I don't think it is fair to label Wade as an 'awful' head coach. He's won everywhere he's gone and had a career winning record. He was the last coach to do anything of substance in Buffalo. And you think Jerry Jones is bad, Ralph Wilson was FAR worse of an owner and was a big-time meddler (he was the guy that pushed for Rob Johnson to play over Flutie).
What I find unforgiveable about Wade was that after the 2008 season he stated that his 'nice guy' approach didn't work and he will have to get on guys. They released T.O. and Wade was off to being 'tough' on the players. And it worked. The team went 11-5 and players brought intensity and focus into each game, particularly Mike Jenkins who had a Pro Bowl season. But, Wade couldn't help himself and slacked off in 2010 and lost the team. It's hard to break out of old habits, but when you do and it works the best it has ever worked for you and you're at the best position you have ever been in....only to go back to the old habits makes you a fool.
The main issue with Wade is that he was terrible at developing talent. I still believe that is what mostly being a successful head coach is about. I have issues with Jerry as a GM, but I believe he has gotten his fair share of talent for Wade and Garrett. Wade was poor at developing players because he didn't instill the core values needed to be a great player in the league. And while the NFL is not a very 'rah rah' type of league, it is still a game that requires the coach to motivate the players. Jimmy wasn't very 'rah rah', but he had so many different methods to motivate players (and this coming from an anti-Jimmy fan). So when you can't develop players, you end up where Wade ended up...a 1-7 record on a team that quits on the coach and a dearth of talent that needs to be overhauled.
Garrett is much better at developing talent. But for all of his Ivy League education, I believe the irony here is he's a very dull in-game coach. I also don't think he's much of a motivator outside of he will cut a guy that is not motivated or wait to the end of the season to cut the player. I find his speeches very banal and I'm only amazed how others, particularly in the press, think those speeches are the greatest things ever spoken. I also think he has politicked since he has become a Coordinator. He sure does a great job of passing the blame. In essence, he reminds me of the Executive working for a corporation whose dad was a well respected executive and one would think he should be a great executive given the bloodlines and education...but when he continues to disappoint his best skill appears to be passing the buck and saying the right things that the right people like to hear.
To me, he has to make the playoffs or he should be gone.
YR
That was a fair appraisal...and no matter the immediate cause for concerns, it is about time for a Jason Garrett led team to start leaving a mark on opposing players.
Jerry understands and probably relates to mistakes in development. But he doesn't yet, project beyond the procurement and sales portion of the sports side of his business. He has pride, and strives as meticulously as did Murchison, to spend at all costs to have a great and fan friendly product...but the immediate and core slicing values of a Head Coach, are being learned by Jason Garrett in a trial and fire basis.
Jason learned to water the correct and general areas for team development, such as cap managements, goals for youth infusion in need positions, and a draft strategy that is geared towards player development and an elevated skill set from the start. For that, Jason should be applauded, as it also allowed for the offensive line to be fixed and a secondary to be raised from ashes.
But the quality that wasn't in the rear view mirror, was the urgency to win and put a record on the table for observation. Jerry failed his coach in this area. Just as a 'rook' coming into the NFL, a head coach has a similar window of opportunity. To have the keys to a franchise as the Dallas Cowboys, he has to leave a mark in a similar time frame. That is the nature of the NFL, the beast.
This is a critical period, and the emotions of a national frame of reference, had better be shaken by the end of season results. A good team then, won't be revealed by a win or loss at that point, but whether they are in fact a good team.
Sorry, I like Jason and hope he succeeds later on as well, but he's in his window of opportunity as well, just like the 'rooks.'
) along with some posters stating it as an afterthought that he will be around because of his "plight". The team has never seemed to beat playoff quality teams throughout these 8-8 seasons. We still come up short in tough games and rarely surprise anyone. That shows that the character of the team hasn't strengthened at all but hope that can change this season mainly through confidence via the O (Dez almost TOO much
