Wade comes clean: I call the defensive plays

It seems as if the defense has been playing better as of late.

A few weeks back many people wanted Brian Stewart's head-on-a-stick. Wade stepped in and became more involved. But he did so in a way to help Stewart save face and avoid taking all the credit. He was intentionally ambiguous about his role and that drove the media nuts.

Well, he was a little more definitive today.

"Nothing has changed," safety Ken Hamlin said on Oct. 23.

Said Stewart on that day, "If I got demoted, I probably wouldn't be smiling. ... He will spend a little more time on the defense."

Now it's more than a month later, and Phillips admits he has been indeed calling the defenses. He calls what defense he wants to run to Stewart, who relays it to linebacker Bradie James on the field.

"I call all the defenses," Phillips said Wednesday afternoon.

But the agreed-upon lie back then was Stewart was calling the defense. Nothing had changed, etc.

"I said that during the week (after the loss to the Rams) that I was calling defenses," Phillips said.

No. He didn't. All he said was he was going to get more involved.

I guess no good deed goes unpunished. Seems like Wade just tried to handle it with some class.

Imagine the temerity!

Quick look at the playoff race.

Short version: we need to win. Period.

We need to make it happen like yesterday.

Tony Romo plays a game with reporters he can't win.

"Well, I have only two Decembers. This is my third one now. So I don't know if you can really have anything -- if I play about eight years and we stink in December every year, maybe we can talk about it.

"But the first year you are just kind of running around with your head cut off, you don't really know what is going on. When you are playing you are just playing. And I think we went, what, 2-2 last year. But that is also different. I didn't even play but a half in that last game. So I would like to think I had a winning record a little bit except for last year. And we have only played one game [this season] against a good team on the road. So it is what it is. People talk and they come up with stats and a few different things. But the reality of it is if you are a good football team and you are playing games that everyone is playing in, yeah, you will win."

I accept and agree with everything he's saying here. I don't necessarily think a 2-2 December is such a bad thing. And Romo hasn't been here long enough to authoritatively say he always has bad Decembers.

But that's not the point. The point is, you can't win these rationalizations. This is the same thing both Mannings, Steve Young and Aikman went through before they won the big game. It's the same thing McNabb goes through. If you address it, it seems like you're making excuses. The only way to shut people up is to win. That's the only way.

You've got better things to do with your time than to try and explain this rationally to reporters. They're not listening. You think this is going to stop them from asking these questions or writing critical columns? No sir.

Ok. I'm stepping down from my soapbox.

Boy the NFL Network loves to show us when we lose. In all fairness, it was a great game Sunday. (I don't want to spoil it for you but the last seven minutes left a bitter taste in my mouth. Like beer that's been sitting out in the sun for about a week). But I've been seeing replays of the debacle in Pittsburgh left in right.

I would watch the fourth quarter of this game at your own peril. Especially if your like me and you throw stuff when you get angry. But, I must admit, the Game of the Week presentations are always interesting. It's like a hybrid of "Inside the NFL" and classic ESPN highlights. I dig that kind of stuff.

This week the NFL Network is acting like a stalker because they don't know how to quit us. They're like Renee Zellweger in "Jerry McGuire" because we had them at hello. They're like Sanaa Lathan in "Brown Sugar" because ... well ... no reason. I just needed a reason to say her name because she's so fine (that restraining order was unnecessary Ms. Lathan!)

Here's the NFL Networks take on Romo's woes in December, our chances of recovering and how this could be a make-or-break matchup for Romo.

We're running that network.

Justin Tuck talks big and plays even bigger. He'll be in Irving Sunday and if the 'Boys want to run anything resembling a functioning offense, they'll need to block him.

Colombo. Time to earn that big paycheck you just got.

Marc Colombo is the new $22 million man on the Cowboys' offensive line. He must start earning his keep immediately.

The defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants visit Texas Stadium on Sunday, and they bring their NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidate, strongside end Justin Tuck.

At right offensive tackle, Colombo draws Tuck as his blocking assignment – and Tuck wasn't blocked very often in the first meeting between the teams in November. Tuck made a team runner-up six tackles, including 2 ½ sacks, as the Giants handcuffed the Cowboys' offense in a 35-14 romp.

I care about wins way more than statistics. But I do think it's neat that MB3 and T.O. are nearing 1,000 yards. I know the Emmitt and Irvin years spoiled us but there has definitely been years where we didn't have anyone close to 1,000 yards receiving or rushing. There were years when Richie Anderson and Troy Hambrick (just an aside: how weird is it that BOTH of those dudes got in trouble with the law?) were our prime rushing threats and Raghib Ismail and Keyshawn Johnson were oh so close to 1,000 but yet so far. Thank you football gods for delivering us from those days.

Like I said, wins over stats. But the desire to see players reach goals and your team win games is not mutually exclusive. You can wish for both simultaneously.

And I do.

I hope they get it.

They deserve it.