Just CHILL: Wade Phillips, aka Rodney Dangerfield, deserves better but blame Jerry Jones not the media

Clarence Hill

 

Wade Phillips, the Rodney Dangerfield of NFL coaches, is right. He doesn't get any respect.

With a 30-14 record in three years as Cowboys coach, he shouldn't have to face questions about his future every week.

Does it stem from a lack of respect?

Yes, some of that is at work.

It's certainly unfair that Phillips gets blamed for everything that goes wrong with the Cowboys but gets little credit when they win.

His frustrations are understandable.

But attitude reflects leadership.

And in that case the blame lies with Phillips' boss, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, and himself.

Allowing Phillips to get to the last year of his contract without an extension has fostered the weekly questions about his job security.

No matter how much Jones has said he supports Phillips and never had any doubts about him as the Cowboys coach, it is Jones who has treated Phillips unfairly and disrespectfully.

After last year’s disappointing and embarrassing finish, Jones’ position is understandable. That was a gutless performance down the stretch but namely in the blowout loss to the Eagles in the season final with the playoffs on the line.

But you can’t have it both ways, if Phillips is your guy, then commit to your guy. Give him a contract extension and a hammer to use in the locker room.  The players and coaches know the score and the situation. They also know that supposed coach in waiting, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, has a guaranteed deal for next year and Phillips doesn’t.

Any other coach would not have allowed himself to go into the final year of his deal without a contract extension.

Remember the January of 2006 when Jones and Bill Parcells had the big showdown about his future. Parcells had one year left on his deal and was planning to walk without an extension.

Jones gave him a raise and an extension, worth $5 million annually.

Of course Parcells left one year later with a 34-32 record in four years in Dallas.

He didn't finish the job and wasn’t worth the headache.
Sure he improved the talent but he didn't win a playoff game and left the Cowboys no closer to that elusive playoff win.

Still there was no question that Parcells had Jones' respect.

That Jones didn't give Phillips a contract extension speaks volumes.

It wreaks of the attitude that Jones laid on Jimmy Johnson following the 1993 Super Bowl.

You remember the "any one of 500 coaches" could do this job quote that led to the controversial split

Jones wasn't trying to push Phillips out by not giving him a contract extension in the offseason. There is no question that he did want Phillips back.

But if Phillips would've balked about not having a new deal, Jones wouldn't have batted at eye. He would have closed the chapter and moved on.

There would not have been a Parcells' style extension.

Right or wrong, that's the foundation of the questions about his future and the perceived disrespect that Phillips feels.

The bigger question is what does Phillips have to do to keep his job?

I would say, win the NFC East division and win a wildcard playoff game.

He is 0-4 as coach in the playoffs and the Cowboys haven't won a playoff game since 1996. So that would be a positive step.

And let's be real, the Vikings (10-1) and Saints (11-0) are in a different class which is beyond Phillips' control.

There should be no shame and no punitive repercussions for losing a second round playoff game on the road at Minnesota or New Orleans.

Obviously anything can happen. And the Cowboys will show up anyway, as they should.

But as of now, the Cowboys would be an overwhelming underdog against either team.

The funny thing is that if Phillips does get the green light to come back in 2010, I have the feeling Jones will only pick up his one year option and not give Phillips any kind of long-term security.

With a lockout or possible strike looming, why would Jones commit future money to a coach he is still not sure about when he might not have to pay him at all?

The NFL owners have opted out of the collective bargaining agreement and  2010 is slated to be uncapped year. If the NFL and the players don't come to terms, there could be a lockout in 2011.

In other words, there is a chance Phillips could win enough to save his job. But its also likely he will be subjected to the same disrespectful questions about his future.

 

Clarence E. Hill Jr.

Comments

[JBS]

This team has shown over and over again that it has a lot of talent but lacks ledership and coaching - Phillips and Garrett both need to be replaced. Bring in Shanahan or Holmgren and for goodness sakes, Jerry, let them do the job, this time.

[John]

Just like when tey played the Falcons earlyer this year. Keith Brooking said that in so many woirds that "We kicked them into the dirt." I like this guy's attitude. If tis is a reflection of "The Phillips Three Four, then I"m all for it. Lets put the G-Men out of their missery.

[Charlie Vegas]

"It wreaks of the attitude that Jones laid on Jimmy Johnson following the 1993 Super Bowl."

Generally this article is ok, although I think Wade brought this on himself in large part by claiming to be a "great" defensive coordinator who wanted to be known as a "great" head coach. He laid a playoff egg in his first year and his defense blew it in the fourth quarter clutch of games and the season last year. I'm down with this being his last year, even if he wins the Super Bowl.

But back to the opening of this comment: Your spelling reeks, and has wreaked havoc on my opinion of you. C'mon, man!

[G S]

This just in, Saints win the super bowl.....errrr Colts / Peyton take another super bowl.....hmmmm or On the arm of the ageless one the Viking are the champs!!!! Puhlease, I for one am glad that the games have to actually be played before the winner is determined. I remember in the not so distant past a 13-3 Cowboys team that lost in to a Giants team that on that day was the team that should have won that game. Thank God that reporters do not crown champs and hopefully players and coaches pay little attention to the ramblings of the media. As far as Coach Wades job, records speak for themselves and in that regard he has done a good job. That being said this team does seem to lack leadership at times, not the hyped up chanting player leadership, we have plenty of that. I'm talking the coach leadership, the make the player play at a level above the ability so they dont let coach down leadership. The leadership a General has with his men, a Pastor has in his congregation, that of a Father with his son, that is the leadership that I feel the Cowboys are lacking. To the players keep up the hard work, eyes up chin down and hit them giants in the mouth....GO COWBOYS!!!!