Dallas Cowboys' Wade Phillips Contributes To Playoff Loss in Minnesota

Just when I am reluctantly purchasing my ticket for the Keep-Wade Phillips-Around-Another-Year bandwagon, he reminds me why I hate myself for even thinking such a thing.

With the game still young, the offense moving the ball rather effectively, and the scoreboard clear of points, Ol' Wade coached scared and stupid, sending in Shaun Suisham to attempt a 48 yard field goal with the ball on the Vikings' 31 yard line and only a yard shy of a crucial first down.

Remember, this same Suisham is a former Cowboys' castoff, a 2009 Redskins' castoff, and a late-season addition to the team. He is not Mr. Clutch. Heck, I doubt whether he could even find the clutch in a standard-shift car.

Predictably, the oft-traveled, never-money kicker sent the ball wide of the upright and, consequently, sent Minnesota onto the field with excellent field position and a little wind in their sails.

On a day when you are playing against Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, Sidney Rice, a disruptive defense, and one million (at least that is how it sounds in that tiny dome) rabid purple-bleeding fans, touchdowns are sure to be at a premium. Momentum and sustained drives are sure to be important elements of success.

At the moment Phillips sent the kicker out, I angrily changed my Facebook status to, "Completely retarded decision by Phillips to kick a field goal. A fireable offense."

I stand by that status.

Jerry Jones won't make it official until tomorrow, but all indications are that he will pick up the option on Phillips' contract for next season. Maybe that is the best available option. Even if it is, that doesn't change the fact that the man remains a world-class underachiever who takes refuge in his successes and shirks all responsibility for his failure. If Phillips ever said, "This one is on me," after a loss, I am sure it would immediately bring on a nuclear winter or some other post-apocalyptic state.

The Cowboys will enter next season with a good team, a great defense (and thank you, Wade, for that), two good coordinators (counting the head coach, of course)...and Wade Phillips still trying to prove he can do more than put up impressive regular season numbers followed by a wilting postseason showing.

I am not saying the Cowboys win the game if Wade makes the proper call on that fourth and one. I am not even saying the Cowboys definitely get that yard. Recent history suggests maybe they don't.

I am just saying that it is one more minute piece of evidence that some men are meant to be outstanding Sergeants, because they make little more than mediocre Generals.