Yeah, Another post about Drew

[PatPatPatSack]

OK, tell me that if you did a search and replace on Parcels to make it - "Donohoe/Mularkey" and from Bledsoe to "Bill's QB of the Day". Then tell me that this is not the same thing we hear over in these here parts.

 

 

 

 

 

Column: Cowboys Fading Down the Stretch

2005-12-21 A month ago, everything was lining up so nicely for the Dallas Cowboys.

 

They were 7-3 and turnaround artist Bill Parcells was being praised for working his magic again. He even had the added satisfaction of his favorite defensive scheme and old pal Drew Bledsoe being major reasons for the success.

 

Now look at them.

 

The Cowboys have lost three of their last four games, kicking them from division front-runners to wild-card outsiders. The dismal stretch has prompted questions about how much longer Parcells will stick around _ and caused some fans to declare they're ready for him to go with a year left on his contract.

 

Of course, many of those same fans might be screaming for an extension if Dallas wrangles its way into the playoffs. That's could still happen, though it will take a victory Saturday at Carolina to even be possible.

 

The way things have been going, Parcells has no idea whether his team can save its season.

 

"Why would I?" he said. "Any coach would worry about all of that. Anybody that says that he's not worried about it wouldn't be telling the truth."

 

Since skating through the first 10 games with three lopsided wins, four narrow wins and three narrow losses, Dallas sure has looked like a team moving in reverse and building speed along the way.

 

_At home against Denver on Thanksgiving, the Cowboys missed a short field goal midway through the fourth quarter, then lost in overtime.

 

_On the road against the New York Giants, with first place in the division on the line, Dallas trailed 17-0 shortly after halftime. A quick rally made it 17-10. The Cowboys got the ball back five more times without being able to tie it.

 

_Following a hope-salvaging home win over Kansas City, the Cowboys went to Washington and never gave themselves a chance to win. A 35-7 loss was their most lopsided ever against the Redskins.

 

On Monday, Parcells blamed his players' immaturity for the meltdowns against the Giants and Redskins. He noted that there were only three mental mistakes in the loss to Washington, "so you know what the rest is involved with."

 

Injuries and a lack of depth got them into this mess, too, especially on the offensive line.

 

Having enough blockers for the block-needy Bledsoe was a concern all summer. It became a reality when left tackle Flozell Adams was lost for the season in mid-October.

 

The Cowboys already had been using an extra blocker to help rookie right tackle Rob Petitti. Then they needed another to help the fill-in on the left side, Torrin Tucker. Defenses have figured out how to exploit that lately, sacking Bledsoe 15 times the last three games.

 

The line hasn't been much better at opening holes for running backs, even if that hasn't stopped Parcells from trying. Dallas has the fifth-most rushing attempts in the league despite being third-worst in yards per carry.

 

So how about shaking things up? Parcells refuses because the backups are three recent additions he doesn't trust yet and a second-year player he may never trust.

 

"Just putting somebody in isn't going to make it better," said Parcells, who has whiffed on several OL draft picks and has yet to pluck a reliable blocker in his constant in-season "churning of the roster."

 

Regardless of how this season finishes, it's fair to assess how far the franchise has come in the three years since Parcells took over. After all, three years is the longest he gives a player to prove himself.

 

At 24-22 so far, he's way ahead of the 15-33 record Dallas had in the three previous seasons under Dave Campo. So even if he walks away tomorrow he can say the franchise is better than he left it.

 

But Parcells can't be satisfied with what he's done, not considering the cellar-to-Super Bowl rises he oversaw with the Giants, New England Patriots and New York Jets, and not after going 10-6 and making the playoffs his first year with the Cowboys.

 

Going 6-10 last year was a big step backward, except it convinced Jerry Jones to let Parcells mold the team his way. He put in his beloved 3-4 defense, stocked the roster with rookies and free agents suited for the scheme, and aimed for an offense that would burn the clock and not make mistakes.

 

Most predictions had Dallas going around 8-8 this season. It seemed logical that they'd start slow and improve as things went along. So when the Cowboys started fast, expectations zoomed, perhaps even Parcells'.

 

Now reality may be settling in, with this bit of uncertainty looming: Will the 64-year-old coach wants to try again next fall?

 

For now, at least, he's only getting ready for Saturday.

 

"I bumped into him this morning and talked to him a little bit," Bledsoe said Tuesday. "I didn't get a sense from him at all that he was overly tired or worn out, or any of those things that would kind of lead you to believe that it's getting to be too much for him."

 

The next two weeks sure should be interesting.

[JAMIEBUF12]

i would kill for a coach like parcells even if its not working for him in dallas.

[PromoTheRobot]

The trouble with a guy like Parcells is he doesn't care about coaching and winning like he used to. You can see it...he's not the same guy he was with the Giants. I don't think he puts in the work anymore, and when things get tough, he cuts and runs (see Jets/Patriots) There's also the possibility that Bill Belichick was the REAL genius in his coaching. Now that he's gone, he hasn't done anything.

 

Parcells supposedly has a house in Saratoga that he wants to be closer to. I highly doubt the Jets, Giants, or Pats would take him back, so taking a job with the Bills is not impossible. But I think it would be like the Bledsoe trade. A big deal when he's hired, fading into a whimper when he quits in two years. Just my opinion.

 

PTR