MMQB Mailbag: Explaining the rationale behind the 'Parcells Way'

Being named the Walter Payton Man of the Year hasn't exempted Jason Taylor from attending the Dolphins' offseason workouts. Harry How/Getty Images Peter King's Mailbag Peter King will answer your questions each week in Monday Morning Quarterback: Tuesday Edition. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND Follow Peter King on Twitter

Jason Taylor might be out of the Dancing With the Stars contest, but thoughts of Taylor are dancing in the heads of a lot of e-mailers this week.

Anson Parillaud of Tallahassee is not the only one to wonder why the Dolphins are taking such a hard line with Taylor. Anson e-mails to ask: "Bill Parcells is noted for having different rules for different players, so why is he suddenly acting like such a stickler with Jason Taylor? Isn't high-character, overachieving man-of-the-year Taylor entitled to at least as much slack as crack-addled Lawrence Taylor was? Is Parcells just using this as a way to crack the whip and install a different culture in the Miami locker room?''

Anson, to end your question the way you did, you must know the Parcells history. I was just beginning to cover the Giants for Newsday in 1985 when the Parcells way was gripping the Giants. At that time, most teams allowed their players to work out on their own in the offseason. The Bengals, for instance, encouraged players, once the season was over, "to get on with their life's work'' for the offseason, as founder Paul Brown put it.

But Parcells wanted to change the culture of the Giants, and told the players he expected them to work out at the Giants Stadium facility during the winter and spring months. Along with strength coach Johnny Parker, Parcells started to make the Giants a tougher and stronger team in the offseason, gaining an edge over the teams that let their players go their own way. It paid off, obviously, with the Giants making the playoffs in 1984 and 1985, then winning the Super Bowl in 1986. I remember receiver/returner Phil McConkey once telling me the Giants' "voluntary'' workouts were actually "voluntary mandatory'' workouts.

Particularly when Parcells is trying to establish a new culture, he's going to want every player participating fully in lifting and running for four days a week at the Dolphins facility in Davie, Fla. And right now, Taylor is the only guy out of the program. Thus the wrath of Parcells.

Now onto your other e-mails of the week:

• I SHALL NOT BE MOVED. From Dave, of Huntington, W. Va.: "Please, please, PLEASE re-think getting on the Jacksonville Jaguars' bandwagon. The last thing my team needs is for people to start picking them for the playoffs/Super Bowl in the offseason. Pick on someone like the Chargers or Colts. Thanks in advance.''

No can do, Dave. Two reasons: This is a team that always came up short offensively when it mattered -- until last year. In the last half of the season, the Jaguars were the second-highest scoring team in the NFL; they went 6-2 down the stretch, and the average margin of victory in those six games was 22 points. They exited the season with a quarterback playing at a top-10 NFL level for the first time since Mark Brunell starred there. They got two defensive ends in the draft who should play important roles in the defensive-line rotation beginning in September. I liked this team when it was going toe-to-toe with New England in the AFC Divisional playoffs; I like this team better today.

• I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS, BUT THE AUTHOR IS FROM QUEBEC, AND I LIKE CANADIANS. From Claude Robichaud, of Quebec City: "A little stat to ponder. Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan chose No. 2, but maybe he should have bought No. 12 from Michael Jenkins. Historically, quarterbacks with the No. 12 [Bradshaw, Staubach, Brady, etc.] have started in 22 Super Bowls and won 12. The number with the next-most appearances is 16 (Montana, Plunkett) with nine starts and seven wins. No quarterback wearing the No. 2 has ever started a Super Bowl. Not scientific but interesting nonetheless.''

You mean Tim Couch and Anthony Wright never won a Super Bowl? I'm shocked.