Troy Aikman Pulls No Punches In Criticizing Cowboys' Coaching

Fox' Troy Aikman "ripped several decisions" by Cowboys coach Jason Garrett and his staff during a "rough stretch" in the fourth quarter of their 13-9 loss to the Patriots yesterday, according to Charean Williams of the Ft. Worth STAR-TELEGRAM. Aikman, a former Cowboys QB and Pro Football HOFer, said it was "poor coaching" when Cowboys RB Tony Pollard lined up on the goal line to receive a Patriots kickoff. The Patriots then kicked the ball short, which Aikman predicted "before it happened." He also "verbally rolled his eyes when the Cowboys tried a reverse." Aikman: "I’ve been watching the Patriots for a lot of years under the guidance of Bill Belichick, and it just seems like whenever teams try any kind of trickery against him ... it just never works" (Ft. Worth STAR-TELEGRAM, 11/25).

NAILED IT: ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. tweeted, "Troy Aikman is crushing Jason Garrett. Jerry listens to Troy. Garrett is hanging on by a very thin thread." The N.Y. Post's Andrew Marchand: "Troy Aikman just totally nailed it on Cowboys' game. He called that the kick returner needs to be farther up field. Moments later, ball is short and Dallas nearly turned it over. Then Aikman blamed Cowboys for 'bad coaching.'" Philadelphia-based WIP-FM's Glen Macnow‏: "I agree with Aikman. ... Dallas’ talent is far better than their coaching" (TWITTER.com, 11/24).