DMN Blog: A case for Jason Garrett

[Stash]

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?

A full season of Romo instead of [strike]statue[/strike] Bledsoe sure doesn't hurt.

Neither does having decent offensive tackles.

Or adding Terrell Owens to the mix.

The cupboard wasn't bare when Garrett got here.

I'm not sure anyone's saying Sparano is the genius and Garrett's an idiot, but more that Garrett had a better year working with Sparano than he did without him.

And Sparano obviously had a great season in Miami.

 

[WoodysGirl]

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?

I don't know that Sparano was a genius.

I think the fact Sparano called plays in 2006 and did well with it should be taken into consideration. Something about the fact that the team blocked him being interviewed after Parcells left kinda suggests he was important to the team's success. And I think maybe he served as a general sounding board to Garrett. When Sparano left, Garrett didn't have that same sounding board on offense.

 

[Hostile]

A full season of Romo instead of [strike]statue[/strike] Bledsoe sure doesn't hurt.

Neither does having decent offensive tackles.

Or adding Terrell Owens to the mix.

The cupboard wasn't bare when Garrett got here.

I'm not sure anyone's saying Sparano is the genius and Garrett's an idiot, but more that Garrett had a better year working with Sparano than he did without him.

And Sparano obviously had a great season in Miami.

The bottom line is the truth. Sparano was the flavor of the day and people put more emphasis on that than anything. It's the same reason why Romo is suddenly a pariah amongst fans and should be replaced.

Sparano did have Owens in 2006, pre-Jason Garrett BTW. And while I agree that the Offense took a step forward post-Bledsoe it makes me wonder why Sparano couldn't see that Romo was better.

Or is it only that Garrett should see that Brad Johnson doesn't have it.

Either way the ledger sheet just doesn't balance.

 

[garyv]

Change is definitely needed. I don't care what anyone writes about Points averaged or yards gained simply go back and watch critical times in various Games and you'll see failure and an Offense with no identity. Tell me this much, what was the best thing we do Offensively. Run the ball ? Deep Balls ? Short Passing Game ? We didn't do one of these very good consistently, not one....thats why the Offense simply didn't deliver when it was neccessary. We were constantly out of sink and many times points and yardage don't mean anything when your playing catchup from turnovers and dumb decisions.

 

[AMERICAS_FAN]

Hey Todd Archer, since you give Garrett a free pass for being outcouached often and NOT making propoer adjustments -- instead offering up declined OL play and injuries as legitimate reasons -- then when will you come out with a similar article titled "A case for Wade Phillips"? Or have you not come up with that yet because you're still working on your blog entries "A case for Jerry Jones" and "A case for T.O."?

It's this kind of unfounded, apologetic opinion that makes your newspaepr coverage complete crap, because it's just based on who you personally like and dislike; nothing more. Whatever, just stop writing this nonsense!

 

[sonnyboy]

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.
Garrett, I assume.
Probably everything

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

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

Thanks for the feedback. Player quotes from Romo such as "we couldn't figure out what they were doing for a while" and from opponents "we knew just where their receivers were going" really distrub me.

They point to knowing your opponent, self scouting and gameplanning.
I know a staff can only do just so much of this before they go insane, but you need to know how a team looks at you. What will they try to do to stop you. How do they think you'll attack them.

 

[Stash]

The bottom line is the truth. Sparano was the flavor of the day and people put more emphasis on that than anything. It's the same reason why Romo is suddenly a pariah amongst fans and should be replaced.

I'm not calling for Romo to be replaced, but he does need to 'grow up' a bit and become more of a leader and take better care of the ball. Hopefully, maturity and experience will help in those areas.

Sparano did have Owens in 2006, pre-Jason Garrett BTW. And while I agree that the Offense took a step forward post-Bledsoe it makes me wonder why Sparano couldn't see that Romo was better.

Or is it only that Garrett should see that Brad Johnson doesn't have it.

Either way the ledger sheet just doesn't balance.

Maybe he did, but under Parcells' rule, it probably wasn't his call to make.

I think given the current structure in Dallas, Garrett has final say over his offense and personnel whereas Sparano didn't.

 

[Hostile]

I don't know that Sparano was a genius.

I think the fact Sparano called plays in 2006 and did well with it should be taken into consideration. Something about the fact that the team blocked him being interviewed after Parcells left kinda suggests he was important to the team's success. And I think maybe he served as a general sounding board to Garrett. When Sparano left, Garrett didn't have that same sounding board on offense.

I think Sparano was a decent play caller, but suddenly because of the success in Miami (of which I agree is impressive) he was the vital cog here. The straw that stirred the drink, and without him Garrett forgot everything.

I'm sorry I just don't buy that at all.

Together they were very good. No one is denying that. What is being denied is Garrett slipped (by one side, my side) and that Garrett actually gets it or can fix it (by the other side).

I think those panning Garrett betterhope crow tastes like chicken. But that's just me.

 

[Hostile]

I'm not calling for Romo to be replaced, but he does need to 'grow up' a bit and become more of a leader and take better care of the ball. Hopefully, maturity and experience will help in those areas.



Maybe he did, but under Parcells' rule, it probably wasn't his call to make.

I think given the current structure in Dallas, Garrett has final say over his offense and personnel whereas Sparano didn't.

I wasn't accusing you of that with regards to Romo. I was pointing out the "what have you done for me lately" nature of most fans.

I can agree that Garrett has more power here than Sparano did. Valid point.

 

[sonnyboy]

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?

I hear you HOS. And I'm not taking the position that Sparano is a genius. In fact I'm certain Garrett's smarter.

However, Sparano is experienced and Garrett was a st yr coordinator in 2007. Just how much did he lean on Sparano?

Common sense tells me a few things, perhaps.
1) Garrett had/has a lot of strong and effective opinions on how to run an offense. Design, getting the most out of players, utlizing their talents.
2) As an inexperienced coordinator, he may have leaned on Sparano to break down the opposing defense.

This fits in my limited mind because of the results and the player quotes explaining those results.

Good news is that this is a problem that can be fixed. Go hire a qualified offensive assistant to fill Sparano's role. Someone to assist Garrett.

 

[AMERICAS_FAN]

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

Hey Hostile, when you write Todd Archer, please be sure to also thank him for offering EXCUSES for keeping/apologizing for Garrett, as opposed to good reasons for keeping him. After all, injuries MUST HAVE been the crux of the problem then, ALONG WITH declining play from the OL. So I guess in the end IT WAS NOT T.O.'s Jerry Jones' or Wade Phillips' fault after all. So then why don't you please also ask Archer to follow up this blog piece with another one titled "A case for Wade Phillips, Jerry Jones and T.O.". Hopefully that's not too much to ask for. And it should be easy enough for Archer to do since all he'll have to do is search for the word Garrett and replace it with the words T.O., Jones and Phillips, because after all, none of the EXCUSES for Garrett that he offered involve them either.

 

[WoodysGirl]

I think Sparano was a decent play caller, but suddenly because of the success in Miami (of which I agree is impressive) he was the vital cog here. The straw that stirred the drink, and without him Garrett forgot everything.

I'm sorry I just don't buy that at all.

Together they were very good. No one is denying that. What is being denied is Garrett slipped (by one side, my side) and that Garrett actually gets it or can fix it (by the other side).

I think those panning Garrett betterhope crow tastes like chicken. But that's just me.

Not sure I agree with that, but I do think Garrett missed his presence. I think you would be hard pressed that the offense didn't take a step back this year. I'm not ignoring the injury factor either, but overall the 2008 just had no flow.

Do you not think Garrett has some things to work on for 2009? That's not taking away from his overall smarts, just an evaluation of his 2008 effort.

 

[Hostile]

Hey Hostile, when you write Todd Archer, please be sure to also thank him for offering EXCUSES for keeping/apologizing for Garrett, as opposed to good reasons for keeping him. After all, injuries MUST HAVE been the crux of the problem then, ALONG WITH declining play from the OL. So I guess in the end IT WAS NOT T.O.'s Jerry Jones' or Wade Phillips' fault after all. So then why don't you please also ask Archer to follow up this blog piece with another one titled "A case for Wade Phillips, Jerry Jones and T.O.". Hopefully that's not too much to ask for. And it should be easy enough for Archer to do since all he'll have to do is search for the word Garrett and replace it with the words T.O., Jones and Phillips, because after all, none of these esxcuses involve them.

Do it yourself. I'm no friggin' secretary for you.

Where were you when the other thread got good? Lazy bum that you are.

 

[Doomsday101]

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

I'm not excusing the offense only saying no one was putting up big points on these team and in the end turnovers were the differance that is clearly on the offense. I also think it is a bit misleading to say Sparano was the reason behind the success, some of the problems we had this past year we had with Sparano on board and we had them with BP at HC, some of the down falls this team has been dealing with came about before Wade ever set foot at Valley Ranch.

 

[Rampage]

wow Hos got anymore excuses for the guy? in the Philly game for example I loved the playcalling early with runs and short passes. than Philly scored a td to go up 10-3 and Garrett started calling his deep passing plays again while knowing that the o-line has struggled against good blitzing defenses for the past 3 weeks. In 2007 we came out after halftime and handled teams cause the coaches made the proper adjustments(unless it was just a fluke season but I doubt that) and in 2008 there was nothing. I bet Tecmo thought he had it al figured out cause he was sounding pretty cocky during that dreaded hardknocks show.

 

[Hostile]

Not sure I agree with that, but I do think Garrett missed his presence. I think you would be hard pressed that the offense didn't take a step back this year. I'm not ignoring the injury factor either, but overall the 2008 just had no flow.

Do you not think Garrett has some things to work on for 2009? That's not taking away from his overall smarts, just an evaluation of his 2008 effort.

Absolutely, 100% agree with that yes. He does.

Sometimes you just have to lick your wounds and go back to the drawing board. 2008 had promise, it fell apart, and the plans have to be scrapped.

I am not denying that. I am not satisfied with the results. In fact it is the most disappointing season I have ever experienced as a fan.

I just see the causes of it differently than others do. Let me remind you, I said that we could finish 11-5 in 2008 and actually be a better team than the 13-3 team in 2007. If we had won the last two games I would have felt like I was correct in that assessment.

For some reason this team fell apart those last 2 games. Is it really a December curse? I'd like to believe it is more than some superstition. To me the common denominator is the quality of opponents and injuries, but you have to overcome those. We didn't. That's unacceptable.

I just don't condone the "what have you done for me lately mentality" of the common football fan. Of any team, not just this one. If the ONLY thing you ever look at is recent History, and you immediately want to 86 players and coaches who have a bad year, you will never have a great year. You will have a few good ones now and then. I want great. You don't achieve great by throwing a tantrum every time you don't get it.

Garrett in 2008 was not good enough. I am saying he is smart enough and driven enough to figure it out. I want him here when he does, not in Denver, Detroit, or Death Valley.

 

[AMERICAS_FAN]

Do it yourself. I'm no friggin' secretary for you.

Where were you when the other thread got good? Lazy bum that you are.

Hostile, While I adamently disagree with you about Garrett I have never personally attached you with name calling, like you just did calling me a Lazy Bum. As an admin on this board you should be ashamed of yourself. But just go ahead and make an EXCUSE for that too. It's that kind of "excuses for unaccountability" that I'm groeing to expect from you.

 

[Hostile]

Hostile, While I adamently disagree with you about Garrett I have never personally attached you with name calling, like you just did calling me a Lazy Bum. As an admin on this board you should be ashamed of yourself. But just go ahead and make an EXCUSE for that too. It's that kind of "excuses for unaccountability" that I'm groeing to expect from you.

I was JOKING because you weren't around for the other thread when it got interesting. I should have put a smiley at the end of the post, but I figured you would tell me you were working. Therefore not a lazy bum. It was entirely a joke, not an insult.

 

[Hostile]

wow Hos got anymore excuses for the guy? in the Philly game for example I loved the playcalling early with runs and short passes. than Philly scored a td to go up 10-3 and Garrett started calling his deep passing plays again while knowing that the o-line has struggled against good blitzing defenses for the past 3 weeks. In 2007 we came out after halftime and handled teams cause the coaches made the proper adjustments(unless it was just a fluke season but I doubt that) and in 2008 there was nothing. I bet Tecmo thought he had it al figured out cause he was sounding pretty cocky during that dreaded hardknocks show.

Edit...nevermind. It did not warrant a response.

 

[sonnyboy]

The difference between excuses and valid reasons is found in someone's motivation.

You can look at what went wrong figure out why (valid reasons) and look to fix it or you can just look at the end result and decide to chop off the head.

You have to ask yourself two questions.

Are you feeling so much pain that you simply want someone to pay?

Or are you really interested in the team fulling its promise in 2009?