Former safety Will Allen said the Cowboys are under a "very micro-managed atmosphere" and described a rift between players and coaches in an interview Tuesday.
That goes against former coach Jimmy Johnson's assertions that the Cowboys' Valley Ranch practice facility is akin to a "country club" where there's little fear of accountability.
What Allen described in an interview with Sirius XM NFL Radio is at Valley Ranch where players are afraid to make mistakes.
"I feel when I was in Dallas, it was a very micro-managed atmosphere," Allen said. "Everything was heightened. Everything was very tight. I didn't feel the relationship and the bonding between players and coaches. Maybe just the players, or maybe just a few coaches and a few players. I think that's the rift that you get and everybody wonders why Dallas can't finish, why Dallas isn't completing everything it needs to."
Well, owner Jerry Jones did promise to make things uncomfortable at Valley Ranch after another 8-8 season in 2012. But that was the off-season.
Allen was with the Cowboys through four weeks of this season. He started the first two games, then lost his job when rookie J.J. Wilcox was healthy enough to take over.
Allen was released by the Cowboys two weeks later, so there may be a tinge of disgruntlement in his comments. But he did have good things to say about the people he worked with in Dallas.
"The players are tremendous," Allen said. "The coaches are some of the best in the business. You just need a cohesion there that allows players and coaches to really execute and do their jobs, and it's not something hanging over their heads, that if they mess up you're going to get cut or you're not going to play or not going to do this. That's not fun for anybody."
Allen was picked up by the Steelers and have played six games for them this season. He describes a more supportive atmosphere with the Steelers than with the high-pressure Cowboys.
"You never feel that with Pittsburgh," Allen said. "Everybody's given a chance to prove themselves, everybody's given a chance to play together and the guys, we truly, sincerely believe in everyone. The coaches believe in the players. The players believe in the coaches and you just see this even path now."
For the record, the stressed-out Cowboys are 5-5 and Allen's cohesive Steelers are 4-6.
Follow Keith Whitmire on Twitter: @Keith_Whitmire
