Week 17 approaches, and it’s time we pooled our collective wisdom and made some predictions about this Cowboys team. Joining us is Anthony, Steve, Ryan, and Michi.
1. Who wins on Sunday? How deep will the Cowboys go in the playoffs?
Anthony Franklin: I think the Cowboys finally get it. “It” being that sense of urgency that has been lacking in years past. With that being said, I think they’ll beat the Eagles Sunday to win the division and after that, I believe this team will go as far as the defense will take it. With the way the rest of the NFC playoff participants are performing, it doesn’t sound too crazy to say the Cowboys have a very good chance at getting to the Super Bowl.
Steve Hartline: No, the Cowboys do not beat the eagles this Sunday. Keys to an Eagles victory:
- What receiver doesn’t get double teamed? The Cowboys will play competitive football, but the secondary will allow the big plays to the likes of Celek, Jackson and Maclin at various points in the game. The Eagles have the best receiving corps. Since McNabb first put on #5, and the Dallas secondary has allowed its fair share of big pass plays. In the first matchup between the two teams, Hamlin allowed passes of 17, 23 yards, Newman allowed 15, 20 yard plays, and Sensabaugh allowed a 45 yarder. But McNabb was intercepted twice.
- In the first matchup, the Eagles (rated 8th in the league against the rush), held the Cowboys to just 76 yards on 23 rushing plays. That averages out to just 3.3 yards/rush, well below the seasonal average of 4.8. The Cowboys will need to control the clock while scoring touchdowns in the process to keep the 3rd ranked Eagles from approaching their 28.6 points per game average.
- I also like Akers over Suisham in the kicking game, if it comes down to a late game field goal.
- The Cowboys committed 11 penalties in the first matchup.
How deep they advance is upto the weekly matchups. But I like the Cowboys chances against anyone.
Ryan Ritter: Before this season started, I had written a blog post in which I said the Cowboys would claim a wild card spot and win their first playoff game, and lose immediately after. Even though back then I projected the Giants as the NFC East Champs, I am going to stick to that prediction. With the way the Eagles are playing right now, I can’t see how Dallas will pull out the victory.
As I stated in my latest installment of the “Romo Friendly” Offense series, the Cowboys are falling short in crucial situations and that will be their downfall in the season finale. However, the Cowboys will feed off of that loss and turn in a performance like they did in New Orleans come playoff time in their wild card game. After that though, there are just too many superior teams to Dallas and that will be where the run ends.
Michi: If Dallas is able to win the turnover battle, and produce more rushing yards, they can beat the Eagles on Sunday. I think they will do both of those things and in fact defeat Philadelphia and win the division. I predict they can go all the way to the Super Bowl, Green Bay is the one team that worries me out of the 5, simply because they absolutely destroyed us this year. I am certain Dallas can beat all the other teams, in Dallas or on the road.
2. What do the Cowboys have to do this last game and post-season in order for you to want Wade Phillips back as your head coach next season?
Anthony Franklin: The Cowboys need to win the division and at least get to the NFC Championship game for Wade Phillips to be safe. He may be a bumbling idiot and Jerry’s latest puppet, but the players seem to respond well to him and he has the players’ back as well. It doesn’t sound like Jerry is ready to pull the trigger on Wade, but you never know with him.
Steve Hartline: Just Win Baby! If the Cowboys can make a run at the play-offs (and I don’t think a loss to the Eagles this Sunday would diminish their chances unless it’s another lopsided blow out), the Cowboys have gelled as a complete team. The defense has come on strong, they have recommitted to the running game, and special teams seem to be shored up with the acquisition of Suisham.
Plus, the Vikings and Saints are now exposed, so the hot team has a chance to make a run, just like Arizona did last year. And if the Cowboys and Eagles matchup again, well that even more reason to hype it up. If Wade could beat the Eagles in the play-offs, his job would be secured. If he would fail at this, he would not survive the off season. NOTE: I have come around to wanting Wade to survive for two reasons:
- He has a great regular season record. If he could just advance in the play-offs he would be elevated to the status of the likes of Andy Reid or Norv Turner (both get their team into and advancing through the play-offs, but neither has won a Super bowl); their respective organizations seem content with this level of success. Would Dallas?
- A new staff would mean potentially large scale changes, and that translates to “rebuilding”. Rebuilding is just another term for “give us three years to turn this around”. The Cowboys have the players in place now, and winning is contagious (but so is losing).
Ryan Ritter: I would like to show Wade the door no matter how far the Cowboys go. I don’t even care if he wins a Super Bowl–Barry Switzer won one too and I wouldn’t want him as our head coach again. Wade lacks the attitude that successful coaches have. I don’t care if he wants to be a “player’s coach” (I know you don’t have to be a hardass to be successful, Tony Dungy proved that), but Phillips is nothing more than a Jerry puppet.
He lacks the authority and moxie to throw his weight around, cut players when they should be cut, and put assistants in their place. Ask yourself these questions: if Wade wanted to, could he tell Jerry that Garrett needs to shape up his playcalling or he is gone? Can he bench Roy Williams or Marion Barber without Jerry’s say-so? Does he even seem to want this power? To me, the clear answer is no on all accounts, and that’s not who I ever want leading my team on the field.
Michi: Unless he gets Dallas to the Super Bowl, I would not like to see him back. The Bucs had the same problem with Dungy. If Wade can’t at least put them in position to play for the Championship, he shouldn’t be a head coach there any longer.
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Ryan. I asked myself those three questions, and the answer was no for each one. But let me ask you this in turn: IF he were to want the power to bench a player, or groan about Garrett, he would be gone from the Cowboys faster than Bill Belichick left the Jets to take the New England job. Jerry is always going to hire his Good Old Boy. The two exceptions were Johnson and Parcells, and they were both dropped like hot tamales once the smoke cleared from Jerry's ears caused by their mule headed ways.
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