Dallas Cowboys- Keeping Wade Phillips Is The Right Move

There has been a lot of debate about whether the Cowboys made the right move when they extended much-maligned coach Wade Phillips through the 2011 season.

Personally, I think the Cowboys are doing the right thing by keeping Wade.

Not everybody thinks so.

http://jay-mariotti.fanhouse.com/2010/01/19/if-cowboys-think-big-why-keep-phillips/4

Normally, I agree with Mariotti's articles/opinions, but not this time.

The guy he brings up? Bill Cowher, "the premier unemployed football coach on the planet."

But here is why I side with the Cowboys here:

1. Big-name coaches do not equal on-the-field success. Look at what happened when the Miami Dolphins went with Jimmy Johnson. And IIRC, Cowher has a history of postseason chokes- AFC Championship Game losses in 1994, 1997, 2001, 2004. Yes, he has a Super Bowl ring. But he had a boatload of missed opportunitites.

2. When a team makes progress, don't screw up the momentum. If Dallas had collapsed down the stretch and miss the playoffs, then maybe he should have been fired. But they did not gag in December- rather, they conquered their December demons and won a playoff game. Yes, they got blown out by Minnesota, but consider- that was on the road, and the Vikings were pretty much unstoppable at the Metrodome. No team would have beaten Minnesota the way they played that day.

They made amends for their 2008 underachievement.

3. Don't overreact to bad playoff defeats. Yes, they were pummeled by Minnesota, but so were two other teams. Baltimore was decisively beaten by the Colts- any Raven fans calling for John Harbaugh's head? And the Cardinals were obliterated by the Saints- but no signs of Cardinal fans wanting Whisenhunt out.

4. Wade Phillips made the defense strong. DeMarcus Ware and Jay Ratliff have been playing at a high level since Phillips joined Dallas. When you have a guy who can get the best out of your defensive stars, why stop the mojo?

5. The players like playing for him. When Wade was under fire after early-season losses to Denver and the Giants, the team rallied around him, unlike in Washington.

When you are on the right track, why blow up and start over?