Cowboys do have the #1 offense in the league, but it sure doesn't feel like it.

Discipline is a major concern. The Cowboys have the league's #1 offense, producing 420.4 yards per game. Still, this team can be it's own worst enemy come game time. What should be a run oriented offense is forced into passing situations all too often by bone-headed penalties.

Prime boneheadedry examples - Gurode snaps the ball and the pulling guard, Leonard Davis, knocks the football out of Tony Romo’s hands before he ever gets a grip on it and the Chiefs recover it.

Or one drive with back to back penalties. Illegal formation on Miles Austin and a false start on Flozell Adams that led to 1st and 20 instead of  1st and 10.

And this isn't a new problem. Dallas is consistently one of the most penalized teams in the league. I just found this quote from Wade Phillips - Dateline Nov. 13, 2007, following a win against the Giants that Dallas kept letting the Giants back in the game (sound familiar?). He speaks in regards to Dallas' 10 penalties in the game: "We will address it," Phillips said Monday. "That's not acceptable because we are accountable. It's not for me, it's for their teammates. It cost us some points in that game. We had several of them; I'm not happy about that. I will tell them and I think they will respond."

How did that lil talk work out? According to my research (unofficial) Dallas responded in 2008 with 119 penalties for an amazing 952 YARDS. That nullifies the entire offensive production of 2 or 3 games! Twenty nine of those were false starts.

I'm sure it's not just me, but when I see a penalty flag thrown, I assume immediately that I'll hear "False start, offense, number 76" It's almost a given.

Dallas repeatedly has issues closing out games. They are their own biggest opponent. They should have blown away the Chiefs, but with mental mistakes, poor judgment, fumbled punt returns and lack of discipline, KC kept hanging around. Cowboys committed THIRTEEN penalties in the game.

If you're keeping score at home, so far in '09 Dallas has

Fumbled the ball away 4 times

Thrown 4 interceptions

Been penalized THIRTY SEVEN times for 331 yards.

(unofficial research)

Oct 13, 2009 -- 10:06PM, Listen-Up wrote:

Oct 13, 2009 -- 1:47PM, Fuji wrote:

Wolf Shanahan in going to be a coach or consultant for the Redskins. Jay Glazer reported that Dan Synder flew to Denver on a "business trip" As for Gruden it will never happen. Gruden wants the job but because lets be real few jobs open up in the NFL. Gruden sucks as a play by play. But I would want a fresh coach rather than a recycled coach. Jerry in my view should just get the coaching bug out of his system and become the head coach. He could go winless than see that he has no football IQ and just be an owner.

I would love to see JJ become the HC.

Of course you would.

Cowboys fans on the other hand:

Unfortunately, Jerry will probably elevate Garrett to replace Wade if he dumps him. That's not an improvement in my book. The offense plays with even less discipline than the defense. Besides, Garrett's play calling has been a big part of our problems.

About the only coach on our staff that I'd trust to take over the team would be Joe DeCamillis. He's the only one that seems to have the backbone and spirit that the players would respond to.

It'd be better to start with a clean slate though. And for crying out loud, get rid of Dave Campo!

Oct 12, 2009 -- 1:44PM, Fuji wrote:

But if your a head coach why would you come to Dallas. Coaches have seen that since Parcells left the GM has driven the team into the ground. Even the greatest coaches alive or dead cannot over come a bad GM. With that said everyone knows that Jerry is not going any where. So after Wade gets fired I do not see any coach looking at Dallas as a good job. That is why Dan Reeves is not with the cowboys now to fix the penalties and stuff. Jerry ran the guy off with insane demands.

I guess Shanahan and Gruden don't count? They've both expressed interest in coaching the Cowboys.

Not that I'm convinced either one of them would be much of an improvement. I'd rather see someone fresh, not a couple guys that got fired from their last two coaching jobs. Especially considering the turnaround in Denver since Shanahan left and the fact that developing QB's has never been Gruden's strong suit.