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Today's Dallas Morning News

PHILADELPHIA – Wade Phillips presides over the most gutless team in franchise history.

That's his legacy.

Forever.

And it should be after Philadelphia stomped the Cowboys, 44-6, in a win-and-you're-in-the-playoffs game Sunday.

But he's keeping his job – even after the worst loss of the Jerry Jones era. Seriously.

Jerry wants to keep the coaching staff intact because he said the continuity provides Dallas with its best chance to win. Besides, he doesn't want to make the same mistake he did nearly a decade ago, when he fired Chan Gailey after only two seasons.



It seems to me Jerry needs a psych evaluation. Either he has lost his mind or he thinks the fans in Dallas are so dumb they will fill his new billion-dollar stadium regardless of the product on the field or the man running the team.

That's the only conclusion you can draw, because if Phillips keeps his job after this season, Jerry should never fire him. Phillips will never do a worse job than he did this season.

Ever.

Then again, maybe Jerry's encouraged because the Cowboys won the fourth quarter – 3-0 on a 42-yard field goal by Nick Folk – and we all know the importance Phillips places on finishing strong.

"You take everybody, starting here, to the woodshed," Jerry said. "Everybody goes to the woodshed. Everyone."

We'll see.

But it's hard to talk tough about taking folks to the woodshed, when Phillips, who managed a 13-3 team with Super Bowl expectations so poorly that it didn't even make the playoffs, remains the coach.


This group of arrogant faux stars played with a sense of entitlement, in part, because Phillips provided a plethora of ready-made excuses for their flaws, when he should've been challenging his underachieving players to perform better.

The big-time players who were supposed to make big plays in big games never showed up against Philadelphia.

You can start with Tony Romo, who threw an interception and fumbled twice, leading to 17 points. Philadelphia outscored the Cowboys, 41-0, during the second and third quarters.

After the second fumble, Romo lay face-first on the turf, his hands on his helmet in despair. Until he decides protecting the ball is a high priority, Romo will never have end-of-the-season success.

Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett's offense was abject, as it has been much of this month against quality defenses. Romo said the Eagles thwarted the Cowboys' pass-blocking schemes, his way of saying either Garrett or offensive line coach Hudson Houck did a poor job.

Ultimately, this game was about the Cowboys playing the same old sloppy football Phillips has accepted all season.

Trailing 17-3 with no margin for error, Adam Jones committed a dumb personal foul – imagine that – at the end of Reggie Brown's 13-yard catch, moving the Eagles to the Dallas 14. Terence Newman's pass interference in the end zone on third-and-9 from the 13 put the ball at the Dallas 1.

Brent Celek's touchdown catch pushed the lead to 24-3.

No way this team, devoid of heart and character, could overcome that deficit. Just to make sure, Jones fumbled the ensuing kickoff to set up David Akers' 50-yard field goal on the first half's final play.



Ridiculous.

Now these Cowboys, who entered December 8-4 and in control of their playoff destiny, must answer another year of questions about their propensity for choking after going 1-3 in the season's final month.

Then they can answer questions about their embarrassing streak of 12 consecutive seasons without a playoff win, the longest in franchise history.

"This is a tough way to end the season, the last two games, is really a shameful way to go out," T.O. said.

What did you expect from this gutless group?

Comments

  • "Besides, he doesn't want to make the same mistake he did nearly a decade ago, when he fired Chan Gailey after only two seasons."


    Yeah, and Chan Gailey was so higly regarded that he is now the head coach of........ well not in the NFL at least.

    Is Jerry Jones turning into another William Clay Ford who doesn't recognize the obvious?
  • IrishMikeIrishMike Posts: 7,737 ✭✭✭
    It appears that after all those years of not making the playoffs, Jones decided to ignore the character factor and sign players that have NFL skills but need a strong leash. Not sure the leash was ever applied and I wonder if it would have worked any way. Its strange that he would bring someone like Parcells in and then go the opposite direction.
  • Jones is so desperate to win without Jimmy johnson and his players that he instered himself in the GM position and if he could find a way legal or not to have the cowboys win, he would do it.

    The stupidest thng Jones ever did was fire/run out JJ. The Cowboys have been freefalling since
    "An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind". - Gandhi
  • stevekstevek Posts: 29,039 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I like Jerry Jones, I like him a lot - He's my favorite owner of all time, and I hope he owns the Dallas Cowboys for a very, VERY long time.

    Here's to you Jerry Jones, my good friend, may you live and own the Dallas Cowboys for at least another 20 or more years.

    Ah Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha.................................................................
  • 2ndCharter2ndCharter Posts: 1,658 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Steve, for once you and I are on the same page, I hope Jerry Jones stays around for a long, long time.... (and, hopefully, he will keep the Son of Bum just as long).

    Member ANA, SPMC, SCNA, FUN, CONECA

  • "The stupidest thng Jones ever did was fire/run out JJ. The Cowboys have been freefalling since"

    And it happened over Jimmy Johnson saying something while making a toast at a party and Jerry took offense to it....... although I suspect that tensions had been building for awhile and that was just the final straw.

  • mickeymantle24mickeymantle24 Posts: 2,768 ✭✭✭
    image
  • SanctionIISanctionII Posts: 12,122 ✭✭✭✭✭
    "How about them Cowboys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"image


    The only thing that gives me a little comfort at the fact that the Broncos imploded losing 4 or their last 5 games is that the Cowboys did not make the playoffs this year either.
  • lawnmowermanlawnmowerman Posts: 19,477 ✭✭✭✭


    << <i>"How about them Cowboys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"image


    The only thing that gives me a little comfort at the fact that the Broncos imploded losing 4 or their last 5 games is that the Cowboys did not make the playoffs this year either. >>



    1978 was a loooong time ago..let it go image
  • lawnmowermanlawnmowerman Posts: 19,477 ✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I like Jerry Jones, I like him a lot - He's my favorite owner of all time, and I hope he owns the Dallas Cowboys for a very, VERY long time.

    Here's to you Jerry Jones, my good friend, may you live and own the Dallas Cowboys for at least another 20 or more years.

    Ah Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha................................................................. >>




    Oh yeah before I forget;


    shuddup
  • SanctionIISanctionII Posts: 12,122 ✭✭✭✭✭
    "1978 was a loooong time ago.... let it go"

    Now that is funnyimage

    I grew up in Colorado and went to college is SW Colorado. I remember people from Texas driving in big Motorhomes, towing their Mercedes and their golf carts behind the motorhomes from Texas to Colorado to ski and play in the mountains. Big, brash and filled with ego, looking down on and talking down to the locals. Talking up the Cowboys constantly. That turned me off to the Cowboys and when they spanked the Broncos in the 1978 SuperBowl (I lost a bet on that game) it turned me off to the Cowboys even more.

    However, to be fair and honest, I always enjoyed seeing a bus full of Texas Sorority coeds travelling to Colorado for a little skiing. They were always welcome.


  • << <i>I like Jerry Jones, I like him a lot - He's my favorite owner of all time, and I hope he owns the Dallas Cowboys for a very, VERY long time.

    Here's to you Jerry Jones, my good friend, may you live and own the Dallas Cowboys for at least another 20 or more years.

    Ah Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha................................................................. >>





    That Tony Romo, he has quite a promising career too.

    Love him, he's my hero. image

    Jones the Incubus is always defeated in the end.
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