Two words: Marty Schottenheimer. Though a 5-13 post season record is better than 1-4 (or 0-3 prior to this year. ) I like Wade, but I'm not convinced he's more than a very good DC.

Romo grew on me a LOT in the last month, though until he can do it for more than one season I won't be sold, but the Cowboys have some pretty good players. Jay Ratliff finally seems to be a NT worthy of the name, and I'd start Roy Williams, Miles Austin, Patrick Crayton and Jason Witten on my team without a second thought. I have issues with Olshansky from his days in SD (not getting into that though) but who wouldn't want Ware, Newman, Spencer or Spears? I wouldn't mind having Barber in Denver, except we've had backs who had great games one week and got 20 yards on 10 carries and 2 fumbles the next. Same problem Romo had: Talent is there, but no one's taught him how to control it, or told him he better figure the hell out how or look for work. There's less of that now that TO, the OTHER Roy Williams and Keyshawn aren't around, but then I think the Cowboys finished about where they belong this year, regular season and playoffs.


The Cowboys waxed under Jimmy Johnson, declined thereafter and have never reemerged as a a major contender. 'Cept for the year they got homefield advantage but were swept in their first game by a team they beat twice during the season. The standards are different in places like Dallas than they are in Detroit, just ask Brian Griese, Jake Plummer and Jay Cutler and, soon, Kyle Orton (he may be more screwed than any of them because he got Grieses arm and mobility but Plummers brain. ) If you're a Falcons fan you're just happy to make the playoffs; if you're a Cowboys fan anything less than a ring is failure.

Granted, but most successful ones move beyond that sooner or later. Very few people have the luxury of saying, "I don't know wtf I'm doing; here, Peyton, YOU run the offense. " More often it's "crap, Vince Young can't run an offense by himself yet. "

The coach doesn't need to be head cheerleader, or shouldn't often (someone needed to rally the troops at halftime last week though, and guess who's job that is. ) He does need to be able to tell players not to skip practice or stay out too late, but that's hard to do with prima donnas who have the owner on speed dial. And I've liked Garrett since the day he walked on the field (on the other hand that was around the time I thought the solution to the QB controversy was trade Aikman and start Walsh, so wtf do I know? ) Till Dallas got a handle on Edwards and the NFLs second leading sackmaster you weren't going to see many 7 step drops. Which brings us back to "Colombo and Adams need to stop loafing, and Wade needs to make that VERY clear to them. " At this point I don't know if they have the talent or not; seems like all I ever see Flozell do is get penalized.