*Note: These are all pending that the same players and coaches will be at the helm next season due to length of contracts, signing bonuses, and salary cap. These possible solutions will also be connected to each other.
1. Jerry Jones needs to stop being a Steinbrenner or Al Davis wanna be. The Cowboys are already the most watched and exposed team, so stop marketing/promoting the team like if it is the only game in town. No more "Hard Knocks" or stadium celebrations that only motivate teams to play harder against the Cowboys and cause team distractions. The celebration of Texas Stadium after the finale should have never been scheduled for after the game. Instead, it should have been a pre-game or half time celebration because this only showed the team's arrogance. The best promoting tool for any team are Super Bowl championships and his television show needs to be canceled. I never compared Jerry Jones to be like Al Davis until he stated that he fired Chan Gailey after two seasons was a mistake because this was his worst hire as an owner of the Cowboys. Finally, it was bad decision to keep Wade Phillips, but it would be worse to fire him now after he was so adamant about it. It would be deemed to be a complete lack of class to do so just to hire Shanahan or any other coach and this is almost to the level of when he fired Tom Laundry.
2. I believe that Wade Phillips was sincere when he stated that he was going to change his coaching approach during his press conference on Monday following the Eagles game. If a person doesn't change in any profession or craft, or doesn't have a philosophy that is flexible than that person will become fossilized or is doomed for failure. This season's failure to reach the playoffs began when Romo and Witten took that trip to Mexico when the playoffs began and the Cowboys earned that by week. Both players should have been fined $100,000 for being so reckless and not realizing the dangers that occur in Mexico on a daily basis. Phillips needs to make off-season and practices competitive and challenging in order to have the team perform better during pressure situations. Needs to hold players accountable to every small detail, so that they are prepared for each game and not to have any confusion. And to never, never allow Romo to wave him off again like if Romo has won Super Bowl championships and allow for Romo to run plays that are drawn on the ground.
3. Jason Garrett needs to close the door on his "open-door policy", and needs to call a balanced attack for keeping defenses unbalanced and not for the sake of being balanced. A balance attack will also allow for Romo's arm to be strong at the end of the season and/or an emphasis on the run for the first 1/4 or 1/3 of the season will help him keep the zip on his throws in December. Both Garrett and Phillips need to take away Romo's responsibilities, so that Romo can be a better quarterback. Garrett needs to utilize routes that Roy Williams is most successful with.
4. Garrett and Phillips should take away from Romo are the audible and blocking schemes adjustments at the line of scrimmage. These are too much for Romo to handle and this is evident when the play clock continues to go down to zero on each play. This takes away the advantage the offensive line of knowing when the ball is snapped and gives to the defense.
5. Romo needs to become a football guy. In other words, he needs to eat, sleep, and drink football. He continues to repeat the same mistakes over and over. Romo doesn't throw the ball away when he is being chased out of the pocket, and then he is stripped from behind for a fumble and continues to throw the ball into double and triple coverage. Football is a game, but it's also a business. After the loss to the Eagles, Romo stated that football is fun and this is the reason he plays. Romo needs to realize that he gets paid over 60 million to win and not to have fun. Tony Romo needs to appear more in sports related periodicals, sports channels, and websites than on TMZ or any tabloid media outlet. A football guy wouldn't consider himself a celebrity which is one of Parcell's quarterback commandments that Romo continues to break. Phillips and Jones should follow Parcells' cue. For example, Jason Taylor wanted to compete in "Dancing with the Stars", so Parcells traded him to the Redskins. If Romo wants to spend time on TMZ or try to qualify for the U.S. Open than Phillips and Jones need to learn from Parcells. Romo needs to understand that he is the quarterback of the most high-profile team in football and that Cowboy fans are very passionate about their team and players. He needs to care about the perception that the fans have about him.
6. If Romo was meeting with Witten to design on-the-ground plays than they need to do a better job of being on the same page. There were too many times during the season that they didn't connect. Romo needs to get with all of his receivers and get acquainted with all of them this and on every off-season.
7. T.O. is more like a Jeckle & Hyde or bi-polar type character. One year he is crying on a post-game press conference in order to bring attention to himself to save Romo from being criticized over his trip to Mexico and performance against the Giants. The next year he is criticizing the offense and the coordinator because his numbers are not the same as in the past. Owens is still a very good receiver even though he is 35 and his best years are behind him now, so he needs to be less outspoken than in the past.
8. There will be one change for next year for sure and that is the special teams coach. Whoever he is, he needs to make every session challenging and for players to challenge any little thing. Not a single field goal was challenged throughout the entire season no matter the distance and a fake field goal was executed by the Ravens considering that nobody was rushing to block the field goal. This is the type of mentality that spread throughout the team. No one challenged and no one responded to a challenge.
9. Alex Smith will probably become a free agent and could be acquired to back-up Romo or even become the starter. Smith's best season was under Norv Turner as his coordinator and he had Antonio Bryant as one of his receivers. Garrett's offense is similar to Turner's, so Smith can easily become acclimated. Chris Simms can probably be the 3rd string quarterback because Bollinger couldn't even beat out Jackson and Frerote in Minnesota. The Cowboys also need to acquire two Super Bowl winning veterans for each side of the ball that have several years left in the tank. Someone like Charles Haley who can go crazy for not winning a game that should be won and who can shut outspoken players' mouths.
10. Finally, Jerry Jones has paid or overpaid each player very well to have nothing in return from most of them with the exception of DeMarcus Ware. Each player needs to hold himself accountable; otherwise there will be another stellar season like Ware's that goes down the drain. Learn how to become a professional by eliminating foolish mistakes like dropped passes, penalties, and turnovers.
Taylor Walker
Brooklyn Decker
2009 Turkeys Of The Year
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Comments (24) Add A Comment
Sad when you do not trust your QB to call blocking schemes at the line before the snap. THAT is why Eli Manning is a better QB than Romo. That is why the Giants running game has worked so well . He, with Ohara, call the schemes a the line every play......No one is going to take Phillips seriously next year. Too late for that, they know him as he is...It would appear that J. Jones is writing next year off...The O line is not that good in pass blocking, TO is 35, Roy Williams is not better than Crayton, The rest of the teams in the Division will be as good or better next year..Until that locker room and coaching staff is cleaned out, then not much will change..
50yearfan
Total Comments (8714)
nice work
Joe Dew
Idaho Falls , ID
Total Comments (8095)
The structure for long term success is not in place for the Cowboys. From the top where decisions are made, to coaches ( too busy trying to be like I guess ) to players who are not committed to winning...
Two weeks after winning a Super Bowl last year Eli Manning was looking at film to see what he could do better. What was Romo doing two weeks after his season ended? Or any Cowboy?
50yearfan
Total Comments (8714)
Jones's biggest mistake was his "coaching line up is finalised" line when he could now have Shanahan or Cowher.
eylesy
Total Comments (141)
Great analysis. I'm glad you emphasize that many of the problems with the team come from the top-down.
Far too many people have tried to oversimplify the issue by saying "Romo is a choker" or "TO is a cancer". Those are just symptoms of the greater problem.
YODA
Total Comments (16904)
I swear TP your blogs get better every time. Your breakdown is so accurate and on the ball Jerry should seriously look at this blog and HIRE YOU!
BEAST!
Leander , TX
Total Comments (1283)
Total Package,
nice work. I am so mad at the organization I could spit. You summed it up with the JJ philosophy on the Stadium Party, the Hard Knocks, all the C_rap that clouds the issue that winning is the first criteria and the rest will follow. If he would stop messing with the organization it could get on track. arrgh
+40yrCowboyFan
Total Comments (3667)
Well said. As far as continuity is concerned, it could very well be another three consecutive 5-11's before things straighten out, if they do. I am of the mindset, however, that you can tell Jerry Jones anything as far as you can see him, but when he gets up close, you can't tell him diddly. This crap statement about "even negative publicity is good for the Cowboys" has to be one of the most asinine statements I've ever heard. He is now saying he regrets some things from the past, such as firing Tom Landry the way he did, etc.......He has his fanbase in such an uproar right now, it sounds as if he's trying to pacify the fans so they will continue buying tickets and merchandise. Wonder what would happen if his stadium opens and no one shows up? That would be about the only way fans could get his undivided attention. Guess we will see if indeed things "change" and gets fixed.
RIP Dad 1933-2008
Orange, TX
Total Comments (4058)
Another great blog, TP. Keep 'em coming.
CowboyDave
Total Comments (27336)
First of all, Wade Phillips should be switched to D-Coordinator and Mike Shannahan hired to replace him as HC and instill a run-first mentality in Dallas for the first time since Emmit Smith left. As a HC, Wade is not the guy to lead anybody to a ring.
If there is anyway to get rid of T.O., do it. He proved this year the drama he brings is no longer outweighing his lack of performance.
Romo will only excel when the offense is balanced and he isnt being asked to throw like 30 times+ a game.
Cassidy's House:…
Whatsittoya, NO
Total Comments (16281)
Do I hear Cowher in 2010? Wade gets one last year to right the ship, Cows also send T.O. packing by trade or out right release!
Mr.Whistler
Total Comments (871)
they need to revamp the o-line, the LT, Flozell Adams is overrated and seems to lose focus, the LG position is pathetic, and leonard Davis is overpaid and isn't nasty enough for his size. Realistically you probably can't move TO due to his signing bonus size, so you need bring in a coach who isn't going to spoke at TO's antics and who will take control and check him. Alot of Romos problem comes from lack of ability to read defenses and the afore mentioned offensive line. Fix the line and Romo becomes much better, and he won't have to take some of the unnecessary throws to due protection breakdowns. Lastly Jerry Jones needs to just sit back and shut up, and stop meddling. Oh yeah, run the ball too, don't be one dimensional.
rmn1181
Total Comments (103)
Most of the o-line is signed through 2011. This is all pending that both coaches and players are the same for next year.
Total Package
El Paso, TX
Total Comments (1083)
The race is on for 2010 between Holmgren, Cowher, and Shanahan.
Total Package
El Paso, TX
Total Comments (1083)
1st off, what makes you think Phillips will accept a demotion and secondly, what makes you think Shanahan will not want to bring in his own staff....plus he already has stated he is out til 2010.
Next, I agree Wade may not be the answer, since it does appear that we need more toughness, but, he is vowing change and since there are no viable options next season, I say give it a shot. This team did go 13-3 when the team was mostly healthy, and Wade did get the D to improve even more this season than last....
The team took a step back on the offensive side and that falls on Garrett. His lack of calling plays to keep more protection in for Romo is crap and with 2 monster wideouts, why slant routes were not used more and more is beyond me.
TO is not at fault here but is a popular guy to blame for the issues.
Flozell Adams is a solid olineman and granted, he does get a bunch of false starts, but check the stats, he does not give up many sacks in a given season and was hurt all year...did you know that?
Injuries hurt Dallas too.
Overall, its going to be the same coaches for one more season and I agree with that decision based off of what is going on with the other top names.
It would be awesome to open the new stadium with a stud like Cowher, but, I think Jerry realizes that one more year of the same BS and then he can move on and clean house.
JeffHart24
Boca Raton, FL
Total Comments (343)
I don't want anything to do with Holmgren or Shanahan. I doubt any of the three will want to work for Jerry Jones, anyhow. Perfect scenario would be Cowher with Phillips moving to D-Coordinator, but I don't see Wade accepting such a demotion on the same team.
C-C-C
Total Comments (23527)
Keeping Phillips is a lame duck coach would be the worse thing that could happen, so Jerry better support him for next year or the remainder of his contract.
Total Package
El Paso, TX
Total Comments (1083)
Tooling Jessica is my guess! :-)
Mr.Whistler
Total Comments (871)
No HC would ever take a demotion from within the same organization.
Total Package
El Paso, TX
Total Comments (1083)
I never said he was dumb, just not all that committed to football. Lol. At least he did not waste his time.
50yearfan
Total Comments (8714)
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