DALLAS —
The Dallas Cowboys dropped their second straight game to a team in their conference with a winning record following a 3-0 start to the season where the three wins came against teams at the bottom of the standings and where the offense scored over 30 points per game on average. Over the last two losses, the Cowboys combined for 34 points total following a 12-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints and a 34-24 loss to the Green Bay Packers last Sunday.
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The knee-jerk reaction is that Jason Garrett should be on the chopping block as doom and gloom seep into the DFW following a couple of demoralizing losses. On 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, Chief Operating Officer Stephen Jones, when asked if Jason Garrett was on the hot seat stated, “absolutely not”. Not exactly a shocking answer as Jones isn’t about to go on the radio and say that his head coach’s job is in jeopardy. The fact that he is in the final year of his contract should be all the proof you need that he is indeed on the hot seat.
Perhaps that heat started to get to Garrett a little on Sunday as he was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after a dispute with a sideline official led to the head coach tossing a review flag to the ground in anger.
The sideline incident led to Jerry Jones giving another classic Jerryism when he was quoted as saying "Oh, I hope the little darling didn't hear something he hadn't heard before," while also showing support for a coach that he’s put a lot of faith in over the years. The Cowboys owner doubled down on Tuesday during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan, in regards to moving on from Garrett, "Don't bet any money [on] that happening," Jones said. "You'll lose it."
Despite the clamoring for the head coach to be changed, he is far from the reason for the Cowboys’ loss against the Packers. The Dallas offense shot themselves in the foot repeatedly with trips upon trips into Packers territory without points to show for it. The one thing that an offense can’t do when they are struggling to finish drives is turn the ball over and the Cowboys did it three times.
Much like the game against the Saints, whenever the team was moving the ball, untimely turnovers, penalties, and mental errors killed drives. Additionally, the much-ballyhooed Dallas defense allowed 34 points and saw Packers RB Aaron Jones uncharacteristically gash them for 107 yards and four touchdowns.
There can be many arguments for and against moving on from Garrett, but at this point it has been an execution problem for the boys in blue. Yes, coaching should be held accountable, but the players shouldn’t be above criticism. For a quarterback like Dak Prescott that is looking to cash in on a big contract, it starts with him. The team also needs the receivers to hold onto passes as they have led to costly turnovers the last couple of weeks. These issues are fixable, and the coaching staff can help see these adjustments through beginning next week against the New York Jets.
With Jason Garrett under contract through the end of the season, making a change at this point won’t fix their issues. Patience will be the key. Let the schedule play out and then re-evaluate at the end of the season whether or not Dallas proved that Garrett is the man who should be leading them into the future.
Do you think Jason Garrett’s job is on the line this season if Dallas fails to make a long run in the playoffs? Share your thoughts on the head coach with Patrick on Twitter @DraftCowboys.
