Marinelli Fights For ‘Boys Legacy in NFL Coaching Tree
Aging coaches are sometimes disregarded as “figurehead” leaders. Such was the case with Tom Landry’s final days with the Dallas Cowboys, and certainly for Barry Switzer during his swan song as head coach in Big D.
But if there’s any coach in the NFL who’s turning “figurehead” into an art form, it’s Silver Star defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli.
With the Dallas defense swarming opponents on the team’s way to the NFC Divisional Round of the playoffs, defensive assistant Kris Richard’s name is being whispered as a candidate for several NFL head coaching jobs and glamorous upgrades to DC. Marinelli doesn’t disagree with the conclusion other front offices are coming to.
The coordinator believes that the 39-year-old Richard could ultimately forge a career equal to associates like Tony Dungy and Mike Tomlin. Rather than mope about the potential of Richard being lured away to coach the Miami Dolphins or another franchise, the veteran DC has offered to give up responsibilities and decision-making power to allow the hungry up-and-comer a chance to orchestrate the defense.
“I’ll do whatever the Cowboys need to be done for us to keep Kris Richard,” Marinelli tells told Mike Fisher of the 24/7 Sports Cowboy beat this week. “I only care about what’s best for the players. I don’t care about titles. Having Kris here is best for the players. That’s all I am in favor of.”
Whether it’s Richard or Marinelli or another coach’s words, someone or something has lit a fire under the defense in Big D this season. With rookie LB Leighton Vander Esch leading the way with 6 total tackles, the Cowboys held the Seattle Seahawks to well under 100 yards rushing and 6 1st-half points in a 24-22 NFC Wild Card victory last weekend.
Cowboys Given Long Odds to Win Super Bowl LIII
So sorry to burst your bubble, Cowboy fans, but something called the SportsLine Projection Model is giving the ‘Boys only a 14-to-1 shot to win Super Bowl LIII.
Las Vegas odds-makers agree in principle. Dak Prescott’s team is a (+1600) moneyline futures bet to win the Lombardi Trophy, meaning that bettors win 16 times their money back if the wager pays off.
Perhaps the long odds are not so much a slam on the Dallas Cowboys as a model of superstition and respect given to past history. Each team at shorter odds has some compelling reason why Vegas handicappers just can’t pass them up.
The Kansas City Chiefs are at (+400), but they’ve got Patrick Mahomes and an offense straight out of the 2100s. We suppose nobody remembers that Andy Reid is not known for coaching brilliance in the postseason.
New Orleans enjoys even shorter odds to win the upcoming Super Bowl at just (+250), a product of laser-sharp QB Drew Brees and an excellent supporting cast. But the team slipped and stumbled every so often throughout autumn, and lost to the Cowboys in a prime-time defensive struggle. The L.A. Rams are similarly favored by pro prognosticators at (+400) which seems to belie some of the team’s inconsistent play late in the year.
The Patriots are at longer than 5-to-1 futures odds while the defending-champ Philadelphia Eagles are not getting any more love than their NFC East counterparts at 16-to-1.
One reason for the Cowboys’ status with handicappers is that Prescott is not as highly-regarded as a “pure” pocket passer as Brees, Tom Brady, or Philip Rivers, all still competing in the postseason. But there’s more than one way to skin a Lombardi Trophy, as proven by the Seahawks’ unorthodox clobbering of Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos at Super Bowl XLVIII.
Conor McGregor May Have Said Something Highly Motivational to the Dallas Cowboys
As the clock ticks toward the showdown at the Coliseum this weekend, it may be gainful to look back at the Dallas Cowboys’ slow start in 2018-19. It gives the fan a certain satisfaction to look at the other bad starts around the NFL in which teams were not able to turn things around, and think “there but for the grace of (insert deity) went my ‘Boys.”
There but for the grace of…Conor McGregor?
The famed MMA champion and pro pugilist reportedly visited the Cowboys live and up-close in Week 6 of the regular season.
Dallas was at 2-3 and coming home from a 19-16 overtime loss to the Texans. But when McGregor took the field before the follow-up game at Jerry World to help motivate the squad, the momentum suddenly changed. Dallas beat Jacksonville 40-7 as Dak Prescott looked alive and well again.
Rumors abound that McGregor could be making his way to Los Angeles to see the L.A. Rams and Dallas Cowboys do battle on Saturday night. But the prizefighter makes no secret of his America’s Team colors on social media.
The win over the Jaguars was not a watershed for the Cowboys in 2018, however. The ‘Boys followed up that victorious effort by dropping 2 in a row to Washington and Tennessee. But 2 division wins and a 5-game overall win streak would soon follow, with Big D’s defense lording over a prime-time 13-10 win over the New Orleans Saints. The NFC Wild Card Round featured the Cowboys’ 2nd playoff win at AT&T Stadium in 3 years.
Dallas is a TD underdog for Saturday’s playoff game at L.A. Memorial Coliseum.
