The Cowboys Should Be Embarrassed

This is getting ridiculous. How in the world can the Cowboys continue to be so sloppy in every phase of the game? Too many penalties, mental errors, dropped passes, turnovers, missed tackles and on and on. It is quite honestly hard to watch the Cowboys play right now.

They'll make plays that will get you excited. They'll make plays that will have you believing they could be the best team in the NFL. But for every one of those good plays there are two bad plays that erase the gains made. I know all of the fans are sick of it. I think the players are tired of it. But I don't get the sense that Wade Phillips completely grasps the enormity of the problem.

At this point I'm not going to just start pointing fingers and say any one person or player is the root of the problem. But I do think it is appropriate to identify the problems with the team. As I just mentioned, I think the passive approach of the head coach is one of the major issues.

Alan Ball is hurting the team on defense. Ken Hamlin may not have made any plays on the ball in the passing game, but the defense rarely gave up a long pass when he was back there. The deep ball has become a major problem this season. The only change in the secondary is Alan Ball so it is pretty clear that he is at least part of the problem.

Mike Jenkins has not been very good this season. Jenkins was absolutely terrible against the Titans but he has struggled all year long.

The offensive line is wildly inconsistent. There have been good games and bad games for the offensive line. The Titans game was good and bad all in one game. The first quarter of the game was a complete joke. And the funny thing to me is how I got to listen to fans at the game complain about Romo in the first quarter when he spent more time on his back than he did upright. Romo is only going to be as good as the line allows him to be.

The penalties are completely embarrassing. I don't understand how the Cowboys can consistently commit so many penalties. And what is more irritating is the way Wade Phillips responds to the penalties. He very rarely even seems annoyed or bothered in the least bit by the endless penalties. And today he didn't seem concerned at all when asked about the number of penalties in the game. The players aren't going to worry about penalties if the coach doesn't either.

The stadium atmosphere in Cowboys Stadium is part of the problem as well. It honestly feels like a three ring circus in that place during the game. There is so much going on that it makes it hard to concentrate on the actual game play. I'm sure all of the extra stuff going on around the game isn't helping the team focus. I realize the Titans are dealing with the same thing but it isn't their faces that are flashing up on the giant screen during the game.

The bottom line at this point is that the Cowboys are what they are. Their record says they are 1-3. And they feel like a 1-3 team. I'm certainly not saying they can't turn it around, but until the Cowboys go out and show they can play with fewer mistakes and penalties on a regular basis I won't have high expectations. I just hope the players and coaches are as upset by what is going on as all of the fans are.