Post by ccboy on Dec 31, 2008 1:33:05 GMT -7
Did Dallas miss destiny?
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A while back, I posted this on site:
Destiny weekend!
This is the weekend that the entire alignment of the heavens align to slide the picture of Dallas to one of contender-legitimate!
Well, that was a truism...and I further pointed out that Seattle would provide Dallas it's eigth victory, which it did. Then it was pointed out that Philadelphia was sliding badly, and was at best-suspect. Washington was on a much more pronounced decline and would very quickly be out of contention itself...and this pointed to the Pittsburgh game as the destiny point in this season. If Dallas had gone ahead and just closed that game out, and didn't. Had it just won what was a strong finish, it could have pushed the Giants to the finish of this season. It didn't, and started a slide of it's own.
The funny thing about destiny, is that it just does NOT go away, with a simple sequence of events. The fertility of it remains until it is fulfilled, or the writing hand once having written....moves on. For now, this remains to be seen, or decried as a false prophecy.
This story line will be written in stone this upcoming season...as there were complications to this season. This included some very prominent injuries that changed whole team dynamics. Again, there were tons of absences in the secondary, and a mid-season departure of the starting quarterback. Take away a Pro Bowl caliber punter on special teams, and a dynamics producer in Felix Jones, and you have a limited picture now for the season, but what was wrong....
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A truism in leadership is that you can NOT delegate responsibility for results. That goes with the title of leadership...no other way about that.
As systems develop, they do have the ability to overcome weaknesses and shortcomings, if they are quickly addressed and corrective measures put in place. At present, TOO many players and coaches want to watch and enjoy the process of paying the price for achievement. It doesn't work that way... as you have to put it all on the line intelligently each and every change in a game. Not save it for the end and hope to get it right...this year's group did NOT OVERCOME CHALENGES. That is the problem they have to approach and fix areas that opponents identified, and then drove semi's through once demonstrated...yet, for some reason, were NEVER corrected by the Cowboys. You can get to responsibility for each and every one of those reoccuring weaknesses, but that is merely name calling, and counterproduction after failure. The team didn't get productive until very late in each and every game played. The coordinators were NOT functional, until on the defensive side of the ball, Wade Phillips started to get proactive.
There really are two aspects that affect the overall picture...first, discipline of the players. That is the reason everything was on the line each and every game played this season. There was a deineable lack of discipline. Penalties and turnovers resulted from a very defineable lack of controlled play. Bad field position as well as always requiring the defense to control the clock in short yardage situations hampered much.
The other side is the lack of adapatability by the coaching staff itself. It did NOT make accountability and contributory discipline and effort a requirement of a professional atmosphere. Play and a personality arrogance permeated this entire team. That did NOT contribute to sacrifice, accountability, as well as team play.
This alone kept players from naturally developing to a cohesive as well as mistake correcting ability on team play. They were too undisciplined and thus chose to NOT pay the price on a play by play basis for success. Again, a direct negligence by coaching. Bad routes, poor choices in passes, penalties, blown coverages by special teams, as well as a basic lack of tackling ability all are indicators of a total lack of team discipline.
The responsibility of the coaching staff, is to empower it's players with schemes and play/adjustments on a play to play basis, that gives them the ability to adjust to changes by the opponents in how they attack weaknesses of the Cowboys. Almost always, the Cowboys were at disadvantages BEFORE changes were brought to view...ALWAYS. How often did you remember Dallas coming out in the first half and bounding ahead with an efficient and productive offensive action? There is a reason for that lack of forging a lead in almost ALL games during the first halves. Heck, Dallas was lucky to get 10 points for an entire half of play.
This does go to play calling and how the players were used. One to three passes to TO in the ENTIRE first half DOES go to what he was complaining about all season. How many championship teams had to come back against ALL opponents and steal from defeat....each and every game played no matter who the opponent was?
Well, there was shown a lack of depth on both offensive and defensive coordinators. Wade was able to cover the weakness on the defensive side, but he couldn't do the same for on-the-job learner-Jason Garrett. Garrett was a hot commodity last year, when the current Miami head coach was helping him...but this season, and floundered. I guess one might try and say it was just the mercury poisoning in the waters around Valley Ranch...doesn't fly for me although.
This covers the responsility for lack of success...and where Denver sent a voice of reason and the yearly reality of not changing to meet expectations. You just don't stick out too many 8-8 season even if you have FOURTEEN years of team longevity in the bank. Ask Shanahan about how that sneaks back on you...
Wade and his staff has some chance for change, and they have resources to adjust and still make it an acceptable place about the new stadium...but they are behind on the process. It is much easier to let up on harshness of discipline with a group of players, than to reinstill that aspect. Wade will lose some player points in this process, but it is necessary, and it additionally requires a different skill set, if it all is to be palatable, and thus-WORK.
There are players positional considerations now, not least of which is to see where having a 'vocal' TO and a 'lazy' Roy Williams affects the ability for Tony Romo to improve. Here, coaching staff will be all important. It will either succeed at integraing and ELEVATING this group...or after next season, will be the need for a new coach, a new set of receivers similar to what happend in an unsuccessful Detroit, and a 'new' franchise quarterback as well....and that would change this team drasticly for three years afterwards.
Bottom line is that this team was constantly ill prepared and NOT given the ammo to use on game day...yet still remained in the thick of almost all games, save the last, when turnovers wrote their doom, and NOT being greatly outplayed. Over four scores the direct result of turnovers/blown plays is way too much to give up against ANY good team, much less with all on the line.
This team was dependent for it's wins, on a very productive offense, and from mid-season forward, that was allowed to partially function at best. That sealed this part of a transition, but not potential of this group.
That Wade Phillips has vowed to look deeply into his own mirror, and then dilligently set about addressing these issues, there is ample good soil for yet another and better crop next growing season...but it has to address core problems and eliminate the terminating aspects in inhibiting features.
On a championship team, team unit is never an issue, and on the Cowboys, that should never be an issue as well...fix your locker room, Wade. That will spill out onto the field.
Next, YOU chose team captains, and use them, but UNDER your coaching staff. That should be the transition point in your organization...and NOT a sense of protecting career opportunity and family security for your present staff. Their greatest strength in longevity and career progression is in a TOP PRODUCING TEAM. Know the differences in 'helping' those under you, Wade.
Then, develop schemes and plays that enhance individual player strengths and ability to produce, not only consistency, but in explosive means, where this team lacked, once Felix Jones was removed from the mix.
Starting out with a general scheme of come and beat my style with the best of yours in the start of the season, but as the season wears on and repeat games start to determine pecking order in division...start using those individual strengths in your offense, to ATTACK points of weakness in opposing teams.
All through a season, and even against top defensive teams...they will attempt to attack Tony Romo instead of having to deal with the very good receivers. How do you combat this? Simple, beat the overload blitzes with hot reads, audibles out of overload situations, and with quick slants and 'ball busting' streaks to the outside with 'big play' or incompletion outcomes...not by allowing your quarterback to get set up for a hospital visit. Beat the blitz and put that defense into a more manageable and more ATTACKABLE stance. Put it's linebackers on their heels with a realistic running game, and then play action for real...not the other way around.
Ability to run the ball goes hand to hand with good health and longevity of play among this offensive line, but better depth at replacement players can not be under appreciated. Having a large list of players 'developing' here, just doesn't provide enough security in a series of crunch type games.
The thing here, is that for the second half of this season, this offense digressed to inefficiency. Maybe on the job training 'Red' Garrett, needs a little more offensive experience to back him up on the sidelines. He needs a little more offensive assistance than he got from Wade. This year's Miami headcoach was there for him this previous season, but this year, mr. 'magic' just didn't have a reliable wand to wave.
During periods of crunch and fourth quarters became crucial, well, the middle of this defense again became suspect and was attacked. For most of a game, Ratliff may be great, but at crunch time, he and the two defensive ends are suspect as is the Thomas side of the middle linebacker group as well. Put safety on the tail end of that protective chain, and it just does NOT hold up to the litmus test of proving out it's metal. Roy Williams may well have assisted, but just as possibly, he could have just as readily 'not tackled' as much of the secondary didn't at the conclusion of this season.
Myself, I would add 'beef' at the nose, add some developing players at defensive end, an aggressive and downhill middle linebacker, and a two technique safety. To this list, I would also add an offensive tackle, maybe the first Dallas pick in the draft, and a two to three year quarterback in the draft as well.
Now, to the original premise, was destiny missed? I am an optimist, and my glasses don't have any trouble turning rosie. Hey, I'm a fan...and not a moaner/groaner/complainer by choice. For me, if I see oil bubbling near the surface of a field, I'm going to do all that I can do see that tons of it make it to market, no matter how many trucker strikes, derrick shortages, or angry Middle Eastern Country producers are crying outside the fence line....I'm going to follow my dream out, as Jerry did in his ground breaking days.
Jerry Jones has followed the established principals of football, organizational career progressions, as well as player development. Should he give up due to some incoming flack from the media, and some of the 'fans' onboard for this season?
A still young team has room to grow more. A determined Wade Phillips has a chance to adjust even more...and yes, even a degree of even more talent added via a very large upcoming draft for Dallas. No first rounder, but a large amount of ammo from that point on down. Throw in aspects such as off season conditioning for the 'rook' group, and the many 'developing' linemen. Additionally, the recovery of five major players who will be returning to positional considerations as well. Yea, as young animal develops, it DOES sometimes change it's final appearances as well. This youth have now weathered a very intense season. One where it had to face a line of the very top teams the current NFL had to throw at it. In battle, that would be equated to being battle hardened. That part of the fight can not be under estimated in the final outcome.
During periods as these, there will be complaining, questioning, arguments, and questioning of validity and even guts. That is normal. That, although, does not change the mix of the basic ingredients, that if brought out in productive fashion...could explode forth in as dramatic a fashion as it had encapsuled when the same Dallas Cowboys went 13-3. Now, this time... battle hardened to the 'tough' side of the game, and now, ready to assume that yoke as well.
As for me, I'm still assuming that this group's potential has NOT been arrived at, and under the wisdom and protection of Jerry Jones, this group will yet seek its OWN destiny and become the FIRST team to reach that coveted and solitary possesser of that SIXTH Lombardi in IT'S trophy case. Yes, here, I am right here and now saying that Pittsburgh will NOT be the first there....you make the wager now...has destiny been passed or not?