The Mess That Is The Cowboys
choptw's SportingBlog
Jan 29, 2007 06:14 PM
There was a time when the Dallas Cowboys were one of the best and most respected franchises not only in the NFL but in all of sports. Then they started to make draft mistakes, coaching mistakes and have been turned into one of the most wayward franchises in the league.
We will begin by acknowledging that Bill Parcells is one of the better coaches in NFL history. We also realize that they were a mess when Dave Campo was fired and he has brought them back to a playoff contender. However, while many people will tell you that they are on the right track they also have a lot of work to do to fix what ails them. Parcells was 34-32 in four seasons at the helm of Team Jerry. He lost both playoff games that the Cowboys played in. This year's loss is a weird way for Parcells' career to end. Tony Romo is still trying to figure out how the ball squirted through his hands.
Norv Turner is apparently very close to being named Head Coach of the Cowboys. I know that Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith sing his praises. That is a good thing. Turner was the head coach for both the Washington Redskins and Oakland Raiders following his very successful stint as the Offensive Coordinator with Dallas. HE WAS FIRED BY BOTH TEAMS. Turner compiled a dazzling 58-82-1 record at those two stops. He had to deal with Irvin as a player and his myriad of personal problems. Current Cowboy Terrell Owens is Irvin but worse. The last time I checked, Steve Mariucci, Andy Reid and Parcells are three successful and well respected coaches. None of them could deal with Owens and something tells me that Turner would be added to the list. Turner's reputation has improved with his development of San Francisco QB Alex Smith. Romo is a similar quarterback, needing tutelage that is Turner's forte. However, when he was a head coach his quarterbacks went no where other than to help him get fired.
Another candidate to fill Parcells' shoes is former Dallas assistant Garry Gibbs, who was the LB coach in Big D for four years. His latest tour of duty has been as the Defensive Coordinator for the New Orleans Saints. He was a one time assistant for Barry Switzer at Oklahoma, who turned out to be an interesting head coach for Dallas, and then was elevated to Sooners head coach when Switzer moved South to Dallas. Over the next six years at the helm for Oklahoma he took a once proud school filled with success and ran it into the ground and was fired.
A third candidate for Dallas is current San Diego Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips. He has had two head coaching stints, in Denver and Buffalo, and was a two-time interim coach for New Orleans and Atlanta. He compiled a 48-39 record but again had no playoff success. He is at best a retread.
The most intriguing candidate is the guy they just hired as Offensive Coordinator, Jason Garrett. He spent time as a backup quarterback with the Cowboys and was the OC for the Miami Dolphins this year. The trend, and after all the NFL is a copy-cat league, this coaching year is to hire very young very green coaches. The Pittsburgh Steelers hired 34 year-old Mike Tomlin to replace longtime head coach Bill Cowher. Given the Steelers record for choosing head coaches, two in the last 37 plus years, we will trust their judgement. The Oakland Raiders ended the Art Shell reunion tour at one season. Out-to-lunch 77 year-old Raider owner Al Davis called his new coach, 31 year-old Lane Kiffin, Lance twice during his press conference. Super, welcome to the team. Garrett helped make Joey Harrington not completely awful which should fast track him to elite status. However, the reality is that he has been a coordinator for exactly one year with zero head coaching experience on any level. Parcells had a famous quote where he talked about making the dinner and buying the groceries. Garrett is still a bag boy but he might be the best option for Dallas.
The roster for Dallas presents a whole other issue. Roy Williams is very good in run support. As deep cover he is awful and gets beat deep more than most at his position. The defense in general was solid most of the season until Greg Ellis was lost for the year with a knee injury. There after DeMarcus Ware was much less effective because he was constantly double teamed. Terence Newman was very good for a lot of the season but struggled in the playoffs. Dallas has two good running backs in Marion Barber and Julius Jones. Terry Glenn still has life and TE Jason Witten is in the Pro Bowl. The line is a work in progress and Flozell Adams has played 10 years and at times is looking old. They will need a backup to Romo as 84 year-old Drew Bledsoe and his expensive contract will be sent into QB never never land. Pieces are there but work needs to be done.
If Turner is given the job, he has to look over his shoulder at Garrett because he is obviously someone who face lift owner extraordinaire Jerry Jones really likes. Turner's reign could be short if the Cowboys struggle. Of all the current candidates Turner might be the best choice and get Garrett some seasoning before ultimately turning things over to him. The concern is that Turner repeats his pattern as a head coach and wastes a year as the Cowboys get older. Jones has said he wants a head coach in place this week. His choice will set up either a successful bridge or a complete train wreck. It should be must watch either way.
Jan 29, 2007 06:14 PM
There was a time when the Dallas Cowboys were one of the best and most respected franchises not only in the NFL but in all of sports. Then they started to make draft mistakes, coaching mistakes and have been turned into one of the most wayward franchises in the league.
We will begin by acknowledging that Bill Parcells is one of the better coaches in NFL history. We also realize that they were a mess when Dave Campo was fired and he has brought them back to a playoff contender. However, while many people will tell you that they are on the right track they also have a lot of work to do to fix what ails them. Parcells was 34-32 in four seasons at the helm of Team Jerry. He lost both playoff games that the Cowboys played in. This year's loss is a weird way for Parcells' career to end. Tony Romo is still trying to figure out how the ball squirted through his hands.
Norv Turner is apparently very close to being named Head Coach of the Cowboys. I know that Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith sing his praises. That is a good thing. Turner was the head coach for both the Washington Redskins and Oakland Raiders following his very successful stint as the Offensive Coordinator with Dallas. HE WAS FIRED BY BOTH TEAMS. Turner compiled a dazzling 58-82-1 record at those two stops. He had to deal with Irvin as a player and his myriad of personal problems. Current Cowboy Terrell Owens is Irvin but worse. The last time I checked, Steve Mariucci, Andy Reid and Parcells are three successful and well respected coaches. None of them could deal with Owens and something tells me that Turner would be added to the list. Turner's reputation has improved with his development of San Francisco QB Alex Smith. Romo is a similar quarterback, needing tutelage that is Turner's forte. However, when he was a head coach his quarterbacks went no where other than to help him get fired.
Another candidate to fill Parcells' shoes is former Dallas assistant Garry Gibbs, who was the LB coach in Big D for four years. His latest tour of duty has been as the Defensive Coordinator for the New Orleans Saints. He was a one time assistant for Barry Switzer at Oklahoma, who turned out to be an interesting head coach for Dallas, and then was elevated to Sooners head coach when Switzer moved South to Dallas. Over the next six years at the helm for Oklahoma he took a once proud school filled with success and ran it into the ground and was fired.
A third candidate for Dallas is current San Diego Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips. He has had two head coaching stints, in Denver and Buffalo, and was a two-time interim coach for New Orleans and Atlanta. He compiled a 48-39 record but again had no playoff success. He is at best a retread.
The most intriguing candidate is the guy they just hired as Offensive Coordinator, Jason Garrett. He spent time as a backup quarterback with the Cowboys and was the OC for the Miami Dolphins this year. The trend, and after all the NFL is a copy-cat league, this coaching year is to hire very young very green coaches. The Pittsburgh Steelers hired 34 year-old Mike Tomlin to replace longtime head coach Bill Cowher. Given the Steelers record for choosing head coaches, two in the last 37 plus years, we will trust their judgement. The Oakland Raiders ended the Art Shell reunion tour at one season. Out-to-lunch 77 year-old Raider owner Al Davis called his new coach, 31 year-old Lane Kiffin, Lance twice during his press conference. Super, welcome to the team. Garrett helped make Joey Harrington not completely awful which should fast track him to elite status. However, the reality is that he has been a coordinator for exactly one year with zero head coaching experience on any level. Parcells had a famous quote where he talked about making the dinner and buying the groceries. Garrett is still a bag boy but he might be the best option for Dallas.
The roster for Dallas presents a whole other issue. Roy Williams is very good in run support. As deep cover he is awful and gets beat deep more than most at his position. The defense in general was solid most of the season until Greg Ellis was lost for the year with a knee injury. There after DeMarcus Ware was much less effective because he was constantly double teamed. Terence Newman was very good for a lot of the season but struggled in the playoffs. Dallas has two good running backs in Marion Barber and Julius Jones. Terry Glenn still has life and TE Jason Witten is in the Pro Bowl. The line is a work in progress and Flozell Adams has played 10 years and at times is looking old. They will need a backup to Romo as 84 year-old Drew Bledsoe and his expensive contract will be sent into QB never never land. Pieces are there but work needs to be done.
If Turner is given the job, he has to look over his shoulder at Garrett because he is obviously someone who face lift owner extraordinaire Jerry Jones really likes. Turner's reign could be short if the Cowboys struggle. Of all the current candidates Turner might be the best choice and get Garrett some seasoning before ultimately turning things over to him. The concern is that Turner repeats his pattern as a head coach and wastes a year as the Cowboys get older. Jones has said he wants a head coach in place this week. His choice will set up either a successful bridge or a complete train wreck. It should be must watch either way.
posted by The Gryphon at 6:55 PM
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