"Victory Monday" sends wrong message to Dallas Cowboys
They whooped it up in the locker room as they should have after a superb performance and a dominant victory over a quality opponent. No one is begrudging the celebration.
Then Wade Phillips gave the players the day off. It's called "Victory Monday."
Say what?
It absolutely sends the wrong message to a team that won consecutive games for the first time since last November.
Obviously, diligent veterans such as Bradie James, Jason Witten, Jay Ratliff, Keith Brooking and a few others won't get so giddy that they forget just how much it takes to win any NFL, but you can't say that with certainty about a lot of other players on this roster.
Then again, we really shouldn't be surprised with Phillips' approach. See, this is Wade's problem in a nutshell.
He's too nice. He wants the players to love him. Who cares? His job is to maximize the talent on this team and get them to play to their potential every week.
If he has to hurt some feelings along the way Patrick Crayton comes to mind then sometimes that's the cost of doing business. It's much more important for the players to respect him and his approach than it is for them to like him.
There's not a coach the players liked more than Dave Campo, who went 15-33 during his three-year reign.
Time after time after time, Phillips sets the standard for this team too low just like when he talks about winning the second half of losses. Or winning the NFC East in preseason.
The best coaches set the standard high. They give their teams lofty goals to accomplish before rewarding them.
No one is disputing the Cowboys' fine effort in their 16-point win over Atlanta, and it's OK to congratulate the players for winning consecutive games, but gee whiz.
This team has the talent to win four or five games in a row when it plays with the proper focus and intensity. As you know, that doesn't happen often enough, which is among the reasons Dallas is just 14-12 in its last 26 games.
Let's say the Cowboys had beaten Atlanta, Seattle and then traveled to Green Bay and beat the Packers. Then Victory Monday would be a worthy reward, especially after a long flight home.
In theory, there's really nothing wrong with Victory Monday. Chan Gailey actually started the tradition of Victory Monday in Dallas when he arrived in 1998.
Besides, the players don't do too much on Mondays. They do some running and lifting to get the soreness out of their bodies and watch the video of the game.
Wednesday and Thursday are the heaviest game plan days.
Again, it's the message that should bother you. There's no evidence this team is mature enough to handle such a gift. Just three weeks ago, Brooking told us about the need for more focused practices.
Remember, the butt-kicking the Cowboys gave Atlanta was easily Dallas' most thorough performance of the season.
This is the time to grind a little not relax.
