NFL Outsider: Andy's take on the Dallas Cowboys
By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com
Albert Einstein said, "Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them." Someone needs to tell Jerry Jones.
For a team with legitimate Super Bowl talent and unmatched buying power, the Dallas Cowboys sure have a lot of unsolved problems. An extreme but legitimate snapshot of this organization is found in last season's Week 17 disaster at Philadelphia. In a de facto playoff situation, the "win and you're in" Cowboys put on a performance that even the Washington Generals would have found pathetic. Five turnovers led to a 44-6 drubbing in which the star quarterback (Tony Romo) looked timorous, the head coach (Wade Phillips) clueless, the hotshot coordinator (Jason Garrett) brainless, the brash defense porous and the club, as a whole, heartless.
The only thing sadder than the fact that Dallas's airball surprised absolutely no one is the fact that the last criticism--the one about being heartless--is justified. The Cowboys, America's Team, have no heart. They're a franchise still coasting on popularity that stems from the dynasty that Jimmy Johnson built two decades ago.
The last time the Cowboys won a playoff game was 1996. Since then, they have cycled through myriad head coaches and quarterbacks, brought in bundles of talented draft classes and signed scores of top-dollar free agents. They annually appear on national television the maximum six times (including Thanksgiving) and their blue star is found not just everywhere in Texas, but everywhere in the United States. But really, the Cowboys are just football's version of Paris Hilton: famous for being famous.
The one constant during this dreadful bout of mediocrity has been Jerry Jones. Arguably the shrewdest businessman in pro football, Jones has kept his club in the NFL's brightest spotlight. Indeed, the infatuation with the Cowboys will only escalate in 2009, as they open Cowboys Stadium, the NFL's first $1 billion arena. Building a modern day Coliseum might be the only way Jones can regain relevance during Super Bowl week (Dallas will host the big game in 2011). His aptitude in the boardroom is matched only by his ineptitude in the locker room.
The story with Jones's team this year is whether Tony Romo can become a leader. The 29-year-old has come to embody the Cowboys. He has movie star good looks, scintillating talent and a penchant for melting down late. Romo's career record in September, October and November is 22-4. In December, it's 5-8.
The weight of the world is on Romo's shoulders this season. Just as he did in hiring Bill Parcells a few years ago, Jerry Jones flashed rare humility by acquiescing to the in-house suggestion box that was overflowing with index cards saying "Dump Terrell Owens!" But releasing T.O. is not the solution to Dallas's problems--their problems are much deeper than that. After all, this team suffered from poor chemistry and late-season collapses long before "The Player" arrived. But maybe, just maybe, the release of Owens is a sign that those deeper problems are finally being fixed.
But probably not. Head coach Wade Phillips is still here and, in the final year of his contract, somehow an even lamer duck than last season. Had wunderkind offensive coordinator Jason Garrett done a better job in '08, he'd likely have Phillips's job now. But shoddy game-planning and questionable play-calling dimmed Garrett's star (after declining the Ravens and Falcons head coaching jobs last year, Garrett wasn't even offered the Rams head coaching job this past offseason). Now, Jones is likely eyeing a star-studded 2010 head coaching market that should include Mike Shanahan, Jon Gruden, Mike Holmgren, Brian Billick and Bill Cowher. These men have combined for six Super Bowl rings during Dallas's playoff drought.
Of course, should the Cowboys go out and, you know, actually live up to their potential in 2009, Jones may have no choice but to retain Phillips. In hopes of that, Phillips has taken over full command of the defense (his area of expertise) and has vowed to pull an anti-Coughlin by changing his style to something tougher. For example, Phillips will now fine players the NFL maximum $453 for every pound exceeding their weight target in training camp. Of course, those same players are still cashing millions of dollars worth of checks from Phillips's boss.
Albert Einstein said, "Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them." Someone needs to tell Jerry Jones.
For a team with legitimate Super Bowl talent and unmatched buying power, the Dallas Cowboys sure have a lot of unsolved problems. An extreme but legitimate snapshot of this organization is found in last season's Week 17 disaster at Philadelphia. In a de facto playoff situation, the "win and you're in" Cowboys put on a performance that even the Washington Generals would have found pathetic. Five turnovers led to a 44-6 drubbing in which the star quarterback (Tony Romo) looked timorous, the head coach (Wade Phillips) clueless, the hotshot coordinator (Jason Garrett) brainless, the brash defense porous and the club, as a whole, heartless.
The only thing sadder than the fact that Dallas's airball surprised absolutely no one is the fact that the last criticism--the one about being heartless--is justified. The Cowboys, America's Team, have no heart. They're a franchise still coasting on popularity that stems from the dynasty that Jimmy Johnson built two decades ago.
The last time the Cowboys won a playoff game was 1996. Since then, they have cycled through myriad head coaches and quarterbacks, brought in bundles of talented draft classes and signed scores of top-dollar free agents. They annually appear on national television the maximum six times (including Thanksgiving) and their blue star is found not just everywhere in Texas, but everywhere in the United States. But really, the Cowboys are just football's version of Paris Hilton: famous for being famous.
The one constant during this dreadful bout of mediocrity has been Jerry Jones. Arguably the shrewdest businessman in pro football, Jones has kept his club in the NFL's brightest spotlight. Indeed, the infatuation with the Cowboys will only escalate in 2009, as they open Cowboys Stadium, the NFL's first $1 billion arena. Building a modern day Coliseum might be the only way Jones can regain relevance during Super Bowl week (Dallas will host the big game in 2011). His aptitude in the boardroom is matched only by his ineptitude in the locker room.
The story with Jones's team this year is whether Tony Romo can become a leader. The 29-year-old has come to embody the Cowboys. He has movie star good looks, scintillating talent and a penchant for melting down late. Romo's career record in September, October and November is 22-4. In December, it's 5-8.
The weight of the world is on Romo's shoulders this season. Just as he did in hiring Bill Parcells a few years ago, Jerry Jones flashed rare humility by acquiescing to the in-house suggestion box that was overflowing with index cards saying "Dump Terrell Owens!" But releasing T.O. is not the solution to Dallas's problems--their problems are much deeper than that. After all, this team suffered from poor chemistry and late-season collapses long before "The Player" arrived. But maybe, just maybe, the release of Owens is a sign that those deeper problems are finally being fixed.
But probably not. Head coach Wade Phillips is still here and, in the final year of his contract, somehow an even lamer duck than last season. Had wunderkind offensive coordinator Jason Garrett done a better job in '08, he'd likely have Phillips's job now. But shoddy game-planning and questionable play-calling dimmed Garrett's star (after declining the Ravens and Falcons head coaching jobs last year, Garrett wasn't even offered the Rams head coaching job this past offseason). Now, Jones is likely eyeing a star-studded 2010 head coaching market that should include Mike Shanahan, Jon Gruden, Mike Holmgren, Brian Billick and Bill Cowher. These men have combined for six Super Bowl rings during Dallas's playoff drought.
Of course, should the Cowboys go out and, you know, actually live up to their potential in 2009, Jones may have no choice but to retain Phillips. In hopes of that, Phillips has taken over full command of the defense (his area of expertise) and has vowed to pull an anti-Coughlin by changing his style to something tougher. For example, Phillips will now fine players the NFL maximum $453 for every pound exceeding their weight target in training camp. Of course, those same players are still cashing millions of dollars worth of checks from Phillips's boss.
posted by The Gryphon at 8:21 PM
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