Cowboys drama has arrived
by Jayson Larson
Tribune sports editor.
Remember the good old days? The Sundays when you woke up excited to watch the Dallas Cowboys, knowing Aikman, Emmitt, Irvin and Novacek were going to score on the first drive and keep pounding away until, well, the Super Bowl?
If you believe everything you read, happy days may be here again for the Cowboys and their fans. At least one prognosticator has said anything less than a Super Bowl appearance would be a disappointment for this year’s edition of America’s Team.
Heading into training camp, there are a few interesting stories fans will most likely be following throughout the rest of the summer.
Tony Romo: The second-year quarterback stepped in for immobile veteran Drew Bledsoe, had a great first six games and then a terrible last six n capped by the botched snap in Seattle in the first round of the playoffs.
Romo enters this season as the starter, and he’ll be expected to not only lead the team back to the playoffs, but to the Super Bowl.
It should be interesting to see which Romo shows up when the regular season begins: the won who started so hot, or the one who guided a team that lost four of its last five games, under center. The addition of Wortham, Texas, native Leonard Davis on the offensive line could help.
Double vision: The Cowboys have two solid running backs. But how long will that arrangement last.
Julius Jones started more games n not that something like matters much, except when it’s time to renegotiate contracts n but Marion Barber was Mr. Reliable on the goal line. Barber scored 14 rushing touchdowns with half the carries of Jones, who rushed for 1,084 yards n the first 1,000-yard rushing season for a Cowboys running back since Emmitt Smith.
When Jones struggled at times, there were calls for Barber to become the starter. Bill Parcells stuck with Jones, who got the ball into the end zone four times.
Nothing has to change right now, and the Cowboys can continue to utilize a “thunder and lightning” approach to their running game. But very soon, it seems the team is going to have to choose between the two, as both want to be a feature back.
The Wade Era: Wade Phillips left his job as defensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers to replace Bill Parcells. Phillips has been described as a “player’s coach,” whereas Parcells was known as an overbearing, strict disciplinarian (does this story line sound familiar, Rangers fans?).
While you may or may not be impressed with Phillips’ hiring, know that he has a pretty impressive resume. The last six times he has taken over as a head coach or defensive coordinator, his teams have made the playoffs in his first year, according to his official bio. As a head coach, he has had only one losing season.
But as was discussed above, the question won’t be whether Phillips can take the Cowboys to the playoffs. The question will be how far he will take them into the playoffs.
The T.O. Show: And last but not least, what will Terrell Owens do this season to attract attention to himself? Many of the folks who don’t really care much for him say they could care less what he does, but those same folks are usually as tuned in as anyone to what he does.
One of the keys for Phillips will be figuring out how to get the ball in T.O.’s as often or more than last season, when he led the team with 1,180 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. Whether you like him or not, the man has always had the ability to do some impressive things with the football in his hands.
But as he enters his 13th season n an eternity in the National Football League n will he still have what it takes to do it again this season?
At least we know one thing. He’ll be entertaining.
Tribune sports editor.
Remember the good old days? The Sundays when you woke up excited to watch the Dallas Cowboys, knowing Aikman, Emmitt, Irvin and Novacek were going to score on the first drive and keep pounding away until, well, the Super Bowl?
If you believe everything you read, happy days may be here again for the Cowboys and their fans. At least one prognosticator has said anything less than a Super Bowl appearance would be a disappointment for this year’s edition of America’s Team.
Heading into training camp, there are a few interesting stories fans will most likely be following throughout the rest of the summer.
Tony Romo: The second-year quarterback stepped in for immobile veteran Drew Bledsoe, had a great first six games and then a terrible last six n capped by the botched snap in Seattle in the first round of the playoffs.
Romo enters this season as the starter, and he’ll be expected to not only lead the team back to the playoffs, but to the Super Bowl.
It should be interesting to see which Romo shows up when the regular season begins: the won who started so hot, or the one who guided a team that lost four of its last five games, under center. The addition of Wortham, Texas, native Leonard Davis on the offensive line could help.
Double vision: The Cowboys have two solid running backs. But how long will that arrangement last.
Julius Jones started more games n not that something like matters much, except when it’s time to renegotiate contracts n but Marion Barber was Mr. Reliable on the goal line. Barber scored 14 rushing touchdowns with half the carries of Jones, who rushed for 1,084 yards n the first 1,000-yard rushing season for a Cowboys running back since Emmitt Smith.
When Jones struggled at times, there were calls for Barber to become the starter. Bill Parcells stuck with Jones, who got the ball into the end zone four times.
Nothing has to change right now, and the Cowboys can continue to utilize a “thunder and lightning” approach to their running game. But very soon, it seems the team is going to have to choose between the two, as both want to be a feature back.
The Wade Era: Wade Phillips left his job as defensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers to replace Bill Parcells. Phillips has been described as a “player’s coach,” whereas Parcells was known as an overbearing, strict disciplinarian (does this story line sound familiar, Rangers fans?).
While you may or may not be impressed with Phillips’ hiring, know that he has a pretty impressive resume. The last six times he has taken over as a head coach or defensive coordinator, his teams have made the playoffs in his first year, according to his official bio. As a head coach, he has had only one losing season.
But as was discussed above, the question won’t be whether Phillips can take the Cowboys to the playoffs. The question will be how far he will take them into the playoffs.
The T.O. Show: And last but not least, what will Terrell Owens do this season to attract attention to himself? Many of the folks who don’t really care much for him say they could care less what he does, but those same folks are usually as tuned in as anyone to what he does.
One of the keys for Phillips will be figuring out how to get the ball in T.O.’s as often or more than last season, when he led the team with 1,180 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. Whether you like him or not, the man has always had the ability to do some impressive things with the football in his hands.
But as he enters his 13th season n an eternity in the National Football League n will he still have what it takes to do it again this season?
At least we know one thing. He’ll be entertaining.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:59 PM
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