Dallas Cowboys news and notes

by Brandon Worley on Nov 11, 2008 12:00 PM CST in News Comment 24 comments

There's no doubt the bye week came at the perfect time. Players were injured, depressed and quite fankly playing bad football. The week off has given the players and coaches time to reflect and look forward to a fresh start.

"For us, it's a new season," Thomas said. "We've got seven games and we've got to start playing together...fast"

There no doubt that this week's game is a make or break game. The Cowboys have to approach each week as if it's a playoff game because there is absolutely no margin for error. Unless things just turn upside down in the NFC, right now I'm a believer that for the Cowboys to absolutely assure themselves a playoff spot they need to go 6-1 the final seven games. A loss to the Redskins would seriously hurt those chances.

Kevin Sherrington pumps out another "Wade Phillips is too soft" article.

At some point we are all going to have to admit that Wade Phillips is who he is and will never change. I prefer to read Grizz's press conference transcripts instead of watching them because his "aw shucks" attitude is starting to really bug me. Perhaps it's because this team is fighting for a playoff spot and it's downfall has been absolutely maddening. As fans all we want to see in our team is the same passion we put into them, and it pisses us off when the coach treats the team like a pop warner gathering of underachievers.

Yet Wade Phillips will always be the same. We just have to hope that the team can somehow figure out themselves, cause he sure won't pound any sense into them.

Here's what he had to say Monday when asked if he had any special instruction for rookie cornerback Mike Jenkins, who, among other sins, didn't so much as give Derrick Ward a hard glance on his touchdown run in New Jersey:

"Players sometimes think it's all negative from coaches and you gotta watch that. It can go the other way. We try to talk about positive things, too."

The Star-Telegram has a breakdown of the Cowboys playoff chances.

The Cowboys know that these games have more meaning than they did last year.

"When you're 8-1, you have a little room to move, and you can deal with situations," tight end Jason Witten said. "At this point in the season, we understand there's not a lot of room for error."

It's also good to see that one of the players realizes what it will take to get in the playoffs.

"I've been 10-6 before and not made the playoffs," [Zach Thomas] said. "I can guarantee you on 11-5. I don't know any team that's been 11-5 and not made it, if you want to count it up. But I don't try and look at it like that. I just know we've got to get playing better."

Felix Jones expects to be back on the field Wednesday.

Asked if he could have practiced Monday, Jones said: "Yeah, I felt like I could have, but rest is more important. I feel like Wednesday I will be out there ready to go, and I'm feeling good."

Quote of the day:

"Well, you've got to get on a run in this league. We were able to last year, and this year we started out [that way] and didn't keep it going. We've got a chance to come back." - Wade Phillips, commenting on the key to the offenses success.

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His attitude is

bugging me too. I know I’m just a typical hypocritical fan, and if we were winning I wouldn’t care, but DANG IT MAN!!! Get fired up sometime!! These stupid penalties his team keeps making have to stop if we want to go 6-1 over the next 7 games. I just don’t think we can do it with these guys playing so undisciplined.

I see our offense getting better with Romo back but I see him coming back rusty. I honestly don’t know how good we’re going to look coming out of this. We had a lot of problems before Romo got hurt and they’re not going to all be solved by him coming back.

by kameleon_o on Nov 11, 2008 12:20 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Maybe Kevin Sherrington should suit up.....a la' George Plimpton.

Wharter

by Wharter on Nov 11, 2008 12:31 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Accept Reality, which is

this team was never as good as we all thought last year, as the media thought, and, worst of all, as the team itself came to believe. It rode a hot offensive streak that lasted a long stretch, but teams catch up to what you’re doing in the NFL.

It also is not as bad as they have been playing this last stretch, especially in these days of watered down, mediocre football. Two of those losses were close games. There is every possibility they get hot and win at least 5/7.

I’m not a big fan of Phillips’, but in the end the difference has to come from within the players. Do they want it enough? Will they focus and execute, or choke under the pressure like last year? Players holding other players accountable is what works, not the coach. As many have pointed out we had these same problems under hard-ass Parcells.

by Realist Larry on Nov 11, 2008 12:51 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

kameleon

Of course I made the move! I went from the old old blog to the new old blog, after all……
Let’s hope Tex misses the transition, or people here are smart enough to just ignore his posts, instead of responding and starting Tex discussions instead of football discussions.

by Realist Larry on Nov 11, 2008 12:54 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

You seem like you're going to be Deke's best friend.

by Mandmeisterx on Nov 11, 2008 1:11 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

It won't be the same if Tex isn't here

That about says it all from my perspective. Maybe he only sips the kool-aid instead of chugging it. Regardless, he livens things up.

by StillHateTheGiants on Nov 11, 2008 1:23 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Larry,

It was always blatantly obvious to me that even if Tex was ignored, his other screen names would go out of their way to steer the conversation back towards their brainchild.

by MadMick on Nov 11, 2008 1:45 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Are you kidding? I CAN’T WAIT for the first post by Tex over here! There are going to be a lot of confused people that don’t get the joke like we do!

by BigDinSC on Nov 11, 2008 12:55 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Transition

Another jumper! I’ve been a Raf and Raul fan for years, so I’m glad to see them find avenues to continue their great work. Looks like a welcoming crowd, too, so thanks! I’m registered and ready to go.

I’m fired up for this week. I think this is going to be perfect timing. The boys are mad, but healthy, down, but far from out, and I think they’re ready to put the smack down on the skins. They know how important this one is, and I’ve got faith that this is where the season turns and they start putting it together.

by JC56 on Nov 11, 2008 12:59 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I'm with BigDin

I can’t wait till the first 3rd person post shows up by the Montecito Cowboy and everyone over here says “WTF????”

by kameleon_o on Nov 11, 2008 1:14 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

You're doing a great Tex impersonation Kam

We got the point the first time Kam, any reason you have to repeat yourself about Tex?

by StillHateTheGiants on Nov 11, 2008 1:26 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Nice Feature

I like this reply to a reply thing.

by Trey, on Nov 11, 2008 1:28 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I like the preview post feature too!

by Trey, on Nov 11, 2008 1:45 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

To think we hired Wade instead of Tony

When I see what Sparano is doing in Miami it makes me crazy to think he wasn’t given serious consideration in Dallas. We had the guy in-house that I think would have taken this team to the promised land and hired Wade instead.

by StillHateTheGiants on Nov 11, 2008 1:25 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Nothing but true....

However, who knew Sparano had it in him to be such a creative mastermind from his stint in Big D where he was stuck under Parcells’ thumb and his archaic brand of football?

by MadMick on Nov 11, 2008 1:52 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Good point.

People weren’t enamored with Sparano when he was here as the O-coordinator but he was doing the job with one hand tied behind his back. Now nobody is as hot-to-trot over Garrett and we’re all left wondering if Sparano wasn’t the real genius.

I wonder if Phillips does get fired maybe Jerry looks at someone like Spagnuolo?? Going defense is still the way to go IMO for the HC. We’ve got too many under performing guys on that side of the ball.

by kameleon_o on Nov 11, 2008 3:48 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I'll tell you what.....

Sparano over Houck is a no-brainer right now…..

Look up... get up...Don't ever, ever give up!!

by Boyzfan94 on Nov 11, 2008 5:49 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

That's for sure.

Guess none of us ever thought about how Flo’s worse years came with Houck as the O-line coach.

by kameleon_o on Nov 11, 2008 7:26 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

do is Sporano over Wade as HC

In Romo we Trust

by Terry on Nov 12, 2008 8:27 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Excitement!

Combining the forces of BTB with SBR…I haven’t been this excited about a pairing since Hulk Hogan and Randy “Macho Man” Savage briefly formed “The Mega Powers” in the late 80’s…

by TimSchultz36 on Nov 11, 2008 1:26 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Mega Powers ruled

by Mandmeisterx on Nov 11, 2008 1:27 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

It just makes too much sense.

It makes too much sense not to combine the sites. Multiple writers improve the reader’s perspective and might even allow the writers and web masters to take a real vacation without the site becoming stale or falling a part.

I am a long time reader and poster at BSR and the boysblog. I have been reading Rafael’s work for a good ten years. While I have read a couple of articles off this site before I have not been a regular visitor. I am looking forward to a good mix of articles and hoping the dialog here is as verbose and of the same caliber that we found at BSR.

by Trey, on Nov 11, 2008 1:27 PM CST reply actions 0 recs