Dallas Cowboys: Will They Be Better With Jason Garrett in 2011?
Jason Garrett was just introduced today as the new (permanent) head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
Garrett, the former backup to Cowboys legendary quarterback Troy Aikman, moved from the team's offensive coordinator to interim head coach in mid-November when Wade Phillips was fired following a 45-7 loss in Green Bay to the Packers.
Under Garrett, the Cowboys posted a 5-3 record, four better than their first half start.
So it would seem that the future is looking bright in Dallas for 2011.
Here are 10 reasons why, under Garrett, the 6-10 Cowboys will be much improved next season.
10. Tony Romo No Longer the Star
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Quarterback Tony Romo was the Cowboys centerpiece from the middle of 2006 through 2009.
During that stretch, he earned three Pro Bowl spots, won 38 of 55 starts, and guided the team to their first playoff win in 13 years.
And although Romo was injured for the Cowboys' final three losses under Wade Phillips, he was healthy and under center when the Cowboys opened 2010 at 1-4.
He may have put up good passing totals, but they didn't win games.
Eventually, when Jon Kitna took over, the Cowboys started to play great. Not only did they win five of eight games, but those three losses were each by just a field goal or less.
Romo's absence allowed the players around him to develop and/or forced them to step up their play.
No doubt the Cowboys are better with him as their quarterback, but the confidence and experience the rest of the roster gained while he was out should help the team in 2011.
9. Coaching Stability
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The Cowboys staff will probably feature a few changes during the offseason. But because Jason Garrett is taking over permanently, there shouldn't be many growing pains.
If Jerry Jones did go "outside the program" to hire someone like Jon Gruden or Bill Cowher, there would be a time of adjustment that could slow the team down, at least for a while.
As it stands, the Cowboys can hit the ground running today (if they haven't already), where as a new regime would take time to form.
8. Easier Schedule, Higher Draft Pick
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Wade Phillips may have done Jason Garrett a favor by losing seven of his eight games as Cowboys coach this year.
Although Garrett brought the Dallas record near respectability (6-10), they still finished with a poor overall record. Therefore, they should be dealt an easier schedule in 2011, and won't have to play the both reigning division winners in the AFC East (New England) and NFC West (Seattle).
Furthermore, they now have the seventh overall pick and the seventh pick in the subsequent rounds.
Dallas has done a pretty fine job with their picks in recent years. Dez Bryant paid off immediately and so did DeMarcus Ware, and with this year's draft loaded with defensive talent, they should be able to fill several gaps on that side of the ball with a player like Patrick Peterson or Prince Amukamara.
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7. Goodbye to Roy Williams
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Certainly the injury to Tony Romo was part of it, but Roy Williams did almost nothing for the Cowboys in the 2010 season.
But may be Jason Garrett started to faze Williams out of the gameplan. In the eight games where Garrett was at the helm, Williams caught only 14 passes and zero touchdowns.
Williams has a $5 million team option that probably won't be picked up.
With Williams gone, Dez Bryant should see many more passes come his way, and with Bryant and Miles Austin, they have an outstanding duo. One that might remind Garrett of the Michael Irvin-Alvin Harper days of the mid-1990s.
6. Young Blood
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Garrett played in the NFL just a few years ago: He was a backup in Miami as late as 2004.
Wade Phillips wasn't exactly Joe Paterno out there, but the 63-year-old was beginning his 32nd year of coaching when the 2010 started.
As the head coach, Garrett is now the voice that will lead the Cowboys for several years to come. Maybe having that voice be younger, fresher, and one that knows the modern NFL player very well, the Cowboys players will respond to his words better.
That seemed to be the case in the second half of the season.
5. Confidence
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Every season the Cowboys have had since 2003, including Bill Parcells' first season in which he led Dallas to the playoffs for the first time in four years, has ended with major disappointment.
Sure they "got over the hump" last year and won their first playoff game in a decade and a half by defeating the Eagles. But that team with major Super Bowl aspirations was pounded by the Vikings 34-3.
And although they had those same Super Bowl hopes to start 2010 and finished 6-10, the second half of the season was very promising.
Under Garrett, they defeated all three NFC East rivals and won five of eight games. And they ended the season with a pretty nice win over the Eagles. Even though Philadelphia was resting their starter, the Cowboys still defeated them with third string quarterback Stephen McGee, making his first ever start.
Heading into the offseason that is a nice boost.
4. Relationship with Tony Romo
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It's not like Tony Romo had a bad relationship with Wade Phillips. But the fact that Romo and Garrett have been working very closely with one another for several years is a good sign for the 2011 Cowboys.
Garrett joined the Cowboys staff in 2007 and Romo went on to have an outstanding season, setting a new franchise record for touchdown passes and yardage while leading the team to the top seed in the NFC.
In their three full seasons together, Romo had tremendous success, largely because Garrett knew how to call a game to Romo's strengths.
No matter who has the title of "Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator" in 2011, they will be carrying out Garrett's wishes and that should lead to another outstanding season for Romo.
3. Super Bowl Glory Days
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Even if he was just along for the ride, Garrett owns two Super Bowl rings for his time with the Cowboys in the mid-1990s.
That gives him instant credibility with his players. He has been to the Super Bowl and been in the winning locker room, something that they all want to experience.
Garrett is also a constant reminder to the players of the 1990s Cowboys' teams. The only way this era's Cowboys can shut up/show up that dynasty is by winning one of their own.
2. Back to Basics
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Despite having three pretty good backs, the Cowboys were average running the football this season.
They finished 17th in yards per game.
But in the second half of the season under Garrett, they showed considerable improvement and more dedication to the running game.
Felix Jones was very effective, posting double-digit carries in each of the games that Garrett was head coach. Tashard Choice had a great game in Indianapolis against the Colts: 19 carries, 100 yards; just the second posted by a Dallas back in 2010.
When Garrett took over, he might have realized there was a need to return to rely more on their talented backs, either because of Romo's injury or because of their losing streak.
Or maybe Wade Phillips had previously instructed him to utilize their high priced receivers more.
For whatever reason, you can expect the 2011 Cowboys to be much more committed to the run than the early 2010 team was. In the NFC East, that will be vital to their success.
1. a Two-Year Honeymoon
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In retrospect, it seemed that Wade Phillips was never the right choice for Dallas. Or at least for Jerry Jones.
The Cowboys were at their best with an authoritative figure at the helm—a Jimmy Johnson or Bill Parcells—one who wouldn't have to fear for his job.
Wade Phillips was on the proverbial hot seat as early as his second season in 2008.
That year, Dallas went from 13-3 and the conference's top seed to a midseason stretch of four losses in six games, followed up with a three game losing streak to close out the regular season and no playoff berth.
Phillips seemed to save his job with a good finish in 2009, but that good didn't last more than 10 months.
Throughout his last two seasons, Phillips was fighting for his coaching life with the specter of Jerry Jones looking over him. There's no way Cowboys' players overlooked that. And it seemed to be a huge weight off their shoulders when he was fired in Novemeber: They immediately went to the New Meadowlands and defeated the streaking New York Giants.
No matter what, Garrett would figure to have two seasons ahead of him where he doesn't have to worry about his job status. He was (twice) hand picked by Jones.
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