Wade Phillips Fired: Five Big Questions Surrounding the Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has fired Wade Phillips, as first reported by CBS' Bill Jones via Twitter.

This announcement has been weeks in the making and comes less than 24 hours after a humiliating road loss to the Green Bay Packers by a score of 45-7.

Twitter has been blowing up with one report after another, in a dramatic "will he or won't he?" that has resembled a 12-hour version of Brett Favre's retirement saga.

As always with a 1-7 start to the season that results in a head coach being fired, there are plenty of questions and controversy surrounding the situation. Here are my takes.

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Was It Phillips' Fault?

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 25: Head coach Wade Phillips of the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium on October 25, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

In short, yes.

A talented team with Super Bowl expectations just eight months removed from its first playoff win in a decade (more on that later) was victimized by its lack of discipline and excess of mistakes.

The offense started off moving the ball well, just failing to capitalize on scoring opportunities. The defense, which was supposed to be Phillips' hallmark, got burned time and time again, but even when they held their ground against the Vikings offense (holding them to 188 yards, outgaining them by 126 yards), it still wasn't enough.

Where Did It All Go Wrong?

Larry French/Getty Images

LANDOVER - SEPTEMBER 12: Alex Barron #71 of the Dallas Cowboys defends during the NFL season opener against the Washington Redskins at FedExField on September 12, 2010 in Landover, Maryland. The Redskins defeated the Cowboys 13-7. (Photo by Larry French/

Quite frankly, things didn't look too bright for Big D from Week 1 of the 2010 season. In fact, two of the most memorable moments of the game epitomized the lack of discipline I discussed in the previous slide.

Just before halftime in their opening game against the Washington Redskins, the Cowboys ran an odd pitch play out to Tashard Choice, who got tangled in a tackle and had the ball stripped by DeAngelo Hall, who ran it back for a touchdown.

Then, on the Cowboys' dying breath of the game, it appeared they had scored the go-ahead touchdown with no time left in the game, but a holding call on Alex Barron negated the play and subsequently killed the comeback.

How Will the Team Respond?

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

GREEN BAY, WI - NOVEMBER 07: Roy Williams #11 of the Dallas Cowboys drops the ball in the end zone against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on November 7, 2010 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Sometimes a move like this is the best thing that can happen for a desperate team. It lights a fire under the players by letting them know, subtly or not, that their jobs aren't safe.

Perhaps we'll see a different Cowboys team.

Sometimes, though, the team begins to lose confidence in the organization when a midseason move happens like this. It wasn't abrupt or unexpected from an outsider's perspective, but who knows how the guys in the locker room felt about Phillips? We'll find that much out over the next few days, no doubt.

Will Jason Garrett Be the Answer?

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

IRVING, TX - MAY 01: Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett of the Dallas Cowboys during rookie mini camp on May 1, 2009 in Irving, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Interim coaches are rarely given a real chance to run the team. The most recent examples of this are Mike Singletary and Tom Cable, who were given the keys to the 49ers and Raiders respectively after taking over as interim coach in 2008.

Needless to say, that hasn't turned out too well for either team, though the Raiders have a glimmer of hope from their Black Hole.

Garrett, though, is a different case. He was considered one of the top head coach prospects of the 2008 offseason and was given a lucrative extension by Jerry Jones to keep him on board as offensive coordinator.

In a 1-7 season which is devoid of all hope, clearly there are already expectations upon Garrett.

What's Next?

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SAN DIEGO - AUGUST 21: Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones during preseason game against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium on August 21, 2010 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

The Cowboys' upcoming schedule isn't very friendly, as they travel to New Meadowlands Stadium for a matchup with the New York Giants and then get a two-game home stand against the Detroit Lions and the New Orleans Saints.

One has to wonder if the outcome of these games will be even remotely indicative of Garrett's impact as a head coach or the impact the coaching change has made.

My feeling is that Jason Garrett is here to stay, and not because of anything other than Jerry Jones' need for power. He tried bringing in Bill Parcells, and that didn't work out. What makes him think it would be any different with someone like Bill Cowher or Jon Gruden, who would probably want control of personnel decisions?

Your Thoughts?

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

MINNEAPOLIS - OCTOBER 17: Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips looks on during the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Mall of America Field on October 17, 2010 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the Cowboys 24-21. (Photo by Jeff Gross

Of course, there are probably more questions that I didn't get to in this article. I welcome you to join the discussion over this controversial topic in the comments section below.

Thanks for reading!