the same as the year before. Blaming their problems entirely on the coaching would be pretty misguided, as Jones agrees.
"I think the way we played," Jones said of the team's 2010 struggles. "The way talented players played. I think that tells you why you don't win the ballgames. If you don't win the ballgames with talented players, then it's the way they've played. Do you think that's totally coaching? No, I do not think that's totally coaching. I think players have a lot of responsibility for it."
In an ideal world, Jenkins, Spencer and the rest of the defense will turn things around so the team can get into the playoffs in 2011. What's more, though, the success or failure of those two will play a huge role in whether the team can contend for years to come. If they can't return to 2009 form or close to it, the Cowboys will be forced to go back to the drawing board at two key positions, a huge setback for a team that only has so long before it has to start looking for a new franchise quarterback anyway. At that point, they might as well blow the entire thing up.
There's no way to sugarcoat it. Spencer and Jenkins have to be better, or else.
