Wade Phillips is close friends with Stewart, but midseason he took over the defensive calls after some poor performances against the St. Louis Rams and New York Giants. 

This should not come as a surprise to anyone. Stewart never really grasped how to run a defense and the Cowboys never looked as powerful on defense as they could have. 

There is absolutely no mention yet of whom the Cowboys will hire to replace Stewart, but Phillips could take over the defense and still remain head coach.

Well, Wade Phillips just entered the world of flip flops. During today’s press conference, Phillips said that he believes the Dallas Cowboys can turn the season around after losing three out of the last four games.

He said he plans to make some personnel changes, but he was vague on what those changes might be. The team is not executing at any level, and he sounded like he wants to simplify the schemes so that the plays that are not working are tossed to the side for the plays that are working. Doesn’t this make the Cowboys even more predictable? How do you become more predictable than a team that has this usual scheme: 1st down: run; 2nd down-pass; 3rd down-pass?

He said the situation the Cowboys are in now is very serious. He said he may not change the lineup (how can he?) but some players may see more and less playing time. He didn’t name anyone. He should have. He mentioned how the run defense was awful, and his only solution was that maybe the Cowboys had too many plays that although they never used, players still practiced for them. In other words, the Dallas Cowboys don’t have good memory and may even be a bit stupid. Seriously, that’s how I took what he said to mean. Thirteen Pro Bowlers needs things simplified. Ugh. Phillips said he might get more involved in the defense. I don’t know why he just doesn’t can Brian Stewart.

Phillips said he does not think the team is undisciplined, despite what we see on television. He alluded to his season in Buffalo when the Bills lost their first three games. Phillips said he analyzed things, made changes and the Bills made the playoffs, only to lose in that historical game against the Oilers-Titans.

I guess we have no choice but to give Phillips this opportunity to make the changes he thinks will help turn this team around. And if he does turn this team around, let’s hope the end result is not similar to what happened to Buffalo.

Back In January it was reported that Cowboys brass interviewed Dom Capers for the defensive coordinator position. Capers has solid experience with the 3-4 defense and he is currently coaching with the New England Patriots. The Cowboys will have a tough time pulling him away, even if it is possible. 

There are two former head coaches waiting in the wings: Bill Cowher and Jimmy Johnson.