The “Jason Garrett Effect” is Changing How Jerry Jones Manages the Dallas Cowboys
Since the Dallas Cowboys Owner and GM Jerry Jones appointed Jason Garrett to the Head Coach position, the “Jason Garrett Effect” has been easily discernible in the play on the field. The team that was humiliated by the Packers under Wade Phillips did not look like the same team that beat the NY Giants the following week under Garrett. Garrett took over a team that was 1-7 in 2010 and made them competitive in the second half of the season. Although the Cowboys finished with a disappointing 8-8 record in 2011, the quality of football played by the Cowboys has improved considerably since Garrett took over. The Cowboys had a chance to win almost every game last year. They seemed to play with more discipline by avoiding the knuckle-head penalties that were so common in previous years. The certainly showed more resolve and toughness than the first half of 2010. Despite all those changes on the field, the ‘Jason Garrett Effect’ has had its biggest impact off the field.
Cowboys fans are quick to blame Jerry Jones for all of the Cowboy’s woes. Even those who are less critical of Jones will still point to the absence of stability in the coaching staff, the lack of continuity from year to year, and the inability to formulate and stick to a long-term plan as the biggest problems with the Dallas Cowboys franchise. Fans and pundits alike blame these problems on Jerry Jones, saying that he only wants to hire “yes men” and that he can’t co-exist with strong-willed coaches like Jimmy Johnson or Bill Parcells. It looks like things are changing.
“Jason Garrett Effect” is evident is just about everything the Cowboys have done since he took the helm. The general consensus in the Dallas media is that Garrett is every bit as headstrong as Johnson or Parcells, but the difference is that Garrett doesn’t revel in the attention from the media. Garrett would rather be working than watching himself on the national news. When dealing with the press, Garrett is always polite and courteous, but he is intentionally guarded and short with his answers Garrett will never give the media a one liner or flippant remark that will make headlines. Its seems as though Garrett is content to work behind the scenes and give the media carefully scripted and bland responses. When you watch Garrett on camera, he seems boring and mellow, but the players (even some of the guys on defense) say that Garrett is actually quite spirited and fiery. The Garrett we see on TV is a persona, and it is one that works very well with Jerry Jones.
By the “Jason Garrett Effect“, I mean the changes that are noticeable in Jerry Jones and the way the Dallas Cowboys organization is run since Garrett became the Head Coach. First and foremost, Garret’s reign is, and will continue, bringing stability to the coaching staff and the general program. Even if you don’t agree with all of Garrett’s decisions, it is still preferable to have some continuity in leadership and direction, as opposed to changing Head Coaches every few years.
If you listen to Jerry Jones talk very often, you will know that sometimes he talks for several minutes straight without saying anything important, but there are times when he will make a brief statement of one or two sentences that is loaded with significant meaning. An example of the latter can be found in his response to questions near the end of last season about whether he could consider changing Head Coaches:
"We are just getting started."
Jerry Jones and Jason Garrett have known each other a long time; Garrett started playing for the Cowboys in 1993. Jones hired Garrett as his Offensive Coordinator in 2007. He worked with Jerry for three and a half years before becoming the Head Coach. These guys know each other. It is clear their personalities are capable of co-existing for a long time. That was obviously not the case with either Jimmy Johnson or Bill Parcells.
I believe Jerry Jones is telling the truth when he says that they are still in the beginning phases of a long term plan that involve Jason Garrett both as a Head Coach and as a powerful voice when making “football decisions”.
Jason Garrett’s influence on Jerry Jones’ decisions are everywhere, and not surprisingly, they all seem to be improvements from the way Jerry used to do things. In no particular order, here are some of the things that suggest that Garrett has a great amount of influence on Jerry Jones:
– drafting Tyron Smith. In over 20 years calling the shots for every NFL draft, Jerry Jones had never drafted an offensive lineman in the 1st round. This pick also tells us that Garrett feels secure: if you are worried about getting fired after one or two seasons, you probably draft to draft a game changer at a skill position with the 9th pick, not a Tackle.
– in 20 years of Jerry Jones being the GM, he has made such a focused attempt to improve the OL or build an OL for the future. They have players with 4 players who were rookies last year that not have NFL game experience: David Arkin, Bill Nagy, Phil Costa (was not a true rookie, but he was not activated for a game the year before), and Kevin Kowalski. Starting with a core on near rookies on the OL sounds like a Coach with a long-term plan.
– the Cowboys have been, on both sides of the ball, dumping aging veterans in favour of younger players that are often not definite upgrades or even proven commodities. A GM doesn’t release solid veterans for players who are potentially not as good, over and over again, unless they are following a long-term plan.
– all of the players drafted last year and all of the free agents signed this year appear to be the “Right Kind of Guys”.
– the Cowboys have positioned themselves, by being aggressive and yet restrained in free agency, to be able to draft the ‘best player available’. They don’t have any huge holes or must needs, although they could stand to improve at almost every position other than QB, T, and WR.
– many of the players, judging by their interviews, have bought into Garrett’s overall philosophy and system. You hear them talking about doing things “The Cowboy Way.” The players reiterate his mantra about excellence being “a process” and piling one could practice on another one, and one good day after another one.
Garrett is starting to mould the players into a group who believe in and follow “The Cowboy Way.” The process is far from complete, but he has only had a year and a half. Many of these players are leftover from Wade Phillip’s tenure, and some are still from Parcell’s team (at least when Newman was still on the team). As Garrett has control over the players drafted and the free agents signed, the number of players who will be dedicated to Garrett’s vision of “The Cowboy Way” will increase dramatically.
I believe that Jerry Jones has finally come to the realization that the early legendary greatness he achieved with this team in the 90′s is not nearly as easy to duplicate as he originally thought and hoped. He has seen the errors of his ways (granted, not enough to relieve himself as the GM), but he finally appears understands that sustained success in the NFL requires continuity in coaches, philosophy, and systems.
Jerry is painfully aware of the following facts:
The franchise had two coaches in its first 34 seasons, which resulted in 20 consecutive winning seasons and five Super Bowl victories; Jerry has had six different HC’s since Jimmy Johnson left in 1993. No HC has lasted more than four seasons. The Cowboys are 119-118 since 1997.
Jerry knows that the teams that are perennially successful like the Patriots and Steelers have stability in the coaching staffs.
Jerry wants Garrett to be the next Tom Landry. I think that Jones believes that Garrett IS the next Landry. And when you think about it, Garrett has many of the same qualities as Landry.
To enumerate just a few: they both played QB. Landry earned a Master’s degree from the University of Texas; Garrett went to Princeton. Like Landry, Garrett became a HC at a very young age. Garret, like Landry, is considered super intelligent by everyone who interacts with him. Their personalities, at least in pubic, are remarkably similar. The following description could be about either Garrett or Landry: He is supremely professional. He almost always wears his poker-face. He is not prone to emotional outbursts in public. He is obsessively methodical about his work. He is uncompromising in what he expects from his players. He often seems detached and aloof. He will rarely give you a quote or comment that is going to make headlines.
The more I look at the Dallas Cowboys and where they seem to be headed, the less I see Jerry Jones and the more I see Jason Garrett. The Cowboys, despite their success under Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells, have never had the luxury of having a HC coach who could formulate, implement, and maintain a plan for day-to-day operations that was dedicated to long term success. The “Jason Garrett Effect” may be the best thing to happen to this franchise since it won a Super Bowl. It may be difficult to see every aspect of the “Garrett Effect” right now, but remember, he is just getting started.