MIKE KREBSNEW YORK, NY
With Dallas finishing 13-3 this year and the future looking bright, are you surprised with the lack of buzz surrounding Will McClay, Scott Linehan and Rod Marinelli? I have not heard their names mentioned surrounding any of the openings in the league.
Bryan: This is going to sound harsh, but those teams that are hiring general managers and head coaches don't have a plan to begin with. They don't have a direction of how they want their team built or how they want it coached. Instead of looking at successful programs and trying to hire those people to fix their situation they continue to make mistakes because they have no identity to begin with.
David:I'm not surprised about Marinelli. He is 67, and I don't get the impression he wants to be a head coach again. As for Linehan and McClay, it is honestly a little bit surprising. McClay has helped build and maintain one of the most enviable rosters in the league, and Linehan's work with Dak Prescott should speak for itself. But, if no one else in the league is interested, that's only a benefit for the Cowboys.
JARROD LANDJASPER, IN
Why does the No. 1 seed play on Sunday, which means that if the Cowboys win they will be playing on one day less for rest in the NFC championship than the lower seed? Is it simply a matter of ratings?
Bryan: It's OK that they play on Sunday because they've been doing this for 16 weeks now. Coaches hate change and love routine. Players get trained to play this way. Besides, with the bye -- there is no concerns about rest.
David:I noticed that on Thursday night. First of all, it's definitely ratings-related. The Cowboys are the biggest draw in America, and Sunday is the time slot guaranteed to get the most viewers. Having said that, I think the Cowboys will gladly take the shorter week in exchange for playing at home – assuming they beat Green Bay. Whoever wins the Atlanta-Seattle game would have to travel here, and that counts for something.
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