Loading ...
Commentary: Wade Phillips Is On Thin Ice
Wade Phillips took one of the most-talented teams in 2008 and ran them into the ground with a 9-7 record, third in the NFC East and no playoffs.
The result stumped football analysts across the country. How? It doesn’t matter.
Jerry Jones has vowed that Wade Phillips’ job is safe. But that was before the Denver Broncos fired Mike Shanahan, a 14-year veteran of the team who guided them to two Super Bowl wins, but it was more than a decade ago. Shanahan has struggled in Denver over the past decade and it was his time to move on…to Dallas.
The Houston Chronicle says Wade’s job is in jeopardy and it should be.
Pro Football Talk reports, via ESPN, that Jerry Jones is interested in Shanahan. The marriage on paper sounds brilliant. Shanahan wanted Tony Romo five years ago and tried to sign him as a free agent. Shanahan battled for Terrell Owens when very few times wanted Terrell Owens. Shanahan was hired by the Broncos that resulted in the firing of Wade Phillips, an ironic twist on the situation in Dallas.
Jerry Jones would be foolish not to try with Shanahan. Wade proved he can run a defense, so let him take over as defensive coordinator, a position the Cowboys will have to fill anyway with the inevitable firing of the current coordinator, Brian Stewart, who lost his play calling duties midseason.
Houston Chronicle?..OK..I love the thought..all the clamoring over Bill Cower..who has one Super Bowl win..Shanahan has two..and is a disciplinarian..Do it..now if we can get Jerry to sign on..
January 3rd, 2009 at 3:02 pmi completely agree with you Dan, Shanahan is the solution to our problems, wade has proven himself that he can run a defense..i also think that campo should go..our secondary cant cover anyone to save their lives..he should go too
January 3rd, 2009 at 3:15 pmI think this is a pretty good idea…..good luck convincing Jerry though….
January 3rd, 2009 at 5:10 pmWhich secondary Eric?..The one that should play or the one ..due to injuries and suspensions..did play?…
January 3rd, 2009 at 5:11 pmLet us hope Garrett gets another offer and takes it..The rumblings are JJ is growing weary of Wade..Probably after giving it a second thought..but knows it would cost him JG..So if Garrett goes..both problems solved..Plus it would put a coach in place who gives the Boys and JJ credibility..
January 3rd, 2009 at 5:15 pmKeep big dufus as defensive coordinator is you wish..but hire Shanahan..
the secondary that was full of talent but couldnt cover anyone..anthony henry gets more penalties then anyone else in the team..in my opinion he should go..
January 3rd, 2009 at 8:46 pmShanahan would be a perfect fit.
1. He used to win lots of superbowls, but…
2. In the last ten years he can’t even win a playoff game to save his life.
3. He regularly starts off hot and then his team collapses in the second half of the season.
It’s a match made in heaven!
January 4th, 2009 at 2:15 amthat accually sounds like the redskins season..start 6-2 and then hit the floor fast..may be snyder will dump the genious for shanahan..redskins guy you are right he will be a great fit for the skins
January 4th, 2009 at 2:35 amShanahan would be a good fit in Dallas because of one big thing:
No Personnel authority. Jerry takes care of that. In Denver, it wasn’t his ability to coach that got him canned — rather, it was his bad picks in the draft (almost all on defense) and some dumb FA signings (like Travis “I lost count of how many kids I have while smoking down” Henry).
He is a great coach, horrible GM and Dallas would do very well to get him — and I think Phillips is the kind of guy who could take a demotion to highly-paid D coordinator, which is what he does best (see his San Diego units). Look at what Shannahan did in having Cutler get the ball to his TE Sheffler AND Brandon Marshall AND Eddie Royal — imagine that as Romo to Witten AND Owens AND R. Williams??
I’m a Detroit fan (as indicated by my moniker) and must say thanks again to Jerry for trading the Lions 1 and 3 for Roy. I still think it will work out for you in the long run. I also want to say thanks to Wade — your lack of discipline in the locker room helped Dallas miss the playoffs, and exponentially increased the value of the picks you sent us.
Right now, all you Dallas fans need to be rooting for Wades old team — San Diego. If they make it to the Superbowl you move up one draft slot in every round. This benefits you and the Lions.
So Go Chargers!!!
January 4th, 2009 at 2:40 amYes..Detroit got three picks..Wonder what three receivers the Lions will pick with those picks..
January 4th, 2009 at 5:43 amJerry needs to really think about this. The coaching is not working example, Miami Dolphins are now in the playoffs after only having one win last year. How is this possible when they took the same players we had on our roster. One reason and that is they made the best move and that was to go out and find the right head coach. Wade Phillips is not the right head coach. Wade had these same exact players and now all of a sudden they are playing better than his current team. Bring in Shanahan
January 4th, 2009 at 3:31 pmI would be sooo happy if we got Shanahan and put Wade at D. Coordinator.
January 4th, 2009 at 5:45 pmWade needs to go, period… i dont want him with the cowboys at all, he is a curse and he cant win playoff games… hire shanahan and then search for a good D coordinator get rid of the entire current staff
January 4th, 2009 at 9:58 pmBill Cowher took himself off the running from the Browns vacancy and will be back with CBS next season….there goes my request damn it.
January 5th, 2009 at 12:19 amThis is the way I see it needs to happen. Jason Garrett needs to go. He was overrated as an offensive “genius”. I dont care where Wade ends up but it has to be either Defensive Cord. or Head Coach. Shanahan needs to come in as Offensive Cord. or Head Coach. I think with Wade and Shanahan running both sides of the ball we will go all the way. Ideally Shanahan Head Coach and Wade Assist. H.C./ D.C.
January 5th, 2009 at 12:57 amI like Shanahan, a big name, as our Head Coach.
Wade as a highly paid Defensive Coordinator.
Jason Garret, who has a lot to prove this next year, as the Offensive Coordinator.
With these stars as coach would it be possible to fail with a talented staff AND a talented team?
Might bring some chemistry.
January 5th, 2009 at 2:56 amThis sounds good on paper, hmm wonder why that sounds familiar? I personally think Shanahan would be great fit for the Browns, but they seem to be in love with the genius. Maybe the Viks make a move?
January 5th, 2009 at 8:37 amI know Jerry loves the attention, but sometimes its best just to do nothing on the coaching situation. To me it sends a message to the players, “Hey your play was awful, but you guys were right; the coaches ruined the team.”
How about Jerry firing some warning shots? Tank. Bye. Pacman? See ya. Bobby? Great hair, but you stink. Flozell? Thanks for the memories and recording a penalty a game. Crayton? Enjoy playing in KC next year.
jimmy G, if Tank has to go for screaming at the offense for turning the ball over and losing the game, then i guess we might as well fire the whole offense, Pacman is going to stay he is a good CB and an ok punt/kick returner because crayton hates doing it and you can tell because when he is returning a kick he has no energy and jus looks to hit the floor after 2 seconds..Flozell adams makes up for those penalties ..and crayton is overrated and needs to go..miles austin is a far better wide receiver then crayton..faster taller and better hands. Greg ellis is too old now and needs to retired..he shouldve gotten a lot more sacks since demarcus ware got all the attention..and zach thomas is a great tackler but does not fit the system..and please draft a good safety thats what we need anthony henry sucks as a corner so i higly doubt he will be good as a safety.
January 5th, 2009 at 12:15 pmi’m not sure who said it or suggested it, but this is what i have to say about ever bringing micheal vick to the dallas cowboys. i say this with all sensarity guys as a honest and true fan since 1970. i have always admired the honor and dignity of the image of the tom landry/roger staubach/bob lilly cowboys. yes i know there were some troubles within that team and all teams have them. i cringed when we brought in jerry jones and jimmy johnson. the image was tarnished, but we won. we had class people like aikman/woodson/johnston to make up for some of the short comings we had with some of the other player lapses. so i accepted all. we’ve made many more changes with jerry. some good, and some bad. but i’ve stuck with my boys. i’ve learned to live with owens. i’ve learned to stomach parcells, i learned to get thru the growing pains of romo, i’ve learned to look the other way with pack-punk. BUT……AND I SAY BUT. i will never put up with the signing of micheal vick as a cowboy. tha is where i draw the line___________!!!!!!! if it ever happens, and i hope jerry reads this, i as one of the most loyal cowboy fans ever will walk away fro my beloved team forever. i will keep and cherish all my past memories of my historic team, but my allegence to any further cowboy fandom will be severed imediately. i am a avid hunter and have 3 black labs which are my best friends. they serve me loyaly with love and dedication which i lavishly return. i love my pets. anyone that abuses animals in the fashion that vick has, i want no part of, and my hope is that none of you fans do, and espesially jerry jones. i hope this nightmare never comes to pass
January 5th, 2009 at 12:23 pmI agree with you davedallasfan. No way will I support Vick becoming a cowboy. I have owned pitbulls and they are very loyal dogs and can be great family pets. What Vick and others have put those dogs through is disgusting. He should spend more time in prison if you ask me. He got off easy.
Bring on Shanahan!
This just in: Ware gets second place in Defensive player of the Year. Linebacker James Harrison of the Steelers wins.
January 5th, 2009 at 1:28 pmdavedallasfan I have a boxer and my parents have two boxers they are very lovable dogs and are good with my 2 year old daughter. We treat them like family they have there own beds they get christmas presents and everything so I can understand your point it makes me mad to know the suffering those dogs went through. Lets hope the commisioner has a dog too and maybe not ever let him play again. I can see Al Davis paying for him. It just pisses me off how talented players like him go and do something like this. I dont know a person that dont wish they had talent like him. I just dont know how Micheal Vick can prove to everyone that he has changed this hit people pretty hard.
January 5th, 2009 at 2:31 pmfor his sake i hope he has changed. maybe he’ll play in the nfl someday. chances are that someone will take a chance on him. the point i’m trying to make is that i’m sick of the dallas cowboys being that team always. i’ve been patient with it in the past, even with pac-punk. but we see where it got us. now i stand up and say no more. it used to be the greatest honor in the nfl to say you were a dallas cowboy. now it looks like the league joke. we gotta bring back the pride. we as fans gotta take a stand. yes jerry does listen and he does worry about the image of his team. but we have to let him know load and clear it’s our team too. we that have been with this team long before he ever bought it deserve to say something about it when it is driven into the ground threw bad moves. his moves. yeah he owns em, and can do what he wants. but i can turn my ass around and walk away too, so jerry can say so what? well if there is say, 2000 -5000-10,000 more like me, whats he gonna say then.? and i do believe there are. people still have dignity and faith in what is good and and still hope to love those players as heros. just look at demarcus ware and jason witten and we all know what i’m talkin about. those are the guys that will make the difference. and as cowboy fans we have to take the owens’ of the world with it. we have to live thru romo’s maturation process and garrett to take his lumps. landry had to. so he will too. but when it comes to folding over for the problems that vick would bring????? it’s not worth the gamble and it’s benieth my pride of that blue and white star.
January 5th, 2009 at 3:51 pmI wonder what we could get for T.O. anyways I think if they were to even get rid of T.O. we still would have to replace him with another receiver. I still dont think its all T.O.s fault more of him just being frustrated with the coach not calling the right plays. Him knowing that everything about our offense was predictable and then the coach still keeping his same plan. Then the Steelers came out and said the same thing and Garrett still goes with the same basic calls. I also dont think T.O. meant for it to come out to the media like that either if he wanted that he would have scheduled another interview with Deion instead. As for Vick I dont see how it is possible for him to get back in the league I mean I know some people consider a dog an animal but some see them as like one of us and in that case they see it as murder.
January 5th, 2009 at 6:11 pmi agree T.E.X.A.S. we keep owens. what good would it do now anyway to release him. we’d take a cap hit and still have to replace him like you said. the jury is still out on roy williams, although i think he and owens, witten, austin, crayton, and romo can really have something special next year with a whole offseason program and preseason to work together? that first round draftpick that we traded away for roy may not be as bad as everyone thinks. would we get a strater out of it? maybe future, down the line? but next year that pick would probably be a depth pick anyway. so we do have a starter that has only got 5 years on him and is a wr that the position usually needs 3 years to mature out anyway. remember all the gripe about us not taking a wr in the first round last year in the draft???? like i said we’ve learned as cowboy fans to take owens for what he is, even if the rest of the nfl hates him, he’s our boy. i look at it this way. i have a 22 yearold son that maybe not everyone loves. i’m sure he’s done some things to make some enemies, we all have, but he’s my son i’ll love him no matter what. we are kinda in that boat with owens. we gotta kick him in the ass now and then to keep him straight, but god help anybody else for doin it. this offensive dropp was in fact the blame of garrett. yes romo did have some times when he failed to execute, but that could be injury related. we all know he was’nt 100% out there that second half, but he sucked it up and played. so i admire him for that. garrett is smart enough to see what we have in the ground game to compliment and fortify our pass game, now he has to figure out how to play with all his toys at once. he will
January 5th, 2009 at 6:43 pmPlease do not get rid of Wade!!! We all love him in Philly, Washington, and New York!! With another coach you just might win a playoff game… NAH, that will not be happening. Cant wait to see you and your glorious QB next December!!
January 5th, 2009 at 6:47 pmand the dogs that we raise too, are like our family. dogs are pack oriented animals, but look at people as their pack or family. they rate themselves in the pecking order of your familyas to where they stand in that “pack” family. so as my vet would say, they are as your children in your family unit. i love my children very much, and i love my dogs as part of our family too. yes even with gifts and beds and daily exercise and treats, and the love of my college age kids when they come home for the weekends. the dogs go crazy and are happy for that pack to be together again. they actually get depressed when the girls go back to school for the week. they are our family. some don’t veiw animals in that light, oh well, i’m glad to see you, TEXAS, do. your a good man for it. i just see some one who abuses those animals that way as something is wrong with hem inside. they don’t have to love them as we do, but to respect and treat an animal with some dignity is the right thing to do. an animal abuser is just no-one in my book.
January 5th, 2009 at 7:01 pmhey EGG don’t worry you’ll see us again. only this time maybe without mcnabb. you best take care of your own business before you worry about ours
January 5th, 2009 at 7:04 pmErik, Tank has to go because he wasn’t getting the job done. I think he’d be better suited in a 4-3 defense.
January 6th, 2009 at 4:26 amAs for Vick, he shouldn’t be talked about until he gets released. We don’t if he will get suspended when he’s released or if the game is too fast for him.
seriously — I post serious analysis and all you got is “which 3 WR will they draft?” — Millen got fired idiot (finally) — it’s not easy being a Lions fan when your team goes 0-16…but at least we expected our team to be awful. How’s it feel that your Superbowl or bust season when it comes down to it ended up with your precious “talent” in the same place as Detroit’s players in January — At home. Out of the playoffs.
January 8th, 2009 at 12:25 am