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Players gave Wade Phillips standing ovation after talk
04:28 PM CST on Tuesday, November 9, 2010
By TODD ARCHER / The Dallas Morning News
After Jerry Jones spoke to the team Monday, Wade Phillips had a chance to say his goodbye as well.
He delivered a brief message, apologized for what happened this season and thanked the players for the effort. As Phillips walked out the players applauded and gave him a standing ovation.
"They always say the coach is not going to fire the coach, that's what Jerry said," DeMarcus Ware said. "The players are going to get the coach fired and that's what I think happened."
Said Jason Witten: "It's tough. I think in a lot of ways as a leader you feel disappointed because you feel like you let Wade down and to be in this situation it almost feels surreal to think that we're 1-7. But the last three and a half years we've been able to do a lot of good things. Unfortunately this year it seemed like it snowballed on us and we haven't been able to shake it. So from that standpoint it's hard to wrap your arms around why it happened and it's real. Yesterday see that happen and hear Wade talk to the team there's a lot of emotion wrapped up in a few words. There's always accountability and consequences when you don't have success and unfortunately it started with him.
Ware said Phillips played the biggest part in him becoming the player he is today. He made the Pro Bowl in all three of Phillips' season, becoming one of the NFL's top pass rushers. While Phillips will be replaced as coordinator by Paul Pasqualoni, Ware said the players can still make Phillips feel good about the defense.
"A lot of guys were just hurt and we're still hurt," DeMarcus Ware said. "But I always tell myself what kind of treat would it be to end up being a better defense than when he left by playing even better? And it's going to be his defense still, so we're showing him on Sunday that we didn't give up on him."
04:28 PM CST on Tuesday, November 9, 2010
By TODD ARCHER / The Dallas Morning News
After Jerry Jones spoke to the team Monday, Wade Phillips had a chance to say his goodbye as well.
He delivered a brief message, apologized for what happened this season and thanked the players for the effort. As Phillips walked out the players applauded and gave him a standing ovation.
"They always say the coach is not going to fire the coach, that's what Jerry said," DeMarcus Ware said. "The players are going to get the coach fired and that's what I think happened."
Said Jason Witten: "It's tough. I think in a lot of ways as a leader you feel disappointed because you feel like you let Wade down and to be in this situation it almost feels surreal to think that we're 1-7. But the last three and a half years we've been able to do a lot of good things. Unfortunately this year it seemed like it snowballed on us and we haven't been able to shake it. So from that standpoint it's hard to wrap your arms around why it happened and it's real. Yesterday see that happen and hear Wade talk to the team there's a lot of emotion wrapped up in a few words. There's always accountability and consequences when you don't have success and unfortunately it started with him.
Ware said Phillips played the biggest part in him becoming the player he is today. He made the Pro Bowl in all three of Phillips' season, becoming one of the NFL's top pass rushers. While Phillips will be replaced as coordinator by Paul Pasqualoni, Ware said the players can still make Phillips feel good about the defense.
"A lot of guys were just hurt and we're still hurt," DeMarcus Ware said. "But I always tell myself what kind of treat would it be to end up being a better defense than when he left by playing even better? And it's going to be his defense still, so we're showing him on Sunday that we didn't give up on him."
