Will Addition of Phillips Make Texans-Cowboys “Rivalry” Any More Real?

Former Dallas Cowboyshead coach Wade Phillips was brought on as the defensive coordinator on Gary Kubiak’s Houston Texans’ staff, and quickly expressed excitement over his new job, in which he will be charged with shifting the team from the 4-3 to the 3-4, and, if possible, improve a defensive unit that finished 30th in the NFL last year.

This is all well and good. We’re glad for Wade. But will his presence in Houston do anything for the loosely termed “Cowboys-Houston rivalry”?

Probably not really, but it couldn’t hurt; and actually, the addition of Phillips is probably the most interesting turn in the history of the non-, maybe one-sided rivalry since the last time a nameless Texans’ defender said something to the effect of, “We’re not going to just lay down for them,” which seems to happen every time the teams are scheduled to meet.

That said, an interstate rivalry might be a good bit of fun, like those Cleveland-Cincinnati games, when Paul Brown (Bengals) and Art Modell (Browns) were still alive, and hating each other. That hatred made the match-ups in the late-sixties and seventies what they were--namely, awesome, hateful football.

Of course, this sort of fiery enmity isn’t really Phillips’ modus operandi--and this is good for his blood pressure, but bad for football rivalries. No, it appears that Phillips or no, this, ahem, “rivalry” will remain little more than a reason to give out a fancy trophy from time to time.

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