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Archer: Does Wade Phillips need to adopt more of a mean streak?
04:05 PM CDT on Thursday, November 4, 2010
COLUMN By TODD ARCHER / The Dallas Morning News
tarcher@dallasnews.com
Todd Archer
Archive | E-mail
IRVING – The moment was from 1977, Tony Dorsett's rookie year, and the Hall of Fame running back can't remember the player, but he can remember the feeling inside the meeting room as Tom Landry spoke.
"We're in the meeting room on a Monday, and we're going through the film, and Tom stops the film, and he pretty much calls the player out," Dorsett said.
"He says, 'Look, I can tolerate this from rookies, I will not tolerate this from a veteran.' That's all that was said and everybody, we knew who he was talking about, but it didn't just fall on the ears of one guy."
Earlier this season, according to multiple sources, a player's cellphone went off during a team meeting when Wade Phillips was talking about discipline.
Instead of seizing the moment and making an example of the player, Phillips let it slide.
Landry had a presence built through years of winning by the time Dorsett was a rookie, but former Cowboys say Landry had it when he took over the franchise in 1960. Jimmy Johnson had a presence when he arrived in 1989, even if it was built in the college game.
Bill Parcells, who took the New York Giants and New England Patriots to the Super Bowl, had a presence when he came to the Cowboys in 2003.
This is Wade Phillips' 34th year in the NFL and his ninth as an NFL head coach. He built his reputation as a defensive coordinator. As a head coach, his teams have won – sometimes big, like the 2007 Cowboys that went 13-3 – but never fulfilled the ultimate goal.
As the Cowboys stumble through this season, Phillips' style has been scrutinized even more. When times got rough last season after back-to-back December losses to San Diego and the New York Giants, Phillips' evenhandedness was praised. Now, it is viewed as too passive.
"We're 1-6, and you are who you are, and Wade is who he is, man," defensive end Marcus Spears said. "Since I've been here, everybody has looked for that answer: Why isn't he acting crazy and cursing guys out? It's not him.
"And Wade has been in this game a long time. He's got his way to do it. For him to flip a table, rant and rave, we see that as a team [and] might say, 'That's not real as opposed to the other side.' "
Having presence, however, does not necessarily mean you have to be a yeller and screamer. Landry did not yell. Tony Dungy did not scream. But players had a healthy fear that their mistakes would lead to some sort of repercussion, be it losing playing time or a roster spot.
After Leonard Davis' lackluster first half against Tennessee earlier this season, the guard was pulled in favor of Montrae Holland, who played well until he suffered a gash on his nose and right eye.
When asked the next day if Davis would continue as the starter, Phillips said yes without hesitation, referring to Davis as a "Pro Bowl player."
Some of it is not of Phillips' making. Because of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' presence as general manager, Phillips, Dave Campo, Chan Gailey and, to a degree, Barry Switzer, have appeared to many outsiders as having some of their authority sapped, whether that's real or perceived.
"Tom Landry was in an authoritative position, and he had authority," Dorsett said.
Said Darren Woodson, who played for every coach in the Jones' era except Phillips: "I think authority matters. I think being able to look at the coach and say, 'You know what, if I mess up that's my [expletive].' "
Woodson remembers thinking to himself during games, "Did I just go 100 mph on that kickoff because on Monday, Jimmy will say something?"
After Johnson left, Woodson knew he would hear it from assistant coach Mike Zimmer or special teams coach Joe Avezzano, if not Switzer.
"I'd like to go to their meetings to see how they go about their business," Woodson said. "But hopefully at this level, they would hold each other accountable."
• • •
04:05 PM CDT on Thursday, November 4, 2010
COLUMN By TODD ARCHER / The Dallas Morning News
tarcher@dallasnews.com
Todd Archer
Archive | E-mail
IRVING – The moment was from 1977, Tony Dorsett's rookie year, and the Hall of Fame running back can't remember the player, but he can remember the feeling inside the meeting room as Tom Landry spoke.
"We're in the meeting room on a Monday, and we're going through the film, and Tom stops the film, and he pretty much calls the player out," Dorsett said.
"He says, 'Look, I can tolerate this from rookies, I will not tolerate this from a veteran.' That's all that was said and everybody, we knew who he was talking about, but it didn't just fall on the ears of one guy."
Earlier this season, according to multiple sources, a player's cellphone went off during a team meeting when Wade Phillips was talking about discipline.
Instead of seizing the moment and making an example of the player, Phillips let it slide.
Landry had a presence built through years of winning by the time Dorsett was a rookie, but former Cowboys say Landry had it when he took over the franchise in 1960. Jimmy Johnson had a presence when he arrived in 1989, even if it was built in the college game.
Bill Parcells, who took the New York Giants and New England Patriots to the Super Bowl, had a presence when he came to the Cowboys in 2003.
This is Wade Phillips' 34th year in the NFL and his ninth as an NFL head coach. He built his reputation as a defensive coordinator. As a head coach, his teams have won – sometimes big, like the 2007 Cowboys that went 13-3 – but never fulfilled the ultimate goal.
As the Cowboys stumble through this season, Phillips' style has been scrutinized even more. When times got rough last season after back-to-back December losses to San Diego and the New York Giants, Phillips' evenhandedness was praised. Now, it is viewed as too passive.
"We're 1-6, and you are who you are, and Wade is who he is, man," defensive end Marcus Spears said. "Since I've been here, everybody has looked for that answer: Why isn't he acting crazy and cursing guys out? It's not him.
"And Wade has been in this game a long time. He's got his way to do it. For him to flip a table, rant and rave, we see that as a team [and] might say, 'That's not real as opposed to the other side.' "
Having presence, however, does not necessarily mean you have to be a yeller and screamer. Landry did not yell. Tony Dungy did not scream. But players had a healthy fear that their mistakes would lead to some sort of repercussion, be it losing playing time or a roster spot.
After Leonard Davis' lackluster first half against Tennessee earlier this season, the guard was pulled in favor of Montrae Holland, who played well until he suffered a gash on his nose and right eye.
When asked the next day if Davis would continue as the starter, Phillips said yes without hesitation, referring to Davis as a "Pro Bowl player."
Some of it is not of Phillips' making. Because of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' presence as general manager, Phillips, Dave Campo, Chan Gailey and, to a degree, Barry Switzer, have appeared to many outsiders as having some of their authority sapped, whether that's real or perceived.
"Tom Landry was in an authoritative position, and he had authority," Dorsett said.
Said Darren Woodson, who played for every coach in the Jones' era except Phillips: "I think authority matters. I think being able to look at the coach and say, 'You know what, if I mess up that's my [expletive].' "
Woodson remembers thinking to himself during games, "Did I just go 100 mph on that kickoff because on Monday, Jimmy will say something?"
After Johnson left, Woodson knew he would hear it from assistant coach Mike Zimmer or special teams coach Joe Avezzano, if not Switzer.
"I'd like to go to their meetings to see how they go about their business," Woodson said. "But hopefully at this level, they would hold each other accountable."
• • •
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