Cowboys' woes could force shift in focus

There is a silver lining to the fall of the Dallas Cowboys and dismissal of Wade Phillips. And not just for the many of you out there who hate the Cowboys.

The complete and shocking demise of the Cowboys this season means that owner Jerry Jones will have his plate full next offseason doing everything he can to market the team. That could include hiring a high-profile coach (Jon Gruden makes the most sense) and the accompanying staff members. It also means working the free-agent and trade markets to upgrade the roster.

In addition, it means having offseason training activities, minicamps and all the other events which draw media and attention even when games are months away. Even if Jones sticks with Jason Garrett, the interim coach is going to need the offseason to hire his own staff, make vital changes and get the players on board with him. Jones will need that as well, if for no other reason than to show the public that the team will improve.

Some of those things can't happen if there's a lockout.

Until the collapse of Jones' Cowboys, several sources around the league viewed him as a staunch leader of the pro-lockout faction of owners (the New England Patriots' Bob Kraft – who helped negotiate the NFL's broadcast deals which ensure owners TV revenue even if there's no 2011 season – is among the group, according to league sources). Now, Jones will need every bit of the offseason and the manufactured excitement that goes with it to market his suddenly moribund franchise. To put it another way, if Jones expects Cowboys fans to take those grocery bags off their head and instead use them to buy Dallas apparel and, more importantly, tickets, he better keep the business open this offseason.

"It's an interesting theory and probably not that far off base," a league source said Monday, shortly before the Cowboys made the firing of Phillips official. "Jerry is always about marketing, and this situation is going to be really hard for him to market. You can't generate any excitement about that team unless they're signing players or hiring a big-time coach."

Some might argue that Jones could simply wait it out, taking the advance money the NFL will get from the networks if there's no football. Unfortunately, that's not a good idea at a time when Jones is also facing an unforeseen challenge from across the parking lot in Arlington.

Fresh off their first World Series, the Texas Rangers could step into the fray and take away some of the disposable income out there in the sports marketplace if the Cowboys aren't playing. Dallas fans are notoriously fickle when it comes to buying tickets. Jones, who needs to keep his luxurious new stadium filled with fans and sponsors, knows that all too well.

The fact that the team's struggles could last all season only feeds the need for Jones to keep the business going. Following their humiliating 45-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers, the 1-7 Cowboys are staring at what easily could be a further fall into the abyss over the next five games. The 6-2 Giants are next, followed by the Detroit Lions (2-6), New Orleans Saints (6-3), Indianapolis Colts (5-3) and Philadelphia Eagles (5-3). In fact, the Eagles play Dallas twice in the second half.

While the Panthers and Bills are far-worse teams on paper, the Cowboys are playing with so little heart that the expression "With the No. 1 overall pick … " could easily be coming to the ears of Dallas fans come April. Moreover, Garrett is going to have his hands full trying to motivate players who understand that the demise of the team ultimately works to their advantage in terms of avoiding a lockout. Yes, Jones threatened players Monday with their jobs, saying heads would roll if they didn't play hard.

Truth is, that's a pretty hollow threat to the stars of the team. Tony Romo(notes), Jason Witten(notes), Miles Austin(notes), Dez Bryant(notes), Felix Jones(notes), Terence Newman(notes), DeMarcus Ware(notes), Jay Ratliff(notes), Anthony Spencer(notes) and Mike Jenkins(notes) are very unlikely to go anywhere this offseason. Jones might sacrifice Roy Williams, Leonard Davis(notes), Keith Brooking(notes) and Bradie James(notes) to make a point, but he's not dumping a truly significant player.

Rivers for MVP

The San Diego Chargers may only be 4-5 and struggling to get back into playoff contention in the AFC West, but for those who aren't paying attention, Philip Rivers(notes) should be running away with the NFL Most Valuable Player award this season.

Rivers' performance Sunday against the Houston Texans is just the latest statement about how great Rivers has been the past three seasons. He is on pace for a third straight year with a quarterback rating of 100 or better, something only Hall of Famer Steve Young (four straight, 1991-94) and Peyton Manning(notes) (2004-06) ever did before. At this rate, he would also break Dan Marino's record (5,084) for most passing yards in a season.

Against Houston, Rivers completed 17 of 23 passing attempts for 295 yards and four touchdowns. On face value, those stats are very good but not exactly otherworldly – particularly against a Houston defense that is porous, to be polite. That is, before you consider this: Rivers completed only six passes to players who were Chargers last season.

On Sunday, Rivers was playing without Antonio Gates(notes), Vincent Jackson(notes), Malcolm Floyd, Legedu Naanee(notes) and Buster Davis – players who have been with him for years. Instead, he threw two touchdown passes apiece to Seyi Ajirotutu(notes), a rookie who hadn't played this season until the past three games, and veteran tight end Randy McMichael(notes), who had never played with Rivers before this year.

By contrast, the Indianapolis Colts' Manning – the only guy in league history with four MVPs – is also going through problems at receiver. Manning has had Reggie Wayne(notes) all season, but tight end Dallas Clark(notes) is out and both Pierre Garcon(notes) and Austin Collie(notes) have been in and out of the lineup. On Sunday at Philadelphia, which has an admittedly better defense than Houston, Manning completed 31 of 52 passes for 294 yards, one TD and two interceptions.

For the season, Rivers has posted stunning numbers despite the revolving door at wide receiver. Rivers has completed 215 of 329 passes for 2,944 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He is averaging a phenomenal 8.9 yards per attempt. Again, Manning (the baseline for greatness) is at 228 of 351, 2,478 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions.

Through nine games, there is little doubt that Rivers is closing in on his first MVP if voters are willing to look beyond the won-loss record.

Top five
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2): As long as rookie center Maurkice Pouncey(notes) stays healthy, the line has a chance to be halfway decent – which is enough.
2. New York Giants (6-2): It was my oversight to leave them out of the top five last week. Based on the Seattle game, that won't happen again.
3. Baltimore Ravens (6-2): The bye week did wonders for the Ravens D against Miami. However, a short week going to Atlanta could be tough.
4. Green Bay Packers (6-3): Despite their many injuries, the Packers probably could have put up 60 against the Cowboys on Sunday night.
5. Atlanta Falcons (6-2): This is a tough call between the Falcons and the Jets, but Atlanta has the better quarterback of the two.

Bottom five
28. Cincinnati Bengals (2-6): At times, the body language of wide receivers Terrell Owens(notes) and Chad Ochocinco(notes) is not looking good. An implosion could be near.
29. Buffalo Bills (0-8): Yeah, they're the only winless team, but the quality and effort right now is way better than the next three.
30. Denver Broncos (2-6): A week off is a good thing. The bad part is that nothing really changed about who's playing for them.
31. Carolina Panthers (1-7): Dear Panther fans, the problem here is that owner Jerry Richardson allowed this to happen. Blame him for this awful season.
32. Dallas Cowboys (1-7): I don't use the term "quit" lightly, but the Cowboys are quitters right now. Truly ugly.

This and that

• Anyone who has seen the clip of Ravens fullback Le'Ron McClain(notes) and Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder(notes) can tell that McClain did, as Crowder accused him, spit in Crowder's face. McClain went through a lame lie after the game (he couldn't even make eye contact while answering). While the NFL is in the midst of fining defensive players weekly for hard hits, McClain's actions were disgusting and premeditated. He knew what he was doing and deserves to be suspended for it – at least one game.

• ESPN's Jon Gruden is a pretty darn good as a game analyst. However, you have to take some things he says with a grain of salt. For instance, Gruden praised Steelers linebacker James Harrison(notes) as being a really good person during the broadcast against Cincinnati. Sorry; Harrison is really not that nice. But remember that Gruden is the same guy who thought the late Darrell Russell wasn't a bad guy either.

• A source close to wide receiver Randy Moss(notes), who will make his debut Sunday for the Tennessee Titans, said it's not out of the question that Moss could end up back in New England this offseason after being dealt away by the Patriots. "If there are only a couple of teams that are really interested and it's not a bidding war, I could see him going back there. Belichick still likes him – they just didn't want to pay the big price," the source said.

• Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress may be a tough nut to deal with, but the story by ESPN's Ed Werder on Childress and his son Andrew, a U.S. Marine serving in Iraq, was truly special. A tear-jerker.

• After the victory over the Colts, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick(notes) was asked by agent Joel Segal why he decided to run on a certain play. "Well, you know I have to mix it up now and then; I'm a passing quarterback, you know," Vick joked.

• For those wondering why Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back LeGarrette Blount doesn't play more, check out a play in the first half at Atlanta when the Falcons blitzed from the offense's left side and sacked quarterback Josh Freeman(notes). Blount was in the backfield and didn't pick up the blitz. In fact, he didn't even see it. Blount can run, but you can't play in this league unless you know pass protection.

McCoy is 2-1 as the starter.
(Tony Dejak/AP Photo)

• Over the past two games, Cleveland has beaten the defending Super Bowl champions (Saints) in their home and knocked off the best team of the past decade (New England) at a time when the Patriots were playing well. But the coup de grace in this is that the Browns did that with rookie Colt McCoy(notes) at quarterback. Against New England, McCoy was an efficient 14-of-19 passing for 174 yards. But his best play might have come on the high-stakes gamble the Browns took in the first quarter. Facing a fourth-and-1 from its own 36, Cleveland went for a first down. That's called chutzpah. On top of that, McCoy checked out of a bad call in the situation and ran a quarterback sneak for three yards and a first down. There's a long way to go, but that's impressive stuff.

• Dear Chargers coach Norv Turner: What were you thinking going for two points when already up 27-23 in the fourth quarter? It was a useless risk. A failed conversion would have only kept you at a four-point advantage, meaning a field goal later gives you a seven-point lead. By kicking the PAT and adding a field goal later, Houston needs a touchdown and two-pointer to tie the score. Turner is a great play-caller – one of the best in the history of the game – but there are some basic situational football things which he just doesn't seem to grasp.