Tag: Jerry Jones (Page 8 of 10)

One and done: Cowboys cut Pacman Jones

The Pacman Jones experiment in Dallas has come to end after just one season, as the Cowboy released the cornerback on Wednesday.

The Cowboys traded for Jones despite the cornerback’s suspension for the 2007 season after multiple off-field incidents while with the Titans. He was given another chance and cleared to play in 2008 by commissioner Roger Goodell.

But on Oct. 7, Jones got into a scuffle with a bodyguard who was part of a team-employed security detail. A week later, Goodell suspended the cornerback indefinitely, which eventually turned into a six-week suspension. Jones missed a seventh game later in the season with an injury.

The 25-year-old Jones spent part of his time away from football taking part in an alcohol rehabilitation program.

Kind of funny that when the Cowboys desperately need cornerbacks to make a playoff push late in the year, owner Jerry Jones did everything in his power to get Pacman reinstated again after his most recent f-up. And now he’s promptly shoving him out the door.

Despite Pacman netting zero interceptions and just a 4.5-yard average on punt returns, I think Jones got everything he needed out of the delinquent one. He got a rodeo clown for his circus (i.e. HBO’s “Hard Knocks”) and a warm body when the Cowboys were hurting with injuries late in the year.

Cowboys embarrassed in Philadelphia – will Wade Phillips be fired?

Wade Phillips & Andy ReidThe Philadelphia Eagles absolutely hammered the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, beating their NFC East rivals 44-6 to clinch the sixth and final playoff spot in the NFC.

Before I get to the Eagles’ remarkable run to make the postseason, I have to ask: Is Wade Phillips done in Dallas? Yeah, I know – Jerry Jones said multiple times this week that Wade’s job was not in jeopardy. But what is he supposed to say when his coach is trying to prepare his team for a must-win game? He’s not going to put any undo pressure on Phillips when everyone knows what’s at stake.

But to be embarrassed by a division rival when a win gets you into the playoffs is inexcusable. This was essentially a playoff game and Phillips’ team didn’t even show up. My God, it was 27-3 at halftime and Tony Romo looked like he would rather wash himself with barbed wire than be out on the field Sunday.

The problem with parting with Phillips after the season is that unless he can land Bill Cowher, Jones doesn’t have a ton of options. His golden boy Jason Garrett can’t be excused from this mess of a situation either, because his innovative offense could only muster six points. (Although it’s not Garrett’s fault Romo treated the football like a greased hog for most of the evening.)

Entering the season, Dallas was easily the favorite to represent the NFC, especially with the amount of talent the Giants lost from their Super Bowl team. After getting shelled by Philly to finish out of the playoffs, I wouldn’t put it past Jones to clean house with a new stadium set to open in 2009. What an embarrassment.

On a lighter note – how about those Eagles? Six weeks ago their playoff hopes looked bleak after they tied the Bengals and then were shellacked by the Ravens in Baltimore. Then they rattle off three straight wins only to put their postseason aspirations back on life support with a lousy performance in Washington last Sunday. Then today, all of the stars align just right and they’re heading to the playoffs.

And if anyone thinks they can’t go into Minnesota next week and beat the Vikings, you’re crazy. Jim Johnson is already working on a game plan to limit Adrian Peterson and force Tarvaris Jackson to make throws to beat him.

Galloway: Jerry Jones should fire himself

Following their 33-24 loss to the Baltimore Ravens Saturday night in Dallas, Star-Telegram columnist Randy Galloway writes that Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones should fire himself.

Wade PhillipsThen again, Jerry Jones is the dumbest general manager in the history of football, and there he was, postgame on Saturday, proclaiming he has no plans, no matter what, to fire Wade. See, it’s real hard to find good puppets these days.

But please remember that much has changed in the 11 barren postseason years, including five head coaches.

The one and only survivor of this Titanic?

Our captain of the ship, general manager Jones. Why won’t this failure fire himself? No other GM in the league could survive this kind of ineptness, unless, of course, the team owner was in a coma. Now there’s a thought.

Not once, but twice, when Romo had cut the Ravens lead to two points in the last four minutes, the defense caved like a sand tunnel at high tide. Pathetic.

Any defensive coordinator should be fired on the spot. That’s you, right Wade?

Phillips had a run blitz called when Willis McGahee burst up the middle, untouched, for a 77-yard touchdown.

Phillips had a run blitz called when lumbering Le’Ron McClain started outside, broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage, broke two more five yards later, and then just kept running. He stopped in the end zone, 82 yards later.

The comeback was over. The season is all but over. And Wade should be over and out. But Jerry is, as always, football stupid. Nothing can ever change that.

I realize Phillips will take the heat because it was him who made the defensive play calls in the fourth quarter that eventually sunk the Cowboys. But it’s not Wade’s fault that multiple players missed multiple tackles on those two plays. All coaches can do is put their players in position to succeed and then it’s up to the players to execute.

That said, it’s hard to argue with Galloway that something has to be done with Phillips and/or Jones. This Dallas team is on the verge of missing the postseason despite having some of the best talent in the NFC. Somebody has to be held accountable.

Jerry Jones calls out Marion Barber

Frustrated that his team’s playoff hopes are hanging in the balance with each passing week, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones publicly called out his running back for not making the trip to Pittsburgh last Sunday.

Marion BarberAt the very least, Mr. Jones believes he’s in a position to question Marion Barber’s toughness. Barber didn’t play in Pittsburgh yesterday with calf and pinkie toe injuries, and Jones roundaboutly called him a sissy yesterday. From Star-Telegram.com:

Jones believed Barber’s dislocated right pinkie toe was an injury that he could have played with against Pittsburgh. Before the team boarded for its flight to Pittsburgh on Saturday, Jones was stunned Barber did not make the trip.

After not practicing all week and with an additional sore calf, Barber felt he couldn’t play. Jones said Barber could have taped and braced the toe well enough to allow him to play.

“He can play with that injured toe,” Jones said. “He can play with the soreness and a combination of those things. I see nothing that led us to believe he couldn’t.”

It’s Jones’ team, so he can say whatever he wants. But if he thinks that he’s going to motivate Barber into playing, this seems like the wrong way to do it. If Barber could play, don’t you think he would be out there? It’s not like this guy has a history of nagging injuries that lead to him missing games. Jones comes off like a whinny child that isn’t getting what he wants right now.

Is Wade Phillips the problem in Dallas?

Jean-Jacques Taylor of the Dallas Morning News writes that Wade Phillips and Jerry Jones have destroyed the team Bill Parcells built.

Wade PhillipsParcells had the power to get rid of players, no questions asked. Phillips doesn’t, so he’ll never have the same level of respect from the players. Why do you think Greg Ellis talked to Jerry Jones about his role in the defense?

He wouldn’t have done that with Parcells here because he knew it wouldn’t have mattered. Why do you think T.O. regularly shows up late to morning meetings? He knows there’s no real consequence.
The players know Phillips doesn’t have the ultimate authority, so they don’t fear him. That, my friends, leads to a culture of losing.

But the biggest reason the culture Parcells created is gone is that no one is here to reinforce it.
When Parcells left, he took VP of college and pro scouting Jeff Ireland with him. He took Tony Sparano and three core defensive coaches as well. Yes, Jason Garrett is still here, but he’s not a Parcells’ guy. He’s a Norv Turner guy.

That means everyone with ties to Parcells, who respected the previous culture and could maintain the same type of environment is gone.

That’s why the environment has changed – and it’s not coming back. This team is in the midst of a free fall. Do you have confidence anyone in the organization can stop the plummet?
I didn’t think so.

This team has also lost its edge under Wade Phillips.

Funny how just a year ago the media and Cowboy players were lauding Phillips for being such a “player-friendly” coach and how it was so nice not to walk on eggshells with Parcells gone. How quickly the mood changes when a team starts losing.

« Older posts Newer posts »