News: No excuses left in make-or-break year for Jason Garrett and the Cowboys

Diehardblues

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That's how I feel. The roster is among the best in the league. It's the coaches that now have to deliver.
If we’re depending on our coaching staff to take us over the top.. we’re screwed.

We’ve been a talent dependent team since basically Jimmy left except for a few years with Bill.

We’ll go as far as this talent will take us.
 

GenoT

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There is no such thing as the perfect roster - but the one in Dallas is hard to top.

This is always the time of optimism around the NFL. Teams have a new crop of rookies that perfectly meet their needs (or so they say), plus the new free agents that were exactly who they were looking for (or so they say), and the returning vets are all in the best shape of their careers and will be improved this fall (you know what goes here). Despite being sold the same bill of goods year after year, fans still get sucked in, only for most of them to see their team fall short of the playoffs. But for a handful, those factors mentioned above really are true, or at least largely so. That may well apply to the 2019 Dallas Cowboys.

That is of course important for the hopes of the team and its fans alike, but it is particularly key for head coach Jason Garrett. He is in the last year of his contract, with owner/general manager Jerry Jones basically saying he believes he can succeed - but he wants to see it before he offers an extension. However, this offseason has looked more like a team going “all in” than it has in years. This roster is deep and looks dangerous, and Garrett’s staff looks more unified and solid as well. Let’s break things down.

The changes to the coaching staff were limited, but huge

Many were clamoring for it to happen, and arguably it was at least a year overdue. The biggest move of any kind in 2019 for the Cowboys was the termination of Scott Linehan as offensive coordinator, with the corresponding promotion of Kellen Moore and the accompanying hire of Jon Kitna to replace Moore as QB coach.

It is perhaps a bit of piling on, but it had become clear that Linehan was a problem in a couple of ways. The reports of growing tension between him and both his head coach and players seem accurate. He repeatedly lapsed back into predictable play calls, but worse, he telegraphed what he was doing with personnel and formations far too often. Ezekiel Elliott is a formidable weapon, but running him into a stacked defensive box because the defense is reading run all the way just does not pay. Add in that the offensive line was compromised by the absence of Travis Frederick and having to work in a rookie, Connor Williams, and what should have been nearly certain short-yardage conversions were too often being stuffed. First down runs often suffered from the same issues as well, especially after the early, scripted part of the game.

In promoting Moore, the main reasons revolve around innovation and fresh ideas. This does not mean that he is going to come in with a bunch of new plays. Based on interviews with the staff this past week, it is more about using what already exists to better effect, with the incorporation of more pre-snap motion and shifting players from one role to another on the field. It is not surprising that the leadership sounds all positive about it, since it was their decision. But the reviews have been exceptionally strong from the players as well.

If Moore can bring this to calling the offense it could be exciting. And so far, Garrett seems to be giving him the freedom to do his thing.

Meanwhile, Kitna may be just what Dak Prescott needs. Moore’s strengths appear to be in calling plays, not coaching up his quarterback. Kitna is the opposite, and his comments during the past week reflect what he brings to the table.

Unlike Moore, Kitna has many NFL starts under his belt - 124, to be exact. He truly knows what a QB faces. If he is good at teaching technique (which is unfortunately limited under CBA rules), he can help Prescott take the next step.

Meanwhile, Kris Richard is now coming into his second year as part of what is a surprising well-functioning partnership with Rod Marinelli running the defense. And we shouldn’t overlook the retention of Marc Colombo as the offensive line coach. All in all, this may be the best and most cohesive staff Garrett has had. And one that shows very few fingerprints of the owners in assembling.

The roster is just as strong

Read the rest here:

https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/201...eak-year-for-jason-garrett-and-dallas-cowboys

This article perfectly sums up my own feelings about this team and staff as well - no excuses. Get the job done or this organization will make changes. You go up and down this roster and most every team in the league would kill to have as much young talent. Player personnel is arguably the strongest it's been since the team's of the 90's. Barring significant injury, the only way this team fails is because the coaches failed to do their part
All good and fine but, unless the team completely crashes and burns (won’t happen), Garrett already has a really good excuse for an otherwise lackluster season...

The owner/GM fired Garrett’s OC (Linehan) and replaced him with a guy who has exactly one season of coaching at any level under his belt. And that was at QB coach...where he worked with three players.

As the new OC, Kellen Moore is — per Jerry Jones — responsible for changing up the entire offense and calling the plays on game day.

Should the Cowboys struggle and experience growing-pains, and Kellen Moore doesn’t prove to be quite the insta-savior we’re all hoping for, Jerry won’t blame JG, but will give him a pass...just like he always has.
 
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Pompey-Cowboy

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How long have we heard this? This year is nothing new. There will be some excuse built in for him and he will be here next year. Jerry refuses to fire him. Jerry was quick to fire every coach before him with ease. Jason is different and is his pet. He will be our Marvin Lewis where he will be here a very long time no matter the results. Get ready for it.
The difference this year is that JG is out of contract at the season's end. "Sacking him" won't be an issue.
 

Stash

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All good and fine but, unless the team completely crashes and burns (won’t happen), Garrett already has a really good excuse for an otherwise lackluster season...

The owner/GM fired Garrett’s OC (Linehan) and replaced him with a guy who has exactly one season of coaching at any level under his belt. And that was at QB coach...where he worked with three players.

As the new OC, Kellen Moore is — per Jerry Jones — responsible for changing up the entire offense and calling the plays on game day.

Should the Cowboys struggle and experience growing-pains, and Kellen Moore doesn’t prove to be quite the insta-savior we’re all hoping for, Jerry won’t blame JG, but will give him a pass pass...just like he always has.

Wholeheartedly disagree.

There is a reason why Garrett is a lame-duck head coach.

A reason why his contract has not been renewed.

And that reason is that even the incredible patience of Jerry Jones has run out.

The fact is that barring a deep playoff run, Jones knows that he can't "sell him" to the fanbase anymore. And his own actions here prove that. He may as well just stand on a stage and flip the middle finger to the fanbase than to try to retain Garrett if he disappoints again. That would be exactly what he would be doing by those actions. And he knows it.

There's a combination of fan discontent and their having grown more than tired of the excuses, and Jones' own motivation to win a championship before he either steps down, or passes on. The death of Texans' owner Bob McNair resonated with Jones, and he sees his own mortality, and he knows he can no longer afford to wait for Jason Garrett to "get it". He wins this year or he's gone. Count on it.
 

Stash

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The difference this year is that JG is out of contract at the season's end. "Sacking him" won't be an issue.

And that's by design. Why throw money away extending a coach you know there's a better than average chance you're going to have to fire?

You also can't know put the toothpaste back in the tube and try to find some excuse to keep and extend him if he doesn't succeed. There's no going back now.
 

GenoT

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How many 22nd ranked offenses and 14th ranked QB’s were in conference championships last year?
And is why Wildcatter Jones has rolled the dice on Kellen Moore, and his yet-to-be-seen offensive creativity, possibly being the missing ingredient that will instantly improve our offense.

Should be an exciting season.
 

Hawkeye0202

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Not to mention 24th ranked passing offense , 22nd overall and 15th ranked passing QB.

Not sure how this ranks as one of the best teams in the league? I thought they over achieved last year.


:huh: As a team, we got off to a slow/unorganized start last season. The Cooper trade changed that and I'm pretty sure impacted season stats offensively. Bottom line IMO, we started slow but finished pretty strong and winning the division AND a playoff game makes us yes, one of the best teams in league IMO.
 

Diehardblues

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All good and fine but, unless the team completely crashes and burns (won’t happen), Garrett already has a really good excuse for an otherwise lackluster season...

The owner/GM fired Garrett’s OC (Linehan) and replaced him with a guy who has exactly one season of coaching at any level under his belt. And that was at QB coach...where he worked with three players.

As the new OC, Kellen Moore is — per Jerry Jones — responsible for changing up the entire offense and calling the plays on game day.

Should the Cowboys struggle and experience growing-pains, and Kellen Moore doesn’t prove to be quite the insta-savior we’re all hoping for, Jerry won’t blame JG, but will give him a pass...just like he always has.
Pretty much. Moore is the scapegoat already in place. Fans are forgetting Jerry didn’t extend Garrett last time either in his contract season.

Jerry’s not about to give up his quest to prove he can win a championship without a proven HC. Not when he thinks he’s getting close.

Jerry didn’t appreciate winning championships with Jimmy without receiving his due credit. Last thing he wants is to make a change now to illustrate how important a HC is.

Like you said. Only if we collapsed , lost revenue or butts in the seats. Fan apathy alone isn’t enough.
 

Diehardblues

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:huh: As a team, we got off to a slow/unorganized start last season. The Cooper trade changed that and I'm pretty sure impacted season stats offensively. Bottom line IMO, we started slow but finished pretty strong and winning the division AND a playoff game makes us yes, one of the best teams in league IMO.
It made us a top 4 team in the conference. Not “ one of the best teams in the league”. Context is important.

The trade did impact the season and offensive stats dragging us from near the bottom in passing to 24th. And elevating Dak in passing from 20th something to 14th. Still not what I’d consider championship caliber.
 

Bobhaze

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Why no excuses now? He's been here since 2007. You guys believe that?
Jerry is a hall of game excuse maker. The only people he and his FO hold accountable for lack of results are Asst. Coaches and mid to low level players on the roster. The lack of accountability for failure to achieve goals is one of the biggest reasons for the results of the last 23 years. I don’t see Jerry changing his ways as long as his cash register rings.
 

northerncowboynation

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There is no such thing as the perfect roster - but the one in Dallas is hard to top.

This is always the time of optimism around the NFL. Teams have a new crop of rookies that perfectly meet their needs (or so they say), plus the new free agents that were exactly who they were looking for (or so they say), and the returning vets are all in the best shape of their careers and will be improved this fall (you know what goes here). Despite being sold the same bill of goods year after year, fans still get sucked in, only for most of them to see their team fall short of the playoffs. But for a handful, those factors mentioned above really are true, or at least largely so. That may well apply to the 2019 Dallas Cowboys.

That is of course important for the hopes of the team and its fans alike, but it is particularly key for head coach Jason Garrett. He is in the last year of his contract, with owner/general manager Jerry Jones basically saying he believes he can succeed - but he wants to see it before he offers an extension. However, this offseason has looked more like a team going “all in” than it has in years. This roster is deep and looks dangerous, and Garrett’s staff looks more unified and solid as well. Let’s break things down.

The changes to the coaching staff were limited, but huge

Many were clamoring for it to happen, and arguably it was at least a year overdue. The biggest move of any kind in 2019 for the Cowboys was the termination of Scott Linehan as offensive coordinator, with the corresponding promotion of Kellen Moore and the accompanying hire of Jon Kitna to replace Moore as QB coach.

It is perhaps a bit of piling on, but it had become clear that Linehan was a problem in a couple of ways. The reports of growing tension between him and both his head coach and players seem accurate. He repeatedly lapsed back into predictable play calls, but worse, he telegraphed what he was doing with personnel and formations far too often. Ezekiel Elliott is a formidable weapon, but running him into a stacked defensive box because the defense is reading run all the way just does not pay. Add in that the offensive line was compromised by the absence of Travis Frederick and having to work in a rookie, Connor Williams, and what should have been nearly certain short-yardage conversions were too often being stuffed. First down runs often suffered from the same issues as well, especially after the early, scripted part of the game.

In promoting Moore, the main reasons revolve around innovation and fresh ideas. This does not mean that he is going to come in with a bunch of new plays. Based on interviews with the staff this past week, it is more about using what already exists to better effect, with the incorporation of more pre-snap motion and shifting players from one role to another on the field. It is not surprising that the leadership sounds all positive about it, since it was their decision. But the reviews have been exceptionally strong from the players as well.

If Moore can bring this to calling the offense it could be exciting. And so far, Garrett seems to be giving him the freedom to do his thing.

Meanwhile, Kitna may be just what Dak Prescott needs. Moore’s strengths appear to be in calling plays, not coaching up his quarterback. Kitna is the opposite, and his comments during the past week reflect what he brings to the table.

Unlike Moore, Kitna has many NFL starts under his belt - 124, to be exact. He truly knows what a QB faces. If he is good at teaching technique (which is unfortunately limited under CBA rules), he can help Prescott take the next step.

Meanwhile, Kris Richard is now coming into his second year as part of what is a surprising well-functioning partnership with Rod Marinelli running the defense. And we shouldn’t overlook the retention of Marc Colombo as the offensive line coach. All in all, this may be the best and most cohesive staff Garrett has had. And one that shows very few fingerprints of the owners in assembling.

The roster is just as strong

Read the rest here:

https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/201...eak-year-for-jason-garrett-and-dallas-cowboys

This article perfectly sums up my own feelings about this team and staff as well - no excuses. Get the job done or this organization will make changes. You go up and down this roster and most every team in the league would kill to have as much young talent. Player personnel is arguably the strongest it's been since the team's of the 90's. Barring significant injury, the only way this team fails is because the coaches failed to do their part

Yep, the roster is strong enough to do some damage. The coaching staff has been almost completely revamped over the past two years. I know there have been factors that have prevented us from going further but when you eliminate this many variables then it comes down to one last change that could be the difference maker. Not saying changing HC's WILL be the difference make but it COULD be the difference maker
 

DenCWBY

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Disagreed. The Jones boys want a championship team; why the heck wouldn’t they?

One could argue they don’t know what the hell they’re doing, though.
Jones want a championship however with their egos above the common sense of letting "football minds" run the show. Can't have both and the last 20+ years have proven that.
 

tyke1doe

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There is no such thing as the perfect roster - but the one in Dallas is hard to top.

This is always the time of optimism around the NFL. Teams have a new crop of rookies that perfectly meet their needs (or so they say), plus the new free agents that were exactly who they were looking for (or so they say), and the returning vets are all in the best shape of their careers and will be improved this fall (you know what goes here). Despite being sold the same bill of goods year after year, fans still get sucked in, only for most of them to see their team fall short of the playoffs. But for a handful, those factors mentioned above really are true, or at least largely so. That may well apply to the 2019 Dallas Cowboys.

That is of course important for the hopes of the team and its fans alike, but it is particularly key for head coach Jason Garrett. He is in the last year of his contract, with owner/general manager Jerry Jones basically saying he believes he can succeed - but he wants to see it before he offers an extension. However, this offseason has looked more like a team going “all in” than it has in years. This roster is deep and looks dangerous, and Garrett’s staff looks more unified and solid as well. Let’s break things down.

The changes to the coaching staff were limited, but huge

Many were clamoring for it to happen, and arguably it was at least a year overdue. The biggest move of any kind in 2019 for the Cowboys was the termination of Scott Linehan as offensive coordinator, with the corresponding promotion of Kellen Moore and the accompanying hire of Jon Kitna to replace Moore as QB coach.

It is perhaps a bit of piling on, but it had become clear that Linehan was a problem in a couple of ways. The reports of growing tension between him and both his head coach and players seem accurate. He repeatedly lapsed back into predictable play calls, but worse, he telegraphed what he was doing with personnel and formations far too often. Ezekiel Elliott is a formidable weapon, but running him into a stacked defensive box because the defense is reading run all the way just does not pay. Add in that the offensive line was compromised by the absence of Travis Frederick and having to work in a rookie, Connor Williams, and what should have been nearly certain short-yardage conversions were too often being stuffed. First down runs often suffered from the same issues as well, especially after the early, scripted part of the game.

In promoting Moore, the main reasons revolve around innovation and fresh ideas. This does not mean that he is going to come in with a bunch of new plays. Based on interviews with the staff this past week, it is more about using what already exists to better effect, with the incorporation of more pre-snap motion and shifting players from one role to another on the field. It is not surprising that the leadership sounds all positive about it, since it was their decision. But the reviews have been exceptionally strong from the players as well.

If Moore can bring this to calling the offense it could be exciting. And so far, Garrett seems to be giving him the freedom to do his thing.

Meanwhile, Kitna may be just what Dak Prescott needs. Moore’s strengths appear to be in calling plays, not coaching up his quarterback. Kitna is the opposite, and his comments during the past week reflect what he brings to the table.

Unlike Moore, Kitna has many NFL starts under his belt - 124, to be exact. He truly knows what a QB faces. If he is good at teaching technique (which is unfortunately limited under CBA rules), he can help Prescott take the next step.

Meanwhile, Kris Richard is now coming into his second year as part of what is a surprising well-functioning partnership with Rod Marinelli running the defense. And we shouldn’t overlook the retention of Marc Colombo as the offensive line coach. All in all, this may be the best and most cohesive staff Garrett has had. And one that shows very few fingerprints of the owners in assembling.

The roster is just as strong

Read the rest here:

https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/201...eak-year-for-jason-garrett-and-dallas-cowboys

This article perfectly sums up my own feelings about this team and staff as well - no excuses. Get the job done or this organization will make changes. You go up and down this roster and most every team in the league would kill to have as much young talent. Player personnel is arguably the strongest it's been since the team's of the 90's. Barring significant injury, the only way this team fails is because the coaches failed to do their part
:clap::clap::clap:
My thoughts EXACTLY!!!

I think Jerry Jones saw what the Rams did last year and expects the same. I think the hiring of Kitna is going to be critical and may produce a Romo-like impact. I'm convinced the reason Dak did so well his rookie year is because of Romo's presence and knowledge.
I have been super critical of Dak, but I like his desire to work and work hard. I'm giving him grace, but I expect better this season.
Jason Garrett has no more excuses. NONE. We have a loaded roster. We should be able to wear defenses down with our run game or pass them into submission through the air. Gallup is going to get better. Cooper will be better. We need to use Zeke more out the backfield, and I'm betting Pollard makes a HUGE impact. Witten is back with his four yard catches, but he'll be a security blanket for Dak. And Dak needs to run more when the play dictates. Our defense is pretty good and should be better. Jaylon Smith will be a beast as I believe this will be the first year he's at 100 percent. LVE will have a year of experience under his belt. We should bring Sean Lee in for spot duty. Byron Jones was brilliant at corner, minus interception. We have depth on the defensive line. Safety is the only concern but if we're getting a pass rush, it becomes less of a concern.
Barring injury, we should be in the NFC Championship Game.

The table is set, Jason. Now it's on you.
 

Hawkeye0202

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It made us a top 4 team in the conference. Not “ one of the best teams in the league”. Context is important.

The trade did impact the season and offensive stats dragging us from near the bottom in passing to 24th. And elevating Dak in passing from 20th something to 14th. Still not what I’d consider championship caliber.

One man's opinion but OK (lol)
 

tyke1doe

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Good lord, seems the last 3-4 years have been make or break years for Garrett. Think about it, how times over the last few years, you as a fan has said " no more excuses" for Garrett. Hell, I know I've said few times myself (lol).
The difference is he has one year left on his existing contract. So it really is a due-or-die situation for him. I think. :laugh:
 
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