and stretching in the morning, cardio in the afternoon – to keep his energy level high, so he can continue pushing this team harder than other Cowboys teams he's coached.
Parcells wants players who can execute when they're fatigued and stressed. He wants players capable of winning pivotal NFC East games on the road in December.
That type of mental toughness is built in training camp.
That's one of the reasons Parcells has his coaches stand on the sideline during 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 passing drills. He doesn't want them helping the players too much. After all, players are going to be on their own during games.
"The whole point is at the end of the day they have to execute on their own under duress. Hopefully they have a good design to execute and they are in good condition to do it," Parcells said. "That is my job. There is nothing else I can do as a coach.
"I am trying to create independence on my team. That is why I want the coaches out of the way and why I want the players to be able to function by themselves. If it doesn't go the way I want it to, I try to call it to their attention."
Parcells, always a stickler for attention to detail, has demanded precision from his team in training camp. Several times, he has made players run the same play twice because he didn't like the execution.
"I'm not usually a guy who would do that," said Parcells. "I like to coach off the film better. In training camp you have to provide instruction. When some things happen, you repeat them to put an emphasis on it and make sure it doesn't happen again."
Dallas will play six of its first nine games on the road, including three of its first four. There is little margin for error.
So he pushes and prods.
The old man is not ready to sell his Backyard Drills video as a full-time job.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:33 AM
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