Denver Native (Carol)
10-04-2009, 07:28 AM
http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_13480739
What was supposed to be Mike Shanahan's job for life now belongs to Josh McDaniels. Know what? After much hissing and moaning, the Broncos are better off for it.
But, as a token of appreciation, maybe the least McDaniels could do is help Shanahan find a new gig.
How about in Dallas?
"You can't judge yourself on whether you get fired or not, because you're going to get fired," Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said.
Analyze today's matchup between Denver and Dallas any way you want. Here's the bottom line: The Cowboys have the better team. But the Broncos have the better coach.
It's no contest.
Sure, I would trade Denver quarterback Kyle Orton for Tony Romo of Dallas, but not if also required to swap McDaniels for Phillips in the deal.
As NFL coaches go, Phillips is one of the sweetest men who will ever shake your hand.
Before he is finished working in this league, McDan- iels has a real shot to ride in more Super Bowl parades than Shanahan.
When folks grumbled that McDaniels was not ready to win pro football games on his own at age 33, it made me laugh, because he is made of far stronger coaching material than Phillips ever was at age 46, back in the days he could be spied wearing a Broncos stocking cap and a Deputy Dawg frown on the sideline, looking as lost as a cowboy left out in the snow.
The only thing worse for a coach than working in the shadow of Shanahan's legacy might be having the Mastermind peek in your office window, checking out how that big leather chair would fit him.
Every scout in the NFL knows the Broncos lack the talent to be 3-0. Downgrading Denver's personnel, however, presents a sticky problem for critics who spent months blasting McDaniels for everything from trading Jay Cutler to wearing a hoodie.
Could it be the brash young coach of the Broncos actually knows his X's and O's?
"We all get judged in this business with wins and losses," McDaniels said. "Any criticism that comes within the course of the offseason for any team, any coach, any player, there is a simple answer to it, and that is do your job when it comes to playing games and win. If you win, that usually handles all the criticism you receive."
Nobody in Dallas can quite believe the Cowboys have failed to win a playoff game since 1996.
"I think there are high expectations everywhere. But I do think Denver and Dallas both expect a lot, and I think it helps the teams. They want to meet expectations, and I think that helps the teams be better overall, just because they have a lot of pressure to do well," said the 62-year-old Phillips, who had a 16-16 record as coach of the Broncos from 1993-94. "I have been in some places where they didn't care as much as the Denver fans or Dallas fans, as far as winning and losing."
Any place that regards winning NFL football as a birthright can do better than Phillips as coach.
While he grew up in Texas dreaming of being the coach of the Cowboys, it sometimes seems as if Phillips was born to keep a seat warm for Shanahan.
It worked out Super in Denver. So is it any wonder Phillips is on the hot seat in Dallas?
Heck, with that retractable roof franchise owner Jerry Jones built for his new billion-dollar stadium, the big cow palace might even be big enough for the egos of both him and Shanahan.
If McDaniels can find a way for the lowly and disrespected Broncos to beat puffed-up and overhyped America's Team, then Shanahan would be 24 hours closer to finding work in the league.
Bum Phillips, who was known as much for his corn pone humor and the 86 NFL games he won while pacing in boots, long ago taught his son there are only two kinds of coaches:
1) Them that's fired.
2) And them that's gonna be fired.
Deep in the heart of Texas, when this NFL season is all over except the crying in that Lone Star Beer, there will be one curse muttered under the breath of every disappointed Cowboys fan:
Son of a Bum.
What was supposed to be Mike Shanahan's job for life now belongs to Josh McDaniels. Know what? After much hissing and moaning, the Broncos are better off for it.
But, as a token of appreciation, maybe the least McDaniels could do is help Shanahan find a new gig.
How about in Dallas?
"You can't judge yourself on whether you get fired or not, because you're going to get fired," Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said.
Analyze today's matchup between Denver and Dallas any way you want. Here's the bottom line: The Cowboys have the better team. But the Broncos have the better coach.
It's no contest.
Sure, I would trade Denver quarterback Kyle Orton for Tony Romo of Dallas, but not if also required to swap McDaniels for Phillips in the deal.
As NFL coaches go, Phillips is one of the sweetest men who will ever shake your hand.
Before he is finished working in this league, McDan- iels has a real shot to ride in more Super Bowl parades than Shanahan.
When folks grumbled that McDaniels was not ready to win pro football games on his own at age 33, it made me laugh, because he is made of far stronger coaching material than Phillips ever was at age 46, back in the days he could be spied wearing a Broncos stocking cap and a Deputy Dawg frown on the sideline, looking as lost as a cowboy left out in the snow.
The only thing worse for a coach than working in the shadow of Shanahan's legacy might be having the Mastermind peek in your office window, checking out how that big leather chair would fit him.
Every scout in the NFL knows the Broncos lack the talent to be 3-0. Downgrading Denver's personnel, however, presents a sticky problem for critics who spent months blasting McDaniels for everything from trading Jay Cutler to wearing a hoodie.
Could it be the brash young coach of the Broncos actually knows his X's and O's?
"We all get judged in this business with wins and losses," McDaniels said. "Any criticism that comes within the course of the offseason for any team, any coach, any player, there is a simple answer to it, and that is do your job when it comes to playing games and win. If you win, that usually handles all the criticism you receive."
Nobody in Dallas can quite believe the Cowboys have failed to win a playoff game since 1996.
"I think there are high expectations everywhere. But I do think Denver and Dallas both expect a lot, and I think it helps the teams. They want to meet expectations, and I think that helps the teams be better overall, just because they have a lot of pressure to do well," said the 62-year-old Phillips, who had a 16-16 record as coach of the Broncos from 1993-94. "I have been in some places where they didn't care as much as the Denver fans or Dallas fans, as far as winning and losing."
Any place that regards winning NFL football as a birthright can do better than Phillips as coach.
While he grew up in Texas dreaming of being the coach of the Cowboys, it sometimes seems as if Phillips was born to keep a seat warm for Shanahan.
It worked out Super in Denver. So is it any wonder Phillips is on the hot seat in Dallas?
Heck, with that retractable roof franchise owner Jerry Jones built for his new billion-dollar stadium, the big cow palace might even be big enough for the egos of both him and Shanahan.
If McDaniels can find a way for the lowly and disrespected Broncos to beat puffed-up and overhyped America's Team, then Shanahan would be 24 hours closer to finding work in the league.
Bum Phillips, who was known as much for his corn pone humor and the 86 NFL games he won while pacing in boots, long ago taught his son there are only two kinds of coaches:
1) Them that's fired.
2) And them that's gonna be fired.
Deep in the heart of Texas, when this NFL season is all over except the crying in that Lone Star Beer, there will be one curse muttered under the breath of every disappointed Cowboys fan:
Son of a Bum.