Wade Phillips, new Cowboys coach....

[k_jerome]

BWAHAHAHAHA

[bmbmd]

1. I love that guy.

He was great in the press conference. Humble, confident, mature, witty-he wowed the crowd. I believe he is the right man at the right time for the Cowboys. Hope so, anyway.

[MrSlayer]

2. I'm happy about it.

Being an Eagles fan and all.

[Awsi Dooger]

3. Makes some sense to me

Phillips' Buffalo teams were always very sound in the categories I look at first. I thought he got a Bum rap, so to speak, by getting fired after the 2000 season. Especially considering who he was replaced by, a totally unproven Gregg Williams. Philips was dealing with statue Rob Johnson and an aging Doug Flutie at QB, so the expectations were unrealistic.

In his three seasons at Buffalo, the Bills were always in the top half of the league in both yards per pass attempt offensively and defensively, ranking 4th, 15th and 10th on offense and and 9th, 3rd and 12th on defense.

Dallas the last few seasons has been inept in pass defense, even though that hasn't been stressed by the mainstream media. They've ranked 25th, 17th and 26th in defensive YPPA. It's the one disqualifying number I always see when I evaluate the Cowboys in terms of playoff success. The Chargers improved dramatically this year under Phillips, to 7th.

Of course, Dallas' trouble may be personnel. Roy Williams at safety gives up as many big plays as he makes big hits

[Captain Hilts]

4. Didn't he screw up the Bills vis a vis Flutie vs. Johnson?

It KILLED team karma.

[PDittie]

5. Here's a picture of Bum and Junior

when Wade was a linebacker at U of H in the late '60's:



Phillips as head coach made the most sense, because he'll know how to use DeMarcus Ware and the rest of Dallas' 3-4 personnel. As laidback as Bum Jr. is, he might not be able to stop T.O. from going buckwild, but Norv Turner wouldn't have been any better.

If the Pokes start losing, it won't surprise me to see Jerrah make a run at Bill Cowher (despite Jason Garrett supposedly being the "head coach of the future").

[rep the dems]

6. I don't know a whole lot about him, but I'm really not worried.

I'm pretty confident that the Eagles will win the NFC East again next year.

[Captain Hilts]

7. Here's what Lupica says in the NYDN:

Wade Phillips has been on my list since he was dumb enough to bench Doug Flutie - who'd quarterbacked Phillips' Bills to the playoffs one year - and benched him for a career never-was-and-never-going-to-be named Rob Johnson.

Here is what that got Phillips:

A loss to the Titans in the Music City Miracle game, which is now one of my favorite single sports events of all time.

Now Jerry Jones hires this retread and makes it sound like he's found the second coming of Jimmy Johnson.

[leeman67]

8. I don't disagree that it was stupid to bench Flutie, but...

just what does the "Music City Miracle" play have to do with who was playing QB that day? Johnson actually played well that game if I recall, and they would have won the game had it not been for the breakdown on special teams on that final kick return. Remember, they were underdogs on the road anyway, so they were trying to pull the upset and almost did. Like I said, I basically agree with Lupica about it being wrong to bench Flutie, but to pin that particular loss on that decision is a reach if you ask me.

[Captain Hilts]

9. Flutie had earned it. And Johnson was still rusty coming back from the injury.

It created controversy within the team.

[Awsi Dooger]

10. That's pure idiocy by Lupica

Most of those high profile commentators are absolutely clueless in regard to technical football. They love the storyline aspect, so they prioritize so-called team chemistry and similar blather.

Flutie declined severely in 1999. You could see it all year and it was absolutely the correct decision to yank him in favor of Rob Johnson, who may have been a statue but he could get the ball down the field. In the playoffs the points indeed come out of the passing game, and you need to make the big plays downfield, and stop similar.

Flutie had a terrific year in '98, by far his best as a pro starter at 7.7 yards per attempt. In '99 he dropped dramatically to 6.6. That is all the difference between a QB who can carry his team deep into the playoffs, and one who will be a liability. Over the last 10 games Flutie was even worse, barely 6.3 yards per attempt. Rob Johnson, in limited action, was 8.8 that year. You had to give him a chance.

And it damn near worked out, other than the fluke special teams play.

Let's put it this way; every sharp guy I know in Las Vegas was itching to bet against the Bills in the playoffs if Flutie and his anemic yards per attempt had been the QB. That Tennessee team was excellent, the best wild card record ever at 13-3.

[bmbmd]

11. Well. If sports genius Mike Lupica

(who, by the way, is an avowed Cowboy hater and was driven out of Dallas by fear) says it, I'll believe it til I die.(not)

[Goblinmonger]

12. Guess this means

that TO is going to leave or turn into a giant crybaby. Oops, sorry, forgot the last already happened.

[TZ]

13. Is Wade Phillips the coach?

Or is it Jerry Jones again. Seems like he wants Jason Garrett but doesn't quite think he is ready. I think its really W. Phillips as defensive coordinator and J.Garrett offensive coordinator and J.Jones coach and gm. Its truly amazing how much him and Dan Snyder (of my Skins) are alike in their tendency (even after seeing how much it hurts the team) to totally meddle:crazy: