IRVING, Texas - One game over .500 and on the heels of an embarrassing 20-point loss to the Rams on Sunday, the Cowboys appear to be going back to the drawing board.
Now that doesn't exactly mean getting out the eraser, new sharpies and starting from scratch again. But as the Cowboys returned to Valley Ranch on Monday, still stewing from a 34-14 loss that dropped the club to 4-3 and consecutive losses for the first time in two seasons, both the players and coaches were talking about simplifying things.
In essence, it's back to the basics.
Now head coach Wade Phillips wasn't specific in his plans, but did say Monday in his regular press conference that changes are needed.
"I am going to make some changes as far as what we do and how we do it," Phillips said. "We are looking at personnel, but there are not a whole lot of personnel changes I think we need to make. I think it's what we do with the personnel and how we are utilizing the players abilities and what they are doing."
One of the differences could be a change in the game plan, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
And that could start with the actual coaching calls.
While defensive coordinator Brian Stewart has been making the majority of the calls during the game, Phillips was rather vague when asked if he planned on taking over that duty this week.
"We have a game plan every game and we get called what we want called, yes," said Phillips, who was later asked more specifically if he planned on taking over the calls this week. "That's part of what we're doing. That's part of what we're evaluating."
Now whether the calls are coming from Phillips or Stewart, it sounds like the players are saying the overall game plan should be scaled back.
Several players, including nose tackle Tank Johnson, who was the most adamant, said he would like to see less plays, formations and defensive looks, and just more production.
"Our identity is missing. We need to realize and figure out who we are and what we are going to be and be it and live and die by it," Johnson said. "Our identity should be a team that is going to line up and run the same calls every week and get good at it. We have about a total of about 18 guys who play on defense, so I think from those 18 guys we should figure it out from that group."
Johnson added he thought the Cowboys were trying to run too many different formations and thinks the defense has enough talent to stay basic and just "out-athlete" other teams.
"Bottom line is we are trying to do too many things. We are a talented enough group that we can do two or three things and beat the stew out of people," Johnson said. "I think less is more when it comes to the talent we have. When you have so many talented players, give them a few things to do and give them a chance to get really good at it."
Johnson kept going, breaking it down even further.
"This game is real simple: They run it, we stop it. Build a wall. Defense is all about building a wall and offense is about scoring points," Johnson said. "As a defense, we have got to get better at building a wall and stopping them within three or four plays."
Simplifying things could work, but cutting down on mistakes is a sure way to right the ship, too.
"We've just got to make more plays and create better opportunities for ourselves. We've just got to play football the right way," defensive end Marcus Spears said.
"We've been making too many mistakes, having too many penalties. We gave up so many yards rushing, it makes you sick. When you go to the film, it's always guys out of position or maybe missing a few tackles. That's stuff you've got to get corrected."
Spears also said the defensive scheme is designed to eliminate big plays. But that all changes with just one mistake.
And that was evident in a few big plays Sunday against the Rams, including a 44-yard touchdown pass to Donnie Avery in the first quarter and a 56-yard run by Steven Jackson.
"The way that this defense is designed, if there is a guy out of position, there is going to be a big play, most of the time," Spears said. "You just really have to defend against that. You know offenses are going to make plays on you and they are good, too. But to give up yardage like that, by not being in the right position, those are things you have to get fixed."
While Johnson seemed to have some answers and Spears a few suggestions, others in the locker room were still at a loss for words and looking for answers, other than knowing that the overall performance must improve.
"Really, I can't tell you what it is," linebacker Bradie James said. "I wish I could put my finger on it so we could fix it tomorrow. It's a lot of different things that are going on, things are going on all over the place."
Just like former head coach Bill Parcells used to preach, James said finding out the problem doesn't matter if you can't fix it.
"It's not about what's going on, really it's about us having a solution and fixing whatever the problems are because it's still relatively early in the season and losing is just miserable," James said. "So I don't know how much . . . I've barely got hair right now, so I definitely won't have too much by the end of the season, so really we just need to find a way to win. That's just it."
Winning is always the best cure. Even if you have to go a little backwards to get there.
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Nick Eatman - 
