Dallas Cowboys: Could Scott Linehan, Rod Marinelli be gone in the offseason?
By Ryan Ratty
Could both Scott Linehan and Rod Marinelli be out in Dallas?
After their thrilling victory over the Detroit Lions, the Dallas Cowboys are feeling good. Over the past 17 years, the Cowboys have really failed in terms of results, but this Cowboys team is the best one in the past 17 years and that’s including the 13-3 team from 2007. Before 2014, the Cowboys had three consecutive 8-8 seasons and many thought 2014 was going to be even worse than that and there was plenty of reasoning why.
Well for starters, the Cowboys had one of the worst defenses in the history of the NFL last season. Granted they had their share of injuries, the Cowboys were atrocious in 2013 on the defensive side of the ball. Over the offseason, the Cowboys released DeMarcus Ware to clear salary room, decided not to bring back Jason Hatcher because he was too expensive, and they also lost their best defensive player in middle linebacker Sean Lee who suffered a torn ACL in OTAs.
On the offensive side of the ball, although the Cowboys got better on the offensive line, there was thought that Dez Bryant’s looming contract could be a concern, Terrance Williams couldn’t develop into a No. 2 receiver, and there was some thought that Tony Romo’s best football was behind them.
Well now 12-4, and playing in the NFL Divisional Round for just the second time since 1997, all of that preseason chatter has been thrown out the window. While there are many reasons for the Cowboys’ success in 2014, the main reasons are because of passing game coordinator and play-caller Scott Linehan and defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Rod Marinelli.
On the offensive side of the football, Linehan has taken this offense and flourished it into one of the NFL’s bests. Because of their dominance on the ground with DeMarco Murray behind their vaunted offensive line, Romo has become more efficient and more effective. Murray has rushed the football 392 times, and although some people say he’s over-worked, the fact of the matter is that No. 29 is the Cowboys’ x-factor. When Dallas’ defense is on the field for too long, it leads to too many problems. Having a guy like Murray that can keep the chains moving is extremely valuable.
Yes he is in his contract year, but Linehan has made Bryant more explosive. By running the football more than passing it, defenses have to load the box by bringing up a safety, that sometimes leads to one-on-ones for Bryant, and I really can’t tell you if there is a guy who can stop Bryant one-on-one after watching what he did to Richard Sherman in Week 5. Bryant leads all non-quarterbacks with 16 touchdown passes.
Linehan is getting most of the credit because his offense ranks 7th overall and 5th in scoring offense, but what Coach Marinelli has done with the defense is nothing short of incredible. Given a group full of no-names and journeyman before the season, to say Marinelli passed expectations is one of the biggest understatements of the year. Marinelli is a defensive line guru and the sack numbers aren’t that great this year, but, again, he has done so much with little talent.
After losing Lee before the season, Marinelli, Jerry Jones, and Stephen Jones believed they should give Rolando McClain a chance and he has taken off with it. Marinelli’s unit ranks 8th against the run and 26th against the pass. They give up a ton of yards, but when the stick starts to break, this defense holds up. Bend-don’t-break is the mindset this defense has and this is just a testament to what Marinelli praises and how well his team has reacted to it.
Going forward, although both coaches are focused on the Green Bay Packers right now, Linehan and Marinelli could find themselves with head coaching gigs over the offseason. The Oakland Raiders have already shown interest in Linehan and there are plenty of reasons why. Linehan has a great offensive mind. He adjusts his playbook towards players’ strongsuits, and he has developed young quarterbacks in the past like Matthew Stafford and Gus Frerotte.
Marinelli may not command a head coaching job, but with the talent level he has worked with this season, an NFL team would benefit by bringing on a player’s coach like Marinelli. Although Linehan failed with the St. Louis Rams from 2006 to 2008, and Marinelli failed epically with the Detroit Lions from 2006 to 2008, both coaches have shown their ability to coach in 2014.
The coaching carousel is still happening and coaches are still getting interviewed. However, if the Cowboys continue their run in the playoffs, the probability of both coaches returning is higher because the rest of the teams in the NFL will have already found their next head coach. I fully expect Marinelli to be back in 2015, but Linehan is receiving legitimate interest and he could very well leave. Regardless, the NFL is a league determined by results, and these coaches have earned the right to be a head coach in 2015.