IRVING – Now, you know why Sean Payton wanted Tony Sparano to join him in the Big Easy. Now, you understand why Bill Parcells wouldn't let Sparano be Payton's offensive coordinator. He wanted Sparano to be a difference-maker in Dallas.
Sparano, perhaps the most anonymous assistant on a staff Parcells shields from the public, calls the plays for a Cowboys offense that hasn't been this prolific since Troy, Michael and Emmitt were scoring touchdowns and leading the Cowboys to championships.
The offense never reached its full potential under Drew Bledsoe because he took too many sacks, directed too many passes toward Terry Glenn and made too many poor decisions that lost games.
When Parcells finally benched Bledsoe five games ago and inserted Tony Romo into the lineup, no one thought the 26-year-old who didn't throw his first pass until this season would ignite an offense.
He's done it by executing Sparano's game plans better than Bledsoe. Talk to enough players and they'll tell you Sparano's game plans are designed to make each of the Cowboys' offensive weapons a play-maker during the course of the game.
That didn't always happen with Bledsoe at the helm; Romo makes sure it does.
So T.O. no longer whines about his involvement. Even Glenn, who had a special karma with Bledsoe, is averaging more yards per game with Romo at quarterback.
The Cowboys rank third in the NFL in total offense – fourth in rushing and fifth in passing. No other team ranks among the top five in both categories. Dallas' 28.1 scoring average ranks third.
"He's done a good job," Parcells said about Sparano in an understatement.
The first drive of the second half in the Cowboys' 38-10 win over Tampa Bay on Thursday was the epitome of Sparano's offensive philosophy. Counting Romo, six players touched the ball on the eight-play, 82-yard drive that ended with Marion Barber's 1-yard touchdown catch for a 21-10 lead.
Anthony Fasano, Barber, Glenn and T.O. caught passes, and Barber and Julius Jones combined for three carries. Dallas finished the game with 435 yards, 27 first downs and no turnovers. The Cowboys converted seven of 12 third downs.
The 45-year-old Sparano is not a prototypical play-caller.
Most line coaches don't call plays because they're not experienced enough with the passing game to succeed. Philadelphia coach Andy Reid is one of the few exceptions. Maybe he and Sparano will start a trend.
Sparano has spent a lifetime preparing for this opportunity.
He spent five seasons as Boston University's offensive coordinator, helping the Terriers go 11-0 and win a Yankee Conference title in 1993. That led to a head coaching position at his alma mater, New Haven, a Division II school that he led to the title game in 1997.
He left for the NFL in 1998, spending two seasons as an offensive assistant with Cleveland before coaching tight ends in Washington (2001) and Jacksonville (2002) before Parcells hired him to do the same in 2003 – so he had plenty of experience with the passing game.
Being a successful play-caller is more than X's and O's. It's about massaging egos and maintaining an even temperament when the pressure is most intense.
Sparano succeeds because he's confident, although his ego fits easily into his back pocket. He never played in the NFL, but the players respect him because he worked his way up through the college ranks. They also respect his ability to teach without demeaning.
"He can take the most complicated subject," center Andre Gurode said, "and break it down so it's simple. That's why he's a good coach."
He can also have fun, like the day he teased Romo about his rumored romance with Jessica Simpson after an errant pass in practice.
After the Cowboys beat Tampa Bay, Sparano walked around the locker room making eye contact with all of the key offensive players – it seemed to be his way of letting them know his appreciation.
Tight end Jason Witten, surrounded by a throng of reporters, didn't see Sparano, so the coach walked into the training room. A moment later, he walked over to the crowd around Witten and waited patiently for another minute or so until he made eye contact with Witten.
Only then did he leave.
E-mail jjtaylor@dallasnews.com
| IT'S ALL IN THE NUMBERS | | Where the Cowboys' offense ranks with assistant head coach Tony Sparano calling the plays: | | Category | Rank (average) | | Total offense | 3rd (376.5 yards) | | Scoring offense | 3rd (28.1 points) | | Rushing offense | 4th (134.1 yards) | | Passing offense | 5th (242.5 yards) | |
Cowboys (7-4) at NY Giants (6-5), 3:15 p.m. Sunday (Ch. 4)
