Tell me this doesn't remind you of another No. 88 If I were him, I'd be pissed off.
Either one of two things happened: The Cowboys quit on Phillips or the weeklong set of changes that took place in there workplace affected them in a substantial way.
The Cowboys didn't win yesterday because of pride. The "pride" thing would've come into play about six weeks ago.
Either they quit on Wade or Jason Garrett is Tom effin' Landry.
I don't know how Phillips can honestly sit and watch Mike Jenkins (self admittedly) ease up on tackling an opponent exactly one week ago and then see the same player fly through the backfield to tackle Ahmad Bradshaw and not feel betrayed.
Phillips treated those guys with kid gloves assuming that on Sunday they would reward him with hard play. It worked for a little bit. Then the glaze of comfort and the lack of urgency set in and ate up this team.
It was quite the transformation yesterday. I will admit this. I had zero anticipation for that to happen and I'm only happy it did because it gives us something to talk about.
However, for those who are anti-Jerry Jones, it's not helping and if you dislike Garrett, I think you'll have a hard time getting rid of him after the season. Jones will.
Grades:
Quarterback -- A
Honestly, Jon Kitna hasn't thrown that well since college.
Running Back -- C
Mid-game, the FOX folks brought on Jimmy Johnson from the studio to comment on the game and teams. He stated that he was impressed with how the Cowboys were sticking to the run. I looked at the stats. They had 13 attempts and it was well into the third quarter. Although Felix Jones' 71-yard reception was a huge play, the running game wasn't very good. Trash-time yards from Marion Barber doesn't matter much.
Wide Receiver -- A
We all waited. We all wanted to see the game that Dez Bryant broke out. We've seen one guy like him in a Cowboys' uniform and he was nicknamed "The Playmaker." And he also wears a gold jacket whenever he wants to. Hopefully, Bryant's not snorting coke with a bunch of strippers in three years.
Tight End -- C
It's not that I don't like Jason Witten, but show me all the wins where he's the spotlight of the offense. Name me the successful football team where a tight end was where the offense ran all its plays from. Tight ends that are success at catching balls and scoring are accessories. Nice if you got them, but, in general, they can be found. Ask Bill Belichick or Peyton Manning.
Offensive Line -- A
As the O-line goes so goes Kitna and those receivers. It honestly wasn't until after the game that I realized how ineffective the Giants pass rush was. The O-line stepped up huge.
Defensive Line -- B
Give the Giants credit. They kept running and running and it was going nowhere. The Cowboys won the battles up front and -- lo and behold!!! -- they won the game. Not much pressure on Eli Manning, however.
Linebackers -- B
Again, good on run defense but DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer were no-shows. Spencer, most notably, has been persona non grata all season. Bradie James, arguably, had his best game of the year. Seems like a weight was lifted off his shoulders.
Secondary -- B
The stats might indicate it was a rough day, but the Giants were playing from behind for three-quarters of the game. They tackled well, forced Manning into some silly passes and also forced him to make some tough passes. Hakeem Nicks ate their lunch a little. But he eats a lot of lunches.
Special Teams -- F
What do you do with David Buehler? Half his appeal was his kick offs and even those wind up on the 1-yard line. If you want to make an example of someone, if someone's head must roll, you can start with him. If you do, someone needs to answer for the 2009 draft.
Coaching -- A
If the thought is that a team takes on the personality of their coach, I can't imagine there being a circumstance that proves this any more. The players said it. Jason Garrett said it. The announcers said it. It's obvious. The way Wade Phillips worked was unsuccessful and any change would be a positive one. The change, it appears, is groundbreaking. Let's see how it holds up.
