Dallas Cowboys: Winning in spite of Garrett

The Dallas Cowboys have a winning streak going that could salvage a lost season but the success is coming in spite of Jason Garrett, instead of because. 

It is fourth down for the Dallas Cowboys and punter Chris Jones breaks a fake punt for a first down and more. If you watched the game, it was made to seem like Jason Garrett called the fake and it took a ton of guts to do so. Except, we found out later that Jones has a green light to do that whenever he wants, Garrett had very little to do with the decision.

Fast forward to later in the game and on fourth down, the Dallas Cowboys decide to go for it instead of punt. By a folded index card, the Cowboys continue their drive. Again, a gamble paid off. And once again, this was in spite of Jason Garrett, as the call was odd to have Dak keep it, when the running game was working well.

Later in the game, it is third and half a yard, and the Dallas Cowboys try to punch the ball into the endzone. Instead, they don’t make it and go for a field goal and leave almost two minutes on the clock for the Raiders to drive. If it weren’t for a Jeff Heath hustle play, the Raiders would have scored and this would have been the end of the season.

This was one game, but it is a microcosm of Jason Garrett as a coach. Odd choices, poor clock management, uncomfortable challenges, and players making decisions instead of Garrett and his staff.

There, of course, was the decisions to get cute on the goal-line, not adjusting when an injury happened, and being out-coached for periods of the game. This was a win, but it was another glaring sign of everything wrong with Jason Garrett.

Sure, I may just be a Jason Garrett hater, and the only thing that could turn that around would be a Super Bowl, however, after eight seasons (okay seven and a half) we have seen the same things from him the entire time. I just don’t have a lot of faith he can change and learn from his mistakes. It seems if he doesn’t have the players to bail him out, he isn’t a very strong coach.

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I will concede that the Dallas Cowboys have been winning and Garrett has had a hand in the wins, he is the coach. I also believe that the team could be winning with virtually anyone at the helm.

The more I think back to when Tony Romo was the quarterback: I wonder now how much of the playcalling was Romo changing at the line and making Garrett look better.

Maybe, now it is Dak Prescott using his legs to score a touchdown, or now that Ezekiel Elliott is returning and his ability to take one to the house on any given play, that makes Garrett look so much better as a coach. It may be why he won coach of the year last year, was it him or did he ride talent to get the award?

Next: Dallas Cowboys: Gene Steratore, you are forgiven

For now, the Dallas Cowboys have been winning and we will all take that no matter how it happens. Next season Jason Garrett will most likely be the head coach again and the Dallas Cowboys could win over 10 games. However, are the Dallas Cowboys winning in spite of Jason Garrett of because of him? We may never know.