Hate Index: Parcells on his way out? This is not good.
JENNIFER FLOYD ENGEL
In My Opinion
IRVING -- Pollyanna has bailed, replaced by a disappointment-riddled realist.
Do not worry, he is not going to be around for long.
Bill Parcells looked and talked Sunday like he had coached his final game as a Cowboy. He probably has. This, we are told, is good news.
Why am I not so sure?
Not sure at all.
This is not to suggest CP deserves a free pass. When a coach has what basically amounts to total control, like Parcells has in Dallas, blame falls on your shoulders. A lot of blame.
What I guess I'm wondering is how a poor fourth season makes a coach an abject failure.
One needs only to look at Seattle and coach Mike Holmgren to see the fallacy of this line of thinking. In his first four Seahawks seasons, he made the playoffs only once. He was 7-9, and definitely out of the playoffs his fourth year.
It took Holmgren seven years to reach the Super Bowl.
This is how it goes nowadays in the NFL. Franchises are not fixed immediately, certainly not those with fatal flaws, and Dallas' drafts during those post-Jimmy years qualify as fatal.
And therein lies my problem with Parcells. Not that he is staying, but that he will not commit to staying longer. Owner Jones said Sunday he did not believe CP's year-to-year status hurts this team.
I disagree. I think what this team needs is for Parcells to say, "I'm here for as long as it takes to make this right."
He will not be back. Judging by his demeanor Sunday, everybody is lucky he is coaching this playoff game in Seattle. He looked and sounded that beaten.
And anybody who thinks this is a good thing is not paying attention.
I judge whether it is time for a coach to go by asking myself: If another one came in, with the same talent, would the Cowboys suddenly win?
Hell, no.
And nobody who was watching that mess Sunday can possibly think anything different.
And, while I try to figure out why so many people seem to think that losing Coach Parcells is a good thing, check out another special Tuesday edition of The Hate Index.
Nobody asked me but ...
1. Ugly stat: The Cowboys defense has allowed 132 points in its past four games.
They had allowed that many in their previous eight.
So how exactly is that a coaching problem? Especially when Parcells also coached during that good stretch.
Go ahead, argue that this decline is a sign that CP lost this team.
Anybody who buys this has to also seriously entertain that T. Faux is why he may have lost this team.
His kid-glove treatment of you-know-who is a double standard that may have cost him his credibility.
2. Anybody who participated in the booing of Cowboys QB Tony Romo on Sunday is an idiot.
It was a minority serenading young Tony with displeasure after an ill-advised throw, but they clearly were not yelling Dreeeewww.
Fans, apparently, had had enough of his sloppy and negative plays, of which he had too many against Detroit.
How quickly everybody forgets.
What happened Sunday at Texas Stadium likely would have ended another Cowboys season, if not for Romo. His ability to bottle magic for a stretch of this season is why they are in the playoffs.
Is he playing well? Obviously not.
He had indiscriminate throws, balls slipping from his hands for fumbles, balls being swatted away by defenders for fumbles.
Basically, everything Coach Parcells had been begging Romo to eliminate from his game, he had going Sunday.
A couple of times this led to the spectacular, including an unbelievable sequence where he fumbled in the end zone, recovered said fumble, eluded a tackle and tossed to T. Faux. for a first down. That drive eventually led to a touchdown.
Unfortunately, this was the exception, not the rule.
"I think his carelessness with the ball ... is what you saw in his first year here, and now it has just reared its head again," Parcells said. "Now, does he improvise and get out of trouble and make some plays ... he did that four or five times (Sunday).
"At the end of the day, it never offsets what it costs."
What is more than a little unfair is that this Cowboys team, with all of its very expensive flaws, has come to rely on a flawless performance from what amounts to a first-year QB.
This is not a free pass. These are facts. Young QBs struggle.
If Romo is still majorly struggling midway through next season, by all means, boo to heart's content. Until then, just say thank you that he saved this season from being another non-playoff run.
3. Stop and take a deep breath before jumping Terence Newman's butt, lest one of the few leaders the Cowboys have on this team become gun-shy.
He challenged his teammates, including T.Faux, to shut up and play last week. He followed the speech with a see-saw performance that included scoring a touchdown and costing his team a pair.
Not a good day.
None of which made what Newman said untrue or wrong. It was simply not enough to compensate for a team in free-fall.
4. Sunday's ugly, embarrassing loss did answer one question: What ails the Cowboys defense more, lack of coverage or pressure?
Coverage. Coverage. Coverage.
I am not sure this defense is capable of covering me, and I don't mean in my track and cross country days. I'm talking now.
CP jerry-rigged his defensive alignment, used a lot of 4-3, and his Cowboys pressured Jon Kitna. Certainly more than they had done.
None of this stopped a dreadful Detroit team from passing all day -- in the soft underbelly, deep, really everywhere.
5. Now for the good news. Yes, there is Cowboy news that qualifies as good.
Actually, it is bad news in Seattle, but it counts.
According to the Seattle Times, the Seahawks have exactly one healthy cornerback, and he is a rookie "who has been with the team for more than a week."
These are no injury report problems of deciding between probable and questionable. Kelly Herndon has a broken ankle.
Tell me if this little bit from a Times column sounds like a fully functioning team: "The Seahawks will come wearing their finest suit and try to ignore the missing middle button. They will put on their nicest shoes and try to ignore the scuff marks. They will look happy to be there and try to ignore the issue of how long they get to stay."
All I am saying is, do not rule out the Cowboys winning in Seattle.
6. Looking at this NFC, at this moment, do not be surprised if Philly is in New Orleans in late January.
The Eagles are playing better than just about anybody in the NFC right now. Definitely Chicago, where Rex Grossman has returned to form.
And what will they say if they are better without you know who than with him?
7. Stop the weather coverage insanity. Please.
Seriously, why is weather such a big TV selling point? All I wanted to do Friday was watch Mizzou-Oregon State (which was a very good game, even for non-alums).
Almost none of it was seen here because of severe weather. Now I understand a break-in or two, but completely going away from the game to interview someone about what to do if their electricity is out is madness.
Hell-O, if their electricity is out, they are not hearing this interview, and I missed my game, which leads me to my other non-football rants:
7a. Congrats, Bobby Knight.
7b. Monday's college bowl games are why I never bet on sports. I thought a Michigan team, swirling in BCS anger, would whoop USC. I obviously thought wrong.
7c. Is anybody else starting to worry about Marty Turco?
8. For any foodie yet to try Hector's on Henderson, get your butt in for some of that upscale home cooking.
Very, very yummy.
Meatloaf talk leads me to a few non-sporting thoughts that have been dancing around in my brain:
8a. I finally finished the AFI Top 100 movie list. On New Year's Day, I watched Citizen Kane, which is just as fabulous as advertised. Now, I find myself looking for Netflix queue recommendations.
8b. I also am looking for book suggestions. So please, e-mail away.
8c. And since we're now within spitting distance of 24 and Grey's Anatomy returning, I finally get my TiVo's worth.
9. Drew Bledsoe may deserve an apology. Or two.
Switching to Romo was the right thing to do. It is why the Cowboys are in the playoffs. In hindsight, however, Bledsoe became an excuse for a lot of problems.
Such as:
The line isn't bad. It's Bledsoe.
Bledsoe is responsible for all of the turnovers.
Nobody would be as sloppy with the ball.
The truth is, the line is just OK. Nobody knows how they will play from week to week. What is evident now is, playing behind this group is crazy.
10. Your turn: If you could make a New Year's resolution for any Cowboy, or non-Cowboy, what would it be?
Jennifer Floyd Engel can be heard weekdays from 9 a.m.-noon on The Little Ball of Hate Show on ESPN/103.3 FM.
In My Opinion
IRVING -- Pollyanna has bailed, replaced by a disappointment-riddled realist.
Do not worry, he is not going to be around for long.
Bill Parcells looked and talked Sunday like he had coached his final game as a Cowboy. He probably has. This, we are told, is good news.
Why am I not so sure?
Not sure at all.
This is not to suggest CP deserves a free pass. When a coach has what basically amounts to total control, like Parcells has in Dallas, blame falls on your shoulders. A lot of blame.
What I guess I'm wondering is how a poor fourth season makes a coach an abject failure.
One needs only to look at Seattle and coach Mike Holmgren to see the fallacy of this line of thinking. In his first four Seahawks seasons, he made the playoffs only once. He was 7-9, and definitely out of the playoffs his fourth year.
It took Holmgren seven years to reach the Super Bowl.
This is how it goes nowadays in the NFL. Franchises are not fixed immediately, certainly not those with fatal flaws, and Dallas' drafts during those post-Jimmy years qualify as fatal.
And therein lies my problem with Parcells. Not that he is staying, but that he will not commit to staying longer. Owner Jones said Sunday he did not believe CP's year-to-year status hurts this team.
I disagree. I think what this team needs is for Parcells to say, "I'm here for as long as it takes to make this right."
He will not be back. Judging by his demeanor Sunday, everybody is lucky he is coaching this playoff game in Seattle. He looked and sounded that beaten.
And anybody who thinks this is a good thing is not paying attention.
I judge whether it is time for a coach to go by asking myself: If another one came in, with the same talent, would the Cowboys suddenly win?
Hell, no.
And nobody who was watching that mess Sunday can possibly think anything different.
And, while I try to figure out why so many people seem to think that losing Coach Parcells is a good thing, check out another special Tuesday edition of The Hate Index.
Nobody asked me but ...
1. Ugly stat: The Cowboys defense has allowed 132 points in its past four games.
They had allowed that many in their previous eight.
So how exactly is that a coaching problem? Especially when Parcells also coached during that good stretch.
Go ahead, argue that this decline is a sign that CP lost this team.
Anybody who buys this has to also seriously entertain that T. Faux is why he may have lost this team.
His kid-glove treatment of you-know-who is a double standard that may have cost him his credibility.
2. Anybody who participated in the booing of Cowboys QB Tony Romo on Sunday is an idiot.
It was a minority serenading young Tony with displeasure after an ill-advised throw, but they clearly were not yelling Dreeeewww.
Fans, apparently, had had enough of his sloppy and negative plays, of which he had too many against Detroit.
How quickly everybody forgets.
What happened Sunday at Texas Stadium likely would have ended another Cowboys season, if not for Romo. His ability to bottle magic for a stretch of this season is why they are in the playoffs.
Is he playing well? Obviously not.
He had indiscriminate throws, balls slipping from his hands for fumbles, balls being swatted away by defenders for fumbles.
Basically, everything Coach Parcells had been begging Romo to eliminate from his game, he had going Sunday.
A couple of times this led to the spectacular, including an unbelievable sequence where he fumbled in the end zone, recovered said fumble, eluded a tackle and tossed to T. Faux. for a first down. That drive eventually led to a touchdown.
Unfortunately, this was the exception, not the rule.
"I think his carelessness with the ball ... is what you saw in his first year here, and now it has just reared its head again," Parcells said. "Now, does he improvise and get out of trouble and make some plays ... he did that four or five times (Sunday).
"At the end of the day, it never offsets what it costs."
What is more than a little unfair is that this Cowboys team, with all of its very expensive flaws, has come to rely on a flawless performance from what amounts to a first-year QB.
This is not a free pass. These are facts. Young QBs struggle.
If Romo is still majorly struggling midway through next season, by all means, boo to heart's content. Until then, just say thank you that he saved this season from being another non-playoff run.
3. Stop and take a deep breath before jumping Terence Newman's butt, lest one of the few leaders the Cowboys have on this team become gun-shy.
He challenged his teammates, including T.Faux, to shut up and play last week. He followed the speech with a see-saw performance that included scoring a touchdown and costing his team a pair.
Not a good day.
None of which made what Newman said untrue or wrong. It was simply not enough to compensate for a team in free-fall.
4. Sunday's ugly, embarrassing loss did answer one question: What ails the Cowboys defense more, lack of coverage or pressure?
Coverage. Coverage. Coverage.
I am not sure this defense is capable of covering me, and I don't mean in my track and cross country days. I'm talking now.
CP jerry-rigged his defensive alignment, used a lot of 4-3, and his Cowboys pressured Jon Kitna. Certainly more than they had done.
None of this stopped a dreadful Detroit team from passing all day -- in the soft underbelly, deep, really everywhere.
5. Now for the good news. Yes, there is Cowboy news that qualifies as good.
Actually, it is bad news in Seattle, but it counts.
According to the Seattle Times, the Seahawks have exactly one healthy cornerback, and he is a rookie "who has been with the team for more than a week."
These are no injury report problems of deciding between probable and questionable. Kelly Herndon has a broken ankle.
Tell me if this little bit from a Times column sounds like a fully functioning team: "The Seahawks will come wearing their finest suit and try to ignore the missing middle button. They will put on their nicest shoes and try to ignore the scuff marks. They will look happy to be there and try to ignore the issue of how long they get to stay."
All I am saying is, do not rule out the Cowboys winning in Seattle.
6. Looking at this NFC, at this moment, do not be surprised if Philly is in New Orleans in late January.
The Eagles are playing better than just about anybody in the NFC right now. Definitely Chicago, where Rex Grossman has returned to form.
And what will they say if they are better without you know who than with him?
7. Stop the weather coverage insanity. Please.
Seriously, why is weather such a big TV selling point? All I wanted to do Friday was watch Mizzou-Oregon State (which was a very good game, even for non-alums).
Almost none of it was seen here because of severe weather. Now I understand a break-in or two, but completely going away from the game to interview someone about what to do if their electricity is out is madness.
Hell-O, if their electricity is out, they are not hearing this interview, and I missed my game, which leads me to my other non-football rants:
7a. Congrats, Bobby Knight.
7b. Monday's college bowl games are why I never bet on sports. I thought a Michigan team, swirling in BCS anger, would whoop USC. I obviously thought wrong.
7c. Is anybody else starting to worry about Marty Turco?
8. For any foodie yet to try Hector's on Henderson, get your butt in for some of that upscale home cooking.
Very, very yummy.
Meatloaf talk leads me to a few non-sporting thoughts that have been dancing around in my brain:
8a. I finally finished the AFI Top 100 movie list. On New Year's Day, I watched Citizen Kane, which is just as fabulous as advertised. Now, I find myself looking for Netflix queue recommendations.
8b. I also am looking for book suggestions. So please, e-mail away.
8c. And since we're now within spitting distance of 24 and Grey's Anatomy returning, I finally get my TiVo's worth.
9. Drew Bledsoe may deserve an apology. Or two.
Switching to Romo was the right thing to do. It is why the Cowboys are in the playoffs. In hindsight, however, Bledsoe became an excuse for a lot of problems.
Such as:
The line isn't bad. It's Bledsoe.
Bledsoe is responsible for all of the turnovers.
Nobody would be as sloppy with the ball.
The truth is, the line is just OK. Nobody knows how they will play from week to week. What is evident now is, playing behind this group is crazy.
10. Your turn: If you could make a New Year's resolution for any Cowboy, or non-Cowboy, what would it be?
Jennifer Floyd Engel can be heard weekdays from 9 a.m.-noon on The Little Ball of Hate Show on ESPN/103.3 FM.
posted by The Gryphon at 9:25 PM
<< Home