Untapped Patience Could Make Cowboys Super Stars in Dallas

The Cowboys hymn for the last two seasons has been finish. Finish every run, catch, block, tackle, practice and game.

We know how that finished.

Wade Phillips' first three seasons as Dallas coach has stirred the finish chant. His first season (2007) produced a spicy 13-3 regular season but a frazzled 21-17 playoff loss at home to the Giants that helped rocket the Giants -- not the Cowboys -- toward the Super Bowl XLII championship.

It was 9-7 two seasons ago for Phillips and Dallas and no playoffs. It was 11-5 last season, the NFC East crown, a playoff victory (the franchise's first in 13 years) over Philadelphia before a wipeout, rotten 34-3 playoff loss at Minnesota.

So, the finish message still needs kneading.

And Dallas must tweak it with this in 2010 -- patience.

We don't think Cowboys and patience. We don't think owner Jerry Jones and patience. But as Dallas opens its training camp on Saturday in San Antonio, a huge reason why this team is a legitimate Super Bowl contender is patience.

They hung in there with Phillips. They have developed quarterback Tony Romo for seven years. Jones stopped reaching for pure flash this year and turned more toward building chemistry, consistency and investing in his primary investment -- Romo -- by creating more offensive flexibility and weaponry around him. The capable Dallas defense was artfully assembled through the draft, with eight of the 11 starters homegrown picks.

Those are things that require patience.

"We've got a big game in the building -- we hope to be there."
- Stephen Jones
Cowboys Executive And with Super Bowl XLV on Feb. 6 in Dallas' $1.2 billion stadium, the showmanship in Jones, the barker, the salesman innately wants to fast forward to that enticing moment. The tease and the pressure to get there, to be the first in league history to play the game (let alone win it) in one's home stadium is so juicy for a true business artiste, so special for a veteran head coach who wants to prove it in the postseason, so attractive for hungry players seeking validation that the process could be swallowed by a just-get-me-there-yesterday-lust.

Not so fast.

Patience.

"We've got a big game in the building -- we hope to be there,'' Cowboys executive Stephen Jones said. "We've got a really good football team. Regardless of where the final game is going to be, most people agree we have a contending team that could get there. A legitimate shot. And that is something that is realistic.

"I'd like to jump that far ahead. We all would. But I'm not going to do that. We all won't. We've got a lot of business ahead of us. In the back of our minds, we all think something like that. But we won't go there. If it were to happen, we would soak in every minute of it. But there is so much hard work. There is an old saying, 'The other team has good players, too.' Take care of business. Don't skip ahead. Day to day.''

Jones, 46, wears many hats for the Cowboys. He is the owner's son. He is the team's executive vice president, COO and director of player personnel. He manages the salary cap. He orchestrates player contracts. He coordinates player development. He oversees stadium operations.

But among his most important roles in this 2010 Cowboys seasons is maintaining the bridges of patience between the owner and the coach and the players. To not let dips this season that surely will come dissolve the Cowboys patience. To be a buffer. To help keep the franchise eye on its daily grind.

"We've been building this thing for the last five or six years, Tony and this team, trying to get better every year and seize the opportunity,'' Jones said. "We're coming off winning a game in the playoffs once again after a long time, and that's something we have off our backs. Take that next step. We have to stay healthy and believe that can happen.

"Wade is more confident with this team and with our players. He is really confident in his role as our leader and people respect him. He has taken over that defense. That's gotten better. I admire his knowledge of our game. He knows what a football player looks like. He knows our profession. Everybody knows he's one of the top defensive coordinators, but he makes a mark with our offense, too. The only thing left on his resume is to win a championship. He's always won. Regular season games. Playoff games. The next step is that championship. We've been around a lot of great coaches. Wade has his special way.''

And so does Jones' father.



"We have a mutual feeling about it,'' Stephen said of Jerry. "We hope it goes on forever. We share much in common. We want to win and build a strong foundation. Not just year by year. For the long haul. Make the franchise strong for years to come. It's a luxury working together. I don't take it for granted. I cherish it. And hope that it lasts for many more years."

Stephen Jones sees some of the same strengths and weakness in the Cowboys that others see. The skills set around Romo is strong. The defense can rush the passer. The offensive line is questionable. The kicking game (David Buehler) is untested.

This training camp can be useful. It is a reminder of how to prepare, how to produce in the regular season, how to peak in the postseason.

How to finish and feature patience.

"We'll see,'' Jones said. "Training camp is the place where you develop those themes that matter most.''