The job status of Wade Phillips is sure to be a hot topic for at least another year. Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys have decided to keep Phillips as the head coach, even mulling the option of a multi-year contract. So it raises the question, what does this mean for the Cowboys, and should we, as fans, be worried? As much as I 'd like to think everything will pan out in the end, I just don't believe Phillips has what it takes to get the job done. I thought the well-written article by Jim Reeves, seen
here really summed it all up.
When Phillips originally joined the Cowboys, he was handed a roster full of talent, and after a 13-3 regular season game, the team basically beat themselves with drops, fumbles, and missed tackles in a loss to the Giants in the divisional round of the playoffs. It was this type of performance that many, myself included, had waited for, since Wade's notoriously soft style of coaching (no tackling in practice, days off for players, "Victory Mondays", etc.) didn't historically lend itself well to disciplined playoff football. While there is certainly room for a coach who relates well with players, I believe there has to be a middle ground somewhere. Has this been the downfall of Phillips thus far? Partially, but only because Phillips himself lacks the intestinal fortitude to make the tough calls.
Early in the season, it was evident that Nick Folk was struggling mightily (as did the entire league as far as kicking goes). Yet week after week, Phillips trotted Folk onto the field, and despite not even being able to make pre-game warmup kicks, Folk was allowed to remain on the team. The icing on the cake FINALLY came when Folk missed a chip shot against the New Orleans Saints that would have completely iced the game. While the Cowboys did go on to win, you get the feeling that the entire team was ready to see a change after that. Fast forward to the Vikings game this past Sunday, and you have a 4th and 1. It was well beyond punting territory, and with what would be a 48 yard attempt that would tie Shaun Suisham's season high, it seemed like a no-brainer to go for it... but Phillips didn't. His kicker missed, and after the game, Phillips argued that it had not been 4th and 1. Either Phillips is such a poor head coach that he had no sense of what was going on around him, or he didn't want to be held accountable for making a poor decision. Either way, it isn't the kind of aura you want to boast to your players, fellow coaches, your fans, and most of all, your owner.
That's the most disappointing part of it all. Jerry Jones knows Wade Phillips won't take him anywhere, but he doesn't want to admit he made the wrong hire back in 2007 either. For that, Cowboys' fans will be left to forever wonder what this core group of guys could have done with some real coaching. Prior to the season, I had a forward-looking attitude. I didn't know what the team was going to do, but I hoped they either went all the way and did something special, or flopped completely so as to force Jerry to flush Wade from the team. Obviously, neither happened, and Wade Phillips and crew did JUST ENOUGH to get by and give themselves one more year at Valley Ranch... and for that, we may just all suffer another season of heartache.
I'd like to see what everyone thinks. Opinions?
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