DMN Blog: A case for Jason Garrett

[WoodysGirl]

11:49 AM Wed, Jan 07, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
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I realize we are supposed to sit and rip Jason Garrett for everything that went wrong with the Cowboys' offense in 2008. Sorry, I'm not ready to do that.

I think Garrett is still a quality offensive coordinator with a ton of potential, and he didn't have his best season. Last year he was a genius. Now he has no clue? I don't get that line of thinking.

Clearly the offense wasn't the same in 2008 as it was in '07. Garrett was a believer in Brad Johnson and that didn't work out, but he was also in favor of the team going after Chris Simms on draft weekend. Garrett was Hudson Houck's supporter, and the offensive line wasn't as good in '08 as it was in '07. That's on Garrett, too.

(Photo: G.J. McCarthy/DMN)

Injuries played a part in the downfall. While that can't be used as an excuse, it's also a real reason. Tony Romo missing three games with a fractured pinky cost the Cowboys a ton.

In the 13 games Romo started, the Cowboys averaged 25.1 points and gained 370.5 yards. In 2007 when he started every game the Cowboys averaged 28.4 points and 365.7 yards per game. Those numbers are similar.

And people don't want to hear this either, but the Cowboys' final four opponents last season had some of the best defenses in the league. Pittsburgh, the Giants, Baltimore and Philadelphia had the Nos. 1, 5, 2 and 3 ranked defenses.

Should it not be pointed out that no team moved the ball against those teams and that's why all four are playing this weekend?

Except for the Pittsburgh (13) and Philly (6) games, the Cowboys scored more points against New York and Baltimore than what it had allowed on average during the season.

The Cowboys had more rushing yards against three of the four than they had allowed on average during the season. The 87 yards vs. the Eagles were 5 below what they had given up. Romo passed for more yards against those defenses than they had allowed on average during the season.

I'm not saying Garrett is flawless, but I think people need to take a breath and think about things for a second. Let the emotion of the season subside and analyze it.

Say Garrett leaves. Who replaces him? Ray Sherman has two years of playcalling experience (same as Garrett) and he would be the most logical in-house candidate. And if you look outside the building, it might be difficult to get a top coordinator to take a gig knowing Wade Phillips will be on the hottest of hot seats in 2009.

Remember this too: Jerry Jones has seen offensive coaches Sean Payton and Tony Sparano leave in the last four years and become successful head coaches in New Orleans and Miami. Do you think he wants to see Garrett become a successful head coach somewhere else, too?

 

[Doomsday101]

I agree with this and have been saying it for a while. I would hate to lose a guy who I think has a bright future ahead of him. As mentioned before Romo getting injured Dallas was avg 28 points a game (not bad by any measure) and I was glad to see Archer make the point that the offense was facing the best defenses in the league down the stretch so expecting the offense to go rolling up the points was not likely to happen. Garrett is not blame free and there are things he must improve on but I don't think Garrett went from Genius to moron I think he has a good clue as to what he and the offense need to improve on and I hope he gets the chance to show just that.

 

[jazzcat22]

Nice article and good argument for JG.

 

[Hostile]

I'm sending Todd Archer an e-mail to thank him for making sense. Here's hoping it catches on.

 

[DCBoysfan]

Nice article and good argument for JG.

Very nice article and a very good argument for JG, I for one don't always feel the grass is always greener.

 

[TheCount]

Threre's a whole lot of excuse making in that article.

I want Garrett to stay, but he should be held accountable like everyone else. Enough with the excuses.

 

[bbgun]

Threre's a whole lot of excuse making in that article.

I want Garrett to stay, but he should be held accountable like everyone else. Enough with the excuses.

We need to petition the NFL and request that the Boys not play any good teams or good defenses next year. It's our only hope.

 

[Doomsday101]

We need to petition the NFL and request that the Boys not play any good teams or good defenses next year. It's our only hope.

I don't think anyone is claiming that however none of those defenses were giving up much to anyone and Dallas did put up 24 on the Ravens

 

[HoleInTheRoof]

You don't have to be a genius coordinator to be a successful head coach. You have to have charisma, and the ability to motivate & lead men.

I think Garrett has that.

 

[NeonNinja]

I hope Garrett corrects the playcalling this coming season, but he shouldn't have all of the excuses being made for him about his playcalling this past season.

 

[Alexander]

Last year he was a genius. Now he has no clue? I don't get that line of thinking.

Last year he also had a great deal of help from Sparano. This year he didn't. So that's something to ignore when evaluating the genius label? I guess I do not get that line of thinking either.

Clearly the offense wasn't the same in 2008 as it was in '07. Garrett was a believer in Brad Johnson and that didn't work out, but he was also in favor of the team going after Chris Simms on draft weekend. Garrett was Hudson Houck's supporter, and the offensive line wasn't as good in '08 as it was in '07. That's on Garrett, too.

We didn't have to go after Simms on draft weekend. He was there for the taking after the cuts. It would not have cost us much of anything to simply be aggressive in signing him. I am not saying he'd be much better, but I have no question he'd have given us a better chance to steal more than one of those three games and even possibly have a young somewhat experienced veteran. Bollinger was probably his personal choice (or someone's) but that was conveniently left out of this blog entry for whatever reason.

Houck is partially him but also Jerry Jones.

Injuries played a part in the downfall. While that can't be used as an excuse, it's also a real reason. Tony Romo missing three games with a fractured pinky cost the Cowboys a ton.

We went one and three in those games. Would we have beaten the Rams with Romo? Probably. The Giants? Very questionable. So we are discussing a game since Johnson, bless his heart, beat Tampa Bay. So one game is a "ton"?

And people don't want to hear this either, but the Cowboys' final four opponents last season had some of the best defenses in the league. Pittsburgh, the Giants, Baltimore and Philadelphia had the Nos. 1, 5, 2 and 3 ranked defenses.

Should it not be pointed out that no team moved the ball against those teams and that's why all four are playing this weekend?

Save this excuse. Victory even in close games like against the Steelers and Ravens is to be unexpected. Afterall, they have some of the best defenses in the league. Classic Wade Phillips-isms.

Frighteningly enough, I think the excuses are now an organizational mantra.

Except for the Pittsburgh (13) and Philly (6) games, the Cowboys scored more points against New York and Baltimore than what it had allowed on average during the season.

You heard it here. Above average. Another Wadeism.

Looks like it is contagious.

 

[Alexander]

I don't think anyone is claiming that however none of those defenses were giving up much to anyone and Dallas did put up 24 on the Ravens

After three quarters of complete confusion and a lot of no-huddle.

 

[TheCount]

After three quarters of complete confusion and a lot of no-huddle.

I knew right after he threw those TD's that it would be brought up as an excuse for how well we did that game despite their "amazing defense".

People love making excuses for these guys about as much as they like making excuses.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Is this news about Garrett wanting Chris Simms on draft day? I hadn't heard that.

And like Alex said, why just on draft day and no other time when Simms was available?

Simms definitely would've been better than Brad. Wonder who was against the idea.

 

[sonnyboy]

For me Sparano's the key.

I'd like to know exactly what he did outside of coaching the OL.That's important.

Who took over those duties?
How much of what Sparano did fall to Garrett?

Based on comments from Romo, other offensive players and opposing defensive players, I get the feeling we failed in the area of game planning our opponents.

How much was Sparano involved in that, if at all?

I've said more than a few times since Dec28. We need some new coaching blood.

If we are truely going to change the culture of the team, we need a few new voices barking out the orders.

It seems logical to me that one of those voices should be an offensive assistant to work for/with Garrett. Someone with demonstrated ability to effectively break down an opposing defense.

 

[Alexander]

Is this news about Garrett wanting Chris Simms on draft day? I hadn't heard that.

And like Alex said, why just on draft day and no other time when Simms was available?

Simms definitely would've been better than Brad. Wonder who was against the idea.

I do not accept that explanation. Chris Simms would have actually been cheaper to acquire after he was cut. On draft day, we would have had to surrender draft choices. You know, like what we traded for Brooks Bollinger.

 

[AbeBeta]

I'm sending Todd Archer an e-mail to thank him for making sense. Here's hoping it catches on.

I'll be on record as with you on this one.

Taking it a step further, I think we should move Garrett to HC ASAP and surround him with some good coordinators.

 

[Hostile]

Is this news about Garrett wanting Chris Simms on draft day? I hadn't heard that.

And like Alex said, why just on draft day and no other time when Simms was available?

Simms definitely would've been better than Brad. Wonder who was against the idea.

It was reported, but I took it as speculation. They did attempt to trade with Miami for Beck.

 

[WoodysGirl]

For me Sparano's the key.

I'd like to know exactly what he did outside of coaching the OL.That's important.

From what I read, Sparano coordinated the running game. I believe he was also asst head coach. Accordingly, he assisted in the overall game planning. He did NOT call plays.

Who took over those duties?

Garrett, I assume.

How much of what Sparano did fall to Garrett?

Probably everything

Based on comments from Romo, other offensive players and opposing defensive players, I get the feeling we failed in the area of game planning our opponents.

I'm more inclined to believe it wasn't game planning, so much as it was in-game adjustments.

How much was Sparano involved in that, if at all?

Experience suggests he was involved in quite a bit of that. He's seen more from a coaching standpoint than Garrett.

 

[Hostile]

The thing that confuses me is if Tony Sparano is such an instrumental part in how potent our Offense was in 2007, why wasn't he that instrumental from 2003-2006? Garrett arrives and suddenly Sparano is a genius? Or is it that he wasn't a genius until he went to Miami with Parcells who was the reason fro everything right in the Universe?