Hate to Say I Told You So

Last week, I expressed great concern over our defense - even in light of a win - but like a lot of people, I saw this coming.

This defense flat out sucks. Some argue it's the coaches and some say the players, but I say it's the perfect storm of suck on all counts.

1.) Parcells. When he first became HC, Parcells didn't want to mess with a good thing, because Zimmer had, I believe, the #1 defense in the league the year before with the 4-3. After a few down years on defense (with OK talent), Parcells reverted to what he knew and MADE Zimmer, a life-long 4-3 guy, learn the 3-4 instead of bringing in an experienced 3-4 guy. Why? Who knows. Jerry maybe? Anyway, after the supposed BIG draft with Ware (whom many predicted to be a DE), Spears and Canty, the Cowboys appeared to have, IMO, the talent to actually stick with the 4-3 given the LB corps of Dat, Coakley and James at MLB, but Parcells demanded the 3-4 with an on-the-job trainee in Zimmer. Bad mistake.

That said, there's NO WAY Parcells gives the keys to Zimmer without looking over his shoulder, this is HIS handpicked defensive blueprint, so he should be held accountable for the porous defensive gameplans which includes obvious blitzes in obvious blitzing downs.

Any coincidence that once Sean Payton got out from underneath Parcells that his offense leads the league? Similar QB styles in Romo and Brees - Brees just has more experience, similar 2-back offense - Bush just more explosive than Julius, and actually lesser, IMO, receiving corps with Saints, yet much more imaginative playcalling. Think the ass-kicking the Saints gave the Boys was Payton's way of saying, "see old man, I TOLD you my stuff would work if you just let me do my thing without giving me so much grief?"

2.) Zimmer. As mentioned before, he learned the 3-4 on the job, but after supposedly "studying" all the great 3-4 defenses/coordinators, don't you think he could come up with something a little more imaginative than blitzing Roy up the middle on 3rd and long? He's just clueless.

He would've melted down on national TV had his one designated pass rusher, Ware, been seriously injured. "What, you mean someone other than 94 rushes the QB? Complete System Failure."

3.) Players. I take it all back - Roy's actually a very good SS and deserves all the accolades he receives. I love how he takes charge and shows up every week. One tackle with the division on the line? Hawaii here we come!

Bradie James looks lost and gets whipped a lot. How many tackles can a LB make 8 yards down the field?

Marcus Spears? Did he even dress for the game?

Canty, Adoyle, Henry (good pic though), Singleton (how many times can a 10-year vet let a runner get outside)? Please.

Didn't this defense have the dreaded "players only meeting" this week?

And THIS is what we get out of these players, WITH THE FREAKING DIVISION on the line? Over FOUR HUNDRED FREAKING YARDS OF OFFENSE for the Eagles?!?!? It's disgusting, and these dudes should NEVER hear the name Doomsday mentioned with their names again.

I'll never get how athletes, paid or not, can go out and give nothing with a championship (albeit a division championship) on the line, but again, I'm not off to my multi-million dollar mansion to ponder it all so, sadly, all I can do is vent.

Few other notes:

• T.O. said that if asked, he'd become a more vocal leader, but that the team should understand he'd brutally honest and that might be hard for some to take.

Are you freaking kidding me? You think if someone chewed his a$$ everytime he dropped a pass that he'd think, "well, that's a tough pill to swallow, but thanks for being a great leader?" What a freaking hypocrite.

Also, he said (AGAIN) that he needs to get involved earlier in the game. Please. If the team who is giving you "25 million reasons" to play but decides to only call your number once a game, it's up to you to be a professional, acknowledge said 25 million reasons, and CATCH THE DAMN BALL WHENEVER it's thrown to you —— no matter what.

• Tony Romo needs to get back to playing like a first-year starter and not like a guy who thinks he's the next Farve —— quickly leading him to become the next Mark Rypien or Don Majkowski. Get your head out of the clouds.

• Said it week 4 - the offensive line is good against bad teams and awful against good ones. Explain to me again why we signed Marco Rivera over Mike Wahle?

• Parcells might want to direct his "evil" stares at a few other guys other than Miles Austin (who was wrong, but come on).

Hey Parcells, it ain't your rookie kick returner who's quitting on you. It's all the guys to whom YOU gave ringing endorsements (and lots 'o cash) — Roy, Bradie, Spears, Canty, Rivera, Adams, Owens (this one's on Jerry), Henry, Keith Davis et al.

-M