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The Tuna Factor
By Darren Carter
ARJ Sports Executive Editor
May 14, 2003
The one thing the Dallas Cowboys hate more than the Redskins, is losing. After 3 consecutive 5-11 seasons, head coach Dave Campo was let go. The facts are over that same span, the Cowboys lost their franchise quarterback in Troy Aikman, had no first round draft choices in the 2000 and 2001 drafts because they gave them to Seattle in the Joey Galloway trade, injuries depleted the offensive line, and we’re left paying over 28 million dollars in dead salary cap money to players who no longer on the roster. No wonder why the Boys we’re so horrid. Can you really blame Campo for this?
Obvisiously those we’re situations and circumstances he couldn’t control, but you can point to some decision making errors he made over the course of this past year that sealed his doom.
 | | | Can the Tuna Turn it around in Big D?(AP) | |
1. You don’t lose to an expansion team the first game of the year, period.
2. In the San Francisco game you are up basically 2 touchdowns in the 4th quarter and you blow the lead. The decision to kick a 47 yard field goal on 4 and 1, when all year you openly showed no confidence in you field goal kicker, you have the all-time leading rusher and all you have to do is get a 1st down and run out the clock and you win. Result is missed field goal and 49ers come right down the field to score the winning TD.
3. Having no backbone, just being Jerry Jones’ yes man.
4. Basically religating you best offensive weapon, Emmitt Smith, to a role player.
All that is his fault.
The Cowboys this year didn’t have the talent to win the Super Bowl, but that should have been better than 5-11.
Incomes Bill Parcells. One would wonder why the Tuna is so coveted. The man has the reputation for turning teams around in a hurry and Jones is starvin’ like Marvin for a winner in Big D.
What will make the difference is the intimidation factor. Parcells doesn’t condone all of the nonsense, like mental breakdowns and half-hearted play. You either perform or you’ll be out, that simple. These young players need that kind of fear factor to motivate and bring out the best in them. Parcells has the eye for talent and get the most out of the talent he has. He also has the ability to get people to buy into his philosophy.
First thing he will address is the offensive line. They suck big time. Other than Larry Allen who was injured the better part of the year and Andre Gurrode the rookie center, no one is expendable. You use the draft and free agency to revamp this whole line especially both guard positions. You start there because you really don’t know how good your quarterback is unless he has time to throw the ball.
I also think he will be looking for a veteran signal caller in free agency, because if Hutchinson and Carter combine their skills they would be a mediocre quarterback at best. He will probably go after someone like Jake Plummer who still has some good years left if he got in the right system.
The running game was very sporatic at best. One thing that couldn’t have helped the situation this year, is the coaching staff seemed to be phasing Emmitt Smith out of the offense. I could see if Troy Hambrick is head and shoulders better than Emmitt, but he isn’t. Problem is, if you are split time with some one you don’t have a chance to get in a rhythm. When given a chance to perform Emmitt proven he could still be a 1200 yard back. Look at the Seattle game when he broke the record he got about 20 carries for 144 yards and the Thanksgiving day blow out of the Redskins where he had 18 carries for 125 yards. He just needs the ball to be effective.
I know that the economic aspect of it, is that he will be 9.8 million salary cap hit under his current contract, but Emmitt is willing to restructure his contract to retire with the star on his hat. Emmitt is also a Parcells kind of guy, a gritty veteran, that has a good attitude, has shown loyalty, and has the work horse, warrior mentality. I think Smith has a least 2 or 3 more years providing injury. He provides excellent leadership a locker room filled with temperamental rookies that don’t even know how win in the NFL yet.
I think Parcells will also bring in some of his guys, like Keyshawn Johnson could give the wide receiver corps that possession receiver that could put these guys over the top. He brings to the table that mental toughness and that swagger, a-la Michael Irvin, that has been missing since the glory days.
The defense is solid, but could be a cornerback away from being one of the elite defenses in football.
Overall Dallas has a ways to go before they will contend for another Super Bowl, but with Parcells on board I think they are going in the right direction.
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