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ESPN’s Will Cain: ‘It’s been obvious for a year’ that the Cowboys need a coaching change-Tyler Dragon- SportsDay
The calls for a new regime in Dallas will only get louder if the Cowboys lose this week in Philadelphia,
“The reason this needs to be done now and why it is time sensitive is whatever hope, whatever expectations we have for Dak Prescott, we have to find out immediately, “Cain said. “And I don’t think we will find out under the leadership of Garrett and (offensive coordinator) Scott Linehan. The Cowboys’ primary concern has to be Prescott. What is he and what can he be? The answer under this leadership has been given to you,” Cain said.
Jason Garrett & Scott Linehan have failed despite being given every chance by Cowboys ownership -Michael Sisemore- Blogging The Boys
If the players are failing, look no further than those entrusted to make sure they are prepared.
This past offseason was the front office doubling down on their trust in Garrett and Linehan. Garrett and Linehan were behind an offseason overhaul of position coaches that included hiring a quarterback’s coach with less NFL game experience than the starter. Garrett and Linehan also brought in an offensive line coach who’s philosophical changes got him fired mid-season. Now, the once-perceived strength on offense is a complete mystery from week to week which can’t happen with the resources they spent in that area.
The lack of execution by these players is directly related to a scheme that hasn’t evolved around the quarterback. We have seen enough already that would suggest this current coaching staff is not going to evolve the scheme around Dak Prescott. If that’s the case then there’s no way for the two entities to coexist.
What will a Week 10 loss vs. Eagles mean for the Cowboys’ coaching staff?-Kevin Sherrington- SportsDay
Everyone is expecting more of the same for a Cowboys team that is travelling to Philadelphia winless on the road. What would another loss mean for this staff?
I wouldn’t rule out any possibilities. Losing to the Eagles wouldn’t necessarily eliminate the Cowboys from NFC East contention, but it would mean they’d have to pretty much win out. And what makes anyone think this erratic team could do that? The problem is, I don’t know how many other old coaches Jason Garrett could bring back with a phone call.
Josh McDaniels, Sean Payton, and other potential head coach odds for Cowboys in 2019 -Peter Dawson- Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Jason Garrett now has the greatest odds of any NFL coach to be the first fired but here are the odds for his replacements.
Patriots offensive coordinator ranks first at +250. McDaniels reneged on a verbal commitment to coach the Indianapolis Colts in favor of returning to New England this past offseason.
He also was the Denver Broncos head coach for the 2009 and most of the 2010 season.
Saints head coach Sean Payton has the second-best odds to be the Cowboys’ head coach next season at +300. There’s been rumors that other teams have flirted with Payton, but he did sign a five-year contract extension reportedly worth north of $40 million in March of 2016.
Vikings offensive coordinator John Defilippo has the third-highest odds of landing the Cowboys head coaching gig next season at +600. He has just two seasons of experience in that role and this is his first year in Minnesota.
Cowboys facing ‘must-win’ game with 13.1 percent playoff chances - Todd Archer- ESPN
Ezekiel Elliott knows that this game on the road in Philadelphia is a must-win but this team has been in must-win mode for a while.
“We ain’t got no other choice but to win this game. We know that. And we know we got to come out swinging, man.”
A must-win?
“One hundred percent, yeah,” running back Ezekiel Elliott said. “It’s a must-win.”
Zeke: Philadelphia Is A Must-Win Situation- David Helman-Dallas Cowboys
Ezekiel Elliott referred to this weekend’s game in Philadelphia as “must-win.” Well, they’ll certainly need a load of help from Elliott to get there.
“We’ve definitely talked about having that mentality – us versus the world,” Elliott said. “We’ve got to go out there and win as many ball games as we can to give ourselves an opportunity to get in the playoffs. We need to attack that the right way and prepare so we’re ready.”
If they’re going to do that, a big part of the equation will be their struggling ground game. The Cowboys built their team to run the ball, and they’ve prided themselves on that ability for years.
The blunt truth of the matter, though, is that they haven’t been hitting those marks recently. Elliott was stonewalled for just 33 rushing yards in the Oct. 21 loss to Washington, and after a hot start against Tennessee, he finished with just 61 yards on 17 rushes.
“We’ve got to get this run game going – point, blank, period,” Elliott said.
Injuries have exacerbated O-line issues and it’s only getting harder to manage -Stefan Stevenson- Fort Worth Star-Telegram
This Cowboys offensive line hasn’t been the same since they learned Travis Frederick would be out indefinitely but now they will face more changes.
The Cowboys’ offensive line has been a concern through the first eight games. All-Pro center Travis Frederick has been out while he recovers from Guillain-Barré syndrome, an autoimmune disorder. Left tackle Tyron Smith hasn’t been as dominant as in the past. O-line coach Paul Alexander was fired and replaced by assistant Marc Colombo during the bye week. All-Pro right guard Zack Martin and right tackle La’el Collins both have battled nagging injuries at different times this season.
“Hopefully you’ve built your team in a way where you can put somebody in and you can go play,” Garrett said. “We’re fortunate to have a guy like Joe Looney, a veteran player who has some experience, to go in and play in Travis’ absence. You know, Travis has been a Pro Bowl player and it’s hard to replace a guy like that, but excited to have Joe and what he’s done up to this point.”
Writer’s Blocks: Both Cowboys & Eagles made WR trades but comparisons have been so off- Dave Helman-Dallas Cowboys
The Amari Cooper-Golden Tate trade comparisons have been off the charts in ridiculousness. They really aren't the same at all.
You want the Cowboys to beat the Eagles on the field, but you also want to do the better trade, draft the better player, make the smarter decisions.
That’s why the world was in such a hurry to bash the Cowboys for trading a first-round pick for Cooper after they saw the Eagles land Tate for a third.
I get it. Jokes are the best. They’re fun to make – especially if they’re coming at the expense of your rivals. But let’s chill.
From the very beginning, these aren’t identical deals. You can argue that the Cowboys overpaid a bit for Cooper, but they did so knowing what they were getting – a 24-year-old receiver with a long-term outlook in Dallas.
Jason Kelce thinks Cowboys fans “fell in love because they’re winners” and don’t have emotional ties -RJ Ochoa- Blogging The Boys
For an Eagles player to suggest Cowboys fans don't have "emotional ties" to their team and are just fans of winners, they must have been living under a rock for two decades.
The Dallas Cowboys haven’t won a Super Bowl since 1995. They’ve won two playoff games since (one of them coincidentally against the Eagles). There’s no new fans hanging around the confines of Cowboys fandom because they “fell in love” due to the Cowboys gigantic streaks of winning.
It’s a bit silly for Kelce to make this type of assertion for any fan base anywhere. The Eagles won the Super Bowl and that gives them the right to talk about whatever they want in terms of on-field accomplishments, but it also means that they themselves are now experiencing an influx of bandwagon fans. There are an inordinate amount of Cowboys fans who have more than their fair share of emotional ties to the team for whatever reason is specific to them, whether Jason Kelce is able to realize that or not.
Dallas Cowboys: 7-year-old fan writes brutal letter to Jerry Jones- Matt Howerton-WFAA
A 7-year old fan from Mansfield becomes the latest to voice his displeasure with how the Cowboys have really "sucked" this year.
“Dear Mr. Jones,” the letter begins. “My name is Rylan Wood. I am a 7-year-old 2nd grade student in Mansfield, Texas. My family has been Dallas Cowboys fans since the team was started. I have a lot of Cowboy gear and I have met ‘Zeke, Taco, Jason Witten and two other players who play on other teams.
”You have made my mom very mad because WE SUCK! Every game day she is yelling at the TV and turns off the game. We are wanting to believe in the boys but its hard. I hope ‘Coach Garrett’ is clapping if this letter gets to you. See what happens when Dez X is gone?? The cheerleaders are better than the team this year. I do not want to hurt your feelings.
”Thank you, Rylan”