When it comes to reducing penalties, the Cowboys are at the point of trying just about anything.
The team is tied with Tennessee for the honor of third most penalized in the NFL, and they lead the league in terms of penalties on offense. Which is to say, they’re pretty bad about committing penalties.
Considering, Dallas brought in five referees on Thursday to keep an eye on practice, and if need be, tell players exactly what they are looking for on a given call. The team is apparently encouraged by the practice, as it will be standard fare for the team--on Wednesdays and Thursdays, anyway--from here on out.
"We realize penalties are hurting us and we're trying to do everything we can," said Phillips, per ESPN Dallas. "Part of it was putting the officials out there and giving them specific things to look at on offense, defense and special teams."
The effort is just one part of addressing what has been, to this point, a fatal flaw for the Cowboys. Phillips hopes that by addressing the issue head-on, and allowing players a chance to get a more firm grasp of the rules, this problem will be solved. Dallas fans are most likely a little more skeptical.
"When we went through our tape with the players, coaches also," Phillips said, "Anything that wasn't seen during practice we noted those things and we are doing [something] about those things."
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