Garrett has made the mistake of tying himself to Cowboys history.
- Tom Landry believed his system would produce wins and the players were not that important. That hubris led to alternating QBs and alienating some players. It wasn’t until later in life that he realized relationships were important.
- Jimmy Johnson didn’t try to trick anyone. We ran a very limited number of plays. He felt he could build a better team than others.
- Both coaches emphasized execution over trickery.
In today’s NFL with parity and free agency and salary caps, coaches’ systems and players’ execution can still win games, but it often takes more to win championships.