A number of Cowboys coach Wade Phillips' players are coming to his defense. Dallas has struggled in December in recent seasons and opened up the month with a loss to the rival Giants this past Sunday. "I'll go to fight for that man until I hang my cleats up and I'm done playing football, because I have the utmost respect for him," linebacker Keith Brooking said Tuesday night. "Everything I've seen from my teammates and everything I've heard, they feel the same way. Bottom line." Phillips is frequently criticized by the media for not being tough enough on his team. "You're going to have guys in this locker room that's pushing for him, playing hard for him and letting everybody know that he's a great coach," linebacker DeMarcus Ware said of Phillips.