Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Calls for Blood: What Took Him So Long?

After a 45-7 spanking at the hands of the Green Bay Packers, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones erupted in a fit of vindictive rage.

"There are a lot of people here who are certainly going to suffer and suffer consequences," Jones said. "I'm talking about within the team—players, coaches who have got careers."

The loss was the fifth straight for 1-7 Dallas and effectively ended any lingering hope of making a playoff run. Jones gave up making excuses for his team's disastrous start and promised a harsh and sudden turnaround.

"I've got a lot of work to do, got a lot of decisions to make. And it's not just one, two, three or four. There are several decisions. I think everybody in this country would agree that there's a lot wrong with this team that we've got to address, and I'm certainly the one to address it."

When asked what he thought was wrong with the Cowboys, Jones smartly replied, "I can't put my finger on it because I don't have enough fingers."

At least one of those fingers should be pointed squarely at head coach Wade Phillips.

Phillips has been head coach of the Cowboys since 2007 and has produced a winning record in each of his seasons in Dallas. Yet he's only managed to win a single playoff game despite consistently fielding one of the most talented rosters in the NFC.

This season Phillips looks lost. His team is second to last in the NFL in rushing despite employing a talented duo in Felix Jones and Marion Barber. The ultra talented Roy Williams somehow has only 23 receptions this season, less than Jones (24).

Jon Kitna, one of the most misleadingly average quarterbacks in NFL history, is now the starter for the Cowboys after the overrated Tony Romo suffered a broken left clavicle. They've thrown 13 interceptions in eight games between the two of them.

The defense is embarrassingly bad, surrendering 29.0 points per game (31st in the NFL). Their turnover differential is minus-nine (also 31st) despite a talented cornerback tandem of Terence Newman and Mike Jenkins. The Cowboys have held their opponent under 24 points only twice this season.

The only major difference between the 2010 Cowboys and 2009 Cowboys is the departure of left tackle Flozell Adams. But the offensive line has been solid, surrendering only 16 sacks thus far (sixth in the NFC). Plus, the Cowboys added first-round pick Dez Bryant to their receiving corps.

So how have the Cowboys already lost more games (seven) than they did all of last season (five)?

The culprit has to be Phillips, a coach who has lost the support his players and seems horribly outmatched during games.

Jones doesn't typically make coaching changes midseason, but for Phillips he may have to make an exception. Dallas was supposed to be a Super Bowl contender this season. Instead, they are contenders for the first overall pick in the 2011 draft.

Phillips should have been fired after a Week 6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. But he kept his job and got stepped on by, in succession, the New York Giants (41-35), the Jacksonville Jaguars (35-17) and last night the Green Bay Packers (45-7).

Jones can't save the Cowboys' season, but he can spare the franchise the embarrassment of having the worst record in the NFL. To do that, Phillips has to go.