I’m pretty clear in my own mind about what I want from my team. I’m not the fan who just wants a playoff win under their belt to break the string of failures. No. I want Dallas to win the Super Bowl. This year and every year. Nothing less than that will satisfy me. So, I was thinking about what could get in the way of a Super Bowl run for our beloved Cowboys this year. As with any fanpost (note: this is the disclaimer), some of this may be emanating from my own personal bias that comes from so many years without a new Bling to rub the Bleeding Green Nation’s noses in, but I think THESE two things should concern every Cowboys fan as we look toward the upcoming campaign…

Coaching

Okay, let’s be honest. This is another one of Jerry’s ill-conceived coaching staffs where the bass-ackward process of hiring assistants took place before hiring the head coach. In Jerry’s tenure as GM of the Cowboys, the track record for the staffs he created by making the HC work with Jones’ group of handpicked assistants/coordinators has been pretty abysmal. Thus far, this one hasn’t fared much better.

On the offensive side of the ball, Jason Garrett was widely criticized by some for not taking full advantage of the weapons available to him last year and for not being more imaginative (was Romo pointing his finger at Garrett in his final news conference of ‘08?) in his play calling. Others continue to hail him as a budding genius in the offensive coaching ranks and cite the production of the team in 2007 along with big numbers from Tony Romo. At one time, he was viewed as Dallas’ next great Head Coach. Is that still true? Regardless, he was hired by the GM and not the Head Coach and that has always had the potential to create a (perceived or real) division. At the very least, it is atypical of the way most staffs are built and invites tension when things don’t go as planned. As if that wasn’t enough, pursuant to one of my previous rants, is there an assistant coach whose unit has more heat on them than Hudson Houck? His coaching performance alone could determine if the Cowboys sink or swim in 2009. Can Hud be the hero we want him to be?

On Special Teams, I can’t find a Bruce Read apologist anywhere on SB Nation. The hiring of Joe DeCamilis was lauded by everyone (including fans who didn’t have a clue about who his resume). In truth, Dallas could have hired Bar Refaeli (you're welcome) to coach the Specials and it would have been lauded as a watershed move by Jerry and the Cowboys front office. That is how bad we wanted a change here. So, we have one. But thus far, through Camp and two meaningless pre-season games (it is early, so I suggest we cut him some slack), Special Teams still look like anything but. At some point, if things don't improve dramatically, people will start asking, is Joe D the turnaround specialist that everyone was hoping he would be?  

On the defensive side of the ball, Wade is working without a Defensive Coordinator (unless you count him as the DC), which is another questionable decision by the GM. Time will tell if Wade, running HIS 3-4 with HIS calls, elevates this unit to elite status or if it makes it more difficult to wear both the DC and HC hats. To be fair, Mike Martz was the HC and was the OC, if not in name. Andy Reid has done it too. The question is, can this team win a Super Bowl with that model?

Speaking of the HC, is anyone in the NFL on a hotter seat than Wade Phillips? He’s been criticized for not being enough of an authoritarian to get the players to perform at consistently high levels (i.e. the Coach Cupcake references). He’s been poked at for his “country bumpkin” approach with the media. As if that was not enough, his boss has personal relationships with 2 of the 3 hottest candidates presumed available for a head coaching job (Shanahan and Holmgren) in 2010 and Wade was not given a new contract extension. This isn’t a secret and the media (not just ESPN) has reported on this ad nauseum. If the team starts to struggle, might we see a repeat of what happened in Seattle with Holmgren being a lame duck last year? Or, is the tough camp coupled with a new version of Wade, focused on accountability, enough to overcome recent failures?

The real question is this; do the dynamics of this coaching staff’s mixture, structure and tenuous contract situation create urgency on the part of the entire staff in a way that forces them to work together and elevate the team’s performance? Or does it create a ‘CYA’ environment where everyone is jockeying for position for 2010 and just tries to make sure they are not in the crosshairs if (or when) the team faces adversity?

Leadership

We’ve all heard that this version of the Dallas Cowboys was built to be more “Romo-friendly”, but does that translate into him becoming the team’s true leader? Isn’t it safe to assume that if Romo DOES NOT step up and into the role of leader (at least for his offensive unit) that there really is no one else that can? As I pointed out in an earlier fanpost, this is a golden opportunity for Romo in that he may not have a locker room that is tailor-made for him like this if a Holmgren or Shanahan comes to Dallas. The initial reports are good out of Valley Ranch, but some people think this could be marketing spin from the king of spin himself, Jerry Jones.

What about the defense? Is Bradie James the leader of that group? And if he is, does he give this defense enough of an identity that would allow it to improve dramatically in the areas that so many BTB’ers have done an excellent job of pointing out (turnovers generated, points allowed, 3rd down performance, penalties, etc.)?

Also, is there a cast of characters that we’re not talking about yet that are really the unsung heroes of their respective units and assume accountability for performance beyond just their individual contribution? As an example, I am extremely excited about what Keith Brooking brings to the table for this defense in that he handles his work between games like a true professional, and then goes out and plays on the field with the type of aggression and physicality that has been missing for some time in Dallas. Are there others that you think that can, should or will step up?

My Take

When it comes to coaching, I think about all of the HOF coaches and what made them great. Men like Halas, Brown and Lombardi who were lightning rods, incredibly dynamic and passionate individuals. They personified the values of the teams they built. Madden, Landry, Noll, Gibbs and Walsh who all won Super Bowls through discipline, but also were innovators in their own right. Great teams, teams that make you say “Oh yeah, they were dominant, one of the best for a long time” generally have great leaders. Can Wade (or maybe for that matter, Jason) be that kind of leader?

Leadership is a tricky thing. Is it earned or bestowed? Is it something you are born with a genetic predisposition for, or can anyone do it if thrust into a situation that requires it of them? Maybe you’re the leader just by virtue of having the position that ‘normally’ is associated with being the leader? Head to your local book store and just look at how many books have been written about leadership. Can anyone be a Patton or a Schwarzkopf?

Either way, this team has (at least these) two big, non-roster question marks heading into the 2009 season. We’ll get to see the answers play out over the next several months and this is just one more reason to be excited about what is to come.  

GO COWBOYS!