Is Phillips Dwelling In The House Parcells Built?

(Editor-in-Chief’s Note: This article should’ve been published two weeks ago. I take full responsibility for not getting it up in time.)

Though I don’t usually throw down my chops as a sports writer, I figured I’d take a crack at analyzing America’s Team; you may know them as The Dallas Cowboys.

Since the royal Bill Parcells left the illustrious Cowboys, major sports media has nearly frenzied upon the desire to make him out as a god among mortals. (He may need to be a god among mortals to turn around the Dolphins-Ed.) It’s actually almost as if Parcells is getting more fame now than he did while he was a coach. Aside from the obvious exposure from those witty Coors Light commercials, Parcells’ name has been dropped more times this year in Sports news than Willis McGahee, Ray Lewis or any of the Baltimore Ravens (also known as the ‘Build-Up-More Rap-Sheets’). This en masse name dropping has mostly been due to one hot debate; is Wade Phillips feasting on the desserts of Bill Parcells labour?

Let’s look at the facts. Parcells took an ailing franchise, in need of some serious overhauling, and made them a 9-7 contender by incorporating raw talent from players with attitude problems (Keyshawn, T.O., Julius Jones, Marion Barber). Parcells also let Quincy Carter QB the team for years, telling the impatient Romo he needed more time to mature and develop. Parcells also managed to calm down the hyperactive Terrell Owens (a tad) and clearly tell him that if he wanted to play and be a great receiver, he was going to have to settle for both long and short-yardage receiving.

In a debate on prosportsdaily.com, the question was asked to readers ‘What % of credit does Parcells deserve for the Cowboys current success?’ Here are the results:

What % of Credit Does Bill Parcells Deserve?
0-25% - 15.38%
26-50% - 46.15%
51-75% - 30.77%
76-100% - 7.7%

Though the opinions of the public have been stated, I will gingerly state mine. Sure - Parcells did the Cowboys a great favor in their rebuilding years. But Phillips, though he may not have farmed the talent, sure knows how to put it to work for him. Even though the Boys have seemed flat in their last few weeks (including the playoff loss to the Giants which we’ll dissect in a moment), there’s no question that even by being bucked out this year (by the lesser Manning even!), Dallas is a strong contender looking ahead, after years of cellar-dwelling.

Yes - they have a lot of money. Yes - Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson have a ‘thing’ going. Yes - I do like Parcells. And finally YES - I am a Dallas Cowboys fan and always have been (mostly due to a family connection to hall-of-famer coach Tom Landry). But let us not forget that Parcells, even in his most dominant years, while coaching The Giants, he boasted a top-notch defense…a defense that was coached by some guy named Bill Belichick. You may have heard of him. We all need a little help from our friends, don’t we? At the end of the day, though, when the numbers are crunched, Parcells may have given Phillips a boost but Wade is getting the job done and no debate can sully that fact.

The proverbial dust, however, has now settled and the Boys are not going to be seeing any further playoff action this year due to a 21-17 loss to the Giants. The facts are in, statements have been made and one Mexico bar tab still needs to be settled. Here’s the way I see things shaking out for America’s team now and for seasons to come.

Wade Phillips needs to understand that a real coach mans up after a loss and admits when his team was outplayed by the other team. Instead, Phillips stated ‘I really feel like the better team lost today’. Really Phillips? I’m not so sure the ‘better team’ would have dropped as many passes (not pointing any fingers; Crayton) or taken as many penalties down the stretch as the Boys did. Don’t get me wrong - I’m a Cowboys fan - but the truth hurts and truthfully, the Giants were a well-oiled machine in that game. They were disciplined, steady, and they capitalized when it counted. The loss drops Phillips to 0-3 in his playoff career. I’m actually quite shocked at the comments he made, seeing as he led a rumor-plagued team through such a strong 13-3 season. Phillips - I’m really sorry your team lost but you might be out of a job because you showed no backbone when the heat was on.

And now the star of the quarterback tabloids - Tony Romo. I know - the dude went to Mexico with Jessica Simpson for a few days before their game against the Giants. It was a stupid move and everyone in the free world (including a vehemently outspoken Terry ‘stick-with-football-and-not-acting’ Bradshaw) saw the lack of wit in what Romo did.
Briefly and be-grudgingly, I think it’s important to look at Romo and his Jessica-jaunt to Mexico and its possible impact on his team and the outcome of the game. After all, some people don’t agree with Bald-as-an-eagle Bradshaw - some people actually thought it was a smart move for Romo. With all of the controversy surrounding his team, it might have been smart for Romo to get away from the headlines and the pressure for a while. But here’s the question I pose: If Parcells was still coaching the Cowboys today, would he have

a. allowed Romo to go in the first place

b. allowed him to play after getting back home

Absolutely not. Personally, I don’t agree with Romo’s actions. I mean - a few more weeks of football and then he could have gone anywhere he wanted within reason. It’s somewhat ironic that by taking the personal vacation and wanting to escape the controversy and headlines, Romo actually created more of both in the process. The trip also sent a message to the rest of the Cowboys; Romo can do what he wants, get away with it and still be the starting quarterback. Phillips, if he has any hope of being a winning coach, needs to grow some cajones and lay down the lay when his players start acting childish.

People make mistakes - let’s move on, shall we? In all honesty, in the wake of the Mexico scandal and out of the whole Cowboys squad, Romo actually went up a few notches on my respect scale after the game. Why? Because he stayed in there. He took massive hits from the Giants D. He was visibly frustrated. He argued with the refs. He improvised. He made a Favre-esque flick pass to Witten in the dying moments of the 4th quarter to keep his team in the contest. Romo - if I were your coach last weekend, I wouldn’t have let you play…but I say that you gave it your all in that game and I salute you. Your buddy Troy Aikman was proud.

The future of the Dallas Cowboys now hangs in the balance of how management copes with the loss, and whether they’ll make reactionary adjustments. Unfortunately, reactionary adjustments will be the only course of action as long as Jerry Jones is alive. In actuality, I’m glad Romo, T.O. and the crew didn’t win. It was almost too much too fast for a team on the rise. I don’t think they (or we?) would have really appreciated the W as much as a team that had to fight through adversity. Let’s face it - this season’s Cowboys team had much that was handed to them from day one. What I am excited to see, however, is next season’s squad and the new things that will come from Sunday’s hard lesson. Parcells vs. Phillips? Who cares. Let’s see what happens next.

SUPER PREDICTIONS FOR XLII

Chad Gibbs- I predict this year’s Super Bowl will hold my attention for about a quarter, at which point I will channel surf for something more entertaining, like a test pattern. Patriots 36 Giants 17. - Chad Gibbs, college football fan

David Azuma- “I give the Giants absolutely zero chance of upsetting New England in this one. Zero! Yes they gave them a good run in week 17 but this is the big show and somehow the image of little Eli Manning hoisting the Lombardi Trophy is not one that I am willing to consider. Concerned about Tom Brady and that moonboot he’s been wearing? Well I’m, pretty sure he could play with a ball and chain attached to that ankle and still win this game. Good on the Giants for an inspiring run, but the joy ride ends here.”

Matt McKechnie- My final superbowl prediction? Although the Giants have shown some muscle in their last 3 games, New England has too much overall depth. It will be a close game to the wire. A few crucial mistakes by Manning will seal the deal for NE. Kudos and hats off to Manning, Strahan and crew who have given two of the best NFC teams wake-up calls.
Final score of The Superbowl:
New England 24
NY Giants 21

Bryan Allain- 1) The Giants will wear their their white uniforms and the Patriots will wear blue.
2) The Patriots will win the coin toss, will elect to receive, and will kick a FG on their first drive.
3) Osi Umenyora will give Tom Brady’s bad ankle an indian sunburn during a post-whistle pileup.
4) There will be at least one call on the field reversed by a challenge.
5) During the halftime show, Tom Petty will perform “Runnin’ Down a Dream” before he performs “Won’t Back Down”.
6) Randy Moss will catch a touchdown and will celebrate by dry humping either the goalpost or Wes Welker.
7) The Patriots will win 37-17.
8) There will be over a dozen shots of Peyton and Archie Manning’s luxury suite.
9) Laurence Maroney will win the MVP with 130+ yards rushing and 2+ TDs.
10) The Patriots will dominate from start to finish, cementing their claim to the title of Best Single Season Ever.

Jon Adams- So nobody is picking the Giants? Hmm. Strange. Chuck Klosterman thinks the Patriots will be forever remembered they lose, more so than if they win the big game. I think that is crazy, but admit that it made a pretty interesting article. The Patriots will be very famous indeed at 19-0.