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Jerry Jones is mad, but firing Garrett is not the Cowboys' remedy
Posted Monday, Dec. 31, 20120 Comments PrintReprints
by Mac Engel
tengel@star-telegram.com
LANDOVER, Md. -- Dallas Cowboys coaches, be warned: Jerry Jones is mad.
He should be mad.
He was so mad after the Cowboys' 28-18 season-ending loss against the Washington Redskins he would not make any official statement regarding the coaches. If you are Jason Garrett, Rob Ryan or Bill Callahan, that's not good.
I asked Jerry what needs to change to get different results after yet another 8-8, playoff-less season.
"We need to make a few more first downs," he said.
And then he was gone, walking into another off-season immediately after Week 17 rather than plan for an additional game.
When Jerry is mad something is going to change. Someone should expect a meeting.
But once Jerry is done dog-cussing his team and his coaches, probably to himself, he should not make any decisions right away. He should let the emotions stemming from the disappointment of Sunday night's loss fade a bit before moving forward.
Namely, he can't fire head coach Jason Garrett.
Then Jerry needs to take a good long look in the mirror, too.
He is the GM.
He has the final say, so a lot of this mess of mediocrity is on Jerry.
He can fire anybody but at some point he has to acknowledge the reason the Dallas Cowboys are out of the playoffs for three consecutive seasons for only the second time in his stewardship of this franchise is himself.
The first time he had a "Come to Jerry" meeting with himself he hired Bill Parcells back in 2003. Nothing of the sort is going to happen this time.
If he is not going to remove himself as the team's GM, which no one should expect he will, then he has to determine what needs to be altered for this franchise to break this cycle of .500.
Jerry deserves some of the credit for putting together a team that is entertaining, close and competitive. He also deserves some of the blame for a team that has not been relevant in the postseason for years and years and years.
"We feel like we are right there and we can't seem to get over the hump," Cowboys tight end Jason Witten said. "It's going to take more. It's a tough league and it's a bottom-line business. But we gotta do more. It does feel close. At some point you gotta be realistic about it; it's a close league."
Firing Garrett is not the answer. He should get three full years as a head coach.
To change nothing is lunacy.
"We just have to keep getting better," Garrett said.
Because that's worked so well.
Garrett has been the head coach of this team for two full seasons, and while the results are frustratingly average he should get one more year to prove he can learn and improve on the job.
But for Jerry to say nothing about his coaches on Sunday night means defensive coordinator Rob Ryan may be in serious trouble of losing his job, even if his unit was destroyed by injuries.
Maybe "the change" will be to insist to Garrett that he turn the play-calling over to assistant Bill Callahan. Maybe he hires Norv Turner to do something after he gets fired by the Chargers.
But Garrett himself is going to have to change something else, too.
He continually makes statements that sound "coachey," and is verbally accountable to his team's flaws.
His team is professional. The players never quit on him.
The way he handled the Josh Brent/Jerry Brown tragedy was impressive.
The Cowboys' loss against the Redskins on Sunday night was reflective of their entire year, and the way they play under Garrett.
They try. They do fight. They commit dumb penalties. They give themselves a shot.
They blow it.
That has been Dallas Cowboys football under Jason Garrett.
"It seems it's always been that way since I've been here," safety Gerald Sensabaugh said. "We need to keep fixing the things that need to be fixed."
As much as the final results may be on the players, and certainly this quarterback, at some point the record is a reflection of the head coach.
At some point the Cowboys merely being professional and not quitting under Garrett is not going to be enough.
Eventually, if you aren't winning, the players will check out.
In this short-attention span society, Jerry can't expect this team is going to tune into Garrett for one more 8-8 season.
The way Jerry looked and sounded on Sunday night after a second-consecutive regular-season, win-or-go-home flop, he may be toying with the idea that Garrett is not the answer.
Give it a week or two before making any decisions on what changes need to be made.
And, while you are it, look in the mirror, too.
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/12/31/4515228/jerry-jones-is-mad-but-firing.html#storylink=cpy
Posted Monday, Dec. 31, 20120 Comments PrintReprints
by Mac Engel
tengel@star-telegram.com
LANDOVER, Md. -- Dallas Cowboys coaches, be warned: Jerry Jones is mad.
He should be mad.
He was so mad after the Cowboys' 28-18 season-ending loss against the Washington Redskins he would not make any official statement regarding the coaches. If you are Jason Garrett, Rob Ryan or Bill Callahan, that's not good.
I asked Jerry what needs to change to get different results after yet another 8-8, playoff-less season.
"We need to make a few more first downs," he said.
And then he was gone, walking into another off-season immediately after Week 17 rather than plan for an additional game.
When Jerry is mad something is going to change. Someone should expect a meeting.
But once Jerry is done dog-cussing his team and his coaches, probably to himself, he should not make any decisions right away. He should let the emotions stemming from the disappointment of Sunday night's loss fade a bit before moving forward.
Namely, he can't fire head coach Jason Garrett.
Then Jerry needs to take a good long look in the mirror, too.
He is the GM.
He has the final say, so a lot of this mess of mediocrity is on Jerry.
He can fire anybody but at some point he has to acknowledge the reason the Dallas Cowboys are out of the playoffs for three consecutive seasons for only the second time in his stewardship of this franchise is himself.
The first time he had a "Come to Jerry" meeting with himself he hired Bill Parcells back in 2003. Nothing of the sort is going to happen this time.
If he is not going to remove himself as the team's GM, which no one should expect he will, then he has to determine what needs to be altered for this franchise to break this cycle of .500.
Jerry deserves some of the credit for putting together a team that is entertaining, close and competitive. He also deserves some of the blame for a team that has not been relevant in the postseason for years and years and years.
"We feel like we are right there and we can't seem to get over the hump," Cowboys tight end Jason Witten said. "It's going to take more. It's a tough league and it's a bottom-line business. But we gotta do more. It does feel close. At some point you gotta be realistic about it; it's a close league."
Firing Garrett is not the answer. He should get three full years as a head coach.
To change nothing is lunacy.
"We just have to keep getting better," Garrett said.
Because that's worked so well.
Garrett has been the head coach of this team for two full seasons, and while the results are frustratingly average he should get one more year to prove he can learn and improve on the job.
But for Jerry to say nothing about his coaches on Sunday night means defensive coordinator Rob Ryan may be in serious trouble of losing his job, even if his unit was destroyed by injuries.
Maybe "the change" will be to insist to Garrett that he turn the play-calling over to assistant Bill Callahan. Maybe he hires Norv Turner to do something after he gets fired by the Chargers.
But Garrett himself is going to have to change something else, too.
He continually makes statements that sound "coachey," and is verbally accountable to his team's flaws.
His team is professional. The players never quit on him.
The way he handled the Josh Brent/Jerry Brown tragedy was impressive.
The Cowboys' loss against the Redskins on Sunday night was reflective of their entire year, and the way they play under Garrett.
They try. They do fight. They commit dumb penalties. They give themselves a shot.
They blow it.
That has been Dallas Cowboys football under Jason Garrett.
"It seems it's always been that way since I've been here," safety Gerald Sensabaugh said. "We need to keep fixing the things that need to be fixed."
As much as the final results may be on the players, and certainly this quarterback, at some point the record is a reflection of the head coach.
At some point the Cowboys merely being professional and not quitting under Garrett is not going to be enough.
Eventually, if you aren't winning, the players will check out.
In this short-attention span society, Jerry can't expect this team is going to tune into Garrett for one more 8-8 season.
The way Jerry looked and sounded on Sunday night after a second-consecutive regular-season, win-or-go-home flop, he may be toying with the idea that Garrett is not the answer.
Give it a week or two before making any decisions on what changes need to be made.
And, while you are it, look in the mirror, too.
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/12/31/4515228/jerry-jones-is-mad-but-firing.html#storylink=cpy
