Garrett’s strengths and weaknesses-Can he improve as a HC?

As we near the 2019 season, hope for us Cowboys fans is high. And it is not unfounded. This year’s roster is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. We may have the most talent we’ve had since the 90s.

We start 2019 with Jason Garrett entering his 9th full season as head coach of the Cowboys. Only 5 other current NFL head coaches have a longer tenure: Bill Belichick, Sean Payton, Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh and Pete Carroll. All 5 of those HCs have won a Super Bowl. Garrett does have a decent record, at 77-59 and has won 3 NFC East divisional titles. But it’s the playoffs where he has struggled.

Jason Garrett has some strengths. There’s no way you can have a winning record as a HC over nearly a decade without having some strengths. IMO, here are Garrett’s strengths as a HC:

• He motivates his teams to play hard. I’ve never seen a Garrett team just quit.
• He is a decent judge of talent. Garrett has to be given some credit for increasing the talent level here since he became HC.
• He has a consistent model of team processes. We laugh at his “process” but he is consistent with how he prepares his team, using most of the stuff used by Nick Saban.
• He does not make excuses. Unlike his boss, Garrett doesn’t blame injuries or make other excuses like blaming the refs for losses.
• He somehow manages to get decent results with the most meddlesome owner in sports.

With those strengths also come his weaknesses. In fact, if Garrett cannot improve some of these areas of weakness, I believe we have probably seen all we will ever see from his teams. Here are his weaknesses:

• A lack of adaptability. Garrett’s greatest weakness is his inability to adjust on the fly, either in game or even in season. This is what has killed us in the playoffs.
• Stubborn adherence to his schemes and philosophies, even when they don’t work. He will stick to a game plan or player even when it’s getting pummeled. (See Atlanta, 2017, or rams playoff game last year)
• He is a poor in game manager. We have seen this over and over since 2010. He consistently does not manage the clock, timeouts, or situational decisions well. This is another area that can absolutely kill you in the playoffs. (See GB playoff loss in 2016)
• He is not creative. Being creative with schemes and use of personnel is critical in today’s game. Because of the salary cap, talent margins among all teams is much thinner than in the 90s. Creativity is a major skill needed in today’s game.

As a whole, Jason Garrett is a better than average NFL HC, as his record indicates. But if we are going to ever see what we all hope as Cowboys fans- that we finally at least have another deep playoff run, then those consistent problems with adaptability, creativity and in-game management must change. Without those changes, we may have gone as far as we can with Garrett.

Can Garrett improve in these areas? Your thoughts?

No he has hit his ceiling. But Moore can take control of the Offense and Richard the Defense and can make him look less predictable.

glimmerman said:

No he has hit his ceiling. But Moore can take control of the Offense and Richard the Defense and can make him look less predictable.

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I believe all good leaders can change. If he can’t change he’s not a good leader. If Garrett cannot change, his teams have reached as high as it can. If he can change, even as you describe by letting other people like Moore or Richard influence him more, maybe he can change. We have to hope so or this will be a fairly predictable season.

After all these years, this is as good as he's going to get.

I disagree that he is a better than average HC. With the talent on this roster these past few years, an excellent HC would have won a Super Bowl. Or at the very least appeared in one. He has a good record. But that is more a function of superior talent than most teams at times and Romo dragging teams to victory at other times. The players have dragged Garrett to a winning record.

I would rank Garrett somewhere around #20 in the NFL. And a 20th ranked head coaches don't win Super Bowls.

He's entering his 9th year as a full time head coach.

Is it possible he could learn more and become successful? Sure, I guess. But more than likely, when you have a coach with the experience he now has, what you see is what you likely get.

On the good side - he doesn't lose the players. They do play hard for him. And I think he has had a hand in acquiring the talent on this team. It's a collective effort. And he's a part of that collective.

But as a Sunday coach, a field strategist or an X and O's guy? This team - and the fans - deserve better.

Bobhaze said:

Jason Garrett has some strengths. There’s no way you can have a winning record as a HC over nearly a decade without having some strengths. IMO, here are Garrett’s strengths as a HC:

• He motivates his teams to play hard. I’ve never seen a Garrett team just quit.
• He is a decent judge of talent. Garrett has to be given some credit for increasing the talent level here since he became HC.
• He has a consistent model of team processes. We laugh at his “process” but he is consistent with how he prepares his team, using most of the stuff used by Nick Saban.
• He does not make excuses. Unlike his boss, Garrett doesn’t blame injuries or make other excuses like blaming the refs for losses.
• He somehow manages to get decent results with the most meddlesome owner in sports.

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He has 0 strengths, and what you're mentioning here are, at best, expectations for a head coach.

- This team has quit dozens and dozens of times, and they've come out flat even more than that.
- I guess you can give him some credit for this, but on offense it's just using first-round picks. I don't know how hard that is to do...but the defense today is all Marinelli guys.
- This isn't a strength, it's standard coaching.
- He blames "lack of execution" constantly. I can never remember him saying "I made a mistake."
- Not a strength. Jerry might be meddlesome, but he is still a good owner because he is willing to pay players and bring in talent.

Jason Garrett has no way to improve, because he has no skillset to build upon. We get caught up in the process and the motivation and blah blah blah, and those seem like positives, but that's only because of how crappy he is as an actual coach. There's not one thing you can point to that every coach in the NFL can't do.

Future said:

He has 0 strengths, and what you're mentioning here are, at best, expectations for a head coach.

- This team has quit dozens and dozens of times, and they've come out flat even more than that.
- I guess you can give him some credit for this, but on offense it's just using first-round picks. I don't know how hard that is to do...but the defense today is all Marinelli guys.
- This isn't a strength, it's standard coaching.
- He blames "lack of execution" constantly. I can never remember him saying "I made a mistake."
- Not a strength. Jerry might be meddlesome, but he is still a good owner because he is willing to pay players and bring in talent.

Jason Garrett has no way to improve, because he has no skillset to build upon. We get caught up in the process and the motivation and blah blah blah, and those seem like positives, but that's only because of how crappy he is as an actual coach. There's not one thing you can point to that every coach in the NFL can't do.

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To be clear- I’m not a Garrett fan. But I am trying to be fair in assessing that he does have some strengths. But if he cannot change, we cannot expect anything different with results.

Bobhaze said:

As we near the 2019 season, hope for us Cowboys fans is high. And it is not unfounded. This year’s roster is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. We may have the most talent we’ve had since the 90s.

We start 2019 with Jason Garrett entering his 9th full season as head coach of the Cowboys. Only 5 other current NFL head coaches have a longer tenure: Bill Belichick, Sean Payton, Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh and Pete Carroll. All 5 of those HCs have won a Super Bowl. Garrett does have a decent record, at 77-59 and has won 3 NFC East divisional titles. But it’s the playoffs where he has struggled.

Jason Garrett has some strengths. There’s no way you can have a winning record as a HC over nearly a decade without having some strengths. IMO, here are Garrett’s strengths as a HC:

• He motivates his teams to play hard. I’ve never seen a Garrett team just quit.
• He is a decent judge of talent. Garrett has to be given some credit for increasing the talent level here since he became HC.
• He has a consistent model of team processes. We laugh at his “process” but he is consistent with how he prepares his team, using most of the stuff used by Nick Saban.
• He does not make excuses. Unlike his boss, Garrett doesn’t blame injuries or make other excuses like blaming the refs for losses.
• He somehow manages to get decent results with the most meddlesome owner in sports.

With those strengths also come his weaknesses. In fact, if Garrett cannot improve some of these areas of weakness, I believe we have probably seen all we will ever see from his teams. Here are his weaknesses:

• A lack of adaptability. Garrett’s greatest weakness is his inability to adjust on the fly, either in game or even in season. This is what has killed us in the playoffs.
• Stubborn adherence to his schemes and philosophies, even when they don’t work. He will stick to a game plan or player even when it’s getting pummeled. (See Atlanta, 2017, or rams playoff game last year)
• He is a poor in game manager. We have seen this over and over since 2010. He consistently does not manage the clock, timeouts, or situational decisions well. This is another area that can absolutely kill you in the playoffs. (See GB playoff loss in 2016)
• He is not creative. Being creative with schemes and use of personnel is critical in today’s game. Because of the salary cap, talent margins among all teams is much thinner than in the 90s. Creativity is a major skill needed in today’s game.

As a whole, Jason Garrett is a better than average NFL HC, as his record indicates. But if we are going to ever see what we all hope as Cowboys fans- that we finally at least have another deep playoff run, then those consistent problems with adaptability, creativity and in-game management must change. Without those changes, we may have gone as far as we can with Garrett.

Can Garrett improve in these areas? Your thoughts?

Click to expand...

He can not improve. He's had 10 plus years as an OC/HC. There is nothing to point to that would indicate he is anything more than what you see. Watching the Rams completely out coach the Cowboys was a not too subtle reminder that Garrett is not big time. Sean McVey already is big time and he has had half the coaching experience.

ok, this is getting tiring, Garrett brings this debate, discussion, whatever, down to one thing.

How many times would you accept someone punching you in the face?

For each year or season we give Garrett, he punches us in the face. Now if you like punishment, Garrett is your guy. If you say none, than Garrett isnt your guy. Simple as that. the guy is no true HC , he ll collect a check, but if he keeps telling you season after season " I cant do it" why does anyone still defend it or ask silly questions.

If you sat in class, teacher says 2+2 is 4 and here is why, do you argue that? No, the formula is clear, no need to argue.

If anyone is still asking this or pondering it, they either love a good arguement or punishment is their thing. Not everyone is built to do every job. Garrett is no HC.

The only reason Garrett is still HC is because fans wont accept why. The Jones boys are not in it to win it ad keep Garrett tells them that, These are the same people that go from the first grade all teh way to senior year : Again, what is 2+2 , they respond, 22.

this is not hard.

Bobhaze said:

To be clear- I’m not a Garrett fan. But I am trying to be fair in assessing that he does have some strengths. But if he cannot change, we cannot expect anything different with results.

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haha I know you're not. I think in the interest of being fair, you were being too generous.

I don't think it's unfair to say that he has no strengths that differentiate him from any other coach

Bobhaze said:

I believe all good leaders can change. If he can’t change he’s not a good leader. If Garrett cannot change, his teams have reached as high as it can. If he can change, even as you describe by letting other people like Moore or Richard influence him more, maybe he can change. We have to hope so or this will be a fairly predictable season.

Click to expand...

He gets his players ready to play. He had to back off and let the OC do his job. And with no extension and the fact JJ told the 1st year OC to let him know if his scheme isn’t being installed then I would say JG hands are tied. I hope this all works out for JG and the team wins a SB and JG learns something.

Jason Garrett’s biggest strength is that he’s able to function under the Jerry Structure: virtually all aspects of team-building/coaching-hires debated in committee, with Jerry making the final decision.

Garrett will do his best to help Kellen Moore succeed; after all, his job depends on it.

If successful, JG will likely survive to coach another season.

The vast majority of posters here will say no, he can't change and improve. The same way the improvement of talent and the way the team is now constructed can't be Booger improving, it must be someone else. I know, it's McClay, he's the one. Maybe the hiring of McClay was part of Booger improving?

In order for Garrett to change, three things have to happen. He must admit to himself he was wrong, know exactly what he did wrong and know how to do that right. If I am betting, I don't bet on it. Because the tricky part of that is the third part. If he does not know how to do it right, what's the point of admitting he was wrong? He'll just keep doing what he's doing and hope for better results.

But let's be really objective about this. How many A coaches do you see in a league with 20-25% turnover at that position every single year? And before you start anointing Sean Payton, go back and look at that sequence of calls he made at the end of that game. The ref didn't blow it, he did. And he's one of the A coaches.

With Garrett winning the East 3 of the last 5 seasons, he's good enough, not great and not an A but he's not a D either and just like the QB, if not him, then who's the guy?

As far as Bullet's first strength for him, that's a given. When have you seen players quit? There is a camera on them every single play each shot will be viewed by many people. Think about a camera being on you in every aspect of your job, you not gonna play hard?

GenoT said:

Jason Garrett’s biggest strength is that he’s able to function under the Jerry Structure: virtually all aspects of team-building/coaching-hires debated in committee, with Jerry making the final decision.

Garrett will do his best to help Kellen Moore succeed; after all, his job depends on it.

If successful, JG will likely survive to coach another season.

Click to expand...

He will get multiple seasons because that's what I believe Booger wants. The last time he let him play in a contract year, the team got homefield advantage. The message that he's sending isn't to the fans or media that Garrett is on the hot seat. He's sending the message to Garrett and wants to see how he responds.

We assume Booger isn't aware of the same shortcomings we all talk about here. Think he hasn't had some private conversations with his inner circle about Garrett?

I doubt Garrett is the master motivator some perceive him as. Its more about no accountability or responsibility. Troy Aikman was highly critical of Barry Switzer. He may have said positive things about Garrett from the booth, but I don't think there's any way he would enjoy playing for him. Troy prefers a strict, well run environment like the one Jimmy provided. Its not the same with Garrett.

glimmerman said:

No he has hit his ceiling. But Moore can take control of the Offense and Richard the Defense and can make him look less predictable.

Click to expand...

What a load of crap. Have you hit your ceiling professionally?

Bobhaze said:

To be clear- I’m not a Garrett fan. But I am trying to be fair in assessing that he does have some strengths. But if he cannot change, we cannot expect anything different with results.

Click to expand...

We get to find out in about a month and a half. If we don't have any significant injuries and still only win one playoff game or even worse go 1 and done, I will start to question his abilities.

GhostOfPelluer said:

What a load of crap. Have you hit your ceiling professionally?

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after 9 years?

Bobhaze said:

As we near the 2019 season, hope for us Cowboys fans is high. And it is not unfounded. This year’s roster is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. We may have the most talent we’ve had since the 90s.

We start 2019 with Jason Garrett entering his 9th full season as head coach of the Cowboys. Only 5 other current NFL head coaches have a longer tenure: Bill Belichick, Sean Payton, Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh and Pete Carroll. All 5 of those HCs have won a Super Bowl. Garrett does have a decent record, at 77-59 and has won 3 NFC East divisional titles. But it’s the playoffs where he has struggled.

Jason Garrett has some strengths. There’s no way you can have a winning record as a HC over nearly a decade without having some strengths. IMO, here are Garrett’s strengths as a HC:

• He motivates his teams to play hard. I’ve never seen a Garrett team just quit.
• He is a decent judge of talent. Garrett has to be given some credit for increasing the talent level here since he became HC.
• He has a consistent model of team processes. We laugh at his “process” but he is consistent with how he prepares his team, using most of the stuff used by Nick Saban.
• He does not make excuses. Unlike his boss, Garrett doesn’t blame injuries or make other excuses like blaming the refs for losses.
• He somehow manages to get decent results with the most meddlesome owner in sports.

With those strengths also come his weaknesses. In fact, if Garrett cannot improve some of these areas of weakness, I believe we have probably seen all we will ever see from his teams. Here are his weaknesses:

• A lack of adaptability. Garrett’s greatest weakness is his inability to adjust on the fly, either in game or even in season. This is what has killed us in the playoffs.
• Stubborn adherence to his schemes and philosophies, even when they don’t work. He will stick to a game plan or player even when it’s getting pummeled. (See Atlanta, 2017, or rams playoff game last year)
• He is a poor in game manager. We have seen this over and over since 2010. He consistently does not manage the clock, timeouts, or situational decisions well. This is another area that can absolutely kill you in the playoffs. (See GB playoff loss in 2016)
• He is not creative. Being creative with schemes and use of personnel is critical in today’s game. Because of the salary cap, talent margins among all teams is much thinner than in the 90s. Creativity is a major skill needed in today’s game.

As a whole, Jason Garrett is a better than average NFL HC, as his record indicates. But if we are going to ever see what we all hope as Cowboys fans- that we finally at least have another deep playoff run, then those consistent problems with adaptability, creativity and in-game management must change. Without those changes, we may have gone as far as we can with Garrett.

Can Garrett improve in these areas? Your thoughts?

Click to expand...

This is a fair assessment of the guy. Good and bad. I, too, come across here as a Garrett fan or apologist, but I just want an unbiased, accurate representation made. It's not that I'm a fan as much a realist that the grass isn't always greener. I've made the argument in the past that he's shown tangible evidence of improvement (W-L record) from the first half of his tenure to the second. Not that he's irreplaceable, just that he has shown improvement.