Despite Loss, Jason Garrett Deserves Job After Turning Cowboys Around

The Dallas Cowboys coughed up the ball in the fourth quarter and later the lead as they lost 30-27 to the New Orleans Saints, but if one thing was evident last night while eating your pumpkin pie, it's that Jason Garrett should be the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. 

The Cowboys went down early, and by the end of the first quarter, it was 17-0. The Wade Phillips Cowboys would've packed it in, and this game would've turned out worse than the 45-7 beatdown the Packers gave the Cowboys.

Instead, they held the fifth-ranked offense and the third-ranked passing offense to just six points until their last drive of the game. Even better, Jon Kitna led the Cowboys back on his way to throwing for 313 yards against the second-ranked pass defense in the league.

Also, while the running game was largely boosted up by Miles Austin's 60-yard TD reverse, the Cowboys stayed committed to the run and ground out 31 carries (five were scrambles by Kitna).

The Cowboys even kept Drew Brees under constant pressure throughout the game, and while Brees collected 352 yards passing, the Cowboys defense constantly bent but didn't break. Gerald Sensabaugh had an interception off a tipped pass, and wide receiver Jesse Holley forced Reggie Bush to fumble, which set up a Dallas TD.

Jason Garrett made sure his team played with fire, determination and most of all confidence, and although they didn't win, they didn't quit. The Cowboys have lost a lot of close games this season, but this game wasn't lost the way the Cowboys had been losing.

Those games were lost because of penalties that stalled drives, lapses in concentration that led to turnovers and confusion and arguments on defense. 

It's obvious that things have changed in Dallas. From the way the Cowboys dress, to the way they practice, to the way they play, and that's because of Garrett. As much as the Cowboys wanted to keep Phillips around, it's evident that they have responded positively to the change. 

With the Cowboys at seven losses when the change came, they could've just went through the motions the rest of the season, won one or two more games the rest of the way and then used the offseason to get motivated and start over. 

Instead, because of Garrett, the Cowboys have played hard, and although they won't make the playoffs, their win against the Giants is the reason that the Giants are now on the outside looking in.

With two matchups against the Eagles and one against the Redskins left on the schedule, the Cowboys could have even more of a say in who makes it to the show.

Garrett's audition for the head-coaching position has gone well, and while there are some big names out there, chances are it would've taken longer to get the Cowboys to trust new coaches and a new system of doing things than it took for the Cowboys to believe in Garrett.

The win-loss record for the Cowboys doesn't matter at this point; what matters this season is how they play and for Garrett they're playing harder than they have all season. If he comes back as the head coach, they'll play even harder with a fresh start.