How to Fix the Dallas Cowboys

A once-dominant organization feared by many, the Dallas Cowboys have fallen from their lofty expectations. Now, instead of cheering them on, fans are cursing their name, but who can blame them? After going 1-4 to end the season and being booted out of the playoff race in an embarrassing 44-6 loss to their division rival, the pressure is now on owner Jerry Jones to quickly turn this ship around.

After a season filled with off the field issues, locker room controversy, ego problems, and a complete and utter lack of team chemistry, there appears to be no hope in sight. But fret not, Cowboy fans, because when faced with adversity, Jones is always willing to take drastic measures. And by learning from his mistakes of last season, this very talented team can step out from the shadows and in to the limelight once again.

Prepare For the Worst

I wonder if Tony Romo would have sat out three weeks with a pinky injury if he were worried about losing his starting spot to his backup. Well, as long as 40-year-old Brad Johnson is playing second fiddle, he won't be. There are going to be a number of fairly young, yet unproven quarterbacks on the market this offseason, such as Alex Smith, Kyle Boller, and Derek Anderson. Jerry needs to bring someone like this in, not only to provide solid insurance in case of injury, but also to motivate Romo and keep him honest. Perhaps then he'll spend more time in the film room instead of in Mexico with Jessica Simpson.

In addition to this, the Cowboys have to start limiting Marion Barber's carries if they want him to be productive throughout the season. They drafted two running backs in last year's draft, and that's a start, but until the ball is shared a little more, Barber's physical style of running is going to catch up to him sooner or later. Did you know that despite all his success the last few years, he's yet to rush for 1,000 yards?

T.O. Needs to Go

It was a nice experiment. Terrell Owens did some good things in a Cowboys uniform, but when it's over, will he be remembered for his 235 catches and 38 touchdowns, or his bad attitude, continuous complaining, and locker room distractions? Either way, the acquisition of Roy Williams from the Lions earlier in the season pretty much sealed Owens' fate.

It's a proven fact that NFL teams can't have two No. 1 wide receivers on their roster at the same time. One is always jealous of the other over how many passes are going their way, or how much more money they're making than the other one. Ironically, this is what drove Roy Williams out of Detroit in the first place. Another example would be the Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald situation that has played out in Arizona this year; it simply doesn't work without stirring up locker room controversy. And the last thing the Cowboys need right now is more on and off-the-field distractions.

T.O. is now 35, but he may have one or two pretty good seasons left in him. Would a team like the Baltimore Ravens, who attempted to obtain him years ago, give up say, a third-round pick for Owens (don't forget the Cowboys are short on draft picks this year)? They're a talented, playoff-ready team with a strong locker room presence. Plus, they have a big need at wide receiver for strong-armed rookie quarterback Joe Flacco. Would Owens be able to put them over the top?

Or what about a more radical suggestion like the Indianapolis Colts? Tony Dungy has recently retired, Peyton Manning is 32-years-old with only a few elite years still ahead of him, and Marvin Harrison seems all but gone. Needless to say, things are going to be changing a lot over the next few seasons in Indianapolis.

Would the new regime take a chance on T.O. to provide Manning with another legitimate receiving option? It may be just what they need in order to make two or three last runs at a title with their current core roster. T.O. wouldn't object to working with a Hall of Famer in Peyton Manning, and the Cowboys could feel safe that Owens is in the AFC.

Getting rid of Owens would send a message to the rest of the Cowboys, as well. They have already taken the first step towards this by releasing troubled cornerback Adam Jones earlier this month. From now on, it should be straighten up, or you're gone.

It Starts at the Top

This team and its fans lost respect for Wade Phillips and confidence in Jerry Jones long before that shameful thrashing by the Philadelphia Eagles. Jerry has publicly stated that Phillips is going to be retained as his coach next season (yet another action that has sapped fan confidence). But anyone who follows football knows that Jerry will do anything to make his team a winner. And if that means stepping on people's toes, bullying someone around, or even going back on his word, then so be it.

With that said, it's clear that the number one thing that could be done to restore the life back into this proud football team would be to replace Wade Phillips. Offensive coordinator Jason Garret is probably leaving for a head coaching job this offseason, so the time is ripe to just clean house. Everyone's thinking it, Jerry just needs to do it.

Let's face it, Phillips has been an overall disappointment. After experiencing early success whilst riding in on the coattails of Bill Parcells, things have begun to unravel quickly for the new coach. He has reaped the benefits of Parcells' roster and team discipline to its full extent, and this season, it was time to provide his own direction for the team. We have now all witnessed where that direction has led them to.

Phillips lost the locker room, and once that went, so did the respect and control over his players. Tony Romo even openly refused to adhere to Phillips' playcalling during the blow-out in Philadelphia that ended their season, by waving off an order to send out the punting unit on fourth down. If this isn't a sign that a team needs a new leader, then what is?

This example actually defines the entire problem in more ways than one. A strong coach, one who commands the respect and admiration of players and fans alike, would have never let a team with that much talent come close to missing the playoffs in the first place, let alone shrug off their play-call from the sideline. For once, Jerry Jones needs more than just a "yes" man as his head coach. This is a very talented group of players, but they're not a team. And neither an overbearing owner nor an underachieving follower of a coach is going to be able to fix that.

Jerry needs someone with the kind of leadership to take control of his team when things get rocky and the determination to see them through to the postseason. He needs someone with experience; a proven winner. He needs someone who players fear just as much as they love. Jerry needs him and the Cowboys need him. That man is Bill Cowher.

Now many would argue that almost every team in the league would benefit from having Cowher as their head coach. However, no other team is currently setup with the type of personnel that would allow Cowher to come in and be an instant success. For one thing, the Cowboys already run an aggressive 3-4 defense that gives opposing offensive coordinators nightmares. Switching out of a 4-3 would cost teams a couple of year's worth of roster tweaking before the transition was really complete.

The Cowboys' stout defensive linemen do a good job of holding up the point of attack, while their talented linebacking group puts plenty of pressure on the quarterback, out-sacking their opponents 59 to 31 on the season (does this sound at all familiar to those great Steeler defenses?). The great pass rush generated by the linebackers more than compensates for a solid, yet underachieving group of defensive backs. And as great a fit as this would be, it doesn't just stop on the defensive side of the ball, either.

Cowher's Pittsburgh Steelers were renowned for their smashmouth style of offense almost as much as their devastating defenses. The 2008 Steelers still use huge, pile-moving offensive lineman to enhance their power running game, and the Dallas Cowboy's offensive line is no exception. With an average weight of 327 lbs, the Cowboys already love using their size to push people around up front, and Marion Barber definitely doesn't shy away from contact.

Jerry, get out your checkbook. Cowher has stated that he isn't quite ready to coach again, perhaps wanting to wait another season or two. But as we all know, money talks, and with Jerry, money is never an issue if it means his team is going to be winning (he's one of the few owners who are actually in favor of abolishing the salary cap). Jerry could, without a doubt, make an offer that Cowher simply couldn't refuse, and why not? Is there really a better option out there?

Some are arguing that Mike Shanahan, recently let go from the Denver Broncos, would be a good fit. And while he could no doubt do wonders for Tony Romo and the inconsistent passing game, there are other issues that would prevent Shanahan from succeeding right away. First off, while his passing plays are transferable, the running game would suffer greatly. A signature of Shanahan's famous offensive style is the zone blocking scheme. The zone blocking scheme is a blocking system that utilizes movement on the offensive line, rather than opening a specific hole. In this system, an offensive lineman's speed and athletic ability are far more important than actual strength. This is why teams who use zone blocking covet slightly smaller, quicker offensive lineman versus the powerful, yet slow-moving giants currently used in places like Pittsburgh and Dallas.

Shanahan is the best there ever was at incorporating this into his running game, however, to make this work in Dallas would require years of turnover on the offensive line as starters were replaced and new ones trained. Last anyone checked, Jerry Jones wasn't a patient man, which is another reason why Cowher would fit in perfectly. He would require the least amount of roster makeover to incorporate his own style of play. The players would love him, the fans would go insane, and Jerry would be happy again, because he'd be winning.