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2019-2020 Offseason:
Who Might The Cowboys Aspire To Hire? Part II: From
Mentally-Rested To Extremely Battle-Tested
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This edition of "The Tortured
Cowboys Fan" has also been published by the fine folks at
Sports TalkLine.
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January 4, 2020 At 9:00 PM CST
By Eric M. Scharf-
- The seemingly immortal
76-year-old Mick Jagger has often sung "Time is on my side, yes, it
is." But – when it comes to the 77-year-old owner, president, and
general manager of “America’s Team” – that theme quickly loses its
fizz.
“I don’t have time to have a bad time, it’s not on my schedule. Each
year does create more urgency." – Jerry Jones on 105.3 The Fan
exactly one year ago on 01-04-2019 (referring to how the Dallas
Cowboys’ playoff success – since their last Super Bowl – has looked
oh so lean).
GM Jerry and VP Stephen – after practically 25 years of intermittent
cheers mixed with decades of jeers and tears – have another rare
shot at bringing the Cowboys’ on-the-field fortunes (at least?) back
to even.
The arms on Jerry’s internal clock – again and again and again – are
spinning. He (and a great majority of “Cowboys Nation”) are
desperate to avoid another round of “tear it down and go back to the
beginning.”
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- While there is a boldness in going with the infectious energy (and
often creativity and flexibility) of
youth, sometimes one still must
ponder the long-standing wisdom of those viewed (however
inaccurately) as too set in their ways or a bit long in the tooth.
So, who in the vein of “Gandalf the Grey” can be most wizard-like
towards the Cowboys performing the right way?
Mike McCarthy-
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- The former head coach of the Green Bay Packers – who
partnered with Aaron “Bad Man” Rodgers to deliver Super Bowl XLV
victory – certainly has his backers, but something about this
offensively-charged individual (loosely?) suggests another “Yes Man”
(Jason Garrett or – GASP – Wade Phillips) trajectory. The
56-year-old (to his great credit even with the burning desire to
offer a corrective edit) has historically shown the valuable ability
to simply focus on coaching (even with painfully-public, past
complaints from Rodgers or the massive ego of Jerry Jones – possibly
– approaching).
Then, again, fans who (naturally and understandably) gravitate
towards the more moxie-mouthed, bend-the-knee-to-no-one Sean Payton,
might be surprised to see how little daylight appears between their
records (before they start hatin’ and humiliatin’). Payton’s (Drew
Brees-powered) overall 130-77 record includes a .628 winning
percentage, six division titles, a 8-6 postseason mark, three NFC
title games, and one Super Bowl ring. McCarthy’s (Brett Favre /
Aaron-Rodgers-powered) overall 125-77-2 record includes a .618
winning percentage, six division titles, a 10-8 playoff mark, four
NFC title games, and one Super Bowl ring. The critical questions beg
for Dallas: Did McCarthy – more often than not – scheme Aaron
Rodgers into position for the most successful scoring shot? Can
McCarthy (in the permanent absence of his system-memorized,
implicitly-trusted, freelance-enabled, Super Bowl-winning, two-time
NFL MVP) be creative enough with (a comparatively,
functionally-rigid) Dak Prescott to get in position for the Cowboys’
sixth Super Bowl chalice? If his scheduled interview with Dallas is
any indicator, the team (his Packers had a painful penchant for
beating) appears to be an admirer that holds no malice.
Leslie Frazier-
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- Should the long-time, secondary-centric defensive
specialist (as well as former Vikings head coach and current Buffalo
Bills defensive coordinator) be granted another opportunity to lead
a team? Yes, absolutely, and Dallas should be involved (for a coach
who might see their problems solved), but it may only be to fulfill
the NFL's mandatory Rooney Rule theme. Still, GM Jerry got to see up
close and personal – on a Thanksgiving Day so horrible – how the
60-year-old was able to make the Cowboys’ “top yardage-gaining
offense” look like it was still performing a pre-game rehearsal.
While his defense made a few critical errors against the Houston
Texans in the Bills’ wild card playoff game, his unit cannot be
judged for Josh Allen’s Jekyll and Hyde performance so
disappointingly lame.
Mike Zimmer-
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- While former Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells regularly
receives the most credit for triggering 63-year-old Mike Zimmer's
maximum effectiveness (as a defensive coordinator during his time
under Parcells from 2003-2006), the current Minnesota Vikings head
coach actually begin his "Tour de Dallas" as an assistant coach of
nickel defense under Barry Switzer in 1994. As was the reason for
his selection to lead the Vikings, there remains much quality
coaching history to most people's liking. He paid his collegiate
dues through defensive assignments with Missouri, Weber State, and
Washington State before – again – landing with Dallas to help them
win the Super Bowl XXX chalice. More impressive may have been his
ability (perhaps through invaluable capability) to survive multiple
changes at head coach (from Barry Switzer to Chan Gailey to Dave
Campo to Parcells).
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"Zim" went on to the Atlanta Falcons and
Cincinnati Bengals for a couple more defensive coordinator spells
before getting his shot within the NFC North division as a
head-coaching candidate so hot. While he missed out on Brett
Favre-quality quarterbacking, his defenses have kept the Vikings (at
least) in the postseason picture (during his five years and through
his current 58-39-1 record) even with offenses typically lacking . .
. an inconsistent Kirk Cousins notwithstanding.
Within an organization that has shown a fondness for familiar faces
(especially those unwilling to discourage GM Jerry from encroaching
on coaching spaces), Zimmer's more-than-reasonable success (as
well-rounded defensive expert preferring a run-first offense) would
certainly make for a desirable leadership and motivational presence.
The Tortured Cowboys Fan makes zero effort to hide tremendous
affection for the coach (who may find himself available following
another postseason failure so assailable) who could, should, and
would be given a chance to indulge in some serious Cowboys
correction.
"We value Mike and Rick’s leadership, and we have every intent of
Mike continuing as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and Rick
leading our football operations, next year and beyond.” - Mark Wilf,
President and co-owner of the Minnesota Vikings (with – perhaps – a
“kiss of death” statement that may not hold up with another
postseason result not to the Wilf family’s liking).
Urban Meyer-
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- The current assistant athletic director and former head
football coach of THE Ohio State University has demonstrated –
wherever he has gone – an incredible winning propensity. The
55-year-old college football juggernaut has amassed a 187-32 record
(including multiple national championships, oodles of conference and
division crowns, and a pile of personal plaudits), a treasure chest
of NCAA achievements among the best. While Meyer (from all
publicly-shared indications) seems set for life, he has a
well-documented ego that (regardless of his intermittent health
issues) still occasionally twists the what-if knife. If there is one
job that could coax Urban Meyer out of retirement, it would
apparently be something critical to the success of improving the
Cowboys’ current, Super Bowl-starved environment.
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“That’s the one. That's the New York Yankees. That's
the Dallas
Cowboys. That's THE one. Great city. You got Dak Prescott. You got
Zeke Elliott. You got loaded team. And I can’t speak for him
(Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley) obviously, I hate to even
speculate because I don’t know him, that’s really not fair, but to
me, that’s the one job in professional football that you say, ‘I got
to go do that,” Meyer said. “Absolutely. Absolutely. That one? Yes.”
- Urban Meyer (who – as a guest on Colin Cowherd's "The Herd" FOX
Sports talk show on October 18, 2019 – practically threw Jason
Garrett on a funeral pyre).
“For Urban Meyer to say that is a compliment. Period. I really know
that. The job is a great job. Now, that’s not implying that I made
it that way, or I don’t make it that way. It’s just the place to
be.” – GM Jerry on 105.3 The Fan (making no effort to diminish the
position to which so many coaches publicly and privately aspire).
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- The 55-year-old Meyer commands Big Tuna-esque motivational
skills that have spurred team after team towards substantial game
day thrills. He has a considerable network of capable, willing,
potential staff members (to “discourage” GM Jerry from suggesting
any low-heat embers). Meyer, in fact, may be in the best position of
all possible candidates to establish a staff that includes one or
more key, understudy dudes. Cowboys Nation may recall how – had
Parcells not decided to retire following Tony Romo’s butterfingers
so dire – assistant head coach Sean Payton would (not might) have
been convinced to remain in place to receive that head-coaching
torch with plenty of determination, energy, and fire.
Meyer (according to “sources”) would welcome the competitive
challenge, but he does not NEED it, and he would have no problem
professionally telling GM Jerry to shove it. Meyer (according to
every talking head imaginable) has an ego so incredible, which is a
worst-kept secret so hysterical. And yet, AND YET, just like Bill
Parcells before him, it may be THAT ego driving his
(privately-held?) belief that (no matter Jerry’s incredulous moan)
HE ALONE can resurrect the Cowboys of old, making a working
relationship with GM Jerry more bearable. The Thanos-like
recognition that would come with having snapped away years of morbid
failure would be a story to behold and infinitely retold.
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- Meyer can continue comfortably (but not competitively) collecting
analyst paychecks from Fox . . . or GM Jerry can (swallow familiarly
hard and) offer Urban the chance to become the Cowboys’ version of
Walter White: “I am the danger, the one who knocks.”
Will They Or Won’t They?
“I was talking to (former Dallas Cowboys’ tight end) Martellus
(“Brother Of Michael”) Bennett before the game and I said, ‘of all
the places you’ve played, where did you enjoy playing the most?’
[Bennett] said, ‘I loved playing at New England.’ I said, ‘because
you won?’ He said, ’Winning was great but I love that everything we
did was JUST ABOUT FOOTBALL.’ Amazing, right? That’s the business we
are in, but sometimes I don’t know that football takes priority with
the Cowboys and I think as a result SOMETIMES the product suffers.’”
– Troy Aikman.
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- GM Jerry has a
truly fascinating decision to make. It is far, FAR
less about whether the embarrassing check he cuts (to eradicate his
team’s competitive stank) will truly break the bank. It remains
exactly about how much his ego can take. Will he set aside his
mirrored-sunglasses and allow a larger-than-Jerry figure to put out
years of incompetence fires . . . or will he bring in another
yes-man to fail until (like the dearly departed Davis) he physically
expires? WHO will be allowed by an ego so proud?
We shall see. We always do.
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