Power Rankings: Jones' vanity at heart of Dallas downer

If Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had walked down to the field in the middle of the third quarter of Sunday's devastating loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and told coach Wade Phillips and his staff they were fired on the spot, could anyone have blamed him?

That's how bad the Cowboys looked in losing 44-6 to the Eagles in a game that put the winner into the playoffs.

Jerry Jones: Better businessman than football man. (Getty Images)

Yet after the game, Jones, who sometimes runs the team like a fan with a twinkle in his eyes watching his favorite stars play (how else can he justify that Roy Williams trade?), flat out said Phillips isn't going anywhere.

"Are we going to change coaches?" Jones said. "The answer is no."

For now, it is. I still find it hard to believe there won't be a change. The Cowboys are among the biggest disappointments in the league this season, right alongside the Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints, all Super Bowl hopefuls who are done playing games that count.

The difference is the Cowboys do their losing -- or choking some would say -- in the spotlight, part of being America's Team, part of being Terrell Owens' team.

All four of the teams mentioned above opened the season in the top 10 of my CBSSports.com Power Rankings. None are there today.

The Cowboys are the highest profile of that group, a team supposedly loaded with stars, players cashing too-big checks with too-big egos -- and nobody to keep them under control.

It is a too-loose team that doesn't fear its head coach.

When the Cowboys were going rotten Sunday, followed by the quit in the second half, Cowboys defensive tackle Tank Johnson, who came to the team with a cart full of personal baggage, was on the sidelines screaming at the offensive players. He had to be restrained by several teammates and eventually left the bench area, strolling by himself some 20 yards down the field.

Nobody was there, not a coach, not Phillips nor an assistant, to scream him the riot act.

At least Johnson looked like he cared. That's more than most of the Cowboys appeared to do that day.

Maybe it's because they knew it was like a playoff game, with the winner advancing on. Remember, they haven't won one of those since 1999.

Tony Romo still hasn't.

He's quickly earning a reputation for being a big-game choker. Fair or unfair, it sticks since he's had miserable Decembers and Januarys in his career. Now some are questioning if he's the long-term answer at quarterback. His contract says he is. We'll see.

Phillips said Monday he would change some things. He pointed to himself. He said he would be more demanding. Isn't that like a parent who allows his kids to get away with anything suddenly deciding to be tougher? It doesn't work. They know that the toughness is only a front.

The Cowboys coordinators, Jason Garrett on offense and Brian Stewart on defense, didn't exactly have good seasons either. Stewart had his defensive play-calling duties taken over by Phillips, who beamed about it when the defense played well. That was said to infuriate some of the defensive coaches.

Garrett, the supposed coach-in-waiting, had a rough go of it as a play-caller. His inability to get the expected results from the offense could be a big reason Phillips is staying put. How could Jerry justify going to Garrett after his struggles that were made more public after Sunday's game when players questioned the scheme? Plus, it's not like Garrett is this tough, in-your-face coach.

But it all starts with Jones. He's the man who makes the football decisions. He's the one who brings in Owens and Johnson and Pacman Jones and makes the bonehead trade for Roy Williams and signs 400-year-old Zach Thomas. He's the one who hires Phillips in a move many say was made because Phillips wouldn't buck Jones on anything. They said he came with good marionette strings.

That's not fair to Phillips, who is a good football man who just might be in too deep trying to play Dallas zookeeper.

But the Cowboys clearly don't respond to the current Phillips way. That's on Jones' head. You hear all about the talent on the Cowboys roster, but it sure didn't play to the level of expectations.

Some say it's because this isn't a team, just a group of me-first stars waiting to cash checks each week. If that's the true, it's Jones' fault. He's the one in charge, the man making the decisions.

I respect Jones greatly for the way he prints money with the Cowboys. He's as good a businessman as you can find. And I do think he knows a thing or two about football, but so do a lot of fans.

Sometimes, I think his downfall is he acts too much like one. He hears a name and wants to make that name a Cowboy. The only difference is he can. He has the money and the power to do it. They say the cap makes it so money can't buy title teams in the NFL, but big-dollar teams like the Cowboys can throw big signing bonuses around much easier than small-market teams. That matters.

It takes much more than money. It takes good personnel people. It takes good coaching. It takes players who care.

As the Cowboys walked off the Lincoln Financial Field Sunday, I wondered if they had any of that.

It is no wonder they're not playing anymore after a season that opened with so much hope and had them looking down on many in these rankings:

Power Rankings
Current		Team	Previous
	1	Titans · Trends	1
	Their physical style has them well prepared for a playoff run. The key to their season was Kerry Collins taking over as quarterback.
	2	Giants · Trends	2
	This time they don't have to go on the road to win a playoff game. Two home victories and they're back in the Super Bowl.
	3	Steelers · Trends	3
	With their defense, they will be a tough team to beat. Their success will all depend on how Ben Roethlisberger does securing the football.
	4	Panthers · Trends	4
	John Fox went back to his physical roots and won a division title. Should we expect anything else in the playoffs?
	5	Colts · Trends	5
	They closed out the season with nine consecutive victories and they have the best quarterback in football. Those are two good things to have heading to the playoffs.
	6	Falcons · Trends	6
	Seeing them here at the end of the season is amazing. Their physical style will give them a chance to make some noise in the playoffs. Are they this year's Giants?
	7	Ravens · Trends	7
	The more Joe Flacco gained confidence, the more dangerous they became. With that defense, they can make a deep run if Flacco doesn't play like a rookie.
	8	Dolphins · Trends	8
	Tony Sparano worked miracles with this team. From 1-15 to division winner is simply amazing. Chad Pennington really made the difference.
	9	Eagles · Trends	15
	The defense has been playing great down the stretch. This might be the team that gets hot in the playoffs.
	10	Vikings · Trends	13
	It will be all about the quarterback in the playoffs. Can Tarvaris Jackson get it done? They have the other pieces.
	11	Cardinals · Trends	16
	Maybe Edgerrin James, who had 100 yards in the regular-season finale, will be the key to a playoff run. They have to run it better when they get leads.
	12	Patriots · Trends	10
	There will be no playoffs, but Bill Belichick did a great job with this team. Matt Cassel is about to get paid -- if Tom Brady is fine.
	13	Cowboys · Trends	9
	Jones insists Wade Phillips is coming back. If so, he better tighten things up. Now there are questions about Tony Romo.
	14	Chargers · Trends	20
	Philip Rivers doesn't get the due he deserves, but he's the reason this is a playoff team. The defense remains a worry spot.
	15	Buccaneers · Trends	11
	The four losses to close out the season will put a ton of pressure on Jon Gruden heading into 2009. And he'll be without Monte Kiffin, which will be tough.
	16	Jets · Trends	12
	Is Brett Favre coming back? Do they want him? That move was a disaster. Admit it, Jets.
	17	Texans · Trends	17
	They will be a factor next season. The offense made big strides in the second half. Now it's time to improve the other side of the football.
	18	Bears · Trends	14
	The most disconcerting thing was how the defense struggled. That was a surprise. Now they have to decide if Kyle Orton is the long-term answer.
	19	Saints · Trends	18
	They have to be considered a disappointment after having Super Bowl aspirations when the season opened. It's time to be more physical.
	20	Broncos · Trends	19
	Injuries crippled this team. They have to find a way improve that defense, teams destroyed it this season.
	21	49ers · Trends	24
	It's Mike Singletary's show now. The key will be his hires for his coordinators, especially on offense.
	22	Bills · Trends	21
	It appears Dick Jauron is coming back. That's the right move. He deserves one more season to make this a playoff team.
	23	Packers · Trends	25
	Don't blame Aaron Rodgers for this bad season. It goes to the defense. They need to get help with the pass rush.
	24	Bengals · Trends	26
	They won their last three games, which will bring Marvin Lewis back. The good news is their defense played really well in the second half. With Carson Palmer back, they could bounce back in 2009.
	25	Redskins · Trends	22
	Jim Zorn's team faded down the stretch in large part because the passing game struggled. Jason Campbell faces a huge season in 2009.
	26	Jaguars · Trends	23
	They were one of the year's biggest disappointments. They have a ton of work to do in the offseason, which puts a lot of pressure on new football man Gene Smith.
	27	Raiders · Trends	28
	It's coach-searching time again. One of these days, Al Davis will get the right guy. I doubt it.
	28	Seahawks · Trends	27
	It's the Jim Mora era now. He has a lot of work to do, especially on defense, which is his specialty.
	29	Chiefs · Trends	30
	It looks like Herman Edwards will be back. The big question is whether Tyler Thigpen is the long-term answer at quarterback.
	30	Browns · Trends	29
	What a disaster. I hate to say I warned Browns fans, but I did. Now they have to start all over with a new coach and general manager.
	31	Rams · Trends	31
	They changed things up in the front office. Now comes the coaching decision. Does Jim Haslett have a chance? He should.
	32	Lions · Trends	32
	Winless. Oh and 16. That's tough to do. Now they have to blow it up and start over again.