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Head Coach Race Down to Two

The consensus says the coaching vacancy for our beloved Cowboys is between two coaching assistants, Chargers Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips and 49ers Offensive Coordinator Norv Turner.

Knowing this, let's look at why either one of these will be chosen and the reason behind it

IF the Cowboys choose Wade Phillips, it will be because Jerry thinks Garrett will get the offense going and the offense will move the ball at the same level if not better than last year. So, if Jerry thinks the offense will be ok, he will turn to Wade to get the defense where it should be, and then we're looking at being in the thick of things again if not better. In this scenario, I see Phillips as HC, Garrett as OC, and Bowles as DC.

IF the Cowboys choose Norv Turner, it will be because Jerry is confident that Norv and Garrett will produce an extremely explosive offense, thus the defense would not be so pressured to be anything better than just good. In this scenario, I see Turner as HC, Garrett as OC, and Bowles as DC.

So how have these guys done in the draft as HC?

Phillips has drafted some solid defensive players while at the Bills, and has had input with the players drafted with the Chargers - pretty solid.

Turner on the other hand has not drafted as well in defense with the exception of Champ Bailey, Turner drafted some solid lineman while at Washington with Jansen and Samuels.

So, if you ask yourself WHY WE FAILED last season, you would say the defense fail apart, and the 3-4 is not as cracked up to be. If you say this, Wade Phillips would be the logical choice and probably the better choice in getting the Cowboys over the hump. Phillips' 3-4 scheme brings a lot of pressure and is explosive - we need this in the 3-4.

If you think it was the offense that failed then Turner would be the logical choice in turning around the offense, but statistically the Cowboys had one of the more explosive offenses in the league last season.

Although I'm not very high on either of these choices, going by what this team really needs is improvement or continuity with the 3-4, Wade Phillips would need to be the choice. He's drafted good players on defense and actually has a winning record and playoff experience as a HC. Turner at this point would only serve as a catalyst for the rise of Jason Garrett and further improvement on the offensive side of the ball. Turner has not had much success at all as a HC.

The real wild card here is this: Todd Bowles. I think in either scenario, Todd Bowls is the DC. There's no doubt in my mind Bowles would excel under Phillips, but how well would he do under Norv Turner? Can he be innovative on his own, has he learned enough under Parcells in the 3-4 to continue onward. If Bowles is the guy under Turner, we'll need him to really up the ante on this defensive squad - bigtime.