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2017-2018 Regular Season:
Cowboys Fend Off .500 In Philly . . . But Still
End Failed Season So Filthy
- January 4, 2018 At 8:13 PM CST
By Eric M. Scharf
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- “America’s Team” beat the NFC Conference-leading and NFC
East-winning Philadelphia Eagles by a whopping score of six to zero
. . . and the sound of the Dallas Cowboys’ underwhelming season
coming to a quiet, bitterly cold end may have been the ultimate,
merciful hero.
A fourth quarter Dak Prescott-to-Brice-Butler 20-yard touchdown pass
– and a serviceable showing by Marinelli’s Men – allowed the Dallas
Cowboys to prevent the Eagles from achieving a franchise-record 14th
regular season win with the slimmest touch of class.
Ezekiel Elliott gained over 100 yards on nearly 30 carries . . . but
it became a ho-hum result against an undermanned Eagles squad
playing more like canaries. Considering who Philadelphia held out as
a precaution or pulled early from the game . . . Zeke’s
ground-grinding total was arguably tame. Yes, Tyron Smith – earlier
in the week – was placed on injured reserve . . . but – again – it
made no difference against an Eagles’ defense with little of their
own verve.
A common kneejerk reaction among those making a cursory diagnosis .
. . is that the 2017 Eagles magically flipped the script on the 2016
Cowboys, but the truth could not be farther from this.
The Eagles showed the Cowboys (and, in particular, Scott Linehan) .
. . in the absence of multiple stars up and down their roster – how
to manipulate their remaining chess pieces enough to still execute a
13-game-winning plan. Of course – only with the ultimate loss of
Carson Wentz weeks ago to an ACL tear – did fate make things unfair
. . . potentially exposing the playoff-bound Philadelphia as a
championship imposter. While the Eagles have been operating with
less than their full allotment of feathers for most of the year,
inconsistent Nick Foles may expose just enough passing game holes to
throw the Super Bowl hopefuls completely out of gear.
Regardless of the Eagles’ potential QB quandary, that alone is not
enough to deflect or distract from the Cowboys’ unclaimed pile of
dirty laundry.
Short Shots And Hot Spots
The game might have ended with a 0-0 tie in regulation if not for a
holding call on the Eagles on a third down Prescott incompletion.
While Dak’s well-documented “accuracy” needs fine-tuning and there
are quality defenders throughout the league, the clamoring for a
wide receiver freshening has grown absolutely deafening. The Cowboys
and their fans will have another offseason to ponder how to escape
“separation anxiety” fatigue.
Dan Bailey looked like toast and may need the offseason to recover
more than most. He hooked the Cowboys’ only extra point on the day
(and only his second miss in 278 career attempts). Bailey also
missed a 23-yard effort wide left with just seconds remaining . . .
with a reoccurrence of his prior injury clearly gaining.
Zeke Elliott fell 17 short of gaining 1,000 yards in just 10 games .
. . but it is just another piece of low-hanging fruit that fell out
of frame in a season so lame.
While it was hard to believe promising-and-aggressive rookie cornerback
Chidobe Awuzie made only his first interception of the season on an
underthrown Nick Foles to Alshon Jeffery pass . . . it is clear he
may be THE stud of the Cowboys 2017 draft class. Though he left the
game with a shoulder injury – which naturally blended in with his
boo-boo-stunted year one history – Awuzie is fearless and comes to play
in every way.
Dallas earned their second consecutive “winning” season with a 9-7
mark . . . for the first time since amassing five winning seasons in
a row from 2005-2009. Without significant philosophical enhancements
in the coming offseason – in whatever form they may come –
the Cowboys could remain stuck in park, looking particularly dumb.
Change Is Strange
What to do? What to do? When your team has had as much to do with
their own demise as any of their opponents . . . it is much harder
to wash away the stench of mental poo.
“The Tortured Cowboys Fan” has spent better than two of the last four decades
putting forth “hopes and prayers” . . . that America’s Team would
begin to grow and maintain some serious top-to-bottom organizational
depth, really sprouting some layers. Jerry Jones – while a magnificent
marketing master and having enjoyed “some” post-Jimmy-Johnson
success – continues to preside over an inconsistent, (now)
23-year-old mess.
If money was more important than the Super Bowl trophies that
typically attract and drive it . . . then, (most of) Cowboys Nation
would reconsider their daily demands for a winning (it all) team and
say: “The hell with it!” And – yet – most fans would prefer a
new championship story to go along with all that rich-but-growing-fainter-and-fainter
Cowboys’ Super Bowl glory.
"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we
created them." – renown physicist Albert Einstein. Winning in the
NFL is not supposed to be (absolute) rocket science . . . but
perhaps it is when your chosen system of play looks out of sync with
your available talent, exposing a lack of creativity and
overreliance.
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- The Tortured Cowboys Fan has remarked – on more than one
occasion – how to Jerry (and, perhaps, less to son Stephen) . . .
true "change is strange" and – because of this – the Cowboys now
spend entirely too much of their offseason simply trying to break
even.
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- It is duly noted – again – that Jerry has willingly engaged in
change but only on the terms of his own comfort . . . no matter how
inconsistent his team's growth spurt.
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- Going from 2-time NFL champion and NCAA samurai Jimmy Johnson to
NCAA legend Barry "Bootlegger's Boy" Switzer – by ego, err, design –
was plug-and-play . . . for a team that required no changes and
allowed Jerry to have his "any one of 500 coaches" way. While many
Cowboys welcomed Switzer's decidedly lax control (compared to
Johnson's iron fist and many a restriction) . . . that –
following the Cowboys' third Lombardi Trophy in four years –
combined with deficient deliveries by Dallas' aging stars, (the
inevitable effect of) free agency, and poor drafting helped
contribute to Barry's eviction.
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- Going from Barry Switzer to Dan Reeves disciple Chan Gailey was
– perhaps – Jerry's biggest system-altering risk. Troy Aikman
despised the use of wristbands for calling plays, but Jerry has
since admitted regret over giving up a bit too soon on Gailey's
approach. Tsk, tsk.
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- Going from Chan Gailey back to a familiar face (and the last
dregs of the Jimmy Johnson glory hole) in Dave "Cornerbacks Only"
Campo . . . resulted in some serious bad luck, pickle juice performances,
and three consecutive 5-11 seasons – providing ample reasons that
traveling back in time proved the wrong direction to go.
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- Going from Dave Campo to Bill "The Big Tuna" Parcells was a
recovery move . . . to hopefully, no, desperately help rehabilitate
Jerry's (desired) qualifications as someone who could marry the
right coaches and talent towards getting America's Team back into a
successful groove. The Big Tuna's impact was far deeper than his
rather pedestrian 34-32 win-loss record (including playoffs) with
"Jerry's Kids" would – on the surface – ever indicate. Parcells had
a reputation for leaving teams in far better, long-term,
forward-thinking shape than when he first arrived. Because of this
fact, his successor – at least initially – certainly thrived.
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- Going from Bill Parcells to Wade Phillips was a way for Jerry –
with a rebuilt foundation and a well-stocked team – to reassert
complete control . . . with a similar-schemed, low-key head coach
who just wanted to help Dallas get over being "Sleepless In Seattle"
and refocus on their Super Bowl goal. It is arguable that Phillips
(forever a defensive coordinator in head coach's clothing) was set up to fail before he even received the opportunity . . .
with a certain offensive coordinator and heir-apparent having
already been signed by Jerry. For all the success Wade did
have with an overall 35-24 win-loss record (including playoffs), his
team's maddening inconsistency (combined with his cupcake training
camps and lax leadership)
convinced Jerry to turn a new, not-so-privately-preferred groom and
give Phillips the broom.
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- Going from Wade "The Fade" Phillips to studious former Cowboys'
backup QB Jason "Its A Process" Garrett was-and-remains Jerry's
vision of returning full-circle to the days of the 1990's Cowboys
dynasty. The same inconsistencies, however, which plagued Phillips .
. . have continued for Garrett with offensive, defensive, and special
teams hiccups. While Jerry has paired a variety of different
coordinators with Red Ball . . . Garrett has been the common
coaching denominator, whether or not he is truly built for the long
haul. While not everything has been inconsistent, Garrett's 68-55
win-loss record (including playoffs) and perceived specialties (of
unimaginative play-calling, poor clock management, and a
near-complete lack of in-game adjustments) have made Cowboys Nation
regularly incontinent. Yes, Garrett was the 2016 AP NFL COTY (Coach
Of The Year) – buoyed by the marvelous rookie campaigns of 2016
AP NFL OROTY (Offensive Rookie Of The Year) Dak Prescott and 2016
FedEx Ground Player of the Year and NFL Rushing Champion Ezekiel Elliott – but Garrett's inability to
succeed with more of the roster pieces around those star
players has been an
increasing punch to the gut.
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- Fans and prognosticators are openly and regularly wondering if
the Dallas Cowboys are really the "Cincinnati Bengals South" with
Jerry's determination that Garrett is the right person for the job .
. . with the win-loss results of a slob. Observers view the
situation similarly to Bengals' owner Mike Brown insisting on
sticking with Marvin Lewis . . . while Bengals fans continue to
scream: "We've been through THIS!"
The point of the (incredibly unreasonable?) “magical unicorn
coaching change” sought by so many is to see the Dallas Cowboys
transform JUST a bit from postgame cherry-picking of “ifs and
buts” . . . to a (GASP) New England Patriots-like theme with
multiple ways to succeed despite a critical lost player here or
there. The Eagles managed a similar approach but – regardless of
“The Madness Of GM Jerry” – that simply might not be a natural
capability of his red-headed coach. The inability of Dallas’ staff
to consistently make (reasonable) adjustments – from between weekly
frames to in the middle of games – has driven Cowboys Nation nuts.
The Patriots cannot
continue to be the ONLY team regularly prepared to lose a number
of (quality) players and STILL display enough creative
thinking, err, quality coaching to continue succeeding by maximizing
their game day 46. The Eagles have proven – thus far – the Patriots
(GASP) are, in fact, not the only team capable of such mental tricks. The
Cowboys – in today’s NFL – remain inexplicably committed to
the ultimate modern day faux pas of “fitting the players to the
system, rather than fitting the system to the players.” Bill “The
Big Tuna” Parcells always warned against that
all-eggs-in-one-basket, depth-destroying mistake . . . and fans are
left wondering: “What’s it gonna’ take?!”
Again, and again the question begs and continues to gain legs:
Do key offensive players need to know Linehan’s playbook better
(than Garrett has advertised through so many a "great practice" here
and there)? Or do they know the playbook “just fine” . . . with the
challenge being exclusively about execution and being able to
finish
games when victory is on the line?
It goes without saying that one particular Cowboys star player is
experiencing a career downturn through an untimely combination of
natural causes, inaccurate QB tosses, inflexible offensive boss(es), and route-ruining mental pauses. He may be given little choice but to reduce his salary cap
footprint and change his role . . . or simply be
forced off the dole.
Again, and again the question begs and continues to gain legs:
Will Jerry Jones and Jason Garrett really encourage Scott Linehan to
utilize the same base system with no new wrinkles? If he fails to
"fit the system to the players, not the players to the system," then
Linehan will remain their complicit partner in such rigidity . . .
with so few flexible sprinkles.
Jerry, Stephen Jones, and Will McClay can sign free agents and draft
new blood all offseason long . . . but if Jason’s staff AND
the system - in part or whole - continue to choke more than provoke
that talent, then, the system certainly must adjust or undergo a
change particularly salient.
Professional sports organizations under fire – of course – have
historically deflected and railed against “adjustments for
adjustments’ sake” . . . even in the face of fans and
prognosticators eagerly seeking a break. There is no escape,
however, for a Cowboys organization that knows – deep down –
“adjustments” are the only way to prove the regular and reliable
existence of season-long game plan flexibility . . . designed – to a
degree – around available player survivability.
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- "He (deserves) a lot of credit for my success in the league.
Everything that I've done, teaching the game, breaking the game
down. I'm not into all the speculation and things like that. I hope
he's here. I hope we figure it out. He means a lot to me." – Dak Prescott on Scott
Linehan. Dak – like Zeke – can be viewed as but one of a few key
straws that stir the Cowboys' offensive drink . . . but he is not so
second-year-naive as to not understand the difference between a
system that empowers "me" rather than "we."
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- While Prescott believes in Linehan "120%" – even "200%" – as a
key architect of his rookie year attack . . . Dak's opinion is
simply in the minority among multiple members of the "Linehan Clan"
who have (somewhat anonymously) stated that Scott has failed to
adapt enough (or at all) to get-and-keep the Cowboys' offense on
track. Dak has undoubtedly taken historical note of fellow NFL
quarterbacks whom have suffered through inconsistent schooling from
multiple offensive coordinators over unreasonably short periods of
time . . . understandably – in Prescott's eyes – making the very
thought of Linehan's departure an absolute crime.
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- "Romo-friendly" worked nicely in 2014 but – without an
adaptable fit
to other players in 2015 – the Cowboys' offense would quickly
careen. "Dak-friendly" – again – misses the point . . . of needing a
system that molds around the skills of MORE or ALL of the available
offensive players within the Cowboys' joint.
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- And – for that matter – what about a defense designed to empower
and set (not just a select few but) ALL defenders free . . .
rather than success almost exclusively requiring the
supremely-talented yet oft-injured Sean Lee? Often (outside of 2014)
a Lee-less Dallas defense – regardless of hustle or muscle – would
manage to splatter.
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- Salary cap restrictions – dead money among them – used to be
convenient excuses from where poor roster depth, poor coaching, and
poor execution would exclusively stem. While a team's brain trust
will not always hit a draft day home run with every or (more often
than not) any pick, it is a bare minimum REQUIREMENT for that
team's coaching staff to be downright eager to further figure out
how to modify their system(s) to really make a player click. A
coaching staff should convey curiosity that is off the charts . . .
rather than throwing talent-stunting system darts.
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- Why have a 46-man roster at all if the flexibility of your
offensive system – in particular – resembles manslaughter so
vehicular? Again – look no further than the resurgent Eagles and the
perpetually-planned Patriots for a "mass casualty mindset" that –
for ALL NFL teams – should become the norm, the regular.
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- "And, AND" . . . the so-called “Patriot Way” is not so much the
PATRIOT way as it is Bill Belicheck's determination to TRY
anything to get even more of an edge . . . while – again and again –
pushing his team’s would-be challengers over the ledge. As Jim Rome
often likes to quote: "If you're not cheating, you’re not trying."
For Dallas? "If you're not trying differently, don't pretend to . . .
because – so far – it is a façade most discerning fans continue to
see right through."
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- Even flexibility of 5% (FIVE PERCENT) would be something
not even the most negative fan could resent . . . but it remains to
be seen if the Cowboys' system-strict coaches would ever voluntarily
repent.
Will They Or Won't They?
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- "Every game is sacred. Every game is great. If a game is wasted,
fans get quite irate." Whether your team is pushing for the best
record in the league, their conference, or their division - or they
are one game out of playoff contention . . . the correction almost
always requires maximum effort and a considerable amount of
reinvention.
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- Win at any cost . . . even if it means your ego is (perhaps
temporarily) tossed. Jerry – at least privately – prefers to isolate
his ego from this rule . . . which may continue to
make the Dallas Cowboys look the fool.
Will Jerry demand AND support a more wide-ranging approach
from his head coach, or will he merely encourage more of the same
behind a different window dressing . . . keeping fans and prognosticators
"playfully"
guessing?
Even if Jerry grants Jason another round of staff alterations
– enhanced by more potential draft celebrations while enveloped in
AT&T Stadium's 2018 NFL Draft day decorations . . . will that
include enough system creativity to stave off another year of
premature vacations?
We shall see. We always do.
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