DallasCowboys.com - News
IRVING, Texas - The subject of coaching for Buddy Ryan in Philadelphia came up twice on Wednesday, once on Wade Phillips' weekly radio segment on The Ticket (1310-AM) and then again out here during his press conference at The Ranch.
Both times Phillips brought up the infamous fake kneel-down play at the end of that Cowboys-Eagles game in 1987 at The Vet with Philadelphia leading the Cowboys 30-20 in the final minute of the game, and each time Phillips, who was Ryan's defensive coordinator at the time (1986-88), refused to take a knee on the subject himself.
In fact, the Cowboys head coach actually stood up to call Ryan's little rub-it-in-the-face-of-Tom-Landry stunt "the most embarrassed I've been in football."
Ryan was looking for revenge that Sunday in Philadelphia, still steaming that in the first meeting of the year, a game played at Texas Stadium with "replacement players" during that season's NFL players strike, Cowboys replacement wide receiver Kelvin Edwards scored the game's first touchdown on a 62-yard reverse in what turned out to be a Cowboys' 41-22 romp. The Cowboys had 19 regular players on the roster that day, including six starters forced to cross the picket line so their annuities would continue to be funded.
That all steamed Ryan to no end, especially since the Cowboys ran off to a 41-10 lead before the Eagles scored the final two touchdowns.
So when the two NFC East teams met for the second time that strike-shortened season two weeks later after the strike ended, Ryan was bound and determined to get back at Landry. And he did, with the Eagles leading, 30-20, and owning the ball at the Dallas 29 with just 1:15 remaining and the Cowboys out of timeouts. The game basically was over - or so everyone thought.
Ryan had quarterback Randall Cunningham take a knee on consecutive plays, running the clock down to 11 seconds when the ball was snapped from the 33 on third down. One more kneel down and the game was over.
Cunningham stepped back as if he was going to take a knee, but just as his legs bent, the Philly quarterback popped up to loft a pass for Mike Quick in the end zone. Now that was bad enough. But after Cowboys rookie corner Ron Francis was called for interference in the end zone, moving the ball to the 1-yard line with two seconds remaining, Ryan, undaunted, sent Keith Byars up the middle for a touchdown for the meaningless touchdown - at least meaningless to the outcome of the game.
Then afterward, Ryan showed no remorse, saying, "I've been dreaming about that since we left Dallas two weeks ago," along with, "The last touchdown was the most satisfying one."
Obviously, the Cowboys were doubly steamed. Said wide receiver Gordon Banks of the final touchdown: "It stunk."
But the gentlemanly Landry would say little, saying only, "I wouldn't justify it with a comment."
Phillips, though, who was coaching for the Eagles in that game 20 years ago, no longer had to bite his tongue.
"I was just embarrassed that there were 10 seconds left in the game and you're going to fake a kneel down and throw the ball on somebody when the game is over," Phillips said. "You know, Mike Quick could have gotten hurt . . . and then we run it in for a touchdown.
"You know, I've never coached that way. No offense to Buddy, but I didn't think it was right."
So did you say something to Ryan afterward?
"Yeah," Phillips said, then mimicked a growling Ryan's response that basically brushed him off. "He didn't care."
Ah, the Cowboys and Eagles.
IRVING, Texas - The subject of coaching for Buddy Ryan in Philadelphia came up twice on Wednesday, once on Wade Phillips' weekly radio segment on The Ticket (1310-AM) and then again out here during his press conference at The Ranch.
Both times Phillips brought up the infamous fake kneel-down play at the end of that Cowboys-Eagles game in 1987 at The Vet with Philadelphia leading the Cowboys 30-20 in the final minute of the game, and each time Phillips, who was Ryan's defensive coordinator at the time (1986-88), refused to take a knee on the subject himself.
In fact, the Cowboys head coach actually stood up to call Ryan's little rub-it-in-the-face-of-Tom-Landry stunt "the most embarrassed I've been in football."
Ryan was looking for revenge that Sunday in Philadelphia, still steaming that in the first meeting of the year, a game played at Texas Stadium with "replacement players" during that season's NFL players strike, Cowboys replacement wide receiver Kelvin Edwards scored the game's first touchdown on a 62-yard reverse in what turned out to be a Cowboys' 41-22 romp. The Cowboys had 19 regular players on the roster that day, including six starters forced to cross the picket line so their annuities would continue to be funded.
That all steamed Ryan to no end, especially since the Cowboys ran off to a 41-10 lead before the Eagles scored the final two touchdowns.
So when the two NFC East teams met for the second time that strike-shortened season two weeks later after the strike ended, Ryan was bound and determined to get back at Landry. And he did, with the Eagles leading, 30-20, and owning the ball at the Dallas 29 with just 1:15 remaining and the Cowboys out of timeouts. The game basically was over - or so everyone thought.
Ryan had quarterback Randall Cunningham take a knee on consecutive plays, running the clock down to 11 seconds when the ball was snapped from the 33 on third down. One more kneel down and the game was over.
Cunningham stepped back as if he was going to take a knee, but just as his legs bent, the Philly quarterback popped up to loft a pass for Mike Quick in the end zone. Now that was bad enough. But after Cowboys rookie corner Ron Francis was called for interference in the end zone, moving the ball to the 1-yard line with two seconds remaining, Ryan, undaunted, sent Keith Byars up the middle for a touchdown for the meaningless touchdown - at least meaningless to the outcome of the game.
Then afterward, Ryan showed no remorse, saying, "I've been dreaming about that since we left Dallas two weeks ago," along with, "The last touchdown was the most satisfying one."
Obviously, the Cowboys were doubly steamed. Said wide receiver Gordon Banks of the final touchdown: "It stunk."
But the gentlemanly Landry would say little, saying only, "I wouldn't justify it with a comment."
Phillips, though, who was coaching for the Eagles in that game 20 years ago, no longer had to bite his tongue.
"I was just embarrassed that there were 10 seconds left in the game and you're going to fake a kneel down and throw the ball on somebody when the game is over," Phillips said. "You know, Mike Quick could have gotten hurt . . . and then we run it in for a touchdown.
"You know, I've never coached that way. No offense to Buddy, but I didn't think it was right."
So did you say something to Ryan afterward?
"Yeah," Phillips said, then mimicked a growling Ryan's response that basically brushed him off. "He didn't care."
Ah, the Cowboys and Eagles.
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