Wade Phillips gets some national exposure

USA Today has a long article on Wade Phillips and the Dallas Cowboys. There’s a lot of the usual comparing and contrasting with the Parcells era, discussions about the players and Wade’s philosophy. Also discussed, Jason Garrett and the free hand Phillips is giving him in running the offense. But Wade isn’t totally hands off when it comes to the Cowboys offense, he has some ideas.

Even so, Phillips says he won’t be shy in demanding certain matters of emphasis. When Jim Fassel ran his offense in Denver, Phillips remembers his own directive as such: "I know it's West Coast and all of that stuff, but whatever it is, I want (tight end) Shannon Sharpe to get the football."

In Buffalo, Phillips made a similar suggestion to feature receiver Eric Moulds.

Any guesses on whom he wants to have the ball in Dallas?

Try Terrell Owens.

"Can you put that in big headlines?" Phillips asks.

Somewhere, T.O. is smiling.

Here’s their final outlook on the 2007 Cowboys.

Outlook: If Romo doesn't muff the snap on the field goal attempt that sealed Dallas' wild-card loss at Seattle, the Cowboys might have made a deep playoff run. The fact is the Cowboys haven't won a playoff game in 11 years. Given the wide-open NFC landscape, a defense that could improve under Phillips and the playmakers on offense, the Cowboys can aim high. But Romo's still a question, and Dallas has yet to prove it is the class of its division.

Tony Romo was at some benefit thing and was asked a simple question.

Fielding a question from the audience during the Dallas All Sports Association Hall of Fame luncheon Monday, Romo said, "I think we've got a chance to go real deep. I think this team has a shot at winning the whole thing."

Sounds pretty innocuous, just a player saying he thinks his team has a shot. Something we hear every offseason. So it’s kind of funny when it’s followed up by this:

Asked to clarify his statements following the luncheon, Romo didn't back down. He said the Cowboys have as good a chance as anybody.

Wow, Romo didn’t back down. Back down from what? It wasn’t like Jon Kitna and Mike Furrey proclaiming a 10-win season for the Lions. I mean the last time the Lions won 10 games, if I recall correctly, was the year the Lions went undefeated against the Christians in the Roman Coliseum.

Speaking of Roman Coliseums, the construction team out in Arlington is putting up one of the main arches that will support the roof of the new stadium. Mickey Spags is back from vacation with the story.

A milestone step toward that end had taken place about 30 minutes earlier, when the first section of the quarter-mile arch trusses that will support the retractable roof was hoisted and fit into place before a picture-taking gathering which included a beaming City of Arlington mayor Robert Cluck.

If you’re into building and construction, then the article is worth a read.