By Tim Cowlishaw / Columnist
wtcowlishaw@dallasnews.com
This team already is 5-6. The losses are mounting. The injury list is growing. And yet somehow I think the blame has not been fairly distributed for the Cowboys’ latest contribution to sustained mediocrity.
I’m not one who would ever buy into “Super Bowl or bust” labels. For me, it’s always been conference title games. Barring the unlikeliest of December rallies, this marks the 17th consecutive season without an NFC title game for Dallas. For that, Jerry Jones’ insistence on not hiring a general manager draws the criticism it richly deserves.
But you know what? Just saying Jerry is tough to work for or that his system is flawed becomes too easy an escape route. Yes, his coach and his coordinators are hindered by the Jones system. But they’re not as handicapped as, say, the Tampa Bay Rays, who have to compete with teams that spend $100 million more per season on payroll.
Jason Garrett should do better than he has done. His teams shouldn’t be regressing as the seasons move along. And I think it’s safe to say he shouldn’t be calling quarterback sneaks on first down if he truly has his act together.
This has been a bad season for Garrett. He’s not alone.
Rob Ryan’s defense statistically has been superior to Garrett’s offense. But I don’t think there’s any real defense for giving up 28 second-quarter points Thursday in the biggest game of the year.
With the season on the line, 226 yards — in one quarter — should not happen regardless of opponent, lack of true home-field advantage, injury toll or any other excuse to be trotted out.
Ryan hasn’t had a bad season. But he had a really bad day at a bad time.
We all know Tony Romo would benefit from a better offensive line and a running game. He spends too much time under attack. The Cowboys’ 3.5 average yards per carry is the lowest in the league.
But you know who else has a very shaky offensive line and a lousy running game? The Green Bay Packers. Maybe the protection’s a little better (early in the season it wasn’t) and maybe 3.8 yards per carry is better than 3.5. But Aaron Rodgers has done a heck of a lot of winning the last three years under circumstances that aren’t entirely different.
Regardless, 15 interceptions with five games to go has Quincy Carter’s 21 in 2003 (most by a Cowboy the last 25 years) in Romo’s sights, if you can call it that.
Romo’s a lot less to blame for the miseries of 2012 than Garrett, and Garrett’s less at fault than Jones.
But, in professional sports, it’s never all about the crazy owner, because so many teams have some version of one. Coaches and players may have to work a little harder here, but to just call winning in Dallas an impossible task is being way too easy on the guilty parties of 2012.
wtcowlishaw@dallasnews.com
This team already is 5-6. The losses are mounting. The injury list is growing. And yet somehow I think the blame has not been fairly distributed for the Cowboys’ latest contribution to sustained mediocrity.
I’m not one who would ever buy into “Super Bowl or bust” labels. For me, it’s always been conference title games. Barring the unlikeliest of December rallies, this marks the 17th consecutive season without an NFC title game for Dallas. For that, Jerry Jones’ insistence on not hiring a general manager draws the criticism it richly deserves.
But you know what? Just saying Jerry is tough to work for or that his system is flawed becomes too easy an escape route. Yes, his coach and his coordinators are hindered by the Jones system. But they’re not as handicapped as, say, the Tampa Bay Rays, who have to compete with teams that spend $100 million more per season on payroll.
Jason Garrett should do better than he has done. His teams shouldn’t be regressing as the seasons move along. And I think it’s safe to say he shouldn’t be calling quarterback sneaks on first down if he truly has his act together.
This has been a bad season for Garrett. He’s not alone.
Rob Ryan’s defense statistically has been superior to Garrett’s offense. But I don’t think there’s any real defense for giving up 28 second-quarter points Thursday in the biggest game of the year.
With the season on the line, 226 yards — in one quarter — should not happen regardless of opponent, lack of true home-field advantage, injury toll or any other excuse to be trotted out.
Ryan hasn’t had a bad season. But he had a really bad day at a bad time.
We all know Tony Romo would benefit from a better offensive line and a running game. He spends too much time under attack. The Cowboys’ 3.5 average yards per carry is the lowest in the league.
But you know who else has a very shaky offensive line and a lousy running game? The Green Bay Packers. Maybe the protection’s a little better (early in the season it wasn’t) and maybe 3.8 yards per carry is better than 3.5. But Aaron Rodgers has done a heck of a lot of winning the last three years under circumstances that aren’t entirely different.
Regardless, 15 interceptions with five games to go has Quincy Carter’s 21 in 2003 (most by a Cowboy the last 25 years) in Romo’s sights, if you can call it that.
Romo’s a lot less to blame for the miseries of 2012 than Garrett, and Garrett’s less at fault than Jones.
But, in professional sports, it’s never all about the crazy owner, because so many teams have some version of one. Coaches and players may have to work a little harder here, but to just call winning in Dallas an impossible task is being way too easy on the guilty parties of 2012.
