Cowboys To Face Former Head Coach Wade Phillips In Battle Of Defenses On Saturday
(CBSDFW.COM) - The Dallas Cowboys will see a familiar face on Saturday when they take on the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs. In a battle of high-powered defenses, Dallas will take on a defense led by its former head coach Wade Phillips.
Phillips became head coach of the Cowboys in 2007, taking over for the retired Bill Parcells. After a few years of turmoil for players and fans due to dwindled playoff hopes, he was fired in the middle of the 2010 season after one of the worst starts in the team's history at a 1-7 record. He had one playoff win during his time with Dallas.
After stints with the Houston Texans and Denver Broncos, Phillips joined the Rams as the defensive coordinator in 2017 alongside coach Sean McVay where he has helped put together a prominent defense in the NFL.
Although it's been a topsy-turvy career with the Cowboys, head coach Jason Garrett, who took over after Phillips was fired, has led his team through a once-forgettable regular season and is focused on getting the Cowboys to an NFC Championship game. If Dallas comes through with a win, it would be the furthest they've been in the playoffs since 1995.
On Saturday, the Cowboys will go against their old coach in a game that's highlighted by two well-built defenses. It's these defenses that are credited for leading their teams to this point of the season.
The stingy Rams defense is led by defensive tackle Aaron Donald who led the NFL in the regular season with 20.5 sacks. It looks to be a battle in the trenches for both teams as they look to stop each other's prolific rushing attack.
The last time the Cowboys faced the McVay-led Rams was in the 2017 regular season where Dallas lost 35-30. However, the Cowboys know they aren't the only ones who have improved dramatically since a season ago.
The Dak Prescott and Jared Goff offenses will be put to the test in what's expected to be a smash-mouth divisional round matchup in Los Angeles on Saturday night.
