Cowboys All in with Jason Garrett as They Begin Monumental Stretch

IRVING, Texas — Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett is in the final year of his contract. But it’s fair to say he is no longer a lame-duck coach.

From the players in the locker room to owner Jerry Jones, the Cowboys are all in with Garrett following a 7-3 start that has them tied for the lead in the NFC East with six games to go.

The Cowboys control their own destiny for the division title and the playoffs. They just need to finish the season strong, starting Sunday at the New York Giants.

Jones has acknowledged that the Cowboys' surprising start to the season has him thinking about a run to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1995:

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Jerry Jones said the Cowboys weren't expecting a Super Bowl run this season, but "You sure can't dismiss it at this particular point."

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) November 14, 2014"

But the players are living, breathing disciples of their coach.

They are focused on one practice at a time, one game at a time. And nothing beyond Sunday’s matchup against the Giants (3-7).

“Really what we do is focus on what the task is,” Garrett said Wednesday. “And the task is having a great Wednesday in preparation for Sunday. A lot of people spend time worrying about other people and worrying about things they really have no control over. What we’ve tried to do is focus on us and trying to get better every day.”

The locker room was seemingly filled with Garrett puppets when it was the players' turn to talk about the stretch ahead, including a grueling three games in 11 days. The Cowboys play at the Giants on Nov. 23, host the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 27 and play at the Chicago Bears on Dec. 4.

It will be a quick turnaround from the Giants to the Eagles, because Sunday's game starts at 8:30 p.m., meaning the Cowboys will get back in the wee hours Monday morning before preparing for the Thanksgiving Day showdown.

The players were trained to focus only on the task at hand and what they can control. 

First, there was linebacker Rolando McClain saying, “You don’t worry about it. You don’t think about it. We’ve got practice tomorrow. We’ve got meetings this afternoon. Focus on that and go from there.”

Then center Travis Frederick chimed in with more Garrett speak.

“I think the only way that you can handle it is to ignore it,” Frederick said. “Just know that we have this game on Sunday night, and after that we can focus on whatever else is coming. We have to win that game.”

Cornerback Orlando Scandrick threw the hammer down when asked about the importance of finishing strong.

“We’re not even at the finish line now, we’re still just a little bit past the halfway point,” Scandrick said. “We’ve got a big opportunity Sunday night to go down to a division opponent and win a game.”

Scandrick is one of just 10 players remaining on the Cowboys roster from 2010, when Garrett took over for the fired Wade Phillips midway through the season.

Garrett finished 5-3 over the final eight games and then went 8-8 in each of the next three seasons while overseeing a roster overhaul and a culture change inside the locker room.

“I’ve bought in, I’m all in,” Scandrick said. “It’s been a definite evolution around here. I think now we finally got a formula that’s winning, that fits this team. We’ve got guys who have bought into it, and we’re finally starting to see the results.

This was supposed to be a make-or-break season for Garrett, who's in the final year of his contract. It has turned into a dawning of a new day, as his philosophy and teachings have finally manifested into real success on the field.

None of that is lost on Jones.

There have been no discussions about a contract extension. But that’s only a matter of time.

Gus Ruelas/Associated Press/Associated Press

Jones believes Garrett is a young coach with a bright future. He plans to make the Cowboys the primary beneficiary.

“We haven’t agreed, but I will say this: Jason, when we started back in the spring, certainly he’s got a lot more positive attributes,” Jones said. “But he had more last spring than he had the spring before—that’s what you get with him. It’s one of the logical reasons why you would have a good future in mind for him. Especially since we’re having the success we’re having, and we should think about it.”

Jones has bought in. The players are in. Now, it’s just a matter of the Cowboys getting back in the playoffs.

But, of course, their focus is only on Sunday’s game against the Giants. 

 
Clarence Hill covers the Cowboys for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.