Burwell: Garrett Isn't Ready for Prime Time

[sonnyboy]

What exactly has Garrett done to prove he can do it any better than anyone else? The offense had a good year in '07, but it did in '06 without him as well.

It shouldn't escape anyone's notice that Sparano was here in '06 & '07 when the offense was very good, but not '08, when it wasn't.

Garrett has proven virtually nothing. So hold on to him because he might do better elsewhere? Anyone could've said the same about Bruce Read or any other coach that's been here. It's a ridiculous argument. By that logic, we'd never let go of anyone.

Fact is Garrett isn't going to get any of these jobs. No decently-ran organization would touch him as a HC. The ONLY reason Garrett has the job he has is because of Jerry Jones' fanciful loyalty and sentimism for the 90's, and that Jones probably gets along well with him. Who better to have around to knock back a beer and talk about the 90s than one of the players from those teams?

What amazes me is the ability of the homer fan to completely shut out everything that's happened with this team. 12 years of failure, but "hey, let's keep everything the same". "We're making progress," after all.

Yet Joe Fan ignores that a very talented team didn't even make the playoffs, in spite of a huge money advantage over much of the league. Some fans say they have confidence in a guy who "might" be a good head coach some day (in spite of the obvious horrible job he did this season), and make excuses for the Hostess Twinkie we have as a head coach now, even though he has a proven track record of mediocrity and playoff failure.

Keep sending Jerry Jones your $. The more tickets and jerseys you buy just further ensures that Jones will continue to operate the way he has for most of the last 15 years.

Over a decade of failure and still counting....but let's not change anything. Amazing.

What do you think of Ozzie Newsome and the rest of the management team of the Ravens?

They've done a fairly decent job over the years.

They made a wise decision in hiring Harbaugh, BUT ONLY AFTER JASON GARRETT TURNED DOWN THIER HC JOB OFFER!

 

[CoCo]

Often a fresh start is needed before anyone can truly change. When I was young I worked at a store and got promoted to assissant manager. While I was learning, I knew I had a lot to learn and so was not very forceful, decisive or effective. People under me knew me as that type of manager and any change to what I needed to become would not float very well there. It took switching to another store and new group of employees before I became what I think at least was a good manager.

I think Garrett might be in the same boat as I was. While he is here, he won't be able to come out of the shadow he has created while learning here to be a coordinator. It might take a switch to another team before any real leadership is shown by him.

For that reason alone, I'm hoping we can move on from him. Both for our sakes and his both.

Since we are probably stuck with him though, I sure hope I'm wrong and he evolves into what we need even with T.O. and others are here.

I think the principle you are espousing can have some truth to it at times.

In Garrett's case I would neither rule it out nor firmly conclude it to be the case.

TO is a wild card to any conventional wisdom IMO and is one reason I pay little attention to Garrett detractors around this years personnel conflict as a warning on Garrett.

Its also why I think Jerry has a very serious decision on his hands when it comes bonus time for TO.

 

[sonnyboy]

No, there's nothing he can do today to fix anything for next season.

But I would think that after the obvious struggles he had, he'd feel more of a sense of obligation to live up to the faith and finances that Jerry Jones invested in him.

Instead, he seems determined to jump to a head coaching job, any head coaching job considering the teams he's interviewing with.

I don't subscribe to the 'Wade Phillips' excuse for Garrett because I don't feel it existed. I think this team was split essentially down the middle with Garrett running the offense and Wade the defense. Wade simply got the added perk of being Jerry's mouthpiece.

But if Garrett wanted something on offense, he got it. And conversely if he didn't want something - or someone, they weren't around either. I think if Garrett wanted to discipline someone, he could have he simply chose not to or wasn't confident enough in himself to do so.

And if he's taking the 'rat deserting a sinking ship' approach, I wish him nothing but failure.

Why do you believe this?
Because he's accepting invitations to interview for open HC positions?

That does not mean he wants to leave Dallas or that he wants to be a HC this year.

It's simply how things are done in the NFL today.

Have you considered just how insulting a refusal of an invitation to interview for an NFL HC positon is?

NFL assistants do not refuse these invitations.

 

[iceberg]

No, there's nothing he can do today to fix anything for next season.

But I would think that after the obvious struggles he had, he'd feel more of a sense of obligation to live up to the faith and finances that Jerry Jones invested in him.

Instead, he seems determined to jump to a head coaching job, any head coaching job considering the teams he's interviewing with.

I don't subscribe to the 'Wade Phillips' excuse for Garrett because I don't feel it existed. I think this team was split essentially down the middle with Garrett running the offense and Wade the defense. Wade simply got the added perk of being Jerry's mouthpiece.

But if Garrett wanted something on offense, he got it. And conversely if he didn't want something - or someone, they weren't around either. I think if Garrett wanted to discipline someone, he could have he simply chose not to or wasn't confident enough in himself to do so.

And if he's taking the 'rat deserting a sinking ship' approach, I wish him nothing but failure.

we ended the season in disarray, to be sure. but i disagree it was wade vs. garrett and the players chose sides.

in retrospect, when it's much easier to see such things, the long term plan of coach and coach in waiting is a bad idea, at least as publisized as it was. that setup wade to be a lame duck coach from the start.

i'll admit i didnt see it coming as i thought they'd simply work together. in the end *the team* wasn't working together and that's lockerroom attitude. a coach can't yell it out of a player if that player is protected by the owner.

enter TO, pacman, and to a degree, tank.

2 down. 1 to go.

if jerry is going to set an example he doesn't have to get rid of TO right now but he does have to pull him aside in a 1:1 talk and say "you divide my lockerroom again, you're gone. that division won't be decided by me, it will be my 2 head coaches who make that call, and i'll back them 100% and help you pack."

till TO knows he's expendable, he can continue to be TO. to a point he's a dual edged sword that you have to coddle and be careful with. but at this point that needs to end and he needs to step up and be a man and stop the ME-O crap that effects our younger players. if they see TO get away with things, they'll follow along out of just basic human nature.

but in our current situation, if garrett is going to get offers, he should go talk and see what's up. there's never a time in any of our lives we shouldn't examine things and see if we can improve our own lot. esp if it's a time of such uncertainty, right?

many people around here want garrett gone and quickly forget he was irreplacable just a year ago. then again fans have no responsibility for their decisions so they can change like their underwear and quickly forget yesterdays tirade.

jones can't do that. he shouldn't do that.

i liked us setting long term goals to have and keep one of the young bright minds in the game. that *is* the current trend. we now have 2 years invested in him and beause a young coach in waiting had a hard time w/TO is a pretty crappy reason to throw him out with the bathwater.

we've invested a tough year, let's see it through. garrett is smart. he is a young gun and in time, i think he'll prove it out and i hope the IGS around here doesn't chase him away and bring in todays shiney object.

 

[iceberg]

If you're happy with the results you're getting, you have every right to spend your money any way you choose.

But those of us who aren't happy alos have that right.

And the best way to try to invoke change is to hit 'em where it counts - in this case the wallet.

That's the best way I can think of to voice my approval or disapproval.

i don't think any of us are "happy" with how our season ended. we just differ on how to fix it and what we can and can't effect.

btw - whatever happened to that billboard idea? many ideas of passion fade as time goes on.

 

[Stash]

i don't think any of us are "happy" with how our season ended. we just differ on how to fix it and what we can and can't effect.

btw - whatever happened to that billboard idea? many ideas of passion fade as time goes on.

What billboard idea?

Sure you have the right guy?

 

[iceberg]

What billboard idea?

Sure you have the right guy?

it wasn't you - sorry for the confusion. i "thought" it pretty clearly but didn't write it with the same clarity.

someone was in here soon after our last loss wanting to take up a collection for a FIRE JONES billboard. wondering what ever happened to that effort.

 

[Doomsday101]

Unfortunately, most of it isn't opinion.

We did, in fact, miss the playoffs this year. We do - in fact - have a big financial advantage over many teams in the NFL. We haven't - in fact - been to the SB since '95, and haven't won a playoff game since '96.

Wade Phillips hasn't, in fact, ever won a playoff game.

It's heavy on fact and light on opinion, except to the over-optimistic homer fan who thinks that a bunch of guys with a history of failure will magically change and start to succeed, and who hopes against hope that Jason Garrett isn't a hack who's in completely over his head.

Garrett offense was putting up 28 points a game before Romo went down. You want to say injury do not matter then explain why is the colts with their offensive guru looked like crap when the season started because they were dealing with a QB coming off surgery. We can all sit here and play the game injuries do not matter well they do. Even the Great Jimmy Johnson could not win when Emmitt Smith was missing due to a contract so while it is great to say good teams overcome the truth is no team losing key players do not overcome. Garrett is a young OC who has been doing the job for 2 years while there are still things to learn and things that need to be improved on this offense still ranked fairly high in most categories. I will agree there are things Garrett needs to improve on but I don't know of any OC who have not gone through what Garrett is currently.

 

[brickman]

I still feel that Garrett is a young bright coach and he will learn from this past season. I for one hope he remains in Dallas I think better days are ahead for him

Well, I guess we will find out this coming season.

 

[Doomsday101]

Well, I guess we will find out this coming season.

I hope so. I want Garrett here I don't care what want to be OC around here think fact is he is a young OC and I have yet to know of 1 OC who at one time or another who has not been called into question about their ability even Andy Reid was under the gun recently, oh he calls to many passes he needs to be fire? Any GM or owner who is dumb enough to listen to fans deserves what they get. I don't expect fans to have any patients everything has to be now and when management or coaches do not do exactly what they want they throw a fit I do expect a good franchise to give their staff the time to do the job and stand behind them.

 

[Stash]

we ended the season in disarray, to be sure. but i disagree it was wade vs. garrett and the players chose sides.

I don't see it that way. But I think Garrett had as much control as he wanted to have.

in retrospect, when it's much easier to see such things, the long term plan of coach and coach in waiting is a bad idea, at least as publisized as it was. that setup wade to be a lame duck coach from the start.

i'll admit i didnt see it coming as i thought they'd simply work together. in the end *the team* wasn't working together and that's lockerroom attitude. a coach can't yell it out of a player if that player is protected by the owner.

If the players are protected by the owner, we're all doomed. There's no reason for any of 'em to work or win, or do the right thing. All the talent in the world won't overcome that environment.

enter TO, pacman, and to a degree, tank.

2 down. 1 to go.

if jerry is going to set an example he doesn't have to get rid of TO right now but he does have to pull him aside in a 1:1 talk and say "you divide my lockerroom again, you're gone. that division won't be decided by me, it will be my 2 head coaches who make that call, and i'll back them 100% and help you pack."

till TO knows he's expendable, he can continue to be TO. to a point he's a dual edged sword that you have to coddle and be careful with. but at this point that needs to end and he needs to step up and be a man and stop the ME-O crap that effects our younger players. if they see TO get away with things, they'll follow along out of just basic human nature.

I don't see Owens going anywhere. And I don't see him as the devil who ruined a perfect locker room either. That's what ESPN wants me to believe, but I don't. He's a royal pain, but I don't think he has the power to turn good players to the dark side.

Wade and Jerry let the inmates run the asylum plain and simple. Not just Terrell Owens, but all of 'em. And none of this team's 'leaders' stepped up to try to change that environment either. I remember Troy Aikman being furious with Barry Switzer's similar approach and having the guts to say it. Too bad the current QB does not yet posess that same trait.

but in our current situation, if garrett is going to get offers, he should go talk and see what's up. there's never a time in any of our lives we shouldn't examine things and see if we can improve our own lot. esp if it's a time of such uncertainty, right?

Yeah, but I feel he's 'owes' a bit more to Jerry Jones.

many people around here want garrett gone and quickly forget he was irreplacable just a year ago. then again fans have no responsibility for their decisions so they can change like their underwear and quickly forget yesterdays tirade.

jones can't do that. he shouldn't do that.

i liked us setting long term goals to have and keep one of the young bright minds in the game. that *is* the current trend. we now have 2 years invested in him and beause a young coach in waiting had a hard time w/TO is a pretty crappy reason to throw him out with the bathwater.

we've invested a tough year, let's see it through. garrett is smart. he is a young gun and in time, i think he'll prove it out and i hope the IGS around here doesn't chase him away and bring in todays shiney object.

I simply don't have the faith that the collective 'lights' will come on for this coaching staff.

It wasn't hard to see that things weren't going well during the season and yet - until it was too late to change things - this organization continued to operate as business as usual.

There's little reason for me to believe that they'll make the fundamental changes necessary at this point.

 

[chinch]

Garrett offense was putting up 28 points a game before Romo went down.

terrible spin.

we were 20.8/game after Romo came back.

15.75/game the last FOUR (season on the line)

offenses can always come out of the gate strong then fold up when defenses catch up & get film on them. these are one-dimensional offenses like jason's techmo bowl approach.

look at the futile output with no real injuries (dont even speak barber given how we lost to WASH previously). Two big outputs vs terrible teams to inflate the stats further, one a home game on short week. We also finished 1-3 with a pathetic 15.75 points per game as stated above.


Sun 11/16 at Washington W 14-10
Sun 11/23 San Francisco W 35-22
Thu 11/27 Seattle W 34-9

Sun 12/7 at Pittsburgh L 13-20
Sun 12/14 NY Giants W 20-8
Sat 12/20 Baltimore L 24-33
Sun 12/28 at Philadelphia L 6-44

 

[iceberg]

If the players are protected by the owner, we're all doomed. There's no reason for any of 'em to work or win, or do the right thing. All the talent in the world won't overcome that environment.

I don't see Owens going anywhere. And I don't see him as the devil who ruined a perfect locker room either. That's what ESPN wants me to believe, but I don't. He's a royal pain, but I don't think he has the power to turn good players to the dark side.

Wade and Jerry let the inmates run the asylum plain and simple. Not just Terrell Owens, but all of 'em. And none of this team's 'leaders' stepped up to try to change that environment either. I remember Troy Aikman being furious with Barry Switzer's similar approach and having the guts to say it. Too bad the current QB does not yet posess that same trait.

so which is it? TO isn't a problem or are the inmates running the asylum? and if that lead "inmate" were taken down and/or out, would the rest stop? i totally agree someone should have stepped up and stopped the nonsense, but i don't know why. i do know tank and to's attitude was coming off on some of the others. at least that's what i've read.

we do agree romo needs to step up and make a call and not just play for fun. when i see wittin limping out of the endzone on a td catch and romo isn't anywhere to be found, i call your leadership into question. i hate that i don't see romo on the sidelines working with WRs when it's obvious they're on different pages. romo needs to step up as much as anyone this coming year.

Yeah, but I feel he's 'owes' a bit more to Jerry Jones.

yet neither of us know how jones and garrett are talking and what debts are or are not paid. maybe jones said "go, look. see what's out there and come back and talk to me". speculation needs to stay speculation and not turned to fact.

 

[Doomsday101]

terrible spin.

we were 20.8/game after Romo came back.

15.75/game the last FOUR (season on the line)

offenses can always come out of the gate strong then fold up when defenses catch up & get film on them. these are one-dimensional offenses like jason's techmo bowl approach.

look at the futile output with no real injuries (dont even speak barber given how we lost to WASH previously). Two big outputs vs terrible teams to inflate the stats further, one a home game on short week. We also finished 1-3 with a pathetic 15.75 points per game as stated above.


Sun 11/16 at Washington W 14-10
Sun 11/23 San Francisco W 35-22
Thu 11/27 Seattle W 34-9

Sun 12/7 at Pittsburgh L 13-20
Sun 12/14 NY Giants W 20-8
Sat 12/20 Baltimore L 24-33
Sun 12/28 at Philadelphia L 6-44

I said before he Romo went down we avg. 28 points a game regardless if you believe or not and Romo was not the only injury that was having a big effect on the offense. I also think Garrett is not perfect and he will have to learn from things that did not work this past season he is not the 1st who has had a rough season as an OC.

 

[Stash]

so which is it? TO isn't a problem or are the inmates running the asylum? and if that lead "inmate" were taken down and/or out, would the rest stop? i totally agree someone should have stepped up and stopped the nonsense, but i don't know why. i do know tank and to's attitude was coming off on some of the others. at least that's what i've read.

I don't think Owens 'divided the team' or 'brought the team down' like some do. But I think he probably did pretty much whatever he wanted to - because he could. It's human nature to push as far as you can, and under this 'administration', I think players got away with more than they should have - including Owens.

And it sent a bad message to the young guys like Jenkins and Spencer as well, players who are basically 'following the leader' until they learn how things are done at the pro level.

we do agree romo needs to step up and make a call and not just play for fun. when i see wittin limping out of the endzone on a td catch and romo isn't anywhere to be found, i call your leadership into question. i hate that i don't see romo on the sidelines working with WRs when it's obvious they're on different pages. romo needs to step up as much as anyone this coming year.

Agreed 100%. You don't get paid as much as you do to simply be another player. Not in Dallas, and not in the NFL. Part of beeing a quarterback is being a leader. Something he should know by now. I hope he steps that part of his game up this year. And if he should need to tell Owens to 'sit down and shut up', so be it. I'll applaud him for it.

yet neither of us know how jones and garrett are talking and what debts are or are not paid. maybe jones said "go, look. see what's out there and come back and talk to me". speculation needs to stay speculation and not turned to fact.

Very true.

But 90% of what's said around here is either opinion or speculation.

For every post that says Garrett sucks and needs to go, another says he's still a genius and will become a great coach, here or elsewhere.

Opposite sides of the same speculation.

 

[iceberg]

I don't think Owens 'divided the team' or 'brought the team down' like some do. But I think he probably did pretty much whatever he wanted to - because he could. It's human nature to push as far as you can, and under this 'administration', I think players got away with more than they should have - including Owens.

And it sent a bad message to the young guys like Jenkins and Spencer as well, players who are basically 'following the leader' until they learn how things are done at the pro level.

Agreed 100%. You don't get paid as much as you do to simply be another player. Not in Dallas, and not in the NFL. Part of beeing a quarterback is being a leader. Something he should know by now. I hope he steps that part of his game up this year. And if he should need to tell Owens to 'sit down and shut up', so be it. I'll applaud him for it.

Very true.

But 90% of what's said around here is either opinion or speculation.

For every post that says Garrett sucks and needs to go, another says he's still a genius and will become a great coach, here or elsewhere.

Opposite sides of the same speculation.

it may not have been TOs intent to bring the team down, but that's what i feel it did in the end. it showed other players they could get away with things. johnson would cut curvin richards or something to make a point after a loss and leave his top guns alone.

we need to send a message that things will be different and yes, i'd help pay romos bonus if he'd grab TO by the facemask as a rant and get into it with him right there in front of the world.

espn would wet themselves for a week, but then i'd know romo is our leader.

 

[TNCowboy]

Garrett offense was putting up 28 points a game before Romo went down. You want to say injury do not matter then explain why is the colts with their offensive guru looked like crap when the season started because they were dealing with a QB coming off surgery. We can all sit here and play the game injuries do not matter well they do. Even the Great Jimmy Johnson could not win when Emmitt Smith was missing due to a contract so while it is great to say good teams overcome the truth is no team losing key players do not overcome. Garrett is a young OC who has been doing the job for 2 years while there are still things to learn and things that need to be improved on this offense still ranked fairly high in most categories. I will agree there are things Garrett needs to improve on but I don't know of any OC who have not gone through what Garrett is currently.

I didn't say injuries didn't matter. What I am saying is they're a fact of life and every team has them. The Pats lost their best player and QB, and several other starters, yet managed to win 11 games. Dallas did not have a terrible year with injuries by comparison. It's ridiculous to pretend otherwise. The Ravens D is one of the league's best, and they've excelled while having several players out.

The Colts struggled early, but at one point they were playing with a hurt Manning, Dallas Clark and Addai hurt, and most importantly, 3 OL starters out. Dallas didn't have to deal with anything that severe.

The offense was starting to struggle before Romo was hurt. They played inconsistently against Washington, Cleveland and AZ before Romo got hurt. They were terrible in AZ until the final couple of minutes. The Pats won 11 games entirely with a backup QB. Using Romo's injuries is a cop out. Perhaps this is news to you, but he'll probably get banged up again in 2009. Many players will. Bad back and all, Romo played extremely well in the 4th quarter against Baltimore. It's just not a valid excuse.

If this were a young offense and Garrett was growing with it, I could understand the notion of him growing into the job. But the reality is our OL is old, Romo will be 29 this year, and our best receiver is 35. This isn't a team that needs an OC who is learning the job. They needed (need) someone who can do the job now.

 

[Doomsday101]

I didn't say injuries didn't matter. What I am saying is they're a fact of life and every team has them. The Pats lost their best player and QB, and several other starters, yet managed to win 11 games. Dallas did not have a terrible year with injuries by comparison. It's ridiculous to pretend otherwise. The Ravens D is one of the league's best, and they've excelled while having several players out.

The Colts struggled early, but at one point they were playing with a hurt Manning, Dallas Clark and Addai hurt, and most importantly, 3 OL starters out. Dallas didn't have to deal with anything that severe.

The offense was starting to struggle before Romo was hurt. They played inconsistently against Washington, Cleveland and AZ before Romo got hurt. They were terrible in AZ until the final couple of minutes. The Pats won 11 games entirely with a backup QB. Using Romo's injuries is a cop out. Perhaps this is news to you, but he'll probably get banged up again in 2009. Many players will. Bad back and all, Romo played extremely well in the 4th quarter against Baltimore. It's just not a valid excuse.

If this were a young offense and Garrett was growing with it, I could understand the notion of him growing into the job. But the reality is our OL is old, Romo will be 29 this year, and our best receiver is 35. This isn't a team that needs an OC who is learning the job. They needed (need) someone who can do the job now.

I disagree I think we do have some age in some position and yet quite young in others. I think Garrett over the long haul will get the job done, I'm not looking for quick fixes and I'm not looking to ditch coaches because fans want it now. I'm sure you feel our injuries are no big deal but everyone else well that made a differance? Cop out sorry I don't think so

 

[Stash]

I disagree I think we do have some age in some position and yet quite young in others. I think Garrett over the long haul will get the job done, I'm not looking for quick fixes and I'm not looking to ditch coaches because fans want it now. I'm sure you feel our injuries are no big deal but everyone else well that made a differance? Cop out sorry I don't think so

I think his point was that everyone has injuries.

And many other teams dealt with those injuries a lot better than the Cowboys did and din't try to use them as an excuse.

Looking at the team the Cowboys fielded the last month of the season, I don't see where anyone can use injuries as an excuse for this team's failings.

 

[Doomsday101]

I think his point was that everyone has injuries.

And many other teams dealt with those injuries a lot better than the Cowboys did and din't try to use them as an excuse.

Looking at the team the Cowboys fielded the last month of the season, I don't see where anyone can use injuries as an excuse for this team's failings.

I think injuries play a part but not the only issue. However I don't think getting rid of the coaches is what will get the Cowboys back to post season I think sometimes the best thing management can do is stand by their people even when fans feel otherwise. I think Garrett does have a clue as to what needs to be done more so than any fan at this site who while they feel they have all the answerer do not.