It's the second season for the Bill Parcells turnaround in Big D.
Too bad for Cowboys fans that they're only turning around from their surprisingly good start to last year's campaign. The Parcells luster is gone. The Tuna is worried more about spies in training camp, rather than coming to grips with Vinny Testaverde being the man that will lead his offense this season.
Although that is probably a false statement. Testaverde won't run the Cowboys' offense this season. That duty is going to go to Richie Anderson, their fullback. Sure, fullbacks have been impact players in the past, but to be a team's focale point? If the Cowboys do good this season, it'll likely come from Anderson sitting a nice block to spring a big gain on a screen pass or pick up a big third and short.
The team was done before training camp even broke.
Sure, cutting Quincy Carter was a big part of it. Even if the guy was troubled off the fields, one would have to assume that a stoned Carter would still be a better peice to this offense than Testaverde.
Does anyone in Dallas actually understand that Testaverde is their starting quarterback? And that their backup, Drew Henson, was recently under the employ of the New York Yankees?
These are serious questions that the Dallas Cowboys are apparently avoiding. They cut Carter, ok, so is there a plan? They can't possibly believe that Testaverde is going to play decently. Not even good. You couldn't possibly ask Testaverde to play good. Just play decent. And asking for that is a prayer.
It's not even fun to go on about Testaverde. Everyone knows that he has nothing left in the tank. Everyone knew this about a year and a half before the Jets came to the conclusion that Chad Pennington needed to be their quarterback. Testaverde has to know that he's only in the league for the paycheck and has to be shellshocked that he's going to actually see time this season. It's not even polite to make fun of a guy in this sort of state.
See, Henson is going to be the guy in Big D. Debate whether that is the right move or not all you want, but it was going to happen. They just can't do it right away. They were hoping that Carter would play to his potential for a bit, then hand over the reigns when Henson is comfortable.
Testaverde had to have planned on coming into camp, offering up advice to Carter and Henson and hanging out with the kids. He'd feel young and all that feel good stuff. Then he'd stand on the sidelines. He would smile. Clap. The whole nine. He probably wouldn't even need to flip through the playbook.
But, it's good to see they've at least given Testaverde some weapons. You figure if you're going to cut your quarterback with no ample backup, you have to have a stacked offense around the quarterback, right?
Oh, the Cowboys don't even have weapons?
They have a mediocre possession receiver in Keyshawn Johnson and a big play receiver that just doesn't have a knack for making big plays in Terry Glenn. Both guys are fine, if they are the number two and three receivers on your football team.
At running back, well, we'll see how Eddie George holds up. This team needed to sign George. No doubt. It is definitely not a good thing when a rookie running back is told after the draft that he is the go to running back, and then come pre-season he welcomes the addition of a veteran that is going to take a healthy portion of his playing time.
But that is the case with Julius Jones. Who, much like with Testaverde, has to be wondering what is going on in Dallas. Jones as a featured back in the NFL? This is the Jones from Notre Dame, right? Not the Jones from Virginia Tech? You know, the elusive Jones, the Jones that will have a great pro career? This is Julius, the Jones that won't have a great pro career.
Jones has garnered comparisons to Curtis Martin lately. Not just the occasional johnny-come-lately at Dallas training camp, who sees him make a couple spins, saying that he looks like Martin. But people from all around the league. Did anyone see him play at Notre Dame? Or did people take a look at the numbers for Jones and make this assessment based off of that?
Sure, he ran for a heavy chunk of yards, but was nowhere to be found whenever the Irish played a team with any semblance of a run defense. This is the same knock on Larry Johnson a few years ago, who is a much more talented running back than Jones.
No, Parcells is trying to seal his legacy right now. He ius trying to out smart everyone out there, but the thing is, he is neither Bobby Fischer or the little kid that was possibly searching for him in that film years back. This is not a football team that is going to be on the same football team as the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins and compete. It just will not and can not happen with the lineup Dallas has in place.
If Parcells wins with this offense, then he is a football genius. He needs a better catchphrase than "no disrespect to the Orientals, but what we call 'Jap plays'," but otherwise will be right up there with Vince Lombardi. If he pulls a winner from this team, it will easily be one of the great NFL accomplishments.
Too bad it probably won't happen like that.
Leave a Comment