Dallas Cowboys Keep Phillips For 2010

NFL News - January 18th, 2010 - Written by John

Jerry Jones promised to make a quick decision on Wade Phillips several weeks ago, and despite an ugly loss to the Minnesota Vikings fresh in his head, has made good on his word.

The Dallas Cowboys announced on Monday that they would be keeping Phillips around for at least another year. According to ESPN, Jones has opted to pick up the coach's option for 2010 and will pay the extra $3 million.

It was predicted that Dallas would bring him back after winning the team's first NFL Playoffs game since 1996, but the Cowboys flopped last week in an embarrassing 34-3 defeat at the hand of Brett Favre. Phillips' impressive defensive scheme from the past several weeks flopped big time as Favre threw four touchdown passes -- three to the same receiver -- all while Tony Romo spent the whole game on the run.

But Phillips is 34-17 overall with the team, including playoffs, and team chemistry seems to be building.

"His record speaks for itself," quarterback Tony Romo said outside the Cowboys' locker room Monday. "He's done a great job, kept the team together through a lot of tough times this year. He's done a fantastic job as coach of the Cowboys."

Dallas allowed the fewest points of any NFC team this year and ranked ninth in yards allowed. It has won two division titles in his three seasons at the helm, the one exception being last year's debacle when the team was featured on HBO's Hard Knocks and seemed distracted from the beginning. But some members on the defense have praised his ability to right the ship, and are glad he is back.

"He does a great job of coaching," safety Gerald Sensabaugh told ESPN. "You've seen the strides this team has taken from the beginning of this season to the end. He's a great coach. It's good to play for a guy like Wade."

"It just wouldn't make any sense to let him go right now, with just the way that we played, the way that we ended the season," linebacker Bradie James said. "I don't think that's broken."