Sorry Charlie

Time to dish myself some crow now.

Four years ago I thought Tuna would get us at least to the Conference Championship game before he left town.
I figured by year 4 we'd be there, Tuna would split, we'd inherit a Tuna-Junior and be set for another go.

Well, here we are.
Four years of Tuna and what have we to show for it?
Pass the ketchup...


1. A fluke playoff season, featuring Quincy Carter at Quarterback and the NFL's best Defense,
2. That same Defense subsequently dismantled and rebuilt into a mediocre 3-4,
3. A 2-year body of work showcasing Vinny "Methuselah Lives" Testaverde and Drew "Cement Feet" Bledsoe,
4. An influx of overpriced, over-rated Free Agents,
5. An abandoned ship that seemed so close to sailing at full speed,
and
6. No clue where to turn from here.

To be fair, we DO have several fairly successful recent draft picks, enough to conceivably build a team around, including a budding quarterback (albeit one who needs some tough love).

So you could say that Tuna's stay was successful, since we're arguably in better shape now than when he rode into town.

But I don't remember anyone ever paying an architect so much
just to lay a foundation,
nor do I remember an architect leaving his project
before that foundation has even dried.


-----


What will the new Sheriff at Valley Ranch inherit?

1. An undermanned, piecemeal coaching staff,
2. A potential Running Back controversy,
3. The question of Terry Glenn's future (will he want to stay in Dallas now?),
and
4. An 81-TOn, multi-million-dollar albatross with bad hands and worse attitude.

To again be fair to Tuna, we can lay some of this on Jerry Jones. We know he's a bear to work for, with his meddlesome personnel decisions and domineering ways.

I've heard it said recently that Tuna has, at least, put the shine back on the star enough that coaching in Dallas is no longer the dead-end it was perceived to be after Jones completely hamstrung Chan Gailey and Dave Campo.

However, I've also heard that you can't polish a turd.
Jerry may not quite approach Al Davis's machinations in scale, but he's not far behind,
and it's threfore hard to picture anyone JUMPING at the chance to move to the Metroplex.

Let's just pray that he has the cojones this time to hire someone who ALSO has cojones; someone who will stand-up to him when needed.

Help Wanted

From Todd Archer, Dallas Morning News:

We still don't know if Bill Parcells is coming back in 2007 or beyond.
Yes, beyond.

If he comes back he could have up to five openings on his staff.
The primo job is as defensive coordinator, and the Cowboys could be in a position to land the best 3-4 coordinator in the business.

With Pittsburgh hiring Mike Tomlin, a believer in the Tampa-2 scheme, the Steelers long-time coordinator Dick LeBeau could be available. He has a contract, so the Steelers would have to grant permission to allow LeBeau to leave.

LeBeau invented the 3-4, zone blitz scheme used by the Steelers on a napkin. It's slightly different than the 3-4 the Cowboys use because it is more of an attacking scheme.
>>> Wouldn't THAT be great!!!?<<<

LeBeau turns 70 in September, but having spent plenty of time around the coach in Cincinnati, the man is going on 45. He is amazing. And he should be considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. When he retired he had 62 interceptions, which was third-most at the time he left the game.

A Feather in Jerry's Cap?

So Cowboys fans, where do we go from here?

Everyone sees promise, especially with the offense.
We have playmakers and pro-bowlers at every skill position.
Sure the Line needs a bit of fine-tuning (in today's NFL they all do), but otherwise lots more upside here than weakness.
Should make for an exciting 2007 season.

Everyone sees potential on the defense.
We have a couple of playmakers here, too, and some players who are oh-so-close.
Again, a matter of fine-tuning.

With that established, the 'Boys are not just a draft-pick or a free-agent away from Glory.
The answer lies not with players, but elsewhere.



What pieces are most lacking?
Guidance.
Aggression.
Fearlessness.
Creativity.

And so thank you, Mike Zimmer, for opening the door to a new Defensive Coordinator.




I have two words for Jerry Jones this off-season:
Clarence Brooks.

Mister Brooks is currently the Defensive-Line coach for the Baltimore Ravens.

Tuna may sneer at this, as Baltimore played a bit more 4-3 than his favored 3-4.
But they were not EXCLUSIVELY a 4-3,
they converted to a 3-4 when the situation called for it (Creativity).

They played to win, instead of meekly protecting a lead (Fearlessness).

They attacked the quarterback consistently (Aggression).

And more than anything else they played as a well-knit unit (Guidance).



Brooks has seen it, lived it and won by it.
He knows how to do all these things and impart them to his players.
He also knows how to put his players in the best positions to excel (maybe even Roy?).

And one would suspect he might just listen to a job offer.

Good article by Mickey Spagnola: "So what about Roy?"

Yeah, him, Roy Williams, the team's franchise strong safety fast turning into an enigma after five seasons in this league.

You know, the Pro Bowl safety who certainly did not perform this 2006 season like a guy earning an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii compliments of his peers and fans.

The same safety who led the Cowboys in interceptions on one hand, but also might have led them in blown coverages on the other.

The guy Cowboys owner Jerry Jones guaranteed $11.1 million this summer by extending his expiring contract through the 2010 season, handing him $5.5 million then and promising the remaining $5.5 million in March.

By all rights, the guy who should have been one of this team's leaders, both on the field and in the locker room, but who prefers to fade into the woodwork in either environment and has little to decreasingly no interaction with what seems to be a loyal fan base through its media intermediaries.

That guy.

Let's talk, and might as well as we sit here these days anxiously awaiting for the papal smoke to waft out of the head coach's office at The Ranch signally a yea or a nay on Bill Parcells' coaching future with the Cowboys.

Now Williams is not the only other hot topic out here after the Cowboys were tragically eliminated from the NFC playoffs last weekend to culminate an already frustrating 9-7 regular season, somehow losing a two-game lead in the NFC East with only four games to go.

But most of these other issues can't be sorted out until Parcells announces his decision on whether to continue coaching or not. Things like, who will become the team's defensive coordinator to replace Mike Zimmer? What other staff members might not return? What will be the most pressing off-season personnel priorities? You get the idea.

So in the meantime, let's chew on this Roy business, shall we?

As in: Where the heck is he?

Where is that guy the Cowboys spent an eighth pick in the draft on in 2002? The guy who had a career-high 127 tackles that season, along with a career-high seven behind the line of scrimmage?

Where is that guy who would have regularly appeared on ESPN's favorite Monday night segment of "Jacked Up," he being the one doing the jacking up?

Why did this four-time Pro Bowler not have a Pro Bowl impact on this team this year? Talk about Terrell Owens, come on.

Look, I know he had five interceptions this season, and another one in the playoffs. But sometimes interceptions don't tell the whole story, because if they did, then you would argue to me Williams is better in coverage than Terence Newman, who finished the regular season with only one interception.

This guy should be all about tackles, yet he had but 86 this year, fourth on the team - and behind a cornerback for goodness sakes (Anthony Henry). He had only two tackles for losses, one forced fumble and one quarterback pressure. And don't tell me they didn't blitz him enough. They did, but when they did, he didn't get there.

Hey, in that Philadelphia game, the one at Texas Stadium on Christmas Day, by golly the official play-by-play crew credited him with one tackle. One! Although, he did end up with two more after the coaches' tape review. To me, that's an invisible performance.

That wasn't just an aberration, either. He finished the Carolina game with one "assisted" tackle. Arizona with one tackle. Seattle with three.

Where's ol' Roy?

Now Jones says this upon further review:

"We got to get Roy close, we got to get him more where he can get up and make more plays," said the owner on this week's segment on The Ticket, the flagship station of the Dallas Cowboys Radio Network. "I think everybody recognizes that.

"We say we're going to do that every time this time of year, (and) we need to start doing it more."

No arguments there. But here's two problems. One, Williams wasn't that good close to the line of scrimmage this year. Hey, you saw him whiff on Shaun Alexander five yards deep in the backfield. You saw him take too many bad angles in run pursuit this year.

And two, he's a safety. At times, safeties have to play in coverage. You can't always play an eight-man front. You can't always play in single safety formation. Someone has to cover the tight end or the running backs out of the backfield at times.

Now I know what you guys are screaming. I've read it. Frankly, too many times, until you've turned blue in the face. Move Roy to linebacker.

Baloney. He's can't play linebacker. He can't. You realize he's 6-foot, 229 pounds (listed). How many 6-foot, 230-pound linebackers (I'll give him a pound) you know in the NFL these days? I mean, you seriously think he can play Greg Ellis' vacated outside left linebacker spot on this 3-4 defense?

Right, I'd love to see him standing up on the line of scrimmage trying to fend off one of those 340-pound offensive tackles. He'd get squashed.

And what else do the Cowboys ask those outside linebackers to do? Like go into the slot and reroute receivers when teams go three wide. Like cover sometimes. Do you not just cringe at the thought of Williams going one-on-one with, say, Tiki Barber? Oh, he won't have to, sorry, Tiki has retired. OK, then Brian Westbrook. Reggie Bush. Ha!

So you say, how about inside?

Please. You kidding me? They'll run him over so hard, he'll turn into a pancake by game's end. Single stack. If you watch closely, Williams rarely sheds a blocker to get to the ball carrier. He'll as soon turn a shoulder and give himself up than fight through the muck to make a tackle.

No, that's not the answer. Forget it.

So I figure there are two choices to get your $11 million out of Roy: Pair him with a Pro Bowl free safety or someone has to force him to work harder.

Now those Pro Bowl free safeties don't grow on trees. And generally, if a team has a legit one, he doesn't come free. And can you stomach spending another first-round pick on a defensive back? I mean, that would be three in secondary, along with having to pay basically first-round money to Henry. At this rate, you'll never get that difference-making wide receiver or second pass rusher or franchise-type offensive tackle or . . . heaven forbid if it should come to this . . . quarterback.

Come on, Williams shouldn't need Darren Woodson to hold his hand. Still. Maybe say a prayer for Patrick Watkins.

As I've said many a times, a lot of playing safety is recognition - knowing what to do when it's time to do it. That takes plenty of film study. Knowledge allows you to make decisions back there much quicker. Also allows you to play more aggressively.

See, what everyone needs to understand is that in the NFL there aren't many - if any - players who get to freelance, as Roy evidently did at Oklahoma. No defined position so to speak.

Hence, the Cowboys' dilemma.

But with the kind of money they just paid him - and will pay him - this must be solved. And you would hope, again, with the money the Cowboys have guaranteed, that Williams will do his part to help. Take responsibility for himself.

Because, look, there is a Pro Bowl safety somewhere inside No. 31. Somehow that guy needs to be extracted.

The Cowboys don't need another unsolved mystery out here.

Sleepless in Seattle

1. Defense was rather impressive in the first half, mixing things up and creating a little pressure, then in the second half we go right back to the four man rush with no pressure mixed with the prevent-looking zone that continues to be the achilles heal of this defense. This has killed us all season long.

2. For the first time in forever, I thought Ware was invisible... not totally, but for the first 3 quarters, I didn't see him beat his guy at all. I may have to go back and watch the game again.

3. I don't care how many drops the guy has... you HAVE to call plays to get TO more involved in the game. Whether it's wrong or not, he just goes through the motions when he isn't involved early.

4. I really don't understand why this offense wasn't more effective? TO was drawing 2 guys every single play against the most banged up defensive backfield that I have seen in a long time. How could the offense not beat up the rest of the Hawks with the weapons that we have? Shows how pathetic the OL is I guess?

5. For every 1 good play that Roy Williams makes, he gives up 7 bad ones. I have never seen a guy take worst angles on plays with that much consistancy. He is like a homerun hitter that leads the league in strike-outs. He gives the common fan enough "big shiny homeruns" to make them forget about the countless amount of strike-outs.

6. I have been a huge Romo fan this year and was "for sure" that he was the QB of the future... but right now, the numbers are starting to change my mind. Right now I'm about 50%/50%. He has shown me enough to make me think that he IS the guy, but just enough to make me think that he isn't. IMO it's a crap shoot going into next season.

7. Some of the calls in this game really had me scratching my head... I didn't see any definative look that showed Witten coming up short on that 3rd down. Still, it shouldn't have come down to that IMO and we shouldn't look at that as the reason that we lost the game.

8. I think (and hope) that this game "broke" Bill Parcells. I have said it before, this teams schemes/philosophies are a reflection of him... not just this game, but all season long. The game has passed him by. These are his groceries, this is his meal that he made... and the results aren't there. Give me a younger, more aggressive HC that allows his assistants to do their jobs without the micro-managing.

- S

Woulda, Shoulda, Coulda

A few crazy "what ifs" that I noticed tonight:

1.) What if any of the potential INTs would have been caught? Big point swings. The Newman drop looked to be the easiest. Instead of no points, they come away with 3.

2.) Is it just me or would you expect more of a push from Witten on the last pass? Great catch, granted, but he's SO much bigger than Tatupu...it's as if he ran into a wall. If only.

3.) How could this defense not know after the botched field goal attempt that Alexander wasn't going to get the ball? And then, to add insult, let him run (right up the middle again) for a 15+ run, essentially killing any chance of a comeback. Stop them at the 1 and the field is MUCH shorter for a drive to kick a field goal.

4.) I understand running the clock down and making them kill their timeouts. But, if the fear is that your defense can't make a stop, doesn't it make more sense to make them have to score a touchdown instead of giving a short field which could lead to a game winning filed goal? In other words, go for the throat and try to score a TD instead of messing around. A young aggressive coach would have put the impetus on the Seahawks to score instead of playing it safe.

5.) Can we stop giving a "Get One TD Free By Scoring on Roy" Coupon to every team we play? I'd have to look it up, but it seems as though he's responsible for a TD in every game we play. SOMETHING must be done at this position.

6.) All credit to Shawn, but how can you play a fairly aggressive defense the first half, then come back out and play the same loose, non-aggressive 2-deep zone defense (yes, the same defense that has sucked for the last month) again in the 2nd?

7.) Can we all hope Rivera has played his last game as a Cowboy?

8.) I think we can all agree that IF Parcells comes back, it'll only be for one more year. Does it make sense to go into another draft and FA period knowing that we have a lame duck coach and that the whole system could change within a year? Wouldn't you rather get a new coach and his system and players in here as soon as possible? For instance, what if Parcells decides to draft, yet again, another LB, but the new coach wants to run a 4-3, thereby potentially wasting the pick and setting us back ANOTHER year.

9.) Isn't it sickening to watch all of our supposed "stars" and vets (Owens, Glenn [both of them], Roy, James, Rivera) being the ones with the most obvious screw ups while some of the young guys and less heralded guys(Austin, JuJones, Carpenter, Crayton) actually stepped up? Dropped passes/INTs, blown tackles/coverages, un-timely missed blocks. It's hard to take.

10.) How different of a player might Romo have been had he started the beginning of the season? Perhaps, he would have had his downtime earlier in the season, allowing him to fight his way out of it in time for the playoffs. Maybe he could have overcome his fumble-itis earlier...oh well, woulda, coulda, shoulda.

-M

At A Loss

If the current version of my favorite team doesn't give a rats ass to play with so much on the line, then I don't give a rats ass to write about them.

It's sickening. I will never get the lack of focus, desire or passion, from the top down.

As much as it pains me, I predict a one-and-done followed, yet again, by a long offseason with a search for a new coach.

This team is in DIRE need of a heart transplant.

- M

____________________________________


I have to echo Mike's thoughts on this one... I don't even know what to say about this team. All we have to look towards is (hopefully) a new head coach and the 2007 draft. I am as disappointed as I have ever been with the Cowboy's.

- S