The Trial of Jason Garrett
Despite being in the driver’s seat for the NFC East, Cowboys’ Head Coach Jason Garrett has his seat warmers on high. After a disappointing performance against New England, the calls for Garrett’s removal are louder than ever. Initially, I was skeptical of firing Garrett, so I think it’s important to take a step back and examine both sides of the argument.
Keep Garrett
Excluding 2010 when Garrett took over for Wade Phillips midseason, Garrett has endured only one losing season as Dallas’ head coach (2015). For what it’s worth, Garrett then coached his best season the following year and secured his franchise quarterback and running back. For the most part, Garrett’s tenure with Dallas hasn’t been rocky, either.
If Garrett were to be fired, I can’t think of too many realistic options to replace him. Owner Jerry Jones might look in-house to his coordinators (Kellen Moore and Kris Richard) or take a shot at another coach, like Mike Tomlin. For now, a 6-5 record is still good enough to win the NFC East. Isn’t a division title enough?
Fire Garrett
A talented roster warrants higher expectations than just a division title, so no, a division title might not be enough. A playoff berth hasn’t stopped Jones from firing coaches before. Even worse, Garrett’s bad in-game decisions have been at the forefront of the “Garrett’s Gotta Go!” Campaign.
In the loss to the Patriots, Garrett opted to kick a field goal in a one-possession game with six minutes left from the New England 11-yard line. He could have gone for six and potentially tied the game. If the Cowboys failed to convert, they would have still been down seven.
Verdict
It’s too soon to tell if Garrett deserves to keep his job or not. Let’s wait to see if Garrett can lead Dallas past the first round of the postseason.