Jerry Jones Won't Fire Jason Garrett Midseason Despite Cowboys' Struggles

The Dallas Cowboys fell to 3-5 on Monday with a 28-14 loss to the Tennessee Titans, but owner Jerry Jones isn't ready to make serious personnel changes.

According to Mike Fisher of 247Sports, Jones said he would not fire head coach Jason Garrett during the season and added "I just gave you a great big no" when pressed for a follow-up.

Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram noted Jones also said he is behind quarterback Dak Prescott, while Jane Slater of NFL Network reported the owner said he won't fire offensive coordinator Scott Linehan during the season either.

"I really don't know without being trite," Jones said when asked about his patience with the current situation, per Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. "I don't know how to articulate my patience or lack thereof and I don't, and I'm not trying to be smart. I just don't have an assessment of my patience right now."

Dallas already made a coaching change this season when it fired offensive line coach Paul Alexander on Oct. 29. However, an offensive line Football Outsiders ranked an abysmal 27th in the league in pass protection through eight weeks allowed five sacks against the Titans.

Prescott had two touchdown passes, but he also threw a costly interception and is yet to throw for more than two scores in a single game this season. He has 10 touchdown passes through eight games, which isn't exactly a head-turning number in today's NFL.

The struggles in the passing game have allowed opposing defenses to stack the box against Ezekiel Elliott and cut off the running lanes that help him control the clock and stay ahead of the chains.

Prescott's interception and a missed field goal by Brett Maher in the first quarter prevented the Cowboys from building a three-score lead when the Titans fumbled on their first two possessions.

Garrett has been head coach of the Cowboys since he took over during the 2010 campaign after Dallas fired Wade Phillips. He has won just one playoff game during his tenure and sports a 70-58 overall record. 

Things looked bright in 2016 when he was named the Coach of the Year with Prescott and Elliott as two young building blocks, but Dallas missed the playoffs in 2017 and appears on its way to a similar fate this year as it's in third place in the NFC East. 

Jones said he won't fire Garrett during the season, but the coach's future with the organization figures to remain a significant talking point if he can't turn things around in the second half of the schedule.