Look I've been a Cowboys fan since I was five and saw that gorgeous blue star on the silver helmet. But seriously, we commit too many penalties under Wade Phillips, and tend to come up big in the small games, and small in the big games. Love the players. The team, not so much.I've got some difficult emotions to grapple with--I can't believe Jerry is keeping Wade. Still, not as many emotions as this guy. 0-16 is a special thing. I almost would trade places with the Lions. At least they have our draft picks to comfort them. Thanks Roy Williams
« What's beef... | Main | The war on Kwanzaa » I could have Peter King's job29 Dec 2008 01:00 pm
I don't think I've ever seen a Cowboys team underachieve more than this year's team. The only solace I can take is in thinking we were overrated from the start:
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Well, at least with Jerry you'll always have a rich source of material for satire. That's a small consolation, but still worth something.
The fundamental problem for both Cowboys and The Skin: moderning their team as the celebrity/patriotic dynasty that will always be loved and ofcourse, BAILOUT. They could fucked up anyway they like we will automatically bail them out. It is stupidity, but guess what? We still give them our emotion. Dumb war!
A moron could have Peter King's job. . .oh wait, one already does.
Never mind.
Here's a question for you--look at the combined records and tell me which division was tougher this year--the NFC South or the NFC East? Both had teams finish in last place with records of 8-8, and both are sending 2 teams to the playoffs. Even though I'm a Saints fan, I think I'll give a slight edge to the East only because the Giants beat the Panthers at the end of the season, when home field was potentially on the line, but other than that, I think they're pretty even. And yet which division got all the media love this year?
I wouldn't be so sure Jones is really keeping Wade Phillips. "The coaching staff is in place" is not exactly "I am not making a change." Then again, Jones's opinion of himself as a coach/player talent evaluator is in direct inversion to results, so who knows? Wade Phillips didn't bring in Terrell Owens and PacMan Jones - Jerry did. Jerry should probably fire himself.
Try being a Browns fan for a season. Jerry Jones is what he is but at least he gives a crap. The trust fund baby running the Browns can't manage that.
As a Lions fan, that Williams trade was a great deal for us. Especially since the boys choked and turned that first rounder into the #20 pick. Roy is a little bit of a primadonna and Calvin Johnson is clearly more talented. Roy's talented, but not as good as he thinks he is. He's a less talented version of T.O. Putting the two of them in the same offense is a joke; there aren't nearly enough balls to keep them both happy.
Oddly, loss #16 didn't really hurt any more than the previous 15. I was numb from the losing around week 10. The week one loss to Atlanta hurt because the Lions actually looked decent in the preseason. The loss to Green Bay in week two hurt because the Lions were winning half way through the 4th and gave up 24 points in the last 6 minutes. Compared to that week 16 didn't hurt at all.
I don't know if Marinelli is a good coach or not. With the players he had on defense, he didn't stand a chance. Bill Bellichick combined with Bill Walsh wouldn't have won more than 4 games with that crew.
I said all I could say last night about the Cowboys. It is what it is.
As for the Lions I think that guy is wrong. They have a rookie RB who got 1,000 yds, what could be the most talented WR in the game in Calvin Johnson, a good kicker a helluva Will LB and a young offensive line. If they draft a QB like Tebow or Stafford and a good D tackle in free agency they could contend for the NFC north next year IMHO.
As a life-long Eagles fan, I must say that I found yesterday's game among the most welcome games ever. I'm just stunned it happened that way. Never, ever, ever did I think the Cowboys would fold that way. I don't know if I've ever seen a team give up in a big game like that. Jerry should fire Wade's butt tomorrow. Otherwise the Cowboys will be worse than bad--they'll be irrelevant.
TNC,
You have my sympathies today. (Tomorrow I'll go back to resenting the Cowboys for having an owner who spends money in an attempt to win.)
I was thinking this morning that Cincinnati's season wasn't so bad all things considered; and that the Cowboys' season can only be thought of as an embarrassment.
So, do you think Romo has what it takes to succeed in the NFL in November-January(sometimes Feb.)? That seems to be the big question bandied about the media today and for the last few weeks. IMHO the Cowboys' aging offensive line is the bigger question mark. Curious to hear your take on the future for 'Big D'.
First
Don't be so sure Wade is staying. It's hard not to think that Jones will be in contact with Cowher at some point.
You know, a couple of weeks ago we had a debate on this site as to whom was the worst owner in the NFL. Someone said Jerry Jones, and I would like to second that. Sure, there are the Yorks (49ers), Ford (Lions), Bidwell (Cardinals), Brown (Bengals), and Al Davis (Raiders). But no owner does so little with so much as does Jerry Jones. I mean, the Cowboys have: a large and passionate fanbase in football-crazed Texas; tradition; a fanbase that extends well outside of its home area; a wealthy owner. But, like Daniel Snyder, Jerry Jones doesn't seem to "get" football. A football team is a "team," not a collection of individuals. You can buy up all of these high priced players, but if they don't work well together, the team isn't going to win.
I haven't watched many Cowboys games this season, so I really shouldn't talk, but it seemed that Wade Phillips really wasn't the problem. The problem is that you have a team culture that allows a lot of high-priced, egotistical stars to get away with anything. Now, maybe that is the coach's problem, but I think that is more of a problem of management than anything else.
Finally, is this another "Open NFL Thread?" I really, really, really don't want to read anything more about the Patriots.
Even as a non-fan of dallas, I was very disappointed with yesterdays performance. There needs to be a major house cleaning to go along with their new house.
p.s. sorry for getting involved in the pettiness yesterday on the NFL thread. My bad, it won't happen again.
I'm in a bit of the same boat with the conflicted emotions. Broncos managed to blow their playoff chances too and this morning I'm shocked to see Shanahan's saying Slowik will be back next year as D coordinator. Only the Lions and Rams played worse defense this year and Shanny thinks this is the best guy available?
I'd been thinking he needed to give up his GM role for a few years now, but now I'm wondering it's getting close to time for Shanahan to just go. The two SB wins were great, but the decade of average since is getting pretty darn old.
Since every opinion I have on this team has been written in print or online at some point today (I've found them all I think) I don't have much else to add. But one thing: Romo says their "scheme" isn't so hot. Exactly what does that mean? Can anybody recommend an Xs and Os guy who can attempt to explain that? I'm just really wondering what Romo means by that, and I'd like to see a competent pundit break down their offensive woes.
TNC,
You could have Peter King's job, but then you would have to write more posts on Starbucks, Mary Beth King's softball results, and the Montclair High School's girls field hockey team.
The sad thing is, it was all so predictable.
From their preening appearance on "Hard Knocks," to the fast start, to another locker room meltdown to another late-season fade. I mean, that's been the Cowboys for roughly the past decade or so, right?
Even Parcells couldn't get this bunch over the hump.
I'm beginning to wonder if the culture surrounding the franchise under Jerry Jones is more the problem than Wade Phillips or Tony Romo?
Peter King never fails to unimpress me.End of story.
Meanwhile, I know that some fans go for the schadenfreude angle in grave dancng atop their rival teams' failures and the fans who loved them, but I can't help but feel sorry for Detroit fans, especially. It's been such a bad year financially for Michigan, and now they end it with the worst record in history. Somehere in the world another Barry Sanders awaits.Hopefully.
I was disgusted by some of the comments on the now-closed thread. One of my best friends is a New England transport via Wisconsin, and cannot believe the viciousness of the fan-dom--and if you know Wiscnsin football fans, those cheeseheads are no joke, either. I saw some heavyweight fighting at the Jets-Chargers game last fall as some Wisconsin fans are die-hard Favre fans, as well.
Favre holds so many NFL records and plays hurt--you have to play hurt to refuse to come out the game when your arm is dangling from an obvious shoulder separation. I was in pain just watching the guy. He is surrounded by a lot of flotsom and jetsom (no pun intended.) Coles and Washington and the RBs, and then that's pretty much all she wrote in the talent department. He threw a perfect lowball in the end zone and another spiral up the middle. Those other guys are just not Donald Driver. Both GB and NYJ front offices have erred this season. NY needed guys who could run an effective spread with Favre in there and an OL that was not the sieve this was. He was hammered on every play his old legs couldn't buy him
escape time on. At GB, Rodgers was no two-minute man--nor was he anything beyond 20 yards.
Yet, good for Miami and good for Pennington. Great Ol coverage, decent play-calling and great WRs play. meanwhile, Bolts made a statement yesterday. They are healthy now and looking like the team they were at the commencement of th season. Good for Norv Turner, one of he truly nice guys in pro football.
Bears fan here. Man, what an strange year for us. The preseason made us think we'd be lucky to go 6-10 and then but for a few plays here and there we could have started 5-1. And then just when it seemed our playoff chances seemed remote, everyone that needed to lose did so. Had we won yesterday, we would have taken the last playoff spot. So we went from sad to happy but we could have been happier to sad again to happy to sad.
TLDR version: fire Babich and sign Boldin.
Please, take his job. He's insufferable. Where's all the love for Farve, now?
As for the Cowboys, has there ever been a team that had a great season after doing HBO's Hard Knocks? The problem with the Cowboys is Jerry Jones.
WTG, Miami. Pennington knocked the smug look off the faces of everyone in New York and New England. Miami's offense is brilliant. It's more than the wildcat formation. It's the beginning of the spread coming to the NFL. Love to see Tebow in aqua and orange.
I refuse to believe that Jerry can't see that a big problem with this thing is Wade. I refuse to believe it. With a new mega stadium opening up, how can he bring this thing back as is????
Also, TNC, please let it go. Roy is here, the draft picks are gone, let it go. You want to obsess about a bad decision, how about that this team lacked leadership and competence out of the head coach position, and the Dolphins had a guy come in there and turn a 1-15 team into a 11-5 team. Sparano would have been perfect here, in fact he was perfect here. It is no coincedence that the line lost all ability to dominate and pick up blitzes after his departure.
Bill Parcells had this thing on the right track, why Jerry felt the need to completely reverse that is beyond me. Evidence: Wade takes Bills team over, record is 12-1. Team realizes Wade is head coach, record 10-10.
Not a good day for the empire....
How can you love the PLAYERS on the Cowboys but not love the team? I mean, if you really dig on the uniforms (gay) then that is cool but the thugged out, spoiled, coddled, underperforming, overhyped, overpaid bunch of prima donnas that they have now rival the Raiders of the '70s before Al Davis died (yeah, he's actually dead and has been for years. Just hasn't fallen over yet).
Let's face it, if Jerry Jones actually knew the first thing about pro football he would follow Bill Parcell's example and get a team together that can play some TEAM ball and get some important wins. All Jerry can do is assemble the talent that the pundits tell him is the best and put them all on the field at the same time. All star teams always suck, watch "Miracle" if you still don't understand that.
Me I was disgusted and then really heartbroken about how Cowboys lost to Eagles. It'd be one thing to play well and have Eagles win it the hard way but yesterday was SO bad I dont want to think about it.
Dont you think Jerry Jones is trying to do a Robert Kraft, with what getting Pacman and now Roy Williams. As if he wants to take the non-firing kinda talent from other teams and build something awesome in Dallas.
No Cowboys, no Pats in playoffs. Oh its going to be a defense gruntfest and I am not sure I care for it :(
"Also, TNC, please let it go. Roy is here, the draft picks are gone, let it go."
Why? When you analyze a team, you try to figure why they're good and why they're bad. Which is what you did here:
"Bill Parcells had this thing on the right track, why Jerry felt the need to completely reverse that is beyond me. Evidence: Wade takes Bills team over, record is 12-1. Team realizes Wade is head coach, record 10-10."
I could just as easily say, "Please let it go. Bill Parcells is gone, let it go." But that isn't much of a counter or an argument. Either the trade was good--or it wasn't. At the moment, a charitable assessment would be, "Too early to call." When a team underachieves like this though, charity tends to be a luxury.
I think Garrett may be done. Wade is just a puppet for Jerry, and I don't see Jerry giving up that influence just yet. And I get the impression Wade would be more than happy to stick around just to work with DeMarcus Ware even if it means having his headset tuned into a frequency only Jerry can access.
I have to agree with purialu about the playoffs being a gruntfest, especially with regards to the AFC. I don't necessarily see anything wrong with that, as long as the games don't turn too sloppy. Just think about it: The Patriots get in and they're just as viable a contender as any other team in that conference.
The Eagles sure look scary, don't they? That means it must be time for them to lay an egg. I don't know how can pick against them this coming week, but it would be true to form for Andy Reid's crew (especially based on this year's track record) to delivery a truly befuddling performance. And Childress will be eager to prove something. If anyone else knows Donovan McNabb in the league, it's him.
I think Garrett may be done. Wade is just a puppet for Jerry, and I don't see Jerry giving up that influence just yet. And I get the impression Wade would be more than happy to stick around just to work with DeMarcus Ware even if it means having his headset tuned into a frequency only Jerry can access.
I have to agree with purialu about the playoffs being a gruntfest, especially with regards to the AFC. I don't necessarily see anything wrong with that, as long as the games don't turn too sloppy. Just think about it: The Patriots get in and they're just as viable a contender as any other team in that conference.
The Eagles sure look scary, don't they? That means it must be time for them to lay an egg. I don't know how can pick against them this coming week, but it would be true to form for Andy Reid's crew (especially based on this year's track record) to delivery a truly befuddling performance. And Childress will be eager to prove something. If anyone knows Donovan McNabb as well as Reid, it's him.
Buzz on Dallas sports talk radio is that Wade is staying.
Love Swervus' comment about Al Davis ("he's actually dead ... just hasn't fallen over yet"). That's classic, and probably true - how else to explain Davis's string of head-scratchingly-bad management decisions? Well, yes, there is the little matter of his outsized ego, which he's been using to torment the rest of the league for years.
To purialu: the difference between Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft is that Kraft actually lets his football guys make the decisions and take the risks. Supposed bad guys like Corey Dillon and Randy Moss turned out to be good hires in New England because the Patriots had the right system and the right culture for them to become positive and productive team players rather than locker-room poison. With the Pats, players are accountable to the team and have no doubt that the head coach is The Man. With the Cowboys, Jerry Jones brings in bad guys and then sticks up for them, to the detriment of the team and the coaching staff. Jones needs to fire himself from the general manager job and give it to someone who really knows how to evaluate talent - and then get out of his way.
Ill say this about the Roy Williams trade, it SHOULD have been a good trade for the Cowboys and it still may be. But when you bring a guy over like that midseason you should, you know, actually use him. He is bigger and stronger than TO and he is a decent route runner. I would say it was a bad trade if he kept dropping balls but hell he never got enough balls even thrown in his direction for him to drop any. I do know that he put in work in Detroit even when he was basically their only option. So I think we have to wait and see on that one.
But then again when evaluating the trade you should also ask yourself this, did we actually NEED two TOs? When you look at the best WR tandems they also are usually cut from different cloths. You have the "big" reciever who stretches the field and makes the splash plays and then you have the "slot" reciever who moves the chains and works LBs over. Moss/Welker Fitzgerald/Boldin Smith/Muhammed to name a few. So in THAT sense I would say that we would have been better off just standing pat and letting Crayton work the slot a lot more.
But what makes me say it can't really be termed a "bad" decision is that the Cowboys don't have an obvious need that would be addressed with a low 1st round pick in the draft. One thing about the team is that it is pretty young aside from TO. I don't think there was a safety we could have gotten in the 1st round that would have made a difference nor would there be a big time WR that low in 1st round of the draft who would have been better than Roy Williams. What other glaring need do we have on the team where a guy in the first round would come in and make a difference?
Fly Eagles Fly, On The Road To Victory.
Fight Eagles Fight, Score A Touchdown 1-2-3.
Hit 'Em Low.
Hit 'Em High.
And We'll Watch Our Eagles Fly.
Fly Eagles Fly, On The Road To Victory.
E-A-G-L-E-S, EAGLES!!!
TNC-
That trade is not the reason this thing ran off the tracks. Thats why I said to let it go. This team was underachieving way before that trade was made. In fact you nailed it early on, the penalties were an indication that something was lacking at the head coach position. The failure, which I tried to point out was Jerry not realizing that he was on the right track by hiring Parcells, and replacing him with someone of the same ilk, i.e Tony Sparano would have been a better decision than replacing Bill with a push over like Wade. Just look at what Sparano did in Miami, its not like that team does not have the characters that can tear apart a room, yet he was somehow able to handle a team with Joey freakin Porter and Ricky "Blunt" Williams on it. Yet Jerry saw Jason Garret as the heir apparent and Wade as the care taker while completely passing over Sparano.
As for the trade, Roy Williams has underachieved since coming here. I still think it is too early to tell. I think this whole offense needs an overhaul, from a scheme standpoint. And I think there is a place for him on it that will someday be worthy of that #1 pick that ruffles your feathers so. But that trade is like #16 on a list of things that are troubling about this team. Thats all I was saying...
NO!!! Don't touch Tebow with a ten foot pole, whoever gets the Detroit GM job! Tebow's a project for a decent team with solid talent around him and excellent QB coaching. He has bad footwork and a guy like Ed Reed could make a sandwich and eat it in the time it takes Tebow to finish releasing the ball.
He needs a lot of coaching to learn to play as an NFL QB and Detroit's almost certain to destroy any potential he has if they draft him. Stick with Stafford and let Tampa or whoever hires Holmgren have Tebow, Detroit, or you'll ruin it for everyone.
If I had my druthers Id say tell Jason Garrett not to let the doorknob hit him.
Lets recap.
Tony Sparano leaves the Cowboys for the Dolphins. To maximize the talent he has he introduces the WildCat formation from college football so he gets his two top notch RBs on the field at the same time and he goes 11-5 and wins the AFC East a year after the team goes 1-15
Jason Garrett who has a future Hall of Famer at WR, a descent QB, A RB who made the pro bowl as a backup last year, another WR who made the pro bowl last year, a pro bowl TE can only manage to get the offense to score 43 points in their last 3 losses.
Fire Garrett's ass and bring in Mike Martz after Singletary lets him go. And yes I am serious about that.
SeanH
With the Lions O Line they will need a mobile and durable QB for the forseeable future and Tebow is both of those. The also need a QB who can sling the pill down the field and Tebow is that also. You can draft a pocket passer with great mechanics if you want, in the end they are going to lose all of those mechanics anyway from getting beat up by opposing defenses.
A lot of people like to hate on Tebow but he throws a pretty ball, he is smart and he is damned accurate with a strong ass arm. He is a winner and has traits you just can't coach. A lot of people were low on Jamarcus Russell coming out but let me tell you, if yesterday was any indication Russell is going to light some defenses up next year. Tebow to me will be the same kind of player.
Yeah, I have to pin this on Garrett. The boys are way to offensively talented to have the season they had.
k1
ryanculver.blogspot.com
sgwhiteinfla:
That Dallas O-Line was truly offensive this year. Could they possibly get a decent O-Line coach to replace Sparano?
As for the Martz idea, I agree with you - in theory. On paper, the 'Boys have all the makings of the next greatest show on turf, except T.O. and Williams aren't exactly the burners Holt and Bruce were. Adjustments can be made, of course, but if you think T.O. is bitching now about the "scheme," just you wait until Martz tries to turn Choice or Jones into the next Marshall Faulk, thus eating up a great deal of the targets. Oh, and Martz has an ego nearly the size of Jerry's.
The one constant throughout the Cowboys' suckage over the past dozen or so years has been Jerr-uh. I've wondered if maybe some grey matter got nicked during all those face lifts that took place right around the time the team's descent began, but I think he's always been this way.
as a 'skins fan the only thing that made yesterday bearable was watching the shellacking of the cowboys. they were scoring points at a playstation rate, simply glorious!!
re: the lions. can't feel sorry for that team -- you gotta work really hard to not get a win in 16 games; they've earned every bit of the derision that will stay with them the rest of their careers. a truly disgraceful performance without the mitigating factor of being an expansion team like the '76 bucs what a bunch of l-o-s-e-r-s.
"What do you think about your team's execution?" "I'm all for it!"
-John McKay coach of the '76 'bucs
Col Mike
I know I haven't said this enough, but Fuck TO. If he won't get with the program then get rid of his ass too.
Now having said that remember that Martz was Roy Williams OC in Detroit. Also not all of the WRs were burners for the Greatest Show on Turf. The guy who made arguably the biggest catch for them in their Superbowl run was Ricky Prohel with his catch in the NFC championship game to beat Tampa. TO still has a lot of giddy up and Crayton isn't exactly slow. Hell their rookie TE is pretty fast two. Then imagine if he uses Felix Jones in the slot like he did Az Hakim. Man Martz would be an evil genius with the talent in Dallas. I get goosebumps just thinking about it.
As for he Oline I think most of the blame goes to Flozell and I look for him to come back next year to his usual good form. At least that is my hope. But the biggest problem with the O Line this year was protections and play calling. An O line coach will help with the former but you need a new OC to help with the latter. You can't keep calling passing plays that take long to develop with double moves and shit when you aren't even attempting use play action. And even if you used play action nobody would buy it because Garrett didn't commit to running the ball enough. Now don't get me wrong, Mike Martz would get Romo killed too but at least the guys would be running wide open making it a lot easier for Romo to actually complete the pass before he gets knocked on his ass.
Say what you will, the battle in Jerry's soul between the desire to win and the desire to be always right is a rich source of comedy for those of us without ties to the Cowboys. Mind you, that could all turn around if he has a great season - you might like to compare Huizenga's reviews of a year ago with the relatively good press he's getting now.
One of the Philly columnists has been talking about Tony Romo's problems in big games for a while, most recently referring to them as "serious big-game shrinkage issues". Poor Tony must have an evil spam-blocker, preventing him from learning about all the great products that can help him!
Look on the bright side, at least you won't lose in your first playoff game again this year ;)
sgwhiteinfla:
I agree: Fuck T.O. Fuck him in the ear. Fuck him in the other ear. Remove that tumor (and plan design plays around Romo's quick release) and the theoretical Martz experiment could work.
Of course, T.O. is a Jerry guy, and that means he ain't going nowhere, unless he brings it upon himself somehow. Very, VERY possible, especially when he gets together with Stephen A. and starts talking some outright smack about Romo and some thinly veiled smack about The Owner.
But while we can argue over the specifics, the solution is very simple. The team needs discipline, and you can't have that with this post-Jimmy Jerry Jones who believes he has become the central character in his own TV drama and that big teddy bear Uncle Wade takin' all the kids out for soda pop and pizza after every game.
Thankfully, for the rest of the NFC East (especially Big Blue), that doesn't seem likely anytime soon.
sgwhiteinfla
I agree and think Tebow could be a damn good QB if he gets good coaching to correct a couple of things, particularly his slow throwing motion which guys like Ed Reed or Troy Polamalu will be able to read like a billboard.
Thing is, I'm not at all confident in Detroit coming up with a decent GM or coaching staff and I'd hate to see him trapped in his development as a Tampa-era Steve Young with the Lions. I just think he could become a special player because of all those things you can't coach and I'd much rather see him get time to develop and good coaching someplace like Tampa or Carolina.
If the Fords manage to do something halfway smart like paying Marty Schottenheimer anything it takes to get him back into coaching or offering Holmgren absolute dictatorship over the team I might feel different.
SeanH
The Lions already named Martin Mayhew as GM. He is a former DB in the league with a law degree. I like him a LOT and he worked his way up to the office. I think he will do great things for Detroit.
As for who will be coach I expect them to go after someone who has already been a winner in the NFL. I don't know who that guy will be but I wouldn't expect a college coach or a hot coordinator to get the job unless other guys turn it down.
BTW the Lions play in the NFC so I wouldn't pick a QB based on what the top safeties in the AFC might do to him. Im just sayin
Does anyone else suspect that the Lions have been deliberately atrocious so as to share in the Great Detroit Bailout? Does the franchise know something we don't?
Heh, I just meant good DBs in general. I missed the news on Mayhew; new name to me, but here's hoping he works out. First thought when I saw his name: "Jesus, what's the freaking deal with Detroit and names starting with the letter M"?
Sean H
I know its not the same thing but Tebow only threw 2 ints this year and 6 all of last year. No he doesn't have the quickest release but then I don't really think thats a prerequisite for a mobile QB. Having Calvin Johnson would definitely help him also. How good did Daunte Culpepper look when he had Randy Moss to throw to?
Obviously the Cowboys performance yesterday was poor but let's look at it from another angle.
They were always going to have a tough task going into Philly and needing to win. Even if Tampa Bay and Chicago hadn't lost, Philly would have been well up for the game, a chance to knock the cowboys out of the play-offs, you bet they'd have been ready. Then the results go in Philly's favor and now they have a chance at a double-bonus: Knock Dallas out of the play-offs and get in themselves. I know this doesn't explain the cowboys capitutulation but until the 2 long fumble returns, they seemed to at least be trying. I think SG pointed it out yesterday, they simply gave up on trying to run the ball, BIG mistake!
Having said all of that, it was still disappointing that they played the way they did. They have the talent to be superbowl champs but need the magic ingredient of a good coach and coaching staff.
TNC - re: your Cowboys, in the words of my boy Mike Singletary
"Cannot play with them. Cannot win with them. Cannot coach with them. Can't do it. I want winners. I want people that want to win."
The Cowboys need to go see the Wizard, cause they got no heart.
Jay writes: "Supposed bad guys like Corey Dillon and Randy Moss turned out to be good hires in New England because the Patriots had the right system and the right culture for them to become positive and productive team players rather than locker-room poison."
I think the Patriots recognize that some players detest getting stuck in hopeless loss-sewers like Oakland and Cincy. Then there are mentally-ill cretins like TO who will blow up even on winning teams because they don't really care about anything but themselves.
Randy Moss was the perfect teammate this year in New England even though his numbers were way down. It was a pleasure to watch how he handled the whole situation. TO would have had daily meltdowns. I wouldn't want him on the Patriots if he played for free.
MoeLarryAndJesus said, "I wouldn't want [TO] on the Patriots if he played for free."
That makes two of us! Not that there's a snowball's chance in hell he'd ever land in Foxborough, thank whoever or whatever you choose to believe in.
Chris says
The Cowboys need to go see the Wizard, cause they got no heart.
I bet you won't say that to Bradie James!
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3798441
Say whatever you want but like I said last night the Cowboys have at least one leader on the team and its James.
Jesus Christ, TNC, you've been whining about the Cowboys all season -- try being a Saints fan. I need not elaborate further.
sgwhite quotes and writes: " IRVING, Texas -- On the day Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips was saying he plans to change, linebacker Bradie James got into an altercation with a fan outside the team's training facility. James confronted the fan, who was protesting the team's 44-6 loss to Philadelphia, which eliminated the team from playoff contention. The fan was wearing a sandwich board that said, "Cowboys have no heart" on one side and "Wade is an embarrassment to the star" on the other.
James apparently stopped his vehicle and demanded the fan give him the sign. When the man refused, James removed it from him, breaking the man's eyeglasses in the process.
Say whatever you want but like I said last night the Cowboys have at least one leader on the team and its James."
Actually that story points out the other Cowboys problem - their players are stupid. James should be prosecuted for assault and suspended by the league for 2-4 games. What a chickenshit! Big man pushes around some fan for expressing a perfectly legitimate opinion about a roster filled with underachieving quitters? Seriously?
If he was a leader he'd be shoving some of his teammates around. Add James to the list of egomaniacal impulse-driven pricks I never want on the Patriots.
A lot of people like to hate on Tebow but he throws a pretty ball, he is smart and he is damned accurate with a strong ass arm.
Tebow had incredible efficiency numbers this year. I believe he had the highest QB rating in the nation over the last 9 games. He should have won a second Heisman because he's the best football player in the country. He runs the most complicated offense against the county's best defenses in the SEC. However, if I'm the Lions, I take Bradford. He's only a sophomore, so he's only like 20 years old. He's a prototype QB that throws darts all over the field. The question is: does Bradford stay in school another year to avoid becoming a Lion?
As a GM, I wouldn't consider Tebow before the 3rd round. It's gotta be to a team with the right system and good dedicated coaching. I think Tebow threw only one pass from under center all this season. Everything he does is from the shotgun. And while I agree that Tebow has a strong arm, he doesn't throw a pretty ball. Chris Leak threw a pretty ball. Tebow kind of muscles wounded ducks to his receivers.
As a Texan, I might be biased, but I gotta say no to Bradford. Behind that offensive line, and with that offensive talent, anyone could put up ridiculous numbers. I can't imagine him succeeding against legit NFL defenses behind a likely porous O line.
Holy crap, Shanahan got fired. Now I'm really conflicted. He and Dan Reeves are the only coaches Denver's had since I was in kindergarten or so.