Much like Jerry Jones’ image as a power-hungry dictator, or Tony Romo’s image as an unfocused celebrity quarterback, we often get the feeling that Wade Phillips’ image as a soft, ultimately too-soft head coach has been overblown to some degree.
Would we like to see Phillips get fired up a bit more often? Sure. Do we wish he would refrain from routinely apologizing for his players’ shortcoming in the media? Oh yeah. But there’s just no way that Phillips, who is a successful head coach--a statement that, agree or not, is supported by his track record--is that soft.
Is there?
According to former wide receiver Patrick Crayton, yes--yes there is. Crayton told 1090 AM in San Diego that the perceptions of Coach Cupcake as, well, a cupcake, are pretty much dead-on--to such an extent in fact, that it frustrates some of the veterans.
“Wade is very, very laid back to where you'd want him to tighten up on some of the young guys and he wouldn't,” Crayton said, via ESPN Dallas. “And just when you think he is, he backs off and wouldn't say anything."
Ouch. And Crayton, who developed a reputation in his time around Valley Ranch as the team’s preeminent smack-talker--a title that won him more than a few fans among material-starved writers, to be sure-- wasn’t finished. He then took aim at the head coach’s degree of involvement in the team’s offense, or lack thereof, saying that Phillips had “nothing to do with the offense in Dallas.”
We’ll say it again: ouch.
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