‘Mr. Fix-It’ has repaired Cowboys defense

IRVING, Texas (AP) — Early in his tenure with the Dallas Cowboys, Wade Phillips declared himself “Mr. Fix-It” for the defense.

Two years later, his unit still had serious flaws.

So team owner Jerry Jones ratcheted up the pressure going into this season, the last of Phillips’ contract.

Jones made Phillips the defensive coordinator and they agreed to overhaul the lineup — five new starters, dumping several notable players and plugging in younger guys already here and some old favorites signed as free agents.

The fact the Cowboys are playing a second-round playoff game against Minnesota on Sunday is the first hint things have worked out quite well.

Dig deeper and the facts are even more impressive.

Dallas hasn’t allowed a 300-yard passer since the second week of the season and hasn’t allowed a 100-yard rusher all season.

Over the last five games, the Cowboys have allowed a total of six touchdowns. Only two were in the first half, helping the offense get ahead and stay ahead; they haven’t trailed in their last four games.

“We play our techniques well, we execute and we don’t allow big plays,” defensive end Igor Olshansky said. “I think that’s a big part of it — don’t allow big plays and make them earn every inch.”

Bottom line: It’s fixed.

“I think we’ve just been consistent,” Phillips said Wednesday. “It’s just being solid in so many areas.”

The defense also has managed to pull off the coaches’ dream of getting better as the season goes along, and peaking at the right time. A lot of it goes back to those five new starters and how well they’ve blended with holdovers such as pass-rush specialist DeMarcus Ware, nimble nose tackle Jay Ratliff and inside linebacker Bradie James, the captain.

The learning curve was pretty small for the three veteran newcomers — Olshansky, inside linebacker Keith Brooking and safety Gerald Sensabaugh.

Olshansky played for Phillips in San Diego, and Brooking played for Phillips in Atlanta. Dallas uses pretty much the same 3-4 scheme Phillips has used everywhere else, so Olshansky and Brooking only needed to get comfortable with the guys around them.

Sensabaugh had no Phillips ties, but in Jacksonville he played for secondary coach Dave Campo and special teams coach Joe DeCamillis. They were sure he’d be a good fit, and they were right.