But how did the Cowboys lose? The Landry Hat, using my real name, Dan, was on Sirius Radio’s Opening Drive this morning to talk about one thing: the coaching. Randy Cross, one of the show’s hosts, hit the nail on the coffin when he said I wouldn’t promote offensive coordinator Jason Garrett to head coach just for his playcalling. And if Tony Sparano wants to leave, then LEAVE! That was the worst performance all year of the Cowboys offensive line and you can easily link that to Sparano’s head being elsewhere, like in Miami. Instead of preparing for the game, Sparanoo was talking to his family about Miami. Good bye.

The defense was awful. The offensive line looked ugly. Tony Romo was pressured the entire second half. Receivers dropped two very important passes. Patrick Crayton, Mr. Big Mouth, stopped running a route in the final minute of the game. He dropped two passes. To me, this all has to do with coaching and preparing the players for a huge playoff game against a divisionall foe.

On Sirius Radio, I brought up the coaching and playcalling. During the success of the 90s Cowboys, there was one play that I cannot forget. This play was used when the defenses blitzed Troy Aikman. This play was almost always successful. It’s called the quick slant, and it was almost always thrown to Michael Irvin. Sometimes it went for the intended five yards, but Aikman avoided the sack. Sometimes it went for much more because Irvin could break away.

Fast foward to last night. We have a receiver like Terrell Owens, who some could argue is better than Irvin. Not one quick slant pass was thrown to avoid that incredible pressure from the Giants. In fact, it seemed as the pressure increased and the offensive line fell apart more, Tony Romo was still looking deep. The guys on Sirius Radio couldn’t agree with me more. The play calling on offense was questionable at best. The play calling was questionable at best for the last five games of the season.

So, now the season is over. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done to make this team Super Bowl caliber. The Cowboys haven’t won a playoff game since 1996 and it’s downright painful. Will Wade Phillips be fired? He is 0-4 in the playoffs. Romo is 0-2. We know at least Sparano is leaving, and that’s fine with me. But should we fire defensive coordinator Brian Stewart? What coaching changes will be made, if any, in the offseason?

I certainly think several need to be made. Although I recommended Garrett become the head coach, I am not sure he is ready for it. I never was happy with Wade Phillips’ coaching style. I don’t see a leader in him and I think the Cowboys need more of a hard-nosed coach. Not another Bill Parcells, who is demeaning, but a Bill Cowher-type coach who would not tolerate mindless penalties. Eleven penalties in a playoff game, when the other team had only three, is just unacceptable. That’s coaching. Coaches prepare teams. Coaches ensure the players’ heads are in the game. Coaches call the plays. Coaches call the schemes.

Coming later tonight will the The Landry Hat’s first mock draft. This will be a key draft year and free agent offseason because the Cowboys are so close to being the best. We have the fourth youngest team in the NFL, and there is plenty of room to improve. I think the first bullett on the list is to search for some new coaching. It may not be Phillips who hits the road, but I’d like to see some improved playcalling for the 2008 season.

If you remember, Randy Cross two weeks ago told me that it would be a bad move for the Cowboys to trade up to get Miami’s top pick to select Darren McFadden. I asked him to explain why he thought that, and to also discuss Marion Barber’s restricted free agency. I certainly don’t condone the Cowboys making such a move, but it is a theory.

Coach Reeves said the Cowboys could take away the restricted label–and all of the bidding that may occur for Barber that the Cowboys would have to match if they want to keep him—just by signing him. I know many fans said the Cowboys don’t need to immediately sign Barber, but I say you’re wrong. I think it would boost the team’s energy if he was signed before this game with the Giants. But the question remains: Why hasn’t he been signed? What the heck is going on?

Rumors are abound that the Dolphins want to trade that top pick. We all know the Jerry Jones-Arkansas connection and the manlove of some people here for McFadden. Bill Parcells is breaking apart the Cowboys coaching staff and scouting. Do you think Jones is just allowing this to happen because he loves Parcells? Certainly, Jones has talked with the Miami powers about other things, right?

There was talk– much of it I admit of my own making as I introduced the possibility here on my blog–that Parcells would go after Barber to create a two-back system for Brown in Miami, to keep him healthier. No one realistically thinks Ricky Williams can stop smoking blunts.

The theory made a bit of sense, and if there is a trade, Miami I don’t think needs to give up a 1st and 3rd round pick. Trades I believe can start in March. Dallas may also deal Bobby Carpenter (it appears Zach Thomas is leaving Miami and he took down his permanent parking sign at the facility). Dallas also has two first round picks. Easily, it seems, Dallas can obtain that top pick if the organization wants it. How bad does Jerry Jones want McFadden? Or will he risk not doing it and maybe take Felix Jones with the final first round pick, if he is there?

Both Cross and Reeves cautioned against moving up to get that top pick. Cross also said he highly doubts the Cowboys would move Barber. THEN WHY NOT SIGN HIM?

“They obviously, to me, would have no intention of losing Marion Barber,” Cross told me.

Cross explained that moving up for Miami’s top pick is too risky and too costly. He went through the top 10 picks in the last draft and said the bottom five players provided more for their teams this year than the top 5, and he’s right to a point.

“It’s going to necessitate quite a price tag,” Cross said to move up for Miami’s top pick. “Whether or not you want to do that, it is going to hurt you. There’s not a gigantic market right now for that top pick.”

The Cowboys have the foundation of a grea team now, he said. Marion Barber is a big part of that foundation.

Reeves used the example of Coach Mike Ditka trading his entire draft for Ricky Williams. That was a costly trade that didn’t pan out as much as Saints fans and the organization might have wished. Oddly enough, he ended up in Miami.

“You’d give away way too much. I don’t see that happening,” Reeves said.

I countered that the two-back system is becoming popular in the NFL because not only does it seem to work, but it keeps backs healthy. The Jags and Cowboys are doing it with success. I said Miami, with Parcells running the show, will likely want to have a two-back system. Reeves said that in Jacksonville, “Taylor realizes that Jones-Drew has extended his career.” It’s different in Dallas, he said, where you have two young backs who want to start and would likely start on other teams in the NFL that don’t use the two-back system. He said he thinks Julius Jones wants out of Dallas, and Dallas may have interest in keeping him. I found that interesting.