Can Wade play poker?

Last season, the Cowboys won the Thanksgiving Day game against a Seattle team that was playing minus a few chips. The win versus the Seahawks boosted Dallas to an 8-4 record.  While not the chip leader (the Giants were 10-1), the Cowboys were two wins in front of the Eagles (6-5-1), half a game in front of the Falcons (7-4), and but half a game behind the Buccaneers (8-3).

Most fans and media remember what happened next: a cold Sunday loss in Pittsburgh (the eventual champion) that left the Cowboys 8-5. A win against New York proved to be the final win of the season, as Dallas lost to Baltimore and Philadelphia in subsequent weeks.

Dallas folded and lost all their chips in Philadelphia.  Instead of firing the guy that supposedly makes the decisions on how to play the hand dealt to the Cowboys, Jerry decided to play a different hand this season.  With the help of Stephen Jones, Jerry released the wild cards on this team.

About a year later, and one of the best teams in the AFC is in Arlington. This game has a great deal riding on the outcome.

Jerry Jones, the loose playing poker player has gone all in, backing a team concept over the “star” system that has not won anything of note since 1995.  Now Jones will find out if the cards he discarded really have strengthened his hand, or if they have Jerry leaving the table early…again.

Hopefully, Jerry will realize that sometimes a good hand does not win, and he does not return to his ways of reaching for stars.  Just look at the current stars on the offense:

Tony Romo: undrafted

Miles Austin: undrafted

Jason Witten: 3rd round pick

Even Jay Ratliff, who is the beast this season on defense, was a 7th round pick.  Patience in developing his players has paid off.

Jerry has also been patient with Wade Phillips.  Wade seems to have forgotten what happened last season after Thanksgiving, but the person bank rolling Phillips has come out and stated that he expects no less than a playoff win and a division title. 

Wade was primarily brought in to mold an under performing, under whelming defense into a Super Bowl caliber winning unit. Sacks have been up, points against have decreased, but turnovers have been few and far between.  It is difficult to win when face cards are just not coming down the pike.

Now comes the card on the river, will this defense step it up enough to slow down one of the best offensive teams that the Dallas Cowboys have faced? The answer will reward not only Jones, but also Phillips. After all, this is what Wade was supposed to fix.

So far Wade has been as wildly inconsistent as a rookie to the table.  Play a good hand against the Chargers, and Phillips has a chance to make the Cowboys a winner...again.

Play this 2009 hand incorrectly this Sunday, and Wade can start looking for a different table.  No pressure...