The Dallas Cowboys’ terrible loss at the hands of Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers in the Wildcard round has the sports world talking.
A great amount of the opinionated are irrelevant to the organization but there are a select few who know what they’re talking about.
One of these is former Cowboys’ HC Dave Campo, who was with the organization as defensive coordinator for five seasons before being promoted.
Campo was head coach of the team in a short three-year stint after Chan Gailey was relieved of his duties.
He wasn’t a popular choice, but in hindsight, it appeared Jerry Jones was aware that the team would not be talented enough to compete.
With that logic, an in-house promotion from defensive coordinator to head coach for Dave Campo was a bridge hire while the roster built its strength back up.
I’ve always felt this was unfair to Campo, who was a good coach whom the players liked.
In his three straight 5-11 seasons, the Cowboys managed to send only three players to the Pro Bowl.
Hall of Fame OL Larry Allen (twice), LB Dexter Coakley, and DT La’Roi Glover were the only players to be selected from Campo’s tenure.
Campo was recently interviewed by RJ Ochoa on SASportsStar about his thoughts on the Cowboys’ team needs and what was lacking in the loss to the Packers.
Campo echoes some of the concerns voiced by Cowboys Nation before the season even started.
Culture & Accountability
There has long been a culture and accountability issue in Dallas, but we never hear about it from players or coaches until after their Cowboys tenure.
Campo hasn’t been in the building since the end of the 2002 season, but he’s still connected via various NFL connections.
He had some interesting things to say about the recently departed Dan Quinn regarding his coaching style.
“I’m going a little bit on some hearsay, but I think the one thing about Dan is he’s a fine gentleman and he’s smart and his scheme was ok, but he was a little too buddy-buddy I think with the players and that’s part of it.”
There’s a fine line to walk when you want to be considered a “player’s coach”.
I coach high school-age boys in the spring for 7-on-7 football, and I make sure to quickly set the tone that I am the authority figure and I don’t put up with nonsense.
I’ve seen it happen too many times, especially with young coaches, where they try to relate too much to the players.
When it’s time to discipline or give constructive criticism, these boys will roll their eyes and make some sort of comment undermining the coach right to his face.
If young boys do that to their coach, what do you think grown men will do?
Small Defense
Campo then went on to comment on the actual style of defense Dan Quinn put on the field in 2023.
“…when they lost number 55, they lost the only real linebacker that they had on that ball club. And their two inside tackles, they were pass rushers.”
You’re preaching to the choir, coach.
Once promising rookie LB DeMarvion Overshown was lost to a torn ACL in the preseason and Dallas waived Jabril Cox and Devin Harper, Cowboys Nation wondered who would play linebacker.
More from Campo: “And so they were a small defense and the teams that could run the ball on them were successful and that’s what happened in that ballgame.”
“That ballgame” is referring to the Wildcard loss to the Packers in which RB Aaron Jones was bottled up early, but broke free when Green Bay ran the ball at will.
Jones averaged less than three yards per carry while Jordan Love used his arm to carve up the Cowboys for a 27-0 lead.
However, Dallas couldn’t contain him when it mattered, in the second half with the possibility of a comeback.
He ended up with 21 carries for 118 yards and three touchdown runs, capping another star performance in AT&T Stadium.
Enter Mike Zimmer, Cowboys’ new (former) defensive coordinator who knows Campo very well.
Campo hired Zimmer as his defensive coordinator following his promotion to Dallas’ head coach in 2006.
Zimmer remained the defensive coordinator until 2006, spending four valuable years under the tutelage of Bill Parcells.
If there’s one thing Zimmer does well, it’s constructing a defense that will be held accountable for their play and strengthening the interior.
Hopefully this time next season we will hear comments from Campo about how much the defense improved under Zimmer.