Cowboys Taking on Demeanor of Head Coach

In the days approaching a seemingly impossible game – on the road against the undefeated Saints – all is quiet in Valley Ranch.  In his press conferences, Wade Phillips continues to remind reporters that the Cowboys will be fine.  A staple of his is the “we’ll see” comment when talking about the upcoming game.  To his credit he has a style of coaching he firmly believes in and is willing to stick with his approach regardless of the surrounding pressures.

This is a different team from years past.  Whatever reasons you want to site (No T.O., better leadership, etc.), this team has shown an incessant bond throughout the season.  Distractions, hoopla and turmoil are not words associated with this Dallas Cowboys locker room.  Even through the constant questions surrounding the Cowboys lack of success in December, Phillips keeps calm and it is rubbing off on his players.

“You’ve got to gauge where they are and what their feelings are,” Phillips said of his players. “I get the opportunity to talk to them every day and influence that, and that’s what I try to do. I see it in practice or I’ll see it in meetings and try to go from there as far as what message we send. But you’ve still got to trust each other. You’ve got to be accountable to each other. You’ve got to believe in each other. Those things have got to be constants.”

After back-to-back losses to start the month, many would expect players and coaches to ruffle some feathers within the organization.  Or perhaps, like years past, some players would speak out against their teammates and coaches.  Not this team.  So far they have taken the “we win together, we lose together” approach.

Three consecutive losses could have the wrath of god come down in any locker room.  Just ask the defending Super Bowl champs how a losing streak can tear apart a seemingly unflappable group of players.  Losing is the great divider in sports.  How teams respond to one, two or three losses in a row speaks volumes about the franchise.  The Cowboys are in a two game losing streak that can go no further, and the team understands that.

Look at the problems surrounding the Cowboys.  They have a kicker who lacks confidence, a star player in Ware who is 50-50 for the game and they are in a time of year where this team has struggled mightily in recent history.  That could cause panic in any locker room.  However at this moment the team is in a focused, zen-like state.

To be clear, as I have stated numerous times, I am not a fan of Wade Phillips.  He has botched the kicker controversy, shows no control on the offensive side and is constantly outcoached.  Nevertheless, it is clear that his players are behind him.  His calmness and confidence in his team’s success has the Cowboys feeling positive amid this two game skid.  The chaos the media is trying to instill in this team has not seemed to distract the players and coaches from going about their business.  Let’s see if this approach leads the team to victory on Saturday Night.  Much more to come in the countdown to New Orleans.  Stay Tuned!!

Tags: Dallas Cowboys, DeMarcus Ware, Wade Phillips